JP2004109015A - Device and method for separating bodily fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and a method for eliminating an insoluble ingredient of a living body from an ingredient of a bodily fluid specimen easily and economically. <P>SOLUTION: The specimen of the bodily fluid separator is composed of a tubular vessel for keeping the specimen of the bodily fluid having a deformable side wall and provided with an inlet opening at its end, and a filter unit having a holder opening capable of airtightly fitting to the inlet opening of the tubular vessel and accommodating a filter material between the holder opening and an exhaustion nozzle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a separation device for a body fluid sample, and particularly to a separation device suitable for separating water-insoluble components such as contaminating cells from a liquid containing a nasal swab, a nasal absorptive solution, a pharyngeal swab, and the like, from whole blood. The present invention relates to a separation apparatus for removing a blood cell component to obtain a fraction corresponding to plasma or serum. The present invention also relates to a method for separating a body fluid sample using these devices.
[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art A centrifugal method using a centrifuge is conventionally known as a method for removing insoluble biological components from a body fluid sample or the like and reliably obtaining a substance to be measured. However, the centrifugal method requires a large-sized apparatus, requires a long processing time, and is extremely complicated. As a device for relatively easily separating plasma or serum from whole blood of a body fluid sample such as blood, a device as shown in FIG. 5 is known (JP-A-2000-338103). In this device, a first filter medium unit 21 and a second filter medium unit 22 are housed in a cylindrical container 23. When plasma is separated from whole blood, whole blood is supplied to the inlet of the cylindrical container 23, and the piston 24 is inserted through the inlet to apply pressure so that the whole blood can pass through the filter medium unit. Then, blood cells are separated and filtered, and plasma B is collected from the outlet side.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2000-338103 (page 6, FIG. 4)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Although the above-described separation device enables simple pretreatment of a body fluid component, members such as a cylindrical container and a piston use processing accuracy and materials comparable to a disposable syringe. Such an unsuitable separation device for repeated use has a slight difficulty in economy. The present invention provides a separation device that can be used simply and stably with operability, and is economically advantageous as a disposable separation device.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has a container opening for introducing a body fluid sample at an end thereof, and has a cylindrical body fluid sample storage container having a deformable container side surface, and is hermetically attached to an outlet and a container opening of the storage container. A bodily fluid sample separation device having a possible holder opening and having a bodily fluid sample filtering unit containing a filtering material between the holder opening and an outlet. Further, the present invention provides a tubular body fluid sample container having a container opening for introducing a body fluid sample at an end thereof, a cylindrical body fluid sample container having a deformable container side surface, and introducing the body fluid sample from the container opening to the discharge port and the container. The container opening of the container has a holder opening that can be airtightly mounted, and the holder opening of the bodily fluid sample filtration unit that contains a filtering material between the holder opening and the discharge port, A method for separating a bodily fluid sample, comprising: attaching the bodily fluid sample to the filter medium, and extracting / recovering the filtered sample from an outlet by pressurizing the side surface of the container after the container is airtightly attached to the container opening. provide.
[0006]
A separation device 1 according to the present invention is a body fluid sample separation device 1 including a body fluid sample container 2 and a body fluid sample filtration unit 5 as shown in FIGS. The body fluid sample container 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a flat top surface and a container opening 3. The opening 3 has an inner diameter that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the holder opening 8 of the body fluid component filtering unit 5 described below, and has a shape in which the body fluid component filtering unit can be mounted in a liquid-tight manner. Moreover, it is preferable that the container side surface 4 of the body fluid sample storage container 2 has a deformable shape. By using this deformable container side surface, in the liquid sample separation device 1, the body fluid sample housed inside the device can be pressurized and led out from the outlet 7.
[0007]
The body fluid sample filtration unit 5 contains a filter medium 9 in a holder 6 having an outlet 7 and a holder opening 8 that can be attached to the container opening 3 of the liquid container 2. The container opening 3 and the holder opening 8 may have any shape such as a screwed structure and an inserted structure, as long as the shape allows the detachable close fitting of the container opening 3 and the fitting. The filter member 9 is accommodated in the holder 6 so as to be in close contact with the inner wall. As the filtering member 9, for example, a material obtained by mixing or mixing a cellulose derivative such as cellulose, nitrocellulose, and cellulose acetate, a glass derivative such as glass wool and a glass filter, and a chemical fiber such as acrylonitrile alone or in a mixture is used. it can. As these filtration members 9, various filters and filtration materials can be selected from commercially available ones. The filtering member 9 can be appropriately selected and used in accordance with the component to be filtered or the substance to be measured. For example, when filtering whole blood to obtain plasma, a glass filter is used to determine the diameter of blood cells. Any filter having a small diameter may be used, and a filter having a diameter of 8 μm or less, preferably about 1.5 μm can be used. In the case of a liquid sample in which a nasal swab is dissolved, a filter made of cellulose or the like can be laminated and used.
[0008]
Further, the liquid sample separation device 1 of the present invention is composed of a body fluid sample container 2 and a body fluid sample filtration unit 5, and these devices are used by selecting from glass, synthetic resin, natural resin, metal and the like. can do. For example, a synthetic resin such as a polyethylene resin and a polypropylene resin is preferable because it is easy to process and inexpensive, and is particularly preferable because the container side of the body fluid container 2 is easily deformed. These materials can be appropriately selected for each component and used as a composite material.
[0009]
The body fluid sample to be filtered by the apparatus of the present invention includes, for example, whole blood. In this case, the solid substance to be filtered is a blood cell component such as red blood cells and white blood cells, and the liquid component obtained by filtration is a component corresponding to plasma or serum. Examples of the body fluid sample to be filtered include, for example, a nasal swab, a nasal aspirate, a pharyngeal swab, and the like, and the filtered solid is agglomerated due to exfoliation or decomposition of biological components contained in the sample. Cell components. Furthermore, examples of samples that can be performed by the apparatus of the present invention include urine, various body fluids, and wiping liquids.
[0010]
The sample filtered by the apparatus of the present invention can be used as a sample for various diagnoses.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted.
[0012]
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a body fluid sample storage container 2 and a body fluid sample filtration unit 5 that constitute a body fluid sample separation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The body fluid sample container 2 of the present invention has a diameter of 10 mm and a height of about 50 mm, and is made of polyethylene. In the case where the sample is a nasal swab, a nasal aspirate, a pharyngeal swab, or the like, a buffer solution for dissolving the sample is sealed in the body fluid sample container 2. After stripping, the sample can be dissolved. As the buffer solution, besides a buffer solution such as PBS, animal serum albumin, various surfactants, preservatives and the like can be added.
[0013]
The body fluid sample filtration unit 5 of FIG. 1 has a holder 6 and an outlet 7 and is made of a polystyrene resin. The holder 6 has a holder opening 8 having an outer diameter of about 8 mm, and has a shape which can be fitted in close contact with the container opening 3. The holder 6 has a filter member 9 laminated inside the holder 6 so as to be in close contact with the inner wall. As the filter material 9, a cellulose filter Whatman CHR17 (manufactured by Whatman) is laminated so as to have a thickness of about 5 mm. The outlet 7 of the filtration unit 5 is formed at the tip of a tapered narrow tube portion, and can extract the filtered bodily fluid sample from the outlet 7.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the body fluid sample separation device 1 of the present invention, showing the body fluid sample dissolved in a buffer solution. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the body fluid sample filtration unit 5.
[0015]
FIG. 4 is a side view of an apparatus showing a state in which a body fluid sample is dissolved in a buffer solution of the body fluid sample separation device 1 of the present invention (10A) and the body fluid sample is filtered. By turning the body fluid sample separation device containing the body fluid sample shown in FIG. 2 upside down and applying pressure to the container side 4 from the outside, the filtered body fluid sample 10B is discharged from the outlet 7. The discharge amount of the body fluid sample 10B can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure on the side surface 4 of the container.
[0016]
The body fluid sample container 2 has not only a configuration in which the container opening 3 has a shape having a flat surface and sealing with a seal, but also forms a male screw on the outer wall surface of the container opening, and a cover screwed to the external screw. Thus, it may be sealed.
[0017]
【Example】
Example 1 The nasal cavity was wiped with a cotton swab for separating a bodily fluid sample from a nasal swab, and the mucous membrane epidermis was collected. The swab was rotated about 10 times in the buffer. The swab is taken out, and the holder opening 8 of the body fluid sample filtering unit 5 is securely fitted into the container opening 3. Next, the body fluid sample separator was turned upside down, and two drops were dropped on the specimen spotting portion of Espline Influenza A & B (manufactured by Fujirebio), and the measurement was performed.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the bodily fluid sample separation device of the present invention, a tubular bodily fluid sample storage container having a container opening for introducing a bodily fluid sample at an end thereof and having a deformable container side surface, Since a body fluid sample filtration unit in which a filter medium is accommodated in a holder having a holder opening that can be attached to the container opening of the accommodation container is provided, the operation is easy even with a small amount of a sample while being a simple device. It is possible to provide a safe device. In addition, since the storage container and the body fluid sample filtration unit can be manufactured from an inexpensive resin material without requiring high processing accuracy, even if the separation device is not suitable for reuse, it is economical. It can be provided in an advantageous manner.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a body fluid sample storage container and a body fluid sample filtration unit of main parts of a body fluid sample separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the body fluid sample separation device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the body fluid sample separation device of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which pressure is applied to the side surface of the container of the body fluid sample separation device of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a conventional blood separation device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Body Fluid Sample Separator 2 Body Fluid Sample Storage Container 3 Container Opening 4 Container Side 5 Body Fluid Sample Filtration Unit 6 Holder 7 Outlet 8 Holder Opening 9 Filter Material 10A Buffer Solution 10B Dissolving Body Fluid Sample Filtered Body Fluid Sample

Claims (3)

A cylindrical bodily fluid sample storage container having a container opening for introducing a bodily fluid sample at an end portion and having a deformable container side surface,
Body fluid having a discharge port and a holder opening that can be hermetically attached to the container opening of the storage container, and a body fluid sample filtration unit containing a filter medium between the holder opening and the discharge port. Sample separation device. 2. The body fluid sample separation device according to claim 1, wherein the filter medium has a diameter that allows passage of a substance to be measured in the body fluid sample and does not allow passage of a water-insoluble component. It has a container opening for introducing a body fluid sample at the end, and introduces the body fluid sample from the container opening into a cylindrical body fluid sample storage container having a deformable container side surface, and discharges it to the container opening of the storage container. It has a holder opening that can be mounted in an airtight manner, and the holder opening of the bodily fluid sample filtration unit that contains a filter medium between the holder opening and the discharge port is airtightly connected to the container opening of the bodily fluid sample container. After attaching to
By pressurizing the container side,
A method for separating a body fluid sample, wherein the body fluid sample is passed through the filter medium and a filtered sample is drawn out / recovered from an outlet.

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