Nonintrusive body fluid samplers and methods of using same
First Claim
1. A device for nonintrusively collecting a sample of a fluid such as sweat, tears or saliva, comprising:
- (a) a hollow tube having at least one open end; and
(b) a collecting nib secured in said one end of said tube and having an inner extremity facing the interior of the tube and an outer tip projecting beyond said one end of the tube for contact with a fluid to be collected, said nib comprising a solid, nonfibrous, porous, water-wettable body a porosity sufficient for absorption therein of the fluid to be collected, and said nib and said one end of said tube being mutually arranged to permit passage of fluid between the exterior and the interior of the tube at said one end only through the nib body.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A body fluid sampling device including a hollow tube with a solid, porous, water-wettable nonfibrous nib mounted in and protruding from one end of the tube for collecting, by absorption, a sample of a body fluid such as sweat, tears, or saliva. The sample may be extracted from the nib for analysis by supplying an extraction fluid to the interior of the tube for gravity or vacuum-assisted flow out through the nib. Alternatively, an elongated analysis element such as a strip of paper or a packed column, e.g. containing an agent that changes appearance to indicate the presence of a substance to be detected, may be disposed in the tube for endwise contact with the nib to receive the sample (or components thereof) by absorption.
153 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A device for nonintrusively collecting a sample of a fluid such as sweat, tears or saliva, comprising:
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(a) a hollow tube having at least one open end; and (b) a collecting nib secured in said one end of said tube and having an inner extremity facing the interior of the tube and an outer tip projecting beyond said one end of the tube for contact with a fluid to be collected, said nib comprising a solid, nonfibrous, porous, water-wettable body a porosity sufficient for absorption therein of the fluid to be collected, and said nib and said one end of said tube being mutually arranged to permit passage of fluid between the exterior and the interior of the tube at said one end only through the nib body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification