JP2015052459A - Biological fluid sampler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological fluid sampler capable of sampling a desired amount of a biological fluid without changing the sampled biological fluid in quality.SOLUTION: A biological fluid sampler includes: a suction part 1 for sucking a biological fluid; a main body part 2 having a ventilating channel 21 for conducting gas for discharging the biological fluid sucked by the suction part 1; and a blocking part 3 that is provided between the main body part 2 and the suction part 1, in which a taper-like opening is formed whose inner diameter at the main body part 2 side is smaller than that at the suction part 1 side, and prevents the biological fluid sucked by the suction part 1 from flowing into the main body part 2. On a surface where the suction part 1 comes into contact with the blocking part 3, since the inner diameter of the opening formed at the blocking part 3 is smaller than that of the suction part 1, more biological fluid than a predetermined amount is prevented from being sucked by the suction part 1.

Description

  The present invention relates to a body fluid collector for collecting body fluid.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a body fluid collector for collecting body fluids such as blood and urine used for a test for diagnosing a human health condition is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Conventional bodily fluid collectors are provided with an absorbent body (for example, an absorbent fiber) that is an assembly of fibers that can absorb bodily fluids by contacting the bodily fluids, and a user who collects bodily fluids absorbs bodily fluids. Body fluid is collected by absorption in the body. When the body fluid absorbed by the absorber is blood, the plasma can be separated by applying pressure to the cylinder with the filter membrane of the plasma separator while the absorber is immersed in the separation liquid in the plasma separator.

JP 2005-17280 A

  However, when the body fluid is absorbed by the absorber, the user cannot grasp the amount of the body fluid absorbed by the absorber. For example, when blood is absorbed by the absorber, the user can grasp the outline of the amount of absorbed blood by the change in the color of the absorber, but can grasp the absorbed amount with high accuracy. Was difficult. Therefore, when collecting a body fluid with a conventional body fluid collector, there is a problem in that the amount of body fluid collected varies, and the test results using the collected body fluid also vary.

  Moreover, when performing the component separation of the body fluid absorbed by the absorbent body, the body fluid may be altered during the separation process. For example, when plasma separation is performed using blood absorbed by an absorber, plasma in the blood is destroyed, and thus there is a problem in that the accuracy of blood test results is reduced.

  Then, this invention is made | formed in view of these points, and it aims at providing the bodily fluid collector which can extract | collect a desired amount of bodily fluids, without using an absorber.

  A body fluid collector according to the present invention is provided between a body part and a suction part, a body part having a suction part for sucking body fluid, a main body part having an air passage for passing a gas for discharging body fluid sucked by the suction part, and the body part. A tapered opening having a smaller inner diameter on the main body side than an inner diameter on the suction section side is formed, and a blocking section that prevents body fluid sucked by the suction section from flowing into the main body section. On the surface where the suction part and the blocking part contact each other, the inner diameter of the opening formed in the blocking part is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part. By providing the body fluid collector with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the body fluid sucked by the suction unit from being sucked more than a predetermined amount.

The bodily fluid collector may further include a pressure generating unit that generates a pressure for moving the gas for discharging the bodily fluid to the suction unit side.
Moreover, as for the ventilation path provided in said main-body part, the internal diameter in the surface where a main-body part and a prevention part contact | abut the ventilation path is the smallest, for example. In addition, on the surface where the main body portion and the blocking portion are in contact, the inner diameter of the air passage is, for example, larger than the inner diameter of the opening.

  The outer diameter of the blocking part is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part at a position where the suction part is in contact with the main body part, and the blocking part may be provided inside the suction part. The suction part may be detachably connected to the main body part with the blocking part provided inside.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that a desired amount of body fluid can be collected without using an absorber.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the bodily fluid collector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a suction part, a main-body part, and a prevention part. It is a figure which shows the shape of a prevention part. It is sectional drawing of a suction part. It is sectional drawing in the state in which the suction part, the main-body part, and the prevention part were combined. It is a figure which shows the structure of the bodily fluid collector which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a body fluid collector 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a relationship among the suction unit 1, the main body unit 2, and the blocking unit 3. The body fluid collector 100 includes a suction unit 1, a main body unit 2, a blocking unit 3, and a pressure generating unit 4. The suction part 1, the main body part 2, the blocking part 3, and the pressure generating part 4 are made of, for example, a transparent or translucent resin material.

  The suction unit 1 includes a suction port 11 and a suction tray 12. The suction port 11 has an accumulation part 13 for accumulating body fluid sucked through the suction dish 12. When the user immerses the suction dish 12 in the body fluid to be collected, the body fluid is sucked into the suction port 11 and accumulated in the accumulation unit 13 by capillary action.

  The suction port 11 has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter of the portion connected to the suction dish 12 is the smallest, and the inner diameter increases as the distance from the suction dish 12 increases. The accumulating portion 13 also has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter increases as the distance from the suction tray 12 increases. Since the accumulating portion 13 has such a tapered shape, the sucked body fluid spreads inside the accumulating portion 13 and the body fluid is easily sucked.

  The suction tray 12 has a funnel-like shape with the narrowest part connected to the suction port 11. Since the suction tray 12 has a funnel shape, body fluid can be efficiently sucked into the suction port 11.

  The main body 2 has an air passage 21 (air passage 21a, air passage 21b) through which a gas for discharging the body fluid sucked by the suction portion 1 is passed. Specifically, the air passage 21 causes the gas to flow toward the suction unit 1 by the pressure generated by the pressure generation unit 4 to move the gas for discharging body fluid to the suction unit 1 side. For example, the body fluid accumulated in the accumulation unit 13 is discharged through the suction tray 12 by the air taken in from the outside flowing through the ventilation path 21. The air passage 21a and the air passage 21b are coupled to each other, and gas flows from the air passage 21a to the air passage 21b by the pressure generated by the pressure generating unit 4.

  Further, the main body 2 has a coupling portion 22. The coupling portion 22 is a cylindrical portion formed for coupling with the suction portion 1. The outer diameter of the area in contact with the main body 2 of the suction part 1 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coupling part 22, and the suction part 1 is provided inside the coupling part 22. That is, for example, when the suction part 1 is inserted into the coupling part 22, the suction part 1 and the main body part 2 are detachably connected.

  The blocking unit 3 is provided between the main body unit 2 and the suction unit 1. The blocking portion 3 is formed with a tapered opening 31 having a smaller inner diameter on the main body 2 side than the inner diameter on the suction portion 1 side. The blocking unit 3 blocks body fluid sucked by the suction unit 1 from flowing into the main body unit 2.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the shape of the blocking unit 3. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the blocking unit 3 on the suction unit 1 side. FIG. 3B is a plan view of the blocking unit 3 on the main body 2 side. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the blocking unit 3 taken along the line AA. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the suction unit 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the suction unit 1, the main body unit 2, and the blocking unit 3 in a coupled state. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the opening 31 on the suction part 1 side is R1, the inner diameter on the main body part 2 side is R2, and R1> R2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a step is formed on the inner surface of the suction port 11 at a position a that is a position of a surface where the suction portion 1 and the surface on the suction portion side of the blocking portion 3 are in contact with each other. The inner diameter of the storage portion 13 at the position a is R3. The outer diameter of the blocking part 3 is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part 1 at the position where the suction part 1 is in contact with the main body part 2, and the blocking part 3 is provided inside the suction part 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the blocking part 3 is inserted from the side of the main body part 2 in the suction part 1 to a position a where a step is provided. Here, on the surface where the suction part 1 and the blocking part 3 are in contact, the inner diameter of the opening 31 formed in the blocking part 3 is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part 1. That is, the inner diameter R1 on the suction part 1 side of the opening 31 formed in the blocking part 3 is smaller than the inner diameter R3 of the suction part 1 at the position a. As a result, in the state where the blocking portion 3 is inserted into the suction portion 1, the blocking portion 3 protrudes inward, thereby creating a step at the position a. Due to the step, the body fluid sucked by the suction part 1 is prevented from flowing into the main body part 2.

  Specifically, the body fluid in which the suction dish 12 is immersed flows into the accumulation unit 13 by capillary action. The body fluid continues to flow until reaching the position a. However, since the stress generated by the step provided at the position a is larger than the pressure at which the body fluid flows in by capillary action, the body fluid is closer to the main body 2 than the position a. Inflow to the side is prevented. Therefore, the user can suck the body fluid up to the position a simply by immersing the tip of the suction unit 1 in the body fluid.

  In addition, the magnitude | size of the level | step difference provided in the position a, ie, the length of R3-R1, can be determined based on the viscosity of the bodily fluid extract | collected.

  The body fluid sucked up to the position a can be discharged by the pressure generated by the pressure generator 4. The pressure generating unit 4 is configured by, for example, a dropper or a piston, and allows gas including air taken in from the outside or gas remaining in the main body 2 to flow into the air passage 21 a of the main body 2. The gas flowing into the ventilation path 21 a pushes out the body fluid accumulated in the accumulation unit 13 through the ventilation path 21 b and the opening 31. Note that the pressure generating unit 4 has an opening 41 through which the gas contained in the suction unit 1 is released while the suction unit 1 is sucking the body fluid. The user can discharge the body fluid contained in the suction unit 1 by closing the opening with a finger.

  Here, the air passage 21b has the smallest inner diameter on the surface where the main body portion 2 and the blocking portion 3 are in contact. The air passage 21b has, for example, a tapered shape in which the inner diameter becomes smaller as it gets closer to the blocking portion 3. Since the air passage 21b has such a tapered shape, the pressure of the gas flowing in from the pressure generating unit 4 increases as it approaches the blocking unit 3, so that the pressure for discharging the body fluid increases.

  In addition, the inner diameter of the air passage 21 b on the surface where the main body 2 and the blocking portion 3 are in contact is larger than the inner diameter of the opening 31 on the surface where the main body 2 and the blocking portion 3 are in contact. Preferably, the inner diameter of the air passage 21b on the surface where the main body 2 and the blocking portion 3 are in contact is the same as the inner diameter of the opening 31 on the surface where the main body 2 and the blocking portion 3 are in contact. Since the inner diameter of the ventilation path 21b on the surface where the main body 2 and the blocking section 3 are in contact is larger than the inner diameter of the opening 31, all the gas supplied through the ventilation path 21b discharges body fluid. Used for.

  The gas flowing into the opening 31 is diffused in an oblique direction because the opening 31 is tapered, and pressure is applied to the entire surface of the body fluid accumulated in the accumulation unit 13. Since the gas flows in an oblique direction, it is difficult for a gas vortex to be generated, and almost all body fluid can be discharged without the body fluid remaining in the stepped portion at the position a. The user can enclose the discharged body fluid in another container and send it to the inspection organization. In addition, when the size of the step is determined based on the viscosity of the bodily fluid, the bodily fluid remains below the step by setting the minimum size to prevent the inflow of bodily fluid due to capillary action This can be suppressed.

  As described above, in the body fluid collector, the inner diameter R1 on the suction part 1 side of the opening 31 formed in the prevention part 3 is smaller than the inner diameter R3 on the prevention part 3 side of the suction part 1, and the suction part 3 and the suction part There is a step at the joint with the part 1. As a result, the inflow of body fluid when sucking the body fluid automatically stops at the position of the step, so that an accurate amount of body fluid can be collected. Further, since the opening 31 has a tapered shape, the collected body fluid can be discharged without remaining. Therefore, the user can collect an accurate amount of body fluid and send it to the inspection organization.

  In addition, since the suction part 1 may be detachably connected to the main body part 2 in a state where the blocking part 3 is provided, the suction part 1 having a different capacity of the storage part 13 can be used interchangeably. The amount of body fluid to be sucked can be freely selected. Therefore, by using the body fluid collector 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to collect an optimal amount of body fluid according to the type of examination.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of the body fluid collector 200 according to the second embodiment. The bodily fluid collector 200 according to this embodiment is different from the bodily fluid collector 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that the suction tray 12 is not provided at the tip, and is the same in other points. As described above, various modified examples are conceivable as embodiments of the body fluid collector according to the present invention, and such modified examples are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

<Experimental example>
The amount collected by the body fluid sampler 100 was tested using a volume sampling method of a quantitative sampling tool with the indicator substance-containing solution. First, 100 ml of an indicator substance-containing solution in which 1000 (mg) D (+)-glucose, 1000 (mg) NaN ₃ , 1000 (mg) sodium alginate, and a small amount of brilliant blue were dissolved was prepared.

  Next, the indicator substance-containing solution was automatically aspirated using a capillary phenomenon using a body fluid collector 100 with a collection amount of 25 (μl). When the collected amount reached a predetermined amount, the suction was automatically stopped.

  Subsequently, the collected indicator substance-containing solution was discharged into physiological saline into which 500 (μl) was accurately dispensed by an autopipette (Eppendorf Reterence), and co-washing was performed 5 times. After mixing the indicator substance-containing solution diluted with physiological saline, the glucose concentration was analyzed using an automatic analyzer (JEOL BM6050). The glucose concentration of the indicator substance-containing solution before dilution was also analyzed.

  The glucose concentration of the indicator substance-containing solution before dilution is a (mg / dl), the glucose concentration of the indicator substance-containing solution after dilution is b (mg / dl), and the amount of indicator substance-containing solution aspirated by the body fluid collector 100 Is x (μl), the amount of the indicator substance-containing solution aspirated by the body fluid collector 100 can be calculated by x (μl) = 500 × b ÷ (ab).

Table 1 shows the results of five experiments. The unit of the numbers in the table is (μl).

  In the glucose concentration analysis, triple measurement was performed, and the average value of the triple measurement was used in calculating the amount of the indicator substance-containing solution sucked by the body fluid collector 100. The amount of the indicator substance-containing solution is 523.4 (μl), 521.8 (μl), 521.9 (μl), 523.5 (μl), and 522.2 (μl). In calculating the amount of the indicator substance-containing solution aspirated by 100, 522.6 (μl), which is the average value of these, was used.

  As a result of the experiment, the coincidence rate of the calculated collection amount was 98.4% to 104.4%, and it was confirmed that the variation in the collection amount was sufficiently small.

<Reference experiment example>
An experiment was conducted to test the accuracy of the amount collected by an autopipette.
Table 2 shows the results of an experiment similar to the above experiment using an autopipette with the collection amount set to 20 (μl). When the number of washing times is 5 times or more, the calculated sampling volume is stable, the average value of the calculated sampling volume is 20.00 (μl), and the coincidence rate with the set sampling volume is 100%. It was.

Table 3 shows the results of an experiment similar to the above experiment using an autopipette with the collection volume set to 50 (μl). From the experimental results when set to 20 (μl), it was found that when the number of rinses was 5 or more, the calculated sampling amount was stable, so this experiment was performed with 5 or more rinses. It was. The average value of the sampled amount calculated was 49.90 (μl), and the coincidence rate with the set sampled amount was 99.8%.

Table 4 shows the results of an experiment similar to the above experiment using an autopipette with the collection amount set to 100 (μl). The average value of the sampled amount calculated was 100.84 (μl), and the coincidence rate with the set sampled amount was 100.8%.

  While the degree of coincidence between the collected amount when using the body fluid collector 100 and the set collected amount is 98.4% to 104.4%, the collected amount when using an autopipette and the setting The degree of agreement with the collected amount was 99.8% to 100.8%. Although the body fluid collector 100 has a simple structure, it has been confirmed that body fluid can be collected with an accuracy comparable to an expensive autopipette.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Suction part 2 Main body part 3 Blocking part 4 Pressure generating part 11 Suction port 12 Suction tray 13 Opening part 21 Venting path 22 Connecting part 31 Opening part 41 Opening 100 Body fluid collector 200 Body fluid collector

Claims (6)

A body fluid collector for collecting body fluid,
A suction section for sucking the body fluid;
A main body having a ventilation path for passing a gas for discharging the body fluid sucked by the suction section;
A tapered opening provided between the main body portion and the suction portion and having a smaller inner diameter on the main body portion side than an inner diameter on the suction portion side is formed, and the body fluid sucked by the suction portion is A blocking portion for blocking flow into the main body portion;
With
In the surface where the suction part and the blocking part are in contact, the inner diameter of the opening formed in the blocking part is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part,
Body fluid collector. A pressure generating unit that generates a pressure for moving the gas for discharging the body fluid to the suction unit side;
The bodily fluid collector according to claim 1. The air passage has the smallest inner diameter on the surface where the main body portion and the blocking portion are in contact with each other,
The body fluid collector according to claim 1 or 2. In the surface where the main body portion and the blocking portion are in contact, the inner diameter of the air passage is larger than the inner diameter of the opening.
The bodily fluid collector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The outer diameter of the blocking part is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction part at a position where the suction part is in contact with the main body part, and the blocking part is provided inside the suction part.
The bodily fluid collector according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The suction part is detachably connected to the main body part in a state where the blocking part is provided inside.
The bodily fluid collector according to claim 5.

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