SAMPLE HANDLING

• US 20120183956A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whitespace Enterprise Corporation
• Original Assignee: Forensic Science Service Limited (Government of United Kingdom), Grid Xitek Limited (GX Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hopwood, Andrew, Moran, Nina, Ross, Gary, Wetherall, Sebastian, Evans, Owen
• Application Number:
  US13/389,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183956A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0096 Casings for storing test samples A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/02; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0216 Sampling brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/041 Connecting closures to device or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/049 Valves integrated in closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0672 Integrated piercing tool
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0832 cylindrical, tube shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0475 specific mechanical means and fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0644 rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0683 : mechanically breaking a wall or membrane within a channel or chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 : using swabs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 : Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 : with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1003 : Extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples, e.g. pure separation or isolation methods; Conditions, buffers or apparatuses therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6806 : Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/28 : Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Qmounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 ; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/44 : Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat

Abstract

The invention provides containers and methods of use for the storage, transportation and preparation of samples, such as DNA samples for analysis. The container is pre-provided with the reagents in sealed chambers. The sample can be introduced and the container manipulated to release the reagents, provide the necessary conditions and give a fully prepared sample. The container can then be engaged with an analysis device to identify characteristics of the sample or perform other operations thereon.

Claims

1. A container, the container including an opening to a chamber, closure means for the opening and discharge means for the container.

2. The container of claim 1 in which the container is provided with a plurality of chambers, one or more of the chambers being physically isolated from one or more of the other chambers, with one or more of the other chambers being providing with one or more reagents.

3. The container of claim 2 in which the one or more other chambers are separated from the one or more chambers by a seal or a plurality of seals.

4. The container of claim 2 in which the container includes means to break the seal between one or more of the chambers and one or more of the other chambers.

5. The container of claim 4 in which relative movement of the one or more chambers compared with the one or more other chambers breaks the seal between them.

6. The container of claim 2 in which one of the one or more chambers has an axis and the one or more other chambers are off set from the axis.

7. The container of claim 1 in which one or more further chambers are providing with one or more sample processing aids.

8. The container of claim 1 in which the container is provided with a chamber in to which the sample is introduced and another chamber in which the reagents are present and/or a further chamber in which one or more sample processing aids are present within the further chamber.

9. The container of claim 1 in which the container is provided with a first chamber which is accessed through an opening and the container is provided with a second chamber which is accessed through the first chamber, the second chamber being provided with one or more further chambers and/or one or more other chambers.

10. The container of claim 9 in which the one or more further chambers and/or one or more other chambers are provided leading into the second chamber.

11. The container of claim 9 in which the one or more further chamber and/or one or more other chambers are provided in the base of the first chamber.

12. The container of claim 9 in which the container includes a first section which is rotatable relative to a second section.

13. The container of claim 9 in which the container includes a first chamber defining section and a second chamber defining section, the first chamber defining section being at least partially received within the second chamber defining section.

14. The container of claim 13 in which the first chamber defining section provides a pre-first chamber defining section.

15. The container of claim 13 in which the first chamber defining section may be rotatable relative to the second chamber defining section.

16. The container of claim 13 in which one or more stops or other locator means are provided to control the position of the first chamber defining section relative to the second chamber defining section.

17. The container of claim 16 in which the locator means are confined by a track.

18. The container of claim 17 in which the track includes a first perimeter section extending circumferentially and the track includes one or more further perimeter extending sections.

19. The container of claim 17 in which the track includes one or more axially extending sections and one perimeter extending section is joined to another by an axially extending section.

20. The container of claim 17 in which the container has a pre-use state and the container includes one or more reagents in the pre-use state.

21. The container of claim 17 in which the container has a use state and one or more chambers within the container are accessible in the use state to a sample collection device.

22. The container of claim 17 in which the container has a sample to fluid contacting state in which one or more fluids are released into one or more chambers containing the sample.

23. The container of claim 17 in which the container has a sample to sample processing aids contacting state in which one or more sample processing aids are released into one or more chambers containing the sample or vice versa.

24. The container of claim 17 in which the container has an initial processing state in which the container and/or its contents are heated and/or agitated.

25. The container of claim 17 in which the container has a transfer state in which at least a part of the contents of the container are transferred to a device.

26. The container of claim 17 in which the container has an expanded state and a compressed state and fluid passes from the container to the device during the transition between expanded state to compressed state and/or whilst in the compressed state.

27. The container of claim 17 in which the container is provided with an internal heat source.

28. The container of claim 17 in which the container contains one or more sample processing aids, used to assist and/or to provide a separation between one or more components of the sample and one or more other components.

29. The container of claim 17 in which the container contains one or more reagents or material for amplification.

30. The container of claim 17 in which the container contains one or more reagents or materials for use in a size based separation and/or for use in electrophoresis

31. A method of preparing a sample, the method including:

collecting the sample;

introducing the sample to a container;

one or more preparing steps being applied to the sample whilst in the container.

32. The method of claim 31 in which the container has a pre-use state and the container

includes one or more reagents in the pre-use state.

33. The method of claim 31 in which the container has a use state and one or more chambers within the container are accessible in the use state to a sample collection device.

34. The method of claim 31 in which the container has a sample to fluid contacting state in which one or more fluids are released into one or more chambers containing the sample.

35. The method of claim 31 in which the container has a sample to sample processing aids contacting state in which one or more sample processing aids are released into one or more chambers containing the sample or vice versa.

36. The method of claim 31 in which the container has an initial processing state in which the container and/or its contents are heated and/or agitated.

37. The method of claim 31 in which the container has a transfer state in which at least a part of the contents of the container are transferred to a device.

38. The method of claim 31 in which the container has an expanded state and a compressed state and fluid passes from the container to the device during the transition between expanded state to compressed state and/or whilst in the compressed state.