US20080160605A1 - Filter contamination control device - Google Patents
Filter contamination control device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080160605A1 US20080160605A1 US12/049,064 US4906408A US2008160605A1 US 20080160605 A1 US20080160605 A1 US 20080160605A1 US 4906408 A US4906408 A US 4906408A US 2008160605 A1 US2008160605 A1 US 2008160605A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tubular body
- filter
- fluid
- fluid trap
- biological specimen
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 title description 9
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 43
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 27
- 230000002745 absorbent Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000002250 absorbent Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 24
- 210000004027 cell Anatomy 0.000 description 14
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 description 12
- 210000004379 membrane Anatomy 0.000 description 11
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 6
- OKKJLVBELUTLKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Methanol Chemical compound OC OKKJLVBELUTLKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 210000003097 mucus Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 239000003755 preservative agent Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 206010028980 Neoplasm Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000006185 dispersion Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000009595 pap smear Methods 0.000 description 2
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000002335 preservative effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000004094 surface-active agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- PLXMOAALOJOTIY-FPTXNFDTSA-N Aesculin Natural products OC[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1Oc2cc3C=CC(=O)Oc3cc2O PLXMOAALOJOTIY-FPTXNFDTSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 206010058314 Dysplasia Diseases 0.000 description 1
- PPBRXRYQALVLMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Styrene Chemical compound C=CC1=CC=CC=C1 PPBRXRYQALVLMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012472 biological sample Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001574 biopsy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000004369 blood Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000008280 blood Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000000601 blood cell Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000001680 brushing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 201000011510 cancer Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000006285 cell suspension Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000000805 cytoplasm Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000002405 diagnostic procedure Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000003743 erythrocyte Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003306 harvesting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000004969 inflammatory cell Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000036210 malignancy Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000004400 mucous membrane Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000009826 neoplastic cell growth Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004417 polycarbonate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000515 polycarbonate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920005990 polystyrene resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007790 scraping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010186 staining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000080 wetting agent Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
- G01N1/02—Devices for withdrawing samples
- G01N1/22—Devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state
- G01N1/24—Suction devices
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
- C12M33/00—Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus
- C12M33/02—Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus by impregnation, e.g. using swabs or loops
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
- C12M33/00—Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus
- C12M33/14—Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus with filters, sieves or membranes
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N15/00—Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials
- G01N15/01—Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials specially adapted for biological cells, e.g. blood cells
- G01N2015/019—Biological contaminants; Fouling
Definitions
- the present inventions generally relate to devices for collecting and transferring microscopic particles to prepare biological specimens, and more particularly, to devices for controlling contamination associated with such devices.
- pap smears require a physician to collect cells by brushing and/or scraping a skin or mucous membrane in a target area with an instrument.
- the collected cells are typically smeared (“fixed”) onto a slide, and stained to facilitate examination under a microscope by a cytotechnologist and/or pathologist.
- a pathologist may employ a polychrome technique, characterized by staining the nuclear part of the cells, to determine the presence of dysplasia or neoplasia.
- the pathologist may also apply a counter-stain for viewing the cytoplasm of the cells. Because the sample may contain debris, blood, mucus and other obscuring artifacts, the test may be difficult to evaluate, and may not provide an accurate diagnostic assessment of the collected sample.
- Cytology based on the collection of the exfoliated cells into a liquid preservative offers many advantages over the traditional method of smearing the cells directly onto the slide.
- a slide can be prepared from the cell suspension using a filter transfer technique, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,572,824, 6,318,190, 5,772,818, 5,364,597 and 5,143,627, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
- Filter transfer methods generally start with a collection of cells suspended in a liquid in a container. These cells may be collected and dispersed into a liquid preservative or they may naturally exist in a collected biological liquid. Dispersion in liquid preservatives containing methanol, such as PreservCytTM solution, breaks up mucus and lyses red blood cells and inflammatory cells, without affecting the cells of interest.
- a filter cartridge with a fixed diameter aperture covered by a membrane is submerged into the liquid in the container. Subsequently, the liquid is drawn across the membrane and into the filter cartridge to concentrate and collect the cells on the membrane. Debris, such as lysed blood cells and dispersed mucus, which flow through the pores of the membrane, are not collected on the membrane and are greatly reduced in the collected specimen by the combined methods of dispersion and filtering.
- the cells collected on the membrane are transferred onto a slide for further processing, such as visual examination.
- an arm repositions the membrane of the filter cartridge close to a slide.
- the arm removes the filter cartridge from the liquid filled container, and moves and rotates it.
- some of the liquid clings to the outside of the filter cartridge.
- this liquid may drip and contaminate the arm, which is non-disposable.
- Contamination has at least two consequences. First, some biological samples are very inconvenient, if not impossible, to re-harvest. While it is highly inconvenient for a patient to repeat a pap smear, it is may not be possible to repeat a biopsy on a mole that has been removed to test for malignancy. Second, for those situations where a second sample collection is not a viable option, chain of custody issues can have serious repercussions. Such chain of custody issues can call into doubt entire batches of test results and, in the worst cases, all results from a clinical lab.
- some filter transfer devices include an absorbent pad attached to the arm in order to catch any dripping liquid.
- Such pads can consist of a porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant to improve absorbency.
- a surfactant to improve absorbency.
- Such pads have been proven to be effective for preventing contamination.
- DNA based studies concerns have been raised about the efficacy of using such pads to prevent contamination.
- the interface with the filter cartridge can be repeatedly removed and cleaned.
- this alternative is difficult to implement in a fully automatic device and it is labor intensive. Further, repeated cleaning reduces the life expectancy of the rubber o-rings sealing the interface.
- a biological specimen filter for use in a biological specimen collection and transfer system having a vacuum source, comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and a fluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.
- the fluid trap is disposed proximate the first end of the tubular body and comprises an absorbent ring.
- the fluid trap also comprises a channel, with either a u-shaped or v-shaped cross-section, in which the absorbent ring is disposed.
- the fluid trap may comprise a flange attached to the exterior surface of the tubular body or it may be integrally formed from the tubular body.
- a biological specimen collection and transfer system comprises a biological specimen slide processor, including a grasper configured to submerge an open end of a specimen filter into a fluid source, withdraw the open end of the specimen filter from of the fluid source, and invert the specimen filter, and a fluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted by the grasper.
- a biological specimen filter device for use in a biological specimen collection and transfer system, the system including a vacuum source, the specimen filter comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and an absorbent member disposed around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/container interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to collect a biological specimen;
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the filter/container interface of FIG. 1 through line a-a;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen;
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 3 through line b-b;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen;
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 5 through line c-c;
- FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 5 through line c-c, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshaped fluid trap;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen;
- FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 8 through line d-d;
- FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 8 through line d-d, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshaped fluid trap.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen;
- FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 11 through line e-e, in which an absorbent ring is disposed around the filter cartridge.
- the filter/container interface 10 of a biological specimen collection and transfer system 12 is shown.
- the filter/container interface 10 includes a stem 14 , air tight seals 16 , a filter cartridge 18 , and a sample container 20 .
- the stem 14 is connected, with the air tight seals 16 , to the filter cartridge 18 .
- the stem 14 is connected to a vacuum source 11 .
- the filter cartridge 18 includes a tubular body 22 with a membrane 24 at a second end 26 and a first end 28 configured to connect to the stem 14 .
- the second end 24 is configured to be submerged into a liquid 30 containing a biological specimen (not shown), such as collected cervical cells.
- the sample container 20 holds the liquid 30 .
- the membrane 24 takes the form of a porous polycarbonate membrane treated with a wetting agent, as commercially available from manufacturers to be hydrophilic.
- the membrane 24 is on the order of seven microns thick, and is available commercially from Poretics Corporation, Livermore, Calif. 94550, and from Nuclepore Corporation, Pleasanton, Calif. 94566.
- the tubular body 22 is molded as a single piece, from polystyrene resin marketed by the Dow Chemical Company under the designation Styron 685D. Consequently, there are no seams between these parts that may leak under pressure during use of the filter device. Alternatively, however, the tubular body 22 may be initially formed as separate pieces and then bonded together.
- the second end 26 of the tubular body 22 is first submerged into the liquid 30 in the sample container 20 then withdrawn out the liquid 30 .
- the filter cartridge 18 is inverted, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . Some of the liquid 30 clings to the outside of the filter cartridge 18 and drips onto the collection and transfer system 12 . It can be appreciated that this liquid 30 can contaminate the collection and transfer system 12 and other filter cartridges 18 and sample containers 20 that may be used with the collection and transfer system 12 .
- a filter cartridge 18 is shown with a fluid trap 32 disposed at the first end 28 of the tubular body 22 .
- the fluid trap 32 is u-shaped, forming an annular cavity 34 .
- the fluid trap 32 can be v-shaped. The fluid trap is bonded to the first end 28 of the tubular body 22 with the cavity 34 open to the second end 26 .
- the fluid trap 32 is bonded to the tubular body 22 with a bonding chemical 36 .
- Suitable chemicals 36 for bonding include adhesives and solvents that can partially melt the fluid trap 32 and the tubular body 22 .
- the fluid trap 32 can also be heat bonded or ultrasonically bonded to the tubular body.
- heat bonding the fluid trap 32 is heat welded to the tubular body 22 by a heated ram.
- a suitable ultrasonic bonding process is available from Polyfiltronics, Inc. of Rockland, Mass. 02370.
- the filter cartridge 18 When the filter cartridge 18 is removed from the liquid 30 and inverted, as described above, the liquid 30 drips from second end 26 toward the first end 28 and the collection and transfer system 12 .
- the cavity 34 of the unshaped fluid trap 32 catches the dripping liquid 30 , minimizing contamination of the collection and transfer system 12 .
- the filter cartridge 18 is disposable and the potentially contaminating liquid 30 is removed when the filter cartridge 18 is ejected.
- the filter cartridge 18 has an absorbent annular ring 38 disposed inside of the cavity 34 in the fluid trap 32 .
- the ring 38 is made of porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant to increase absorption.
- the ring 38 holds the liquid 30 in place to further minimize spillage and contamination.
- the fluid trap 32 can be formed as part of the tubular body 22 , as shown in FIGS. 8 , 9 and 10 . While these figures show a fluid trap 32 formed into the extreme first end 28 of the tubular body 22 , the fluid trap 32 can be alternatively formed anywhere in the first end 28 of the tubular body. Other than being formed as part of the tubular body 22 , the fluid trap 32 functions as described above to minimize contamination of the collection and transfer system 12 .
- the absorbent annular ring 38 is disposed around the filter cartridge 18 .
- the ring 38 is stretchable and it is slightly smaller than the circumference of the filter cartridge 18 . Consequently, when the ring 38 is stretched around the filter cartridge 18 , as shown in FIG. 11 , the ring 38 exerts an inwardly directed radial force that holds the ring 38 onto the filter cartridge 18 .
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- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Biochemistry (AREA)
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- Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
- The present inventions generally relate to devices for collecting and transferring microscopic particles to prepare biological specimens, and more particularly, to devices for controlling contamination associated with such devices.
- Many medical diagnostic tests, such as pap smears, require a physician to collect cells by brushing and/or scraping a skin or mucous membrane in a target area with an instrument. The collected cells are typically smeared (“fixed”) onto a slide, and stained to facilitate examination under a microscope by a cytotechnologist and/or pathologist. For example, a pathologist may employ a polychrome technique, characterized by staining the nuclear part of the cells, to determine the presence of dysplasia or neoplasia. The pathologist may also apply a counter-stain for viewing the cytoplasm of the cells. Because the sample may contain debris, blood, mucus and other obscuring artifacts, the test may be difficult to evaluate, and may not provide an accurate diagnostic assessment of the collected sample.
- Cytology based on the collection of the exfoliated cells into a liquid preservative offers many advantages over the traditional method of smearing the cells directly onto the slide. A slide can be prepared from the cell suspension using a filter transfer technique, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,572,824, 6,318,190, 5,772,818, 5,364,597 and 5,143,627, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
- Filter transfer methods generally start with a collection of cells suspended in a liquid in a container. These cells may be collected and dispersed into a liquid preservative or they may naturally exist in a collected biological liquid. Dispersion in liquid preservatives containing methanol, such as PreservCyt™ solution, breaks up mucus and lyses red blood cells and inflammatory cells, without affecting the cells of interest. A filter cartridge with a fixed diameter aperture covered by a membrane is submerged into the liquid in the container. Subsequently, the liquid is drawn across the membrane and into the filter cartridge to concentrate and collect the cells on the membrane. Debris, such as lysed blood cells and dispersed mucus, which flow through the pores of the membrane, are not collected on the membrane and are greatly reduced in the collected specimen by the combined methods of dispersion and filtering.
- The cells collected on the membrane are transferred onto a slide for further processing, such as visual examination. To facilitate this transfer of collected cells from membrane to slide, an arm repositions the membrane of the filter cartridge close to a slide. The arm removes the filter cartridge from the liquid filled container, and moves and rotates it. When the filter cartridge is removed from the liquid, some of the liquid clings to the outside of the filter cartridge. When the filter cartridge is moved and rotated, this liquid may drip and contaminate the arm, which is non-disposable.
- Contamination has at least two consequences. First, some biological samples are very inconvenient, if not impossible, to re-harvest. While it is highly inconvenient for a patient to repeat a pap smear, it is may not be possible to repeat a biopsy on a mole that has been removed to test for malignancy. Second, for those situations where a second sample collection is not a viable option, chain of custody issues can have serious repercussions. Such chain of custody issues can call into doubt entire batches of test results and, in the worst cases, all results from a clinical lab.
- In order to minimize contamination by liquid clinging to the outside of the filter cartridge, some filter transfer devices include an absorbent pad attached to the arm in order to catch any dripping liquid. Such pads can consist of a porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant to improve absorbency. For cell based studies, such pads have been proven to be effective for preventing contamination. For DNA based studies, concerns have been raised about the efficacy of using such pads to prevent contamination.
- Alternatively, in semi-automatic filter transfer devices, the interface with the filter cartridge can be repeatedly removed and cleaned. However, this alternative is difficult to implement in a fully automatic device and it is labor intensive. Further, repeated cleaning reduces the life expectancy of the rubber o-rings sealing the interface.
- In some embodiments, a biological specimen filter, for use in a biological specimen collection and transfer system having a vacuum source, comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and a fluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.
- The fluid trap is disposed proximate the first end of the tubular body and comprises an absorbent ring. The fluid trap also comprises a channel, with either a u-shaped or v-shaped cross-section, in which the absorbent ring is disposed. The fluid trap may comprise a flange attached to the exterior surface of the tubular body or it may be integrally formed from the tubular body.
- In some embodiments, a biological specimen collection and transfer system, comprises a biological specimen slide processor, including a grasper configured to submerge an open end of a specimen filter into a fluid source, withdraw the open end of the specimen filter from of the fluid source, and invert the specimen filter, and a fluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted by the grasper.
- In some embodiments, a biological specimen filter device for use in a biological specimen collection and transfer system, the system including a vacuum source, the specimen filter comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and an absorbent member disposed around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.
- In order to better understand and appreciate the invention, reference should be made to the drawings and accompany detailed description, which illustrate and describe exemplary embodiments thereof. For ease in illustration and understanding, similar elements in the different illustrated embodiments are referred to by common reference numerals. In particular:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/container interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to collect a biological specimen; -
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the filter/container interface ofFIG. 1 through line a-a; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen; -
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 3 through line b-b; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen; -
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 5 through line c-c; -
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 5 through line c-c, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshaped fluid trap; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen; -
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 8 through line d-d; -
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 8 through line d-d, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshaped fluid trap. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filter is positioned to transfer a biological specimen; and -
FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface ofFIG. 11 through line e-e, in which an absorbent ring is disposed around the filter cartridge. - In the following description of the illustrated embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the drawings and specific components thereof are not necessarily to scale, and that various structural changes may be made without departing from the scope or nature of the various embodiments.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , a filter/container interface 10 of a biological specimen collection andtransfer system 12 is shown. In this embodiment, the filter/container interface 10 includes astem 14, airtight seals 16, afilter cartridge 18, and asample container 20. Thestem 14 is connected, with the airtight seals 16, to thefilter cartridge 18. Thestem 14, in turn, is connected to avacuum source 11. - The
filter cartridge 18 includes atubular body 22 with amembrane 24 at asecond end 26 and afirst end 28 configured to connect to thestem 14. Thesecond end 24 is configured to be submerged into aliquid 30 containing a biological specimen (not shown), such as collected cervical cells. Thesample container 20 holds the liquid 30. - The
membrane 24 takes the form of a porous polycarbonate membrane treated with a wetting agent, as commercially available from manufacturers to be hydrophilic. Themembrane 24 is on the order of seven microns thick, and is available commercially from Poretics Corporation, Livermore, Calif. 94550, and from Nuclepore Corporation, Pleasanton, Calif. 94566. Thetubular body 22 is molded as a single piece, from polystyrene resin marketed by the Dow Chemical Company under the designation Styron 685D. Consequently, there are no seams between these parts that may leak under pressure during use of the filter device. Alternatively, however, thetubular body 22 may be initially formed as separate pieces and then bonded together. - During collection of the biological specimen, the
second end 26 of thetubular body 22 is first submerged into the liquid 30 in thesample container 20 then withdrawn out the liquid 30. To prepare to transfer the biological specimen, thefilter cartridge 18 is inverted, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 . Some of the liquid 30 clings to the outside of thefilter cartridge 18 and drips onto the collection andtransfer system 12. It can be appreciated that this liquid 30 can contaminate the collection andtransfer system 12 andother filter cartridges 18 andsample containers 20 that may be used with the collection andtransfer system 12. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 and 6 , afilter cartridge 18 is shown with afluid trap 32 disposed at thefirst end 28 of thetubular body 22. In this embodiment, thefluid trap 32 is u-shaped, forming anannular cavity 34. Alternatively, thefluid trap 32 can be v-shaped. The fluid trap is bonded to thefirst end 28 of thetubular body 22 with thecavity 34 open to thesecond end 26. - The
fluid trap 32 is bonded to thetubular body 22 with abonding chemical 36.Suitable chemicals 36 for bonding include adhesives and solvents that can partially melt thefluid trap 32 and thetubular body 22. - Alternatively, the
fluid trap 32 can also be heat bonded or ultrasonically bonded to the tubular body. In heat bonding, thefluid trap 32 is heat welded to thetubular body 22 by a heated ram. A suitable ultrasonic bonding process is available from Polyfiltronics, Inc. of Rockland, Mass. 02370. - When the
filter cartridge 18 is removed from the liquid 30 and inverted, as described above, the liquid 30 drips fromsecond end 26 toward thefirst end 28 and the collection andtransfer system 12. Thecavity 34 of theunshaped fluid trap 32 catches the drippingliquid 30, minimizing contamination of the collection andtransfer system 12. Thefilter cartridge 18 is disposable and the potentially contaminatingliquid 30 is removed when thefilter cartridge 18 is ejected. - In
FIG. 7 , thefilter cartridge 18 has an absorbentannular ring 38 disposed inside of thecavity 34 in thefluid trap 32. Thering 38 is made of porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant to increase absorption. Thering 38 holds the liquid 30 in place to further minimize spillage and contamination. - Instead of bonding the
fluid trap 32 to thetubular body 22, thefluid trap 32 can be formed as part of thetubular body 22, as shown inFIGS. 8 , 9 and 10. While these figures show afluid trap 32 formed into the extremefirst end 28 of thetubular body 22, thefluid trap 32 can be alternatively formed anywhere in thefirst end 28 of the tubular body. Other than being formed as part of thetubular body 22, thefluid trap 32 functions as described above to minimize contamination of the collection andtransfer system 12. - In
FIGS. 11 and 12 , the absorbentannular ring 38 is disposed around thefilter cartridge 18. Thering 38 is stretchable and it is slightly smaller than the circumference of thefilter cartridge 18. Consequently, when thering 38 is stretched around thefilter cartridge 18, as shown inFIG. 11 , thering 38 exerts an inwardly directed radial force that holds thering 38 onto thefilter cartridge 18. - Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that the above description and figures are for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended to be limiting of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (11)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/049,064 US20080160605A1 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2008-03-14 | Filter contamination control device |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/292,845 US7357042B2 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2005-12-01 | Filter contamination control device |
US12/049,064 US20080160605A1 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2008-03-14 | Filter contamination control device |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/292,845 Division US7357042B2 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2005-12-01 | Filter contamination control device |
Publications (1)
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US20080160605A1 true US20080160605A1 (en) | 2008-07-03 |
Family
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Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/292,845 Expired - Fee Related US7357042B2 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2005-12-01 | Filter contamination control device |
US12/049,064 Abandoned US20080160605A1 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2008-03-14 | Filter contamination control device |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/292,845 Expired - Fee Related US7357042B2 (en) | 2005-12-01 | 2005-12-01 | Filter contamination control device |
Country Status (2)
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US (2) | US7357042B2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007102895A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
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CN103616267B (en) * | 2013-11-13 | 2016-06-01 | 厦门宝太生物科技有限公司 | A kind of method prepared by integrated form cell settlement smear device and cell settlement thereof and cell smear |
WO2018129056A1 (en) | 2017-01-04 | 2018-07-12 | The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York | Biomarker detection device |
CN113164325A (en) * | 2019-05-29 | 2021-07-23 | 亚特兰大科学有限责任公司 | Apparatus and method for capturing biological samples |
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US3343422A (en) * | 1965-08-12 | 1967-09-26 | Dwight G Mcsmith | Pipette safety device |
US3985032A (en) * | 1975-11-13 | 1976-10-12 | Centaur Chemical Co. | Micropipette filter tips |
US5143627A (en) * | 1990-07-09 | 1992-09-01 | Cytyc Corporation | Method and apparatus for preparing cells for examination |
US5269918A (en) * | 1990-07-09 | 1993-12-14 | Cytyc Corporation | Clinical cartridge apparatus |
US5364597A (en) * | 1991-03-13 | 1994-11-15 | Cytyc Corporation | Apparatus for collection and transfer of particles |
US5503713A (en) * | 1991-05-03 | 1996-04-02 | Henkel Corporation | Wet strength resin composition |
US6318190B1 (en) * | 1996-11-01 | 2001-11-20 | Cytyc Corporation | Systems for collecting fluid samples having select concentrations of particles |
US20020039796A1 (en) * | 2000-04-04 | 2002-04-04 | Dores Gerson Botacini Das | Device and method for cytology slide preparation |
US6572824B1 (en) * | 1998-09-18 | 2003-06-03 | Cytyc Corporation | Method and apparatus for preparing cytological specimens |
US6589484B2 (en) * | 1999-12-29 | 2003-07-08 | John D. Buehler | One-piece pipette/dropper assembly and the method of making same |
US6820507B2 (en) * | 2001-12-24 | 2004-11-23 | Norman Eugene Seatter | Apparatus for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container |
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US5222502A (en) * | 1990-09-26 | 1993-06-29 | Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha | Blood collecting needle |
KR20070009670A (en) | 2004-05-06 | 2007-01-18 | 사이틱 코포레이션 | Filter assembly for molecular testing |
-
2005
- 2005-12-01 US US11/292,845 patent/US7357042B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2006
- 2006-11-16 WO PCT/US2006/061007 patent/WO2007102895A2/en active Application Filing
-
2008
- 2008-03-14 US US12/049,064 patent/US20080160605A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (13)
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---|---|---|---|---|
US3343422A (en) * | 1965-08-12 | 1967-09-26 | Dwight G Mcsmith | Pipette safety device |
US3985032A (en) * | 1975-11-13 | 1976-10-12 | Centaur Chemical Co. | Micropipette filter tips |
US5143627A (en) * | 1990-07-09 | 1992-09-01 | Cytyc Corporation | Method and apparatus for preparing cells for examination |
US5269918A (en) * | 1990-07-09 | 1993-12-14 | Cytyc Corporation | Clinical cartridge apparatus |
US5503802A (en) * | 1991-03-13 | 1996-04-02 | Cytyc Corporation | Apparatus for collection and transfer of particles and manufacture thereof |
US5364597A (en) * | 1991-03-13 | 1994-11-15 | Cytyc Corporation | Apparatus for collection and transfer of particles |
US5772818A (en) * | 1991-03-13 | 1998-06-30 | Cytyc Corporation | Apparatus for collection and transfer of particles and manufacture thereof |
US5503713A (en) * | 1991-05-03 | 1996-04-02 | Henkel Corporation | Wet strength resin composition |
US6318190B1 (en) * | 1996-11-01 | 2001-11-20 | Cytyc Corporation | Systems for collecting fluid samples having select concentrations of particles |
US6572824B1 (en) * | 1998-09-18 | 2003-06-03 | Cytyc Corporation | Method and apparatus for preparing cytological specimens |
US6589484B2 (en) * | 1999-12-29 | 2003-07-08 | John D. Buehler | One-piece pipette/dropper assembly and the method of making same |
US20020039796A1 (en) * | 2000-04-04 | 2002-04-04 | Dores Gerson Botacini Das | Device and method for cytology slide preparation |
US6820507B2 (en) * | 2001-12-24 | 2004-11-23 | Norman Eugene Seatter | Apparatus for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2007102895A3 (en) | 2007-12-13 |
US20070125187A1 (en) | 2007-06-07 |
WO2007102895A2 (en) | 2007-09-13 |
US7357042B2 (en) | 2008-04-15 |
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