Fluid sample collecting and analyzing apparatus

• US 20090143699A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ameditech, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Ameditech, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Wu, John, Ng, Waiping
• Application Number:
  US11/998,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143699A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0224 having mechanical means to set stroke length, e.g. movable stops B01L3/0231, B01L3/0234 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 using swabs

Abstract

A spongy swab is mounted against the distal face of a piston at the end of a push rod. Once humected with a sample fluid, the swab and piston assembly is inserted into a tubular body like the plunger of a syringe. As the swab is pushed and squeezed against the distal end of the body up to a trippable stop, part of the fluid is excreted into a chromatographic immunoassay testing device through a first aperture in a distal section of the body. The remainder of the sample is kept in a sealed chamber between the piston and the end wall of the tubular body until it is excreted through a second aperture for a secondary test by pushing the piston beyond the trippable stop. That preserves the sample within the spongy swab that has been used to collect it; thus preventing the adsorption of the analytes on the surface of a reservoir, and to provide a convenient and rapid way to extract the remainder of the specimen.

Claims

1. A collecting and testing apparatus, for detecting and analyte in a fluid sample, which:

comprises;

a plunger including a push rod, a piston attached to one extremity of said rod, said piston having a distal face, and a spongy swab axially mounted on said distal face;

a tubular body open at a first end, closed at an opposite second end, and being dimensioned to be intimately engaged by said piston;

said body having at least one exit port proximate said second end; and

a trippable barrier positioned to stop said piston distally from said second end; and

wherein said swab is dimensioned to be partially squeezed between said distal face and said second end when said distal face reaches a stopping location determined by said barrier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises an immunoassay testing device connected to said exit port.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said exit port is radially positioned proximately distant from said stopping location.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said body has a second exit port located distally from said stopping location;

and

further includes a breakable stopper closing said second exit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 which further comprises a second immunoassay testing device detachably securable to said second exit port.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said trippable barrier comprises at least one radial protrusion on said plunger, said protrusion being positioned to contact said body when said distal face reaches said stopping location.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said protrusion is manually compressible.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said exit port is axially positioned in said second end.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 which further comprises a breakable seal closing said exit port.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said trippable barrier is compressible by forced insertion of said plunger into the body.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said piston comprises a peripheral O-ring.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said body has a circumferential inside groove having a hemispherical cross-section commensurate with said O-ring;

whereby the engagement of said O-ring into said groove constitutes said trippable barrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said exit port is radially located within said groove.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 which further comprises a threaded coupling between said exit port and said testing device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises means for preventing circulation of an amount of said specimen within said body.

16. A collecting and testing apparatus, for detecting an analyte in a fluid sample, which comprises:

a syringe-like plunger and tubular body assembly, the tubular body having a closed distal end;

a spongy swab distally mounted on said plunger;

a trippable barrier preventing said swab from being completely squeezed between said plunger and said distal end; and

an analyte testing device connected to an exit port in a distal region of said body.

17. A method for conducting a first preliminarily test on a fluid sample while preserving a portion of said sample for later testing, and dispensing said portion during said later testing, said method comprises:

collecting said fluid sample upon a spongy swab distally mounted on a syringe-like plunger;

extracting a first partial portion of said sample from said swab, thereby leaving a second partial portion of said sample on said swab;

directing said first partial portion onto a fluid test device capable of detecting said analyte to obtain a preliminary detection;

hermetically enclosing said swab in an openable chamber;

forming an opening in said chamber; and

,

excreting said second partial portion through said opening.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said extracting comprises:

inserting said plunger a first distance into a tubular body assembly having a closed distal end;

preventing insertion of said plunger beyond said first distance using a trippable barrier;

tripping said trippable barrier;

further inserting said plunger beyond said first distance, thereby causing said excreting.