Methods and apparatus for sample holders.
Sample holders, including individual tubes or vessels, are widely used in laboratory and other applications for collecting, holding and/or processing liquid samples, e.g., whole blood samples for diagnostic testing and research. Such vessels are used to expose a sample to a variety of different treatments, including exposure to sonic energy, heat/cooling cycles such as that used in PCR processing, and others.
In some embodiments, a sample holder includes a vessel having a wall with an outer surface and defining an internal space. The vessel can be configured to receive and hold any suitable type of sample, such as a blood or other liquid sample. In some cases, the vessel can have an immobilizer such as a chemical material and/or physical structure suitable to interact with a blood or other liquid sample, e.g., to help keep the sample in a desired area of the vessel and/or treat the sample for storage or other processing. In some embodiments, the vessel can include a fluid pathway from the internal space to an external environment, e.g., the vessel can include an opening or other vent that extends through a wall of the vessel. A conduit, such as a capillary tube, can be configured to receive a sample and can have a distal end positioned in the internal space of the vessel and a proximal end extending from the internal space. In some cases, the conduit can be configured to draw a blood sample into the proximal end of the conduit, e.g., by contacting the proximal end of the tube to a pool of blood which is drawn into the conduit by capillary action. In some embodiments, a conduit holder can be arranged to support the conduit in the internal space of the vessel. For example, a part of the vessel can be configured to engage with the conduit to hold the conduit in place in the vessel, e.g., so that the distal end of the conduit is held above a bottom of the vessel. In some cases, the conduit holder can include a desiccant configured to receive moisture from a blood or other sample in the internal space so as to dry the blood sample, e.g., in a way suitable for extended storage. In cases where the vessel includes a fluid pathway (e.g., an opening in a wall of the vessel), the internal space of the vessel can be sealed closed except for the fluid pathway and the conduit. That is, the vessel can be configured so that fluid can enter the internal space of the vessel only by way of the fluid pathway or the conduit. A cap can be configured to receive the proximal end of the conduit and engage with the vessel such that movement of the cap relative to the vessel from a first position toward a second position relative to the vessel causes fluid pressure suitable to move a blood sample from the conduit into the internal space. That is, the cap and vessel can act as a kind of pump to force blood or other liquid material in the conduit to flow from the proximal end to the distal end and into the internal space of the vessel (e.g., at the vessel bottom). In some cases, movement of the cap from the first position to the second position can cause fluid to move from the internal space through the fluid pathway, e.g., to exit the vessel. For example, as blood or other liquid in the conduit moves into the vessel, gas may be vented from the internal space via the fluid pathway. This can help avoid pressurizing the internal space of the vessel, which can prevent or otherwise resist the cap from being moved relative to the vessel. In some cases, the cap closes the fluid pathway when in the second position, e.g., the cap can cover an opening in the vessel wall to seal the fluid pathway closed. This can allow the cap to seal the internal space closed, preventing gas and/or liquid from exiting and/or entering the internal space. In some embodiments, the vessel can include a lower portion having a cavity that receives the distal end of the conduit and an upper portion positioned around the conduit and configured to engage with the cap. For example, the upper portion can have a larger diameter or size than the lower portion, which can allow the upper portion to provide an increased volume of gas flow through the conduit as the cap is moved relative to the vessel. The smaller diameter or size of the lower portion of the vessel can reduce a volume of the internal space of the vessel and thereby improve drying of a blood or other sample.
In some embodiments, the cap includes a cavity configured to receive a portion of the vessel to engage the cap with the vessel. Thus, the cap and the vessel can be configured to create a pressure above ambient pressure in response to movement of the portion of the vessel into the cavity. In some cases, the cavity can be configured to receive the proximal end of the conduit when the cap is engaged with the vessel, and the pressure above ambient pressure can be suitable to force a blood sample in the conduit to move through the distal end and into the internal space of the vessel (e.g., at the bottom of the vessel). In some embodiments, with the cap disengaged from the vessel, the internal space of the vessel is sealed closed except for a path through the conduit from the proximal to the distal end and the fluid pathway (e.g., which may be defined in part by an opening through the wall of the vessel). With the cap engaged with the vessel and in the first position, the internal space can be sealed closed except for the fluid pathway (i.e., the path through the conduit can be closed by the cap), and with the cap engaged with the vessel and in the second position, the internal space can be sealed completely closed (i.e., the path through the conduit and the fluid pathway of the vessel can be sealed closed).
In some cases, a desiccant can be in the internal space and configured to dry a blood sample enclosed in the internal space. For example, a conduit holder that supports the conduit in the vessel can include a desiccant. The desiccant can engage with an inner surface of the wall of the vessel and support the conduit in the vessel at least in part, e.g., a portion of the vessel may contact and aid in supporting the conduit as well. In some embodiments, the desiccant has a tubular shape and a portion of the conduit passes through the desiccant. For example, the desiccant can include first and second clamshell portions that sandwich the conduit. Each clamshell portion can include a groove to receive the conduit, and can include one or more standoffs to define a channel along a length of the desiccant. The channel can provide a fluid pathway in the vessel and/or allow a user to visualize a portion of the conduit and/or provide an increased surface area of the desiccant that is exposed to a blood or other liquid sample in the vessel.
In some cases, a method of collecting a blood sample includes providing a conduit at least partially within an internal space of a vessel. A proximal end of the conduit can be contacted to blood to draw the blood into the conduit, e.g., the conduit can include a capillary tube configured to draw blood into the tube by capillary action, or the blood can be moved into the conduit by negative or positive pressure in the conduit. A cap can be moved from a first position toward a second position relative to the vessel to create a positive pressure at the proximal end of the conduit and force the blood to move out of the conduit and into the internal space of the vessel. Fluid such as gas can be vented from the internal space of the vessel as blood moves from the conduit and into the internal space of the vessel, and the cap can be positioned at the second position relative to the vessel to seal the internal space closed.
In some cases, venting fluid from the vessel includes venting fluid from the internal space via a fluid pathway defined in part by an opening through a wall of the vessel. Positioning the cap at the second position can include positioning the cap to cover the opening, e.g., to seal the internal space of the vessel closed.
In some embodiments, moving the cap includes receiving a portion of the vessel into a cavity of the cap to engage the cap with the vessel and create the positive pressure and thus flow of blood from the distal end of the conduit. For example, moving the cap can include moving a volume of gas through the conduit from the proximal end to the distal end that is greater than a volume of the conduit.
In some embodiments, the method can include drying the blood in the sealed internal space by a desiccant in the internal space. For example, providing a conduit at least partially within the internal space of the vessel can include using the desiccant to support the conduit, at least in part, in the internal space. In some cases, venting fluid from the vessel can include venting fluid from the internal space via a fluid pathway defined in part by the desiccant.
In some embodiments, a sample holder includes a vessel having a wall with an outer surface and defining an internal space. The vessel may include a lower portion having a cavity and an upper portion engaged with the lower portion, e.g., by way of a threaded connection, interference fit, bayonet connection, etc. A conduit, such as a capillary tube, may have a distal end positioned in the cavity of the lower portion of the vessel and a proximal end extending from the internal space, e.g., exposed to receive blood or other sample into the conduit. The conduit may extend through the upper portion of the vessel and be configured to receive a blood sample into the proximal end of the conduit, e.g., by capillary action. A cap may be configured to receive the proximal end of the conduit and engage with the upper portion, e.g., by receiving the upper portion into a cavity of the cap. The cap and the upper portion may each include complementary engagement features that are configured to engage with each other to resist rotation of the cap relative to the upper portion. For example, the complementary engagement features may include one or more ribs formed on the upper portion and/or the cap that engage with each other when the upper portion is received into a cavity of the cap. The cap may be movable relative to the upper portion from a first position in which the upper portion is partially received into the cap to a second position in which the upper portion is fully received into the cap, and the complementary engagement features may engage to resist rotation only when the cap is in the second position. The upper portion may be threadedly engaged with the lower portion and the lower portion may be configured to be removed from the upper portion by rotating the cap while the complementary engagement features are engaged so as to rotate the upper portion relative to the lower portion. The cap and vessel may include any additional features described above or otherwise herein, and may do so in any arbitrary combination provided such features are not mutually exclusive.
In some embodiments, a sample holder may include a vessel having a wall with an outer surface and defining an internal space. In some cases, the vessel may include a lower portion and an upper portion. A conduit may have a distal end positioned in the internal space and a proximal end extending from the internal space. The conduit may extend through the upper portion and be configured to receive a blood sample into the proximal end of the conduit. A cap may be configured to receive the proximal end of the conduit and engage with the upper portion, e.g., by inserting a part of the upper portion into a cavity of the cap. A stand may be configured to removably receive the lower portion of the vessel and support the vessel on a surface in at least two different orientations, e.g., such that the conduit and/or vessel are oriented with a longitudinal axis along a vertical direction and/or a horizontal direction. In some cases, the stand may be configured to be grasped by a user and permit the user to manipulate the vessel for collection of a blood sample by the conduit. In some examples, the stand and the vessel may be configured to engage to resist rotation of the vessel relative to the stand about a longitudinal axis of the vessel, e.g., so that a cap or other portion engaged with part of the vessel can be rotated and removed from the vessel. The sample holder may include any additional features described above or otherwise herein, and may do so in any arbitrary combination provided such features are not mutually exclusive.
Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures and claims.
Aspects of the invention are described with reference to the following drawings in which numerals reference like elements, and wherein:
It should be understood that aspects of the disclosure are described herein with reference to certain illustrative embodiments and the figures. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to show all aspects of the disclosure, but rather are used to describe a few illustrative embodiments. Thus, aspects of the disclosure are not intended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, aspects of the disclosure may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other aspects of the disclosure. For example, embodiments are described in which a desiccant is used to support a conduit in a vessel, in which a vent employed to vent gas from the sample holder is sealed or covered by a cap, and in which a cap engages with a vessel to create a pressure to drive a sample in the conduit to flow into the vessel. These features can be employed together in a sample holder, or can be used separately and without one or more of the others. This is just one example, and to the extent not mutually exclusive, other features described herein can be employed together or separately in various embodiments.
The conduit 3 can be supported or otherwise held in the vessel 2, e.g., so that a user can hold and manipulate the vessel 2 to contact the proximal end 31 of the conduit 3 to a sample material. This may help ease use of the sample holder 1 since the user need not handle a relatively small and delicate conduit 3. It may also help prevent contamination of a sample since a user may be less likely to touch or otherwise contact the conduit 3, e.g., at the proximal end 31. A portion of the conduit 3 can protrude from the vessel 2, e.g., having a sufficient length to permit suitable contacting of the proximal end 31 with a liquid sample material. In some cases, the conduit 3 can be supported in the vessel 2 by a conduit holder 5, which can be part of the vessel 2 and/or a separate component that is engaged with the vessel 2. The conduit holder 5 can engage with the conduit 3 (e.g., the conduit 3 can pass through an opening of the conduit holder 5) and can engage with the vessel 2 (e.g., the conduit holder 5 can engage with the inner wall of the vessel 2) to secure the conduit holder 5 and conduit 3 in place. The conduit 3 can be supported so that the distal end 32 of the conduit 3 is positioned in a desired way in the vessel 2, e.g., so that the distal end 32 is positioned above a bottom of the vessel 2. This can help prevent the conduit 3 from drawing liquid material into the conduit 3 from the distal end 32, e.g., because the distal end 32 can be positioned above liquid material in the vessel 2. In some embodiments, the vessel 2 and conduit holder 5 can be configured so that a user can see the conduit 3, e.g., while providing a sample into the conduit 3. For example, the conduit holder 5 can include a slot or other opening to permit the user to see the conduit 3 and/or the conduit holder 5 and the vessel 2 can include a transparent material or window that permits the user to see the conduit 3. This can help a user determine that the conduit 3 is full or otherwise has a suitable sample volume, e.g., preventing the user from overdrawing a sample. In some cases, the conduit holder 5 can include a desiccant material, e.g., suitable for drying a blood or other liquid sample held in the vessel 2. A desiccant can include a molecular sieve such as a zeolite, a silica gel, or other suitable material for drying blood or other liquid samples. In some embodiments, the conduit holder 5 can be made entirely of desiccant material. The conduit holder 5 including desiccant can be positioned in the vessel 2 so that the desiccant is suitably close to a blood or other liquid sample held in the vessel 2, e.g., at the bottom of the vessel 2. The sample holder 1 can include an immobilizer 24 such as a chemical material and/or structure in the internal space of the vessel 2 (e.g., at the bottom of the vessel 2) to immobilize or otherwise act on the blood or other sample, e.g., to help preserve or otherwise treat the sample for drying or later use. For example, the immobilizer 24 can increase a viscosity of a sample, enhance the sample's ability to adhere to the vessel 2 surface, capture portions of the sample in voids or other spaces (e.g., by surface tension, wetting or absorbance features), etc.
After a blood or other sample is drawn into or otherwise provided to the conduit 3, the cap 4 can be engaged with the vessel 2 and moved from a first position (e.g., where a seal 42 of the cap 4 initially engages with the upper end of the vessel 2) toward a second position (e.g., such as that shown in
Movement of a blood or other sample and/or gas from the cavity 41 out of the distal end 32 of the conduit 3 will tend to increase the pressure in the internal space of the vessel 2. In some embodiments, the sample holder 1 includes a fluid pathway by which fluid can exit the internal space of the vessel 2 as the cap 4 is moved from the first position toward the second position. For example, the vessel 2 can include an opening 23 that extends through a wall of the vessel 2 via which fluid can exit the internal space of the vessel 2. As a sample is drawn into the conduit 3, any pressure created in the internal space of the vessel 2 because of movement of the liquid sample into the conduit 3 can be vented through the opening 23. In addition, as a cap 4 is engaged with the vessel 2 and moved to urge the liquid sample in the conduit 2 into the internal space of the vessel 2, any gas pressure in the vessel 2 such as the gas from the cavity 41 used to purge or otherwise move the sample out of the conduit 3 can be vented through the opening 23. Thus, the cap 4 can be employed to move a blood or other sample out of the conduit 3 without excessively pressurizing the internal space of the vessel 2. This may help make movement of the cap 4 from the first position toward the second position relative to the vessel 2 easier, e.g., because internal pressure in the vessel 2 will generally not resist movement of the cap 4 relative to the vessel 2. Similarly, the opening 23 and/or other vent can help make removal of the cap 4 from the vessel 2 easier. In some cases, fluid in the vessel 2, e.g., near the distal end 32 of the conduit 3, can flow toward the opening 23 via a portion of the fluid pathway defined by the conduit holder 5, the vessel 2 or other component. For example, in some embodiments the conduit holder 5 includes a channel 51 that can define a fluid pathway that communicates with the opening 23. Air or other gas can flow along the channel 51 to the opening 23 for venting from the internal space of the vessel 2. In some embodiments, blood or other liquid sample material may not flow along the fluid pathway to the opening 23 or other vent, e.g., because the blood or other liquid sample is held in place by the immobilizer 24. The immobilizer 24 can include a chemical material, e.g., to cause blood to increase in viscosity, and/or a mechanical element such as a cage, filter paper or other component that can hold the blood or other liquid and/or increase a surface area of exposure of the sample to enhance drying and/or help stabilize the sample in the vessel 2. In some embodiments, the sample holder 1 can include a membrane or other component that permits gas to pass the membrane, but not liquid. For example, the fluid pathway in the vessel 2 (e.g., near the channel 51 or opening 23) can include a hydrophobic or other membrane that prevents liquid material from exiting the internal space of the vessel 2, but allows gas to exit.
In some embodiments, after a blood or other sample is discharged from the conduit 3, the opening 23 or other vent can be sealed closed so that a blood or other sample can be contained in a sealed internal space of the vessel 2, e.g., so the blood or other sample is isolated from external environmental conditions such as humidity, oxygen, air, etc. For example, when the cap 4 is moved toward the second position relative to the vessel 2, e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, the vessel 2 can have an upper portion 22 that has a different diameter or size than a lower portion of the vessel 2. For example, the upper portion 22 can be tubular in shape and have a larger diameter or other size than the lower portion 21. The larger size of the upper portion 22 can interact with a larger cavity 41 of the cap 4, thereby increasing a volume of air or other gas that is moved through the conduit 3 when the cap 4 is moved from the first to the second position. The smaller size of the lower portion 21 can help contain a blood or other sample in a relatively small volume in the internal space of the vessel 2, which may help improve interaction with an immobilizer 24 or other material and/or with a desiccant in the internal space. For example, a smaller internal volume of the vessel 2 may help a blood sample to dry faster and/or more rapidly in the presence of a desiccant. In some embodiments, the vessel 2 can be made of two or more parts that are joined together. For example, as can be seen in
The conduit holder 5 can be configured in different ways. For example, the conduit holder 5 can be arranged so that the conduit 3 passes through a central opening or passageway of the conduit holder 5. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, one or more portions of a sample holder may have engagement features, e.g., to help a user rotate or resist rotation of one or more portions of the sample holder or otherwise grasp and manipulate the sample holder, and in some cases the engagement features may be complementary engagement features that are configured to engage with corresponding complementary engagement features on another component, e.g., to help resist rotation of one portion of a sample holder relative to another portion of the sample holder or relative to a separate structure. For example,
In some cases, the engagement features on the sample holder may be complementary with other engagement features on other portions of the sample holder and/or other structures. For example, in some embodiments the vessel 2 and cap 4 may each include complementary engagement features to help resist rotation or other movement of one or more portions of the vessel 2 relative to the cap 4.
In some embodiments, a cap may be configured to permit a user to manipulate a vessel for collecting a sample and/or to support the vessel on a surface. For example,
In some cases, a sample holder may include a stand or other support for a vessel, e.g., that can support the vessel in two or more orientations. Such a stand may aid a user in manipulating, securing, or otherwise holding or using the sample holder during use. For example,
Engagement of the stand 6 with the vessel 2 may aid in disassembly and/or assembly of the sample holder, collection of sample material, treatment of sample material in the vessel, etc. For example, in some cases, the stand 6 may engage the lower portion 21 of the vessel to resist relative rotation of the lower portion 21 relative to the stand 6, e.g., by engaging the engagement features 26 with the recess(es) 62. However, the upper portion 22 of the vessel 2 and/or the cap 4 may not be directly engaged with the stand, e.g., such that the cap 4 and upper portion 22 can be rotated relative to the lower portion 21 and the stand 6. As a result, a user can rotate the cap 4 and thereby rotate the upper portion 22 relative to the lower portion 21 and the stand, e.g., allowing the user to disengage and/or engage the upper and lower portions 22, 21 from each other.
In some cases, the stand 6 may be configured to permit visualization or other observation of at least a portion of the vessel 2 when the vessel 2 is held by the stand 6. This may, for example, permit a user to confirm that a sample has been properly received into the vessel 2, e.g., after a cap 4 has been placed onto the vessel 2 and moved to drive a sample from the conduit 3 to the vessel 2. For example, the stand 6 may be transparent and/or include a window 66 so a part of the lower portion 21 can be observed by a user and/or optical detector. The window 66 may be formed as a cavity or opening in a portion of the stand 6, e.g., between the base 63 and a collar 65 that includes a part of the opening 61 into which the vessel 2 is received. In some cases, the collar 65 may have a tapered or concave portion around the opening 61, e.g., to help guide movement of a vessel 2 into the opening 61.
In some embodiments, the stand may be configured to aid a user in grasping and manipulating the stand 6 and an attached sample holder 1. For example, the stand 6 may be sized and shaped to be comfortably and accurately manipulated by hand by a user. Features of the stand 6 to assist in manipulation can vary as desired; in some cases the stand 6 may include finger grips 67, e.g., one or more concave portions that are sized and shaped to permit a user's fingers to hold the stand 6. In some cases, the finger grips 67 can be configured for gripping between a forefinger and thumb; in some cases, the finger grips 67 can be configured to be positioned between adjacent fingers, e.g., so portions of an index and middle finger are engaged at the finger grips 67. This may permit a user to position the proximal end 31 of the conduit 3 at a sample source to provide a sample into the conduit 3, e.g., by capillary action. As noted above, the stand 6 may be configured to support the vessel 2 in multiple orientations, whether while the stand 6 is held by a user or the stand 6 is placed on a surface. One such orientation (e.g., a vertical orientation in which the conduit 3 is oriented vertically) is shown in
In some embodiments, a cap can be configured to lock onto a vessel, e.g., so the cap cannot be removed from the vessel or from a portion of the vessel. Such a configuration may help reduce contamination of a sample after the sample has been collected and/or confirm that a sample has not been exposed to an external environment since being collected.
While the stand illustrated in the drawings has a particular configuration, any suitable arrangement may be employed for a stand or other support for a sample holder. For example, a stand may be configured as a tray, e.g., a rectangular plate or structure that includes one or more recesses to receive and hold a vessel and/or cap in one or more orientations, such as vertical and horizontal orientations.
Note that a user of a sample holder can employ the sample holder for one or more different functions. For example, in some cases a user may employ a sample holder only for sample collection. Such a user may collect a sample from the user, e.g., a person may express a blood droplet and use the sample holder to collect the sample, or a person may use a sample holder to collect a sample from another person or other subject. This user may close the sample holder after collection, e.g., by placing a cap on a vessel, and have no further interaction with the sample holder. In some cases, a user may employ a sample holder for treatment and/or analysis of a sample that was previously collected, e.g., by another person. Thus, a user for treatment and/or analysis need not use a sample holder for sample collection and may interact with the sample holder in other ways, such as by opening the vessel, e.g., by removing the upper portion 22 from the lower portion 21 using engagement features on a cap 4, lower portion 21 and/or upper portion 22. Reagents or other materials may be added to the vessel 2, e.g., for processing of the sample in the vessel 2, and/or sample material in the vessel 2 may be removed for treatment and/or analysis, and/or a sample in a vessel may be treated without opening of the vessel 2. Any such users may employ one or more features of a sample holder and/or stand, or not.
The vessel 2 can be made of any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, the lower portion 21 of the vessel can be made of a different material than the upper portion 22 of the vessel 2. Different materials may be employed to help the different vessel portions perform their functions. For example, the lower portion 21 may be made of a material that is suitable for exposing a sample in the holder 1 to focused acoustic energy, heat or other treatment conditions, e.g., for shearing blood cells and/or nucleic acids, PCR amplification, etc. The upper portion 22 can be made of a material that provides a suitable sealing surface with the cap 4 without providing excessive friction that resists movement of the cap 4 relative to the vessel 2. Example materials for the vessel components include polyethylene, polypropylene, glass, metal, etc.
While aspects of the invention have been described with reference to various illustrative embodiments, such aspects are not limited to the embodiments described. Thus, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations of the embodiments described will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, embodiments as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of aspects of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63452269 | Mar 2023 | US | |
63395590 | Aug 2022 | US |