Device for taking up fluid

• US 6,045,541 A
• Filed: 02/03/1998
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Toru, Ito, Narushi
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/017,555
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 604/289, 604/313-316, 604/19, 604/131, 604/181, 604/212, 600/573, 600/576, 600/577, 600/578
• US Class Current: 604/313
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14514 using means for aiding extraction of interstitial fluid, e.g. microneedles or suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4283 gastrointestinal secretions, e.g. bile production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4881 Determining interstitial fluid distribution or content within body tissue measuring analytes in interstitial fluid in-vivo A61B5/1451
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/10 in the liquid or fluent state burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/028 Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising

Abstract

A device for taking up a fluid present on a flexible surface includes a support member and a fluid-passage member; the support member includes an opening portion having an end surface defining an abutment surface adapted to be held in abutment with the flexible surface; the fluid-passage member includes an aperture and is disposed within the opening portion of the support member; the fluid-passage member has an opening end defining an inlet, and is constructed to permit the fluid to flow thereinto by capillarity; the opening end having an end face is disposed inside with respect to the abutment surface of the support member and is positioned such that, when the abutment surface of the support member is brought into abutment with the flexible surface, only the fluid present thereon is brought into contact with the end face.

Claims

1. A device for taking up a fluid present on a flexible surface, comprising:

a support member including an opening portion having an end surface defining an abutment surface adapted to be held in abutment with the flexible surface, an exterior surface, and an opposing interior surface; and

a fluid-passage member including an aperture, an exterior surface, and an opposing interior surface, said fluid passage member being disposed within said opening portion of said support member such that the exterior surface of said fluid passage member is interior to and spaced apart from the interior surface of said support member, said fluid-passage member including an opening end defining an inlet and being constructed to permit the fluid to flow thereinto by capillarity, said opening end having an end face being disposed inside with respect to said abutment surface of said support member and positioned such that, when said abutment surface of said support member is brought into abutment with the flexible surface, only the fluid present thereon is brought into contact with said end face.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluid-passage member comprises at least two of said openings.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said support member is constructed to permit the reduction of pressure within said opening portion.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pressure-reducing unit for reducing pressure within said opening portion of said support member when said opening portion of said support member is closed.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pressure-reducing unit detachably attached to said support member for reducing pressure within said opening portion of said support member when said opening portion of said support member is closed.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pressure-reducing unit for reducing pressure in said opening portion of said support member when said opening portion of said support member is closed, said pressure-reducing unit including a cylinder and a piston disposed in said cylinder.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises a tubular structure having opposite opening ends, one of said opening ends defining said abutment surface.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, comprising a plurality of said fluid-passage members.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises a tubular structure having opposite opening ends, and wherein said device comprises a pair of said fluid-passage members each associated with a respective one of said opposite opening ends.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises a tubular structure having opposite opening ends, and wherein said device comprises a plurality of said fluid-passage members associated with each of said opposite opening ends.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sensor disposed in said fluid-passage member for detecting the fluid.

12. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluid-passage member has an inner peripheral surface subjected to hydrophilic treatment.

13. The device as recited in claim 1, comprising said fluid-passage member attached releasably to said support member.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible surface is an epithelium of an organism.

15. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said flexible surface is the surface of skin.

16. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid present on the flexible surface is an aqueous fluid.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein said aqueous fluid is a body fluid.

18. A device for taking up a fluid present on a flexible surface, comprising:

a support member including an opening portion having an end surface defining an abutment surface adapted to be held in abutment with the flexible surface; and

a fluid-passage member including an aperture and disposed within said opening portion of said support member, said fluid-passage member including an opening end defining an inlet and being constructed to permit the fluid to flow therein by capillarity, said opening end having an end face being disposed inside with respect to said abutment surface of said support member and positioned such that, when said abutment surface of said support member is brought into abutment with the flexible surface, only the fluid present thereon is brought into contact with said end face,

wherein said support member comprises a tubular structure having opposite opening ends, and wherein said device comprises a pair of said fluid-passage members each associated with a respective one of said opposite opening ends.

19. A device for taking up fluid present on a flexible surface, comprising:

a cylindrical support member with open first and second ends, said first end defining an abutment surface with the flexible surface; and

a cylindrical fluid-passage member mounted in an interior of, and spaced from, said cylindrical support member and above a plane defined by said first end, said cylindrical fluid-passage member comprising a fluid inlet end adapted to accept fluid by capillarity.