Method of using flocked swab for collecting biological specimens

• US 8,317,728 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copan Italia SpA
• Original Assignee: Copan Italia SpA
• Inventors: Triva, Daniele
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pani, John
• Application Number:
  US12/903,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20110028861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 600/562, 600/569, 600/572, 600/573, 604 1- 3, 132/218, 132/318, 131/245, 151/030.3, 151/040.5, 151/041.6, 151/042, 435/283.1, 435/307.1, 436/810
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/38 Swabs having a stick-type handle, e.g. cotton tips ear cleaners other than cotton tips A61F11/006; swabs containing a liquid, e.g. in a rupturable reservoir, A61M35/006
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/087 Ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0832 cylindrical, tube shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 using swabs
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/02 by impregnation, e.g. using swabs or loops fluid transport using swabs B01L3/5029

Abstract

The present invention relates to a swab for collecting biological specimens of the type consisting of a rod terminating in a tip covered with fiber with hydrophilic properties to allow absorption of said specimens, wherein said fiber covers said tip in the form of a layer deposited by flocking.

Claims

1. A method for collecting a biological specimen to be analyzed, the method being carried out by using a swab comprising a rod terminating in a tip, in which a layer of fibers is disposed by flocking to cover the tip, said layer of fibers having a thickness of 0.6 to 3 mm and a fiber count of 1.7 to 3.3 Dtex, the method comprising collecting a specimen to be analyzed by absorbing a quantity of 40 μ

l to 100 μ

l of specimen in said layer of fibers.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which said step of collecting a specimen to be analyzed is carried out by absorbing said quantity of 40 μ

l to 100 μ

l of specimen in said layer of fibers by capillarity effect.

3. The method according to claim 1 in which said specimen absorbed in said layer of fibers is a liquid specimen.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specimen comprises a material selected from a group consisting of:

bacteria, viruses, DNA, RNA, and a mixture of any of the preceding materials.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said quantity of specimen is absorbed in said layer of fibers by capillarity hydrophilic properties of the layer of fibers.

6. The method according to claim 1 in which said fibers are disposed perpendicularly to the surface of the tip by flocking.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of storing and transporting said quantity of specimen in said layer of fibers.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising a step selected from the group consisting of:

releasing a quantity of said specimen to be analyzed from said layer of fibers.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of analyzing said quantity of liquid specimen after releasing said specimen from said layer of fibers.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said fibers define capillaries in said layer of fibers conferring hydrophilic properties by capillarity to the layer of fibers.

11. The method according to claim 1 in which said layer of fibers has capillarity hydrophilic properties and in which said step of absorbing a quantity of liquid specimen in said layer of fibers is carried out by capillarity effect.

12. The method according to claim 1 in which said layer of fibers is of uniform thickness.

13. The method according to claim 1 in which said layer of fibers is disposed on said tip in an ordered arrangement by flocking.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

releasing a quantity of said specimen to be analyzed from said layer of fibers by swabbing.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

releasing, from said layer of fibers, a quantity from 90% to 100% of said specimen absorbed.