System for multiple sterile sample collection and isolation
First Claim
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1. A device for collecting samples from within a sealed system, comprising:
- a housing, said housing having an internal cavity sealed from the ambient environment outside the housing;
a plurality of receptacles, each of said plurality of receptacles being movable into said internal cavity of said housing and fillable with a flowable material while within said internal cavity of said housing, respectively; and
a filled receptacle holder, said filled receptacle holder receiving each of said plurality of receptacles after each of said plurality of receptacles has been filled, said filled receptacle holder being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within said internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, wherein said filled receptacle holder is an integral tube which is separable into a plurality of filled receptacle compartments, a first of said plurality of compartments having an open end thereof forming a seal with said housing, and a last of said plurality of compartments having a closed distal end, each of said plurality of compartments being closable to contain at least one of said plurality of filled receptacles therein in an isolated manner.
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Abstract
This device is directed at filling multiple receptacles without losing integrity of the system. It is also directed at receiving a (sealed) container of receptacles (opened or stopper/closed), opening an access into the sealed container, retrieving receptacles, filling those receptacles, stoppering the receptacles after filling and ejecting the receptacles, either directly into the outside environment or into a closable sack or container, in the latter case while maintaining the integrity of the environment within the device and, if desirable, the sack or closed container.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for collecting samples from within a sealed system, comprising:
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a housing, said housing having an internal cavity sealed from the ambient environment outside the housing;
a plurality of receptacles, each of said plurality of receptacles being movable into said internal cavity of said housing and fillable with a flowable material while within said internal cavity of said housing, respectively; and
a filled receptacle holder, said filled receptacle holder receiving each of said plurality of receptacles after each of said plurality of receptacles has been filled, said filled receptacle holder being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within said internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, wherein said filled receptacle holder is an integral tube which is separable into a plurality of filled receptacle compartments, a first of said plurality of compartments having an open end thereof forming a seal with said housing, and a last of said plurality of compartments having a closed distal end, each of said plurality of compartments being closable to contain at least one of said plurality of filled receptacles therein in an isolated manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A device for collecting samples from within a sealed system, comprising:
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a housing, said housing having an internal cavity sealed from the ambient environment outside the housing, said housing including an injection port and an ejection port formed therein;
an empty receptacle holder, said empty receptacle holder being in communication with said injection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said empty receptacle holder holding a plurality of receptacles therein;
a filled receptacle holder, said filled receptacle holder being in communication with said ejection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said filled receptacle holder for receiving said plurality of receptacles therein and being removably mounted to said housing such that the environment inside said housing and the environment inside said filled receptacle holder remain sealed from each other and the ambient environment outside the housing when said filled receptacle holder and said housing are removed from each other, wherein each of said plurality of receptacles is movable from said empty receptacle holder into said internal cavity of said housing to be filled with a flowable material while within said internal cavity of said housing, and said plurality of receptacles is movable into said filled receptacle holder to be removed therewith, and wherein said filled receptacle holder is an integral tube which is separable into a plurality of filled receptacle compartments, a first of said plurality of compartments having an open end thereof forming a seal with said housing, and a last of said plurality of compartments having a closed distal end, each of said plurality of compartments being closable to contain at least one of said plurality of receptacles therein in an isolated manner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A device for collecting samples from within a sealed system, comprising:
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a housing, said housing having an internal cavity sealed from the ambient environment outside the housing, said housing including an injection port and an ejection port formed therein;
an empty receptacle holder, said empty receptacle holder being in communication with said injection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said empty receptacle holder holding at least one receptacle therein;
a filled receptacle holder, said filled receptacle holder being in communication with said ejection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said filled receptacle holder for receiving said at least one receptacle therein and being removably mounted to said housing such that the environment inside said housing and the environment inside said filled receptacle holder remain sealed from each other and the ambient environment outside the housing when said filled receptacle holder and said housing are removed from each other, a receptacle conveyor, said receptacle conveyor being movable to transport each of said at least one receptacle to a filling station within said internal cavity of said housing where each of said at least one receptacle is fillable and from said filling station to said ejection port formed in said housing;
a flowable material feeder having an opening at said filling station within said internal cavity of said housing, said flowable material feeder being operable to feed material from a supply source into each of said at least one receptacle;
a stopper removing or opening mechanism, said stopper removing or opening mechanism being operable to remove or open a stopper from each of said at least one receptacle when each of said at least one receptacle is located at said filling station to allow for each of said at least one receptacle to be filled by said flowable material feeder; and
a stopper attaching mechanism, said stopper attaching mechanism being operable to attach a screw-on or plug stopper to each of said at least one receptacle, close a port in each of said at least one receptacle, or close or seal a penetrated septum on each of said at least one receptacles, wherein each of said at least one receptacle is movable from said empty receptacle holder into said internal cavity of said housing to be filled with a flowable material while within said internal cavity of said housing, and said at least one receptacle is movable into said filled receptacle holder to be removed therewith.
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17. A device for collecting samples from within a sealed system, comprising:
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a housing, said housing having an internal cavity sealed from the ambient environment outside the housing, said housing including an injection port and an ejection port formed therein;
an empty receptacle holder, said empty receptacle holder being in communication with said injection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said empty receptacle holder holding a plurality of receptacles therein;
a filled receptacle holder, said filled receptacle holder being in communication with said ejection port and being sealed with said housing to form a barrier between the environment within the internal cavity of said housing and the ambient environment outside said housing, said filled receptacle holder for receiving each of said plurality of receptacle therein and being removably mounted to said housing such that the environment inside said housing and the environment inside said filled receptacle holder remain sealed from each other and the ambient environment outside the housing, wherein said filled receptacle holder is an integral tube which is separable into a plurality of filled receptacle compartments, a first of said plurality of compartments having an open end thereof forming a seal with said housing, and a last of said plurality of compartments having a closed distal end, each of said plurality of compartments being closable to contain at least one of said plurality of receptacles therein in an isolated manner, and wherein each of said plurality of receptacles is movable from said empty receptacle holder into said internal cavity of said housing to be filled with a flowable material while within said internal cavity of said housing, and each of said plurality of receptacles is movable into said filled receptacle holder to be removed therewith. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification