JP6777291B2 - Biological sampling device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a biological sampler, and more particularly to a biological sampler used for analyzing components contained in a liquid biological sample such as saliva and blood.

Conventionally, it has been known that biological information can be detected by analyzing and measuring components in a biological sample (Patent Document 1). For example, the degree of stress can be evaluated by detecting saliva amylase and cortisol contained in saliva. In this case, it is necessary to collect saliva as a biological sample from the subject. The general method of collecting saliva is to soak cotton wool in the subject's mouth and leave it for a while to allow the cotton wool to fully penetrate saliva, then put the cotton wool in a syringe and squeeze it with a piston, or soak it in saliva. A method of centrifuging the cotton wool has been adopted.

International Publication No. WO2009 / 017188

By the way, the applicant of the present application has previously proposed a biological sampling device (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-166812, Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-49745). FIG. 4 (A) shows a schematic explanatory view of the biological sampling device previously proposed by the applicant of the present application, and FIG. 4 (B) shows a cross-sectional view of the absorber and the covering portion shown in FIG. 4 (A). .. In the figure, 1 is the main body of the biological sampling device, 2 is an absorber that absorbs the biological sample inside, 3 is a flexible coating portion that exposes the tip of the absorber 2 and covers a part of the other end, and 3p is. The passage through which the biological sample passes, 4 is a sensor chip for analyzing the biological sample, and 5 is flexible so that the absorber 2 can be exposed when the biological sample is collected and can be moved to cover the absorber 2 after collection. The movable tube 6 is a fixed portion that fixes and supports the absorber 2 and the covering portion 3 at one end of the main body 1.

When collecting saliva, the subject puts the absorber 2 into the oral cavity in the state shown in FIG. 4A, and causes the saliva to be absorbed by the absorber 2. After that, the movable tube 5 is slid to the left side of the drawing to cover the absorber 2 with the movable tube 5. The reason for covering the absorber 2 with the movable tube 5 is to prevent the saliva absorbed by the absorber 2 from scattering.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of moving a biological sample collected by the biological sampling device shown in FIG. 4 onto the sensor chip 4. When the biological sampling device with the movable tube 5 slid toward the tip side is set on the table 7 (FIG. 5A) and the main body 1 of the biological sampling device is pushed toward the roller 8, the table 7 and the roller 8 move. The absorber 2 and the covering portion 3 are sandwiched together with the tube 5 (FIG. 5B). As a result, the biological sample absorbed by the absorber 2 is sent from the inside of the covering portion 3 to the sensor chip 4 through the passage 3p (FIG. 4B). A desired chemical reaction proceeds on the sensor chip 4. The progress of this chemical reaction can be measured by an electrochemical method by connecting an electrode formed on the sensor chip 4 and an external electrode, and biometric information can be detected.

By the way, in the biological sampling device previously proposed by the applicant of the present application, even if saliva is sufficiently absorbed as a biological sample on the surface of the absorber 2, saliva may not be sufficiently sent onto the sensor chip 4. .. This is because a high molecular substance (molecular weight 1 million to 10 million) such as mucin contained in saliva adheres to the surface of the absorber 2, and other components contained in saliva penetrate deep into the absorber 2. It is considered that this is because the amount of saliva that permeates the absorber 2 is reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a biological sampling device capable of solving the above problems and increasing the amount of biological sample absorbed by the absorber 2.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application comprises an absorber that absorbs a biological sample contained in saliva, a coating portion that exposes the tip portion of the absorber and covers a part of the other end portion, and the coating portion. In a biological sampling device provided with a passage for guiding a biological sample to a sensor portion side through the absorber in the portion, a protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the coating portion, and the protrusion abuts on the absorber to contact the absorber. A gap is formed between the body and the covering portion, and the gap functions as a route for the saliva absorbed at the tip portion of the absorber to move to the surface of the absorber covered with the covering portion. The covering portion has a region having a narrowed inner diameter, and in the region where the inner diameter is narrowed, the outer periphery of the absorber and the inner wall of the covering portion are in close contact with each other, and the absorber filters a polymer substance contained in the saliva. It is characterized by functioning to do so.

According to the second aspect of the present application, in the biological sampling device according to the first aspect, the protrusions are arranged continuously or intermittently from the end of the covering portion toward the inside, and the gap is formed as described above. It is characterized in that it is formed so as to be continuous from the opening at the end of the covering portion toward the inside.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the biological sampling device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, the covering portion covering a part of the absorber is fixed to the fixing portion of the main body of the biological sampling device, and the fixing portion is fixed. the protrusion formed on the part abutting portion, wherein to deform the absorbent body, characterized in that in contact with the absorbent body so as camphor, such the gap.

According to the biological sampling device of the present invention, by providing the protrusion on the inner wall of the covering portion, a gap is formed between the absorber and the covering portion, and the biological sample enters the gap. The biological sample that enters this gap contains a substance (for example, mutin contained in saliva) that prevents the biological sample from penetrating deep into the absorber, like the biological sample attached to the surface of the absorber. The gap increases the surface area of the absorber to which the biological sample adheres, and it becomes possible to increase the amount of the biological sample that permeates the entire absorber. As a result, the biological sample can be reliably reached to the sensor chip.

In particular, by arranging the protrusions continuously or intermittently from the end of the covering portion to the fixed electrode side, a gap can be continuously formed from the opening of the end portion of the covering portion to the fixed portion side, and the sensor. Since the biological sample can be permeated into the absorber at a position close to the chip, the biological sample can reach the sensor chip more reliably.

Further, the fixed portion of the main body of the biological sampling device has an advantage that the absorber and the covering portion are surely fixed by the anchor effect by deforming the protrusion so as to be embedded in the absorber.

It is explanatory drawing of the absorber and the covering part of the biological sampling device which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the absorber and the covering part of the biological sampling device which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the covering part of the biological sampling device which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention. It is a schematic explanatory view of the biological sampling device previously proposed by the applicant of the present application. It is a figure explaining the method of moving a biological sample collected by using the biological sampling device previously proposed by the applicant of the present application onto a sensor chip.

The biological sampling device of the present invention is the biological sampling device previously proposed by the applicant of the present application, and has a configuration in which a protrusion 9 is provided on the inner wall of the covering portion 3 that covers a part of the absorber 2. Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described in detail by taking the case of collecting saliva as a biological sample as an example.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the biological sampling device of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 (A), the absorber 2 capable of absorbing the biological sample inside and the tip of the absorber 2 exposed at the other end are exposed as in the conventional example described above. The flexible covering portion 3 that partially covers the portion is sandwiched between the fixing portions 6 of the biological sampling device main body 1. In the present invention, the structure of the inner wall of the covering portion 3 is different from the structure of the inner wall of the conventional covering portion.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the structure is such that a plurality of protrusions 9 are provided on the inner wall of the covering portion 3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the inner wall is provided with four protrusions 9. The protruding portion 9 has a structure in which the absorber 2 extends linearly and continuously inward from the tip portion into which the absorber 2 is inserted.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the tip end portion of the covering portion 3 in the state where the absorber 2 is inserted. A protrusion 9 formed on the inner wall of the covering portion 3 abuts on the outer periphery of the absorber 2, and a gap 10 is formed in a portion shown by a diagonal line in the drawing. Here, by adopting a structure in which the protrusion 9 extends toward the rear of the covering portion 3, the gap 10 also has a continuous structure toward the rear.

When collecting saliva, a biological sampling device having the structure shown in FIG. 4 (A) provided with the covering portion 3 shown in FIG. 1 is used. First, the subject contains the absorber 2 in the oral cavity and allows the absorber 2 to sufficiently absorb saliva. At this time, saliva containing mucin enters the gap 10 through the opening at the end of the covering portion 3. Since it contains mucin, saliva permeates the surface of the absorber 2, but it is still difficult to permeate deeper. However, since the gap 10 is formed, the area of contact with saliva increases, and the amount of saliva that permeates the surface of the absorber 2 can be increased. Further, the gap 10 has a structure that extends to the depth of the covering portion 3, so that saliva can permeate into the inside of the absorber 2 in the vicinity of the passage 3p. As a result, it is possible to increase the total amount of saliva absorbed by the entire absorber 2 and increase the amount of saliva absorbed by the absorber 2 in the vicinity of the sensor chip.

When moving the saliva collected by the biological sampling device onto the sensor chip 4, as shown in FIG. 5, the biological sampling device with the movable tube 5 slid toward the tip side is set on the table 7. The main body 1 of the biological sampling device is pushed toward the roller 8, and the absorber 2 and the covering portion 3 are sandwiched together with the movable tube 5 by the base 7 and the roller 8. As a result, saliva absorbed by the absorber 2 is sent from the inside of the covering portion 3 to the sensor chip 4 through the passage 3p. A desired chemical reaction proceeds on the sensor chip 4, and the progress of this chemical reaction can be measured by an electrochemical method to detect biological information.

In the present invention, since the amount of saliva absorbed by the entire absorber 2 is increased, the amount of saliva sent from the inside of the covering portion 3 through the passage 3p to the sensor chip 4 is also increased, and reliable measurement is possible. ..

The biological sample that reaches the sensor chip is preferably one that has passed through the absorber 2. That is, the polymer substance such as mucin is preferably filtered by the absorber 2. Therefore, it is preferable to set the extending position of the protrusion 9 so that the absorber 2 and the covering portion 3 are in close contact with each other and the gap 10 is eliminated before reaching the passage 3p. For example, in the covering portion 3 having the structure shown in FIG. 1, since the inner diameter of the portion sandwiched between the fixing portions is narrowed, the outer circumference of the absorber 2 and the inner wall of the covering portion 3 are brought into close contact with each other in a region having a narrow inner diameter. The extension position of the protrusion 9 may be adjusted. Alternatively, the height of the protrusion 9 can be gradually lowered. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the absorber 2 has a columnar shape, but it goes without saying that the shape is not limited to such a shape.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. The shape of the protrusion 9 described in the first embodiment is a shape that extends in a continuous linear shape, but the protrusion 9 of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the protrusions 9 divided into a plurality of parts may be arranged side by side.

When a row structure in which a plurality of protrusions 9 are arranged is formed, a continuous gap is formed from the opening at the end of the covering portion 3 to the fixed portion side, and a gap is also formed between the protrusions 9 in each row. It is formed. As a result, the surface area of the absorber to which the biological sample adheres is further increased, and the amount of the biological sample that permeates the entire absorber can be further increased.

In this case as well, as in the first embodiment described above, the biological sample reaching the sensor chip preferably passes through the absorber 2, so that the position where the protrusion 9 is arranged is before reaching the passage 3p. It is preferable that the absorber 2 and the covering portion 3 are in close contact with each other so that the gap 10 is eliminated, or the height of the protruding portion 9 is adjusted.

Next, a third embodiment will be described. The protrusion 9 described in the first and second embodiments described above has a structure in which the extending direction extends straight to the rear side of the covering portion 3, but the protrusion 9 of the present invention is limited to this. It's not a thing. For example, a spiral gap is formed by forming the protrusions 9 into a continuous spiral shape or a row structure arranged in a spiral shape. Even with this configuration, the contact area of the absorber to which the biological sample adheres can be increased, and the amount of the biological sample that permeates the entire absorber can be increased.

In particular, when the gap is formed in a spiral shape, the saliva absorbed by the absorber 2 flows in a spiral shape in the covering portion 3, and the flow resistance increases as compared with the case where the saliva flows in a linear shape. As a result, it is expected that the amount of saliva that permeates into the absorber 2 increases due to the increase in pressure at the time of inflow. Further, the pressure when sandwiched between the table 7 and the roller 8 also allows saliva to permeate the inside of the absorber 2, and the amount of saliva sent from the inside of the covering portion 3 to the sensor chip 4 through the passage 3p increases. Expected to do.

By installing the protrusion 9 of the present invention at the position of the fixing portion 6, the absorbing / absorbing body 2 can be reliably fixed by the anchor effect. In particular, when saliva is sent to the sensor chip 4 by applying pressure to the absorber 2 as shown in FIG. 5, a strong pressure is applied to the absorber 2, so that it is expected to exert an anchor effect.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example of a saliva collecting device for collecting saliva has been described, but the present invention is a living body used for analyzing not only saliva but also components contained in a liquid biological sample such as blood. It can be applied to a sampler.

1: Main body, 2: Absorbent, 3: Cover, 3p: Passage, 4 Sensor chip, 5: Dynamic tube, 6: Fixed part, 7: Table, 8: Roller, 9: Protrusion, 10: Gap

Claims (3)

An absorber that absorbs a biological sample contained in saliva, a coating portion that exposes the tip of the absorber and covers a part of the other end, and a passage that guides the biological sample to the sensor portion through the absorber in the coating portion. In a biological sampling device equipped with
A protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the coating portion, and the protrusion abuts on the absorber to form a gap between the absorber and the coating portion, and the gap is absorbed by the tip portion of the absorber. The saliva is functioning as a path for moving to the surface of the absorber covered with the covering portion, and the covering portion has a region having a narrowed inner diameter, and the region having a narrowed inner diameter is a region of the absorber. A biological sampling device characterized in that the outer periphery and the inner wall of the covering portion are in close contact with each other and the absorber functions to filter a polymer substance contained in the saliva. In the biological sampling device according to claim 1,
The protrusions are arranged continuously or intermittently from the end of the coating toward the inside, and the gap is formed so as to be continuous from the opening at the end of the coating toward the inside. A biological sampling device characterized by being present. In the biological sampling device according to any one of claims 1 or 2.
The covering portion covering a part of the absorber is fixed to the fixing portion of the main body of the biological sampling device.
The protrusion formed on the fixed portion abutting portion, by deforming the absorber biological sampler, characterized in that in contact with the absorbent body so as camphor, such the gap.

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