A deployable nasopharyngeal swab

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of medical device technology and relates to an unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab of this utility model includes: an outer protective sleeve with an arc-shaped curved front end and a handle at the rear end; a three-headed sampling swab composed of three parallel sampling swabs, each including a flexible swab rod and a sampling head; the central sampling swab passes through an inverted cone-shaped body to expose its front end swab rod and sampling head, while the two lateral sampling swabs extend from the sides of the inverted cone-shaped body, thus separating the sampling heads of the three sampling swabs; and a push handle connected to the rear end of the three-headed sampling swab. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab of this utility model solves the problems of small sampling range, easy missed sampling, and high operational risk in existing technologies through its three-headed coordinated unfolding design. It can accurately cover high-risk areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, significantly improve sampling efficiency and sample volume, and enhance the sampling effect and safety of nasopharyngeal swabs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of medical device technology and relates to an unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab, specifically an unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab for nasopharyngeal sampling. Background Technology

[0002] Most nasopharyngeal swabs currently on the market use a single-head design, entering the nasopharynx through the nasal cavity for sampling. However, this design can cause discomfort to the subject when passing through the narrow nasal cavity. Furthermore, single-head swabs have a limited sampling range, easily leading to insufficient sample volume or missed samples, especially in areas with a high incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (such as the bilateral pharyngeal recesses and the posterior wall of the nasopharynx). During the operation of traditional swabs, problems such as swab head retention or inaccurate positioning can also easily occur.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent "A Nasopharyngeal Swab" (Publication No.: CN 213345739 U) discloses a nasopharyngeal swab that can perform oral sampling in the nasopharynx. The design uses a flexible rod sleeved on an external catheter with both ends of the flexible rod exposed outside the external catheter for sampling, but it is still a single-head design, and the sampling efficiency is not ideal.

[0004] A three-headed, expandable nasopharyngeal swab inserted orally is proposed, which significantly improves upon its design through structural optimization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, one objective of this invention is to provide an unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab that can target high-incidence areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, provide sufficient sampling volume, and is safe to operate, making it particularly suitable for nasopharyngeal carcinoma screening and respiratory pathogen detection.

[0006] The expandable nasopharyngeal swab of this utility model includes: an outer protective sleeve with an arc-shaped curved section at its front end and a handheld section at its rear end; a three-headed sampling swab composed of three parallel sampling swabs, each sampling swab including a flexible swab rod and a sampling head; the central sampling swab passes through an inverted cone-shaped body to expose its front end swab rod and sampling head, while the two lateral sampling swabs extend from the sides of the inverted cone-shaped body, causing the sampling heads of the three sampling swabs to separate; and a push handle connected to the rear end of the three-headed sampling swab. In the unexpanded state, the three-headed sampling swab is inserted into the outer protective sleeve, with the inverted cone-shaped body close to the arc-shaped curved section of the outer protective sleeve, and the three sampling heads are retracted side by side; in the expanded state, the three-headed sampling swab is pushed into the arc-shaped curved section of the outer protective sleeve by the push handle, with the inverted cone-shaped body extending out of the outer protective sleeve, and the three sampling heads unfolded into an isosceles triangle distribution.

[0007] According to a further feature of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, in the three-headed sampling swab, the length of the central sampling swab is greater than that of the sampling swabs on both sides.

[0008] According to a further feature of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, the total length of the push handle and the flexible swab rod is equal to the length of the outer protective sleeve.

[0009] According to a further feature of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab of the present invention, the length of the push handle is greater than or equal to the length of the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve.

[0010] According to a further feature of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, the handle portion of the push handle is larger than the opening of the outer protective sleeve.

[0011] The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0012] (1) Targeted sampling: The three sampling heads unfolded in an isosceles triangle can target and cover the high-incidence areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. That is, the central sampling head targets the posterior wall of the nasopharynx, and the two sampling heads on both sides target the left and right pharyngeal recesses. The sample volume is increased by 2-3 times compared with existing sampling swabs.

[0013] (2) Prevention of misoperation: The rear end of the flexible swab body is connected to the push handle, which can accurately advance and retract the swab body and sampling head, ensuring safe and convenient operation. The design of the push handle being larger than the opening of the outer protective sleeve can effectively prevent the push handle from sliding completely into the sleeve during operation, avoiding the risk of the instrument remaining in the patient's body.

[0014] (3) Easy to operate: One hand can hold the handheld part at the rear end of the outer protective sleeve, and the other hand can use the push rod to complete the unfolding and retraction of the swab sampling head.

[0015] In summary, the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model solves the problems of small sampling range, easy missed sampling, and high operational risks in the prior art through its three-head linkage unfolding design. It can accurately cover high-risk areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, significantly improve sampling efficiency and sample volume, and enhance the sampling effect and safety of nasopharyngeal swabs. It is suitable for large-scale screening in epidemiological fields of nasopharyngeal carcinoma or early diagnosis and screening in clinical physical examinations, and is especially suitable for patients with narrow nasal cavities or complex anatomical structures. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, showing the unfolded state.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, showing the unfolded state.

[0018] Figure Labels

[0019] 1, 3: Sampling heads on both sides; 2: Central sampling head; 4: Inverted cone shape; 5: Outer protective sleeve; 6: Flexible swab rod; 7: Handhold; 8: Push handle. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab described in this utility model, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes an outer protective sleeve 5, a three-headed sampling swab, and a push handle 8. The front end of the outer protective sleeve 5 is an arc-shaped bend, and its rear end is a handheld part 7. The three-headed sampling swab consists of three sampling swabs arranged side by side, each swab including a flexible swab rod 6 and sampling heads (central sampling head 2 and two side sampling heads 1, 3). The central sampling swab passes through an inverted cone 4, exposing its front end swab rod and sampling head 2. The two side sampling swabs extend from the sides of the inverted cone 4, thus separating the sampling heads (central sampling head 2 and two side sampling heads 1, 3) of the three sampling swabs. The push handle 8 is connected to the rear end of the three-headed sampling swab.

[0021] In the undeployed state, the three sampling swabs are inserted into the outer protective sleeve 5, with the inverted cone 4 close to the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve 5, and the three sampling heads are folded together side by side; in the deployed state, the three sampling swabs are pushed into the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve 5 by the push handle 8, and the inverted cone 4 extends out of the outer protective sleeve 5, with the three sampling heads deployed in an isosceles triangle distribution.

[0022] In its manufacturing process, the outer protective sleeve can be made of medical-grade polypropylene, with an outer diameter between 8.5 and 9 mm and an inner diameter between 7 and 7.5 mm. The front end is designed with an arc-shaped bend (the arc range can be π / 3), and the overall length is 12 cm. The three-headed sampling swab can be made of medical-grade polypropylene with added plasticizers, possessing flexibility and elasticity. The tips of the three independent flexible swabs are all connected to sampling heads made of flocked nylon material. The inverted cone shape can be a single conical plastic device. The central swab is located at the midline of the cone, and the two lateral swabs are connected to the outer side of the cone, forming an angle of 21-22° with the central swab. In its undeployed state, the three swabs are neatly housed side-by-side inside the outer protective sleeve; when deployed, the swabs unfold into an isosceles triangle (base 3.0 cm, height 2 cm, and sides 2.5 cm), accurately covering the pharyngeal recesses and the posterior wall of the nasopharynx.

[0023] Preferably, in the three-headed sampling swab, the length of the central sampling swab is greater than that of the two side sampling swabs. For example, the length of the central swab is 5 cm, and the length of the two side swabs is 4 cm.

[0024] Preferably, the total length of the push handle and the flexible swab rod is equal to the length of the outer protective sleeve. The length of the push handle is greater than or equal to the length of the curved portion of the outer protective sleeve. For example, if the push handle is 5 cm long, when the flexible swab rod is fully inserted into the outer protective sleeve, the push handle still remains outside the outer protective sleeve for 5 cm. When pushed in another 5 cm, the handle reaches the handhold portion of the outer protective sleeve, the flexible swab rod is pushed into the curved portion of the outer protective sleeve, and the front end of the rod protrudes outside the outer protective sleeve, allowing the sampling head to unfold. This allows for precise advancement and retrieval of the swab rod and sampling head, ensuring safe and convenient operation.

[0025] Preferably, the handle of the pusher is larger than the opening of the outer protective sleeve, which can effectively prevent the pusher from sliding completely into the sleeve during operation and avoid the risk of the instrument remaining in the patient's body.

Claims

1. A deployable nasopharyngeal swab, characterized in that, include: The outer protective sleeve has an arc-shaped bend at the front end and a handle at the rear end; The three-headed sampling swab consists of three sampling swabs placed side by side. Each sampling swab includes a flexible swab rod and a sampling head. The central sampling swab passes through an inverted cone shape to expose the front end of the swab rod and sampling head. The two sampling swabs on both sides extend from the sides of the inverted cone shape, so that the sampling heads of the three sampling swabs are separated. A push handle is connected to the rear end of the three-headed sampling swab; In the undeployed state, the three sampling swabs are inserted into the outer protective sleeve, and the inverted conical body is close to the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve, with the three sampling heads retracted side by side; In the unfolded state, the three sampling swabs are pushed into the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve by the push handle, the inverted cone-shaped body extends out of the outer protective sleeve, and the three sampling heads unfold into an isosceles triangle distribution.

2. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab according to claim 1, characterized in that: Of the three sampling swabs, the middle sampling swab is longer than the two side sampling swabs.

3. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total length of the push handle and the flexible swab rod is equal to the length of the outer protective sleeve.

4. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the push handle is greater than or equal to the length of the arc-shaped bend of the outer protective sleeve.

5. The unfoldable nasopharyngeal swab according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle portion of the pusher is larger than the opening of the outer protective sleeve.

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