Collection tool, collection auxiliary tool, and collection method for sebum on skin

Abstract

To provide a collection tool, a collection auxiliary tool, and a collection method for sebum on skin, which can achieve both the simplicity of a collection operation and the amount of collection of the sebum on the skin.SOLUTION: A collection tool 1 for sebum on a skin, according to the present invention, includes a sebum holding sheet 2 capable of holding sebum on a skin, and a grip portion 10 having a flat portion 11 and being elastically deformable in a thickness direction Z. The grip portion 10 can be detachably fixed so that the sebum holding sheet 2 covers the flat portion 11. The sebum holding sheet 2 is preferably formed of a sebum absorbing material or a sebum adhesive material. The surface of the flat portion 11 is preferably formed of an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin surface lipid sampling tool, a sampling aid, and a method for sampling lipids on the skin surface from the skin surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Various studies have been conducted on sampling tools for samples to be used for analysis or testing, from the viewpoints of ease of sampling operation, collection efficiency, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cotton swab in which a sampling part provided at the tip of a shaft part and made of implanted fibers has a first region and a second region marked with marks.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a biological sample collection device that has high drug resistance and high releasability of adhered components, has a smooth surface, and is designed so that components on the skin surface can be transferred to the surface by rolling it over the fingertip of a subject. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses, as sebum collecting tools, sebum-absorbing materials made of flexible sheets such as oil blotting paper, and tools for scraping off sebum such as spatulas and scrapers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6231252 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2009-518244 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-147446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When collecting lipids on the surface of human skin, the subject may collect lipids on the skin surface using a sebum-retaining sheet capable of retaining lipids on the skin surface, such as an oil-removing film, as a collection tool. Specifically, the subject may collect lipids on the skin surface by rubbing the skin with an oil-removing film. In this case, the amount collected may differ from subject to subject, resulting in individual differences in the amount collected. In particular, the force with which the skin is rubbed with the oil-removing film is likely to differ between men and women, and the weaker the rubbing force, the less lipids are collected on the skin surface. If the amount of lipids collected on the skin surface is too small, the accuracy of analysis and testing tends to decrease. Therefore, it is desirable for the collection tool for lipids on the skin surface to be easy to collect and to reliably ensure the amount of lipids collected on the skin surface. The technology described in Patent Document 1 was not studied for collecting lipids on the skin surface. The collection tools disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 were insufficient in terms of both the ease of collection operation and the amount of lipids collected when collecting lipids on the skin surface.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a skin surface lipid sampling tool capable of solving the problems inherent in the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a skin surface lipid sampling device. The sampling tool preferably has a sebum-retaining sheet capable of retaining lipids on the surface of the skin, and a flat portion and a gripping portion that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction. It is preferable that the gripping portion is detachably fixed so that the sebum retaining sheet covers the planar portion.

[0008] The present invention also relates to an aid for collecting lipids on the surface of the skin. The collection aid has a base portion that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction and a flat portion partially formed on the base, and it is preferable that the surface of the flat portion is formed from an adhesive sheet made of an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive sheet made of a pseudo-adhesive material.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a method for collecting lipids on the skin surface from the skin surface. The collection method preferably uses a sebum-retaining sheet capable of retaining lipids on the skin surface, and a collection tool having a gripping part to which the sebum-retaining sheet is fixed and which is elastically deformable in the thickness direction. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the skin surface lipid collection tool, collection aid, and collection method of the present invention, it is possible to achieve both ease of collection of skin surface lipid collection operation and high collection efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a collection device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one embodiment of collecting lipids on the skin surface using the collecting tool shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The skin surface lipids to be collected by the collection tool of the present invention refer to the fat-soluble fraction present on the surface of the skin, and are also called sebum. Hereinafter, the skin surface lipids are also called "sebum". In general, sebum mainly contains secretions secreted from exocrine glands such as sebaceous glands, and exists on the skin surface in the form of a thin layer that covers the skin surface. Unless otherwise specified, the skin is a general term for the area including the epidermis, dermis, hair follicles, and tissues such as sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and other glands on the body surface. The sampling tool according to the present invention is used to collect sebum from the skin in order to analyze, test or elucidate a substance (sample) contained in the sebum. The present applicant has reported that sebum contains nucleic acid, particularly RNA, derived from the cells of a subject (see Patent Publication No. 6231252). Therefore, a representative example of a sample contained in sebum is nucleic acid. The method of analyzing or elucidate the nucleic acid is not particularly limited, and various known methods can be used, and can be appropriately determined depending on the purpose of the analysis or elucidate. Various known methods can also be used to separate nucleic acid from sebum. In addition, substances such as fats and oils and proteins other than nucleic acids contained in sebum may be the subject of analysis, test or elucidate.

[0013] Sebum collected from a subject contains nucleic acid expressed in the skin cells of the subject, preferably in any of the epidermis, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, sweat glands, and dermis of the subject, more preferably in any of the epidermis, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, and sweat glands of the subject. That is, the nucleic acid contained in sebum is preferably used, for example, in gene expression analysis and other gene information analysis of the skin of the subject from which the sebum was collected, functional analysis of the skin of the subject, analysis of the skin condition of the subject (e.g., diagnosis of dermatitis), and further analysis of the condition of the site other than the skin or the whole body of the subject (e.g., diagnosis of various diseases). For analysis or analysis method of nucleic acid contained in sebum, various methods described in Japanese Patent No. 6231252 can be used.

[0014] The nucleic acid contained in sebum may be either DNA or RNA, but is preferably RNA. Examples of RNA include mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, small RNA (e.g., microRNA (miRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), etc.), long intergenic non-coding (linc)RNA, etc. mRNA is RNA that codes for a protein, and most of them have a length of 1000 nt or more. miRNA, siRNA, piRNA, and lincRNA are non-coding (nc)RNA that do not code for a protein. miRNA is a small RNA of about 19-30 nt in length among ncRNAs. LincRNA is a long non-coding RNA that has poly-A like mRNA, and has a length of 200 nt or more. The nucleic acid contained in sebum is preferably RNA having a length of 200 nt or more, and more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of mRNA and lincRNA.

[0015] 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a skin surface lipid collector (hereinafter simply referred to as "collection tool") according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the collector 1 has a sebum retaining sheet 2 and a gripping part 10. The gripping part 10 of this embodiment has a hexahedral base 15 and a flat part 11 formed on one surface of the base 15. The base 15 forms the main body of the gripping part 10, has the largest area, and has two main surfaces that face each other. The flat part 11 is formed on one of the two main surfaces of the base 15. In other words, the flat part 11 is partially formed on the surface of the base 15. The surface shape of the flat portion 11 is preferably a surface shape that fits when the sampling tool 1 is brought into contact with the skin. The flat portion 11 of this embodiment is a flat surface. Alternatively, the flat portion 11 may be a substantially flat surface. For example, the flat portion 11 may be a concave surface that is gently recessed inward of the gripping portion 10, or a convex surface that is gently protruding outward of the gripping portion 10. In this case, when the gripping portion 10 is placed on a horizontal surface with the flat portion 11 facing upward, it is preferable that the angle of the flat portion 11 (surface) with respect to the horizontal direction is within ±10°. From the viewpoint of further improving the fit to the skin, which will be described later, the flat portion 11 is preferably a flat surface.

[0016] The gripping portion 10 is elastically deformable in a thickness direction Z of the sampling tool 1. Here, the thickness direction Z means a direction along a direction perpendicular to the plane portion 11 (normal direction). The base 15 is deformable in the thickness direction Z, and accordingly, the plane portion 11 is also deformable in the thickness direction Z. The gripping portion 10 of this embodiment is also deformable in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction Z. From the viewpoint of making the sampling tool 1 elastically deformable in its thickness direction Z and further improving the fit to the skin, the base 15 forming the main part of the gripping part 10 is preferably made of an elastic material, and more preferably is a single molded body of an elastic material. The base 15 is preferably configured to include a material that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction Z, such as an elastic body or a foam. The elastic body may be a forming material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber. The synthetic rubber may be a silicone rubber or a urethane rubber. The foam may be a known sponge, such as polyurethane, wet urethane, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR), melamine foam, or the like. The elastically deformable material used for the base 15 is preferably a foam (sponge) made of silicone, polyurethane, synthetic rubber such as NBR or ethylene propylene diene copolymer elastomer (EPDM).

[0017] When base 15 is constructed to include an elastic body, in order to ensure deformability and shape retention, the hardness of the material forming base 15 is preferably 40 or more and 80 or less, more preferably 50 or more and 70 or less, in terms of a rubber hardness tester (durometer). The hardness of the forming material is measured, for example, using a durometer (A type, manufactured by Techlock Corporation) in an environment of 20°C and 50% RH. More specifically, the base 15 is placed on a flat and solid surface with the flat surface 11 facing upward, and a cutting mat (A5 size, manufactured by NT Corporation) is placed on the flat surface 11. Next, the durometer is placed so that the pressing surface is parallel to the cutting mat surface on the flat surface 11 and the pressing needle is perpendicular to the surface of the cutting mat, and then the base 15 is pressed in this state and the scale is read after 3 seconds to perform the measurement. Such a measurement is performed at the center of the flat surface 11 in a planar view. The above measurement is repeated five times, and the median value is taken as the hardness. If the hardness measured by this method is within the above-mentioned range, it can be easily elastically deformed in the thickness direction Z and also has shape retention.

[0018] The sebum retention sheet 2 is a sheet capable of retaining lipids on the skin surface, and is preferably flexible so as to conform to the flat surface portion 11 that is deformable in the thickness direction Z. From the viewpoint of further improving the amount of sebum collected, the sebum retention sheet 2 is preferably formed of a sebum-absorbing material or a sebum-adhesive material. The sebum-absorbing material is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having affinity for sebum, and examples thereof include polypropylene and pulp. Examples of sheet materials made of such materials include sheets having adsorption properties for sebum, such as oil blotting paper and oil blotting film. In addition, as the sebum-absorbing material, a sheet material previously impregnated with a highly lipid-soluble solvent may be used. As the sebum-adhesive material, a sheet formed of a material having adhesive properties for sebum can be used. In addition, from the viewpoint of further improving the amount of sebum collected, the sebum retention sheet 2 preferably has a porous structure. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of ensuring better durability when the skin is rubbed with the sebum-retaining sheet 2 and from the viewpoint of improving the amount of sebum collected, it is preferable to use a sheet formed from a sebum-absorbent material, such as an oil-blotting film having a porous structure formed from polypropylene, as the sebum-retaining sheet 2.

[0019] In the sampling tool 1, the gripping part 10 can be detachably fixed so that the sebum retaining sheet 2 covers the flat part 11. In other words, the sebum retaining sheet 2 fixed to the flat part 11 can be peeled off from the flat part 11. The collection tool 1 can have, without any particular limitation, a configuration that allows the fixation of the sebum retention sheet 2 to be released from the flat surface 11. For example, in the collection tool 1 of this embodiment, the surface of the flat surface 11 is formed from an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive material. In this specification, "adhesive" refers to the property of fixing the sebum retention sheet 2 by a material having adhesive strength, and "pseudo-adhesive" refers to the property of fixing the sebum retention sheet 2 by an adhesive force with the sebum retention sheet 2, without having adhesive strength. The adhesive material can be any material that has an adhesive force that allows the sebum-retaining sheet 2 to be fixed, without any particular limitations. The adhesive material has an adhesive force that allows the fixation to be released. The surface of the planar portion 11 may be formed of a member that contains an adhesive material. For example, the surface of the planar portion 11 may be formed of an adhesive sheet that includes an adhesive layer having an adhesive force and a base layer on which the adhesive layer is provided. The adhesive sheet may be a double-sided tape or the like. The adhesive material that can fix and release the sebum retention sheet 2 on the flat surface portion 11 can be configured to have an adhesive means such as double-sided tape or adhesive on the flat surface portion 11. Examples of adhesives that provide adhesion using these adhesive means include acrylic adhesives, silicone adhesives, urethane adhesives, and rubber adhesives. The adhesive layer provided on the adhesive sheet may be formed from any of these adhesives. In addition, it is preferable that the adhesive material has an adhesive strength that allows the sebum retention sheet 2 fixed to the flat surface portion 11 to be peeled off by human hands.

[0020] As the pseudo-adhesive material, any material having an adsorption force capable of fixing the sebum retention sheet 2 without relying on adhesive force can be used without any particular limitation. In this case, the sebum retention sheet 2 can be easily fixed and released compared to adhesion by an adhesive, and repeated use is possible. As a configuration capable of fixing and releasing the sebum retention sheet 2 on the flat surface portion 11 by adsorption force, there is provided an adsorption means such as an adsorption sheet having micro suction cups on the flat surface portion 11. The micro suction cups are a large number of minute concave holes formed on the adsorption sheet, and when the sebum retention sheet 2 is pressed from above the micro suction cups, they exert an adsorption force on the pressed sebum retention sheet 2. The micro suction cups are, for example, holes of several μm to several tens of μm, but the hole diameter is not particularly limited as long as they have an adsorption force. The adsorption sheet can be easily fixed and released by applying a load in the normal direction to the flat surface portion 11, and is suitable for repeated use of the gripping portion 10.

[0021] The surface of the flat portion 11 in this embodiment is preferably formed by a pseudo-adhesive sheet 12 made of a pseudo-adhesive material (see FIG. 2). This configuration allows the sebum-retaining sheet 2 to be attached and detached more easily. The flat portion 11 in this embodiment is formed by bonding the pseudo-adhesive sheet 12 to one of the main surfaces of the gripping portion 10. The main surface of the gripping portion 10 and the pseudo-adhesive sheet 12 may be bonded inseparably using a known adhesive or the like, or may be bonded so as to be peelable from the main surface of the gripping portion 10. The pseudo-adhesive sheet 12 may be arranged so as to cover the entirety of one surface of the gripping portion 10 (one of the main surfaces in this embodiment), or may be arranged so as to cover a part of the surface. As the pseudo-adhesive sheet 12, a foamed acrylic sheet (for example, "Adhesive Fixing Sheet" manufactured by Nitoms Corporation), a foamed urethane sheet (for example, "Sticky Sheet" manufactured by Kokuyo Co., Ltd.), or the like can be used.

[0022] The collector 1 of this embodiment is used to collect sebum from the skin. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the sebum-retaining sheet 2 of the collector 1 is brought into contact with the skin, and the sebum on the skin is collected by the sebum-retaining sheet 2. The collector 1 has an elastically deformable gripping portion 10, so that the sebum-retaining sheet 2 fixed to the flat portion 11 can be pressed well against the skin, and the sebum-retaining sheet 2 and the gripping portion 10 can be deformed to follow the shape of the skin. This allows the skin and the sebum-retaining sheet 2 to fit together, suppressing uneven contact and increasing the contact area, so that sebum can be collected efficiently, and even when the subject U collects sebum by himself, the amount of sebum collected can be easily ensured regardless of the force of each individual subject U. In addition to the simple operation of rubbing the skin with the sampling tool 1, since the gripping portion 10 of the sampling tool 1 is deformable as described above, it is easy to grip by hand and to rub the skin with the sampling tool 1. In addition, since the sampling tool 1 of this embodiment has the sebum retention sheet 2 detachably fixed to the flat portion 11, the sampling tool 1 can be used repeatedly by replacing the sebum retention sheet 2. When replacing the sebum retention sheet 2, it can be replaced by the simple operation of peeling the used sebum retention sheet 2 from the gripping portion 10 and fixing an unused sebum retention sheet 2 to the flat portion 11. Therefore, the sampling tool 1 of this embodiment allows for a simple operation of collecting sebum and is excellent in operability. In this way, the sampling tool 1 of this embodiment can achieve both ease of sampling operation and high sampling efficiency when sampling sebum.

[0023] From the viewpoint of further deforming the sampling tool 1 and further improving the efficiency of sampling sebum, thickness T1 (see FIG. 2) of base 15 of gripping portion 10 is preferably 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The thickness T1 of the base 15 is the length between the flat portion 11 and a horizontal plane in the vertical direction Z when the grip portion 10 is placed on the horizontal plane so that the flat portion 11 faces upward in the vertical direction Z. Since the base 15 forms the main part of the grip portion 10, the thickness T1 of the base 15 can also be said to be the thickness of the grip portion 10.

[0024] From the viewpoint of achieving both efficient collection of sebum and ease of collection operation, the contact area of ​​the flat surface portion 11 with the skin is preferably 10 cm 2 More than 100cm 2 Less than or equal to 20cm, preferably 2 More than 60cm 2 The contact area is the area of ​​the entire surface of the sampling tool 1 on which the flat surface portion 11 exists, and corresponds to the sampling area for sebum.

[0025] As described above, the gripping portion 10 of this embodiment allows the sebum retention sheet 2 to be removably fixed to the flat portion 11. From the viewpoint of facilitating the operation of peeling off the sebum retention sheet 2 holding sebum from the flat portion 11, it is preferable that the sebum retention sheet 2 has a size such that at least a part of it extends beyond the periphery of the gripping portion 10 in a planar view (see FIG. 1). With such a configuration, the part of the sebum retention sheet 2 extending beyond the periphery of the gripping portion 10 can be easily pinched, making it easier to peel off the sheet 2 from the gripping portion 10. The "periphery of the gripping portion 10 in a planar view (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "periphery of the gripping portion 10")" refers to the periphery of the gripping portion 10 when the gripping portion 10 is viewed from the flat portion 11. From the same viewpoint as above, the area of ​​the sebum retaining sheet 2 is preferably 101% or more and 120% or less, more preferably 105% or more and 110% or less, of the area of ​​the region surrounded by the periphery of the gripping part . From the same viewpoint as above, the maximum length of the sebum retaining sheet 2 fixed to the flat portion 11 extending from the periphery of the gripping portion is preferably 3 mm or more and 20 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0026] The grip part 10 of this embodiment has a quadrangular shape when viewed from the flat surface 11. The shape of the grip part 10 when viewed from the flat surface 11 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape such as a triangle, a rectangle, a diamond, a polygon with pentagons or more, a circle, an ellipse, a sector, a teardrop, a heart, etc. In addition, when the shape is a polygon, the corners may be rounded. In order to better fit the skin and increase the amount of sebum collected, it is preferable that the shape of the gripping portion 10 when viewed from the flat surface portion 11 is polygonal, more preferably rectangular, and even more preferably diamond.

[0027] Next, the collection aid for lipids on the skin surface of the present invention will be described based on a preferred embodiment. The collection aid of this embodiment has the same configuration as the gripping part 10 described above. That is, the collection aid has a base 15 that can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction Z and a flat part 11 partially formed on the base 15, and the surface of the flat part 11 is formed by the adhesive sheet or pseudo-adhesive sheet 12 described above. The collection aid of this embodiment is used for collecting sebum in combination with a sebum retention sheet 2. Specifically, the sebum retention sheet 2 is fixed to the flat part 11 of the collection aid and used. This results in the same configuration as the collection aid 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore the same effect as the collection aid 1 described above can be achieved.

[0028] Next, a collection method of the present invention for collecting lipids on the skin surface (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "collection method") will be described based on a preferred embodiment. The collection method of this embodiment is a method for collecting sebum from the skin surface using the collection tool 1 described above. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, sebum is collected by rubbing the skin with the collection tool 1 while the sebum-retaining sheet 2 of the collection tool 1 is in contact with the skin. That is, the collection tool 1 is brought into contact with the skin and moved along the skin surface to collect sebum. In the collection method of this embodiment, it is preferable to collect sebum while wearing gloves in order to prevent foreign matter from being mixed into the experimental system.

[0029] The site from which sebum is collected may be any site, such as the face, scalp, neck, arms, abdomen, torso, legs, etc. From the viewpoint of further improving the efficiency of sebum collection, the site from which sebum is collected is preferably a site where sebum is easily secreted, such as the face or scalp, and more preferably the face.

[0030] Sebum may be collected from humans or from animals other than humans. Examples of such animals include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals other than humans. The subject from which sebum is collected is preferably humans.

[0031] After collecting sebum with the collecting tool 1, the sebum-retaining sheet 2 is peeled off from the gripping part 10, and an extraction method appropriate for the target substance is applied to the sheet 2 to extract the sebum or a substance contained in the sebum. For example, when extracting RNA contained in the sebum, a commercially available RNA extraction reagent can be used, as in the examples described below. The obtained sebum or a substance contained in the sebum is subjected to various analyses, tests, or analysis depending on the purpose. In the collection method of the present embodiment, by using the collection tool 1, sebum can be efficiently collected, and RNA contained in the sebum can also be efficiently collected.

[0032] While the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. In addition, the configurations of the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate. For example, in the collection tool 1 of the above-described embodiment, the sebum retaining sheet 2 is sized to extend beyond the periphery of the gripping part 10 in a plan view, but it may be sized so that it does not extend beyond the periphery of the gripping part 10. In the latter case, the sebum retaining sheet 2 may be equal in area to or smaller than the region surrounded by the periphery of the gripping part 10. EXAMPLES

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0034] [Examples 1 to 3] A base 15 was prepared as the main part of the collection aid (gripping part). Each of these collection aids had a substantially flat main surface with the largest area, and a double-sided tape (manufactured by 3M Corporation, product name "Scotch peelable double-sided tape") was provided on the main surface as an adhesive sheet. This made the entire main surface into a flat surface 11 to which the sebum retention sheet 2 was fixed. As the sebum retention sheet 2, an oil blotting film (porous polypropylene film, manufactured by 3M Corporation, product name "Microporous Film", size 5.0 cm x 8.0 cm) was prepared and fixed so as to cover the flat surface 11 of the collection aid. In this way, a collection aid 1 equipped with a sebum retention sheet 2 and a gripping part 10 was produced.

[0035] The following were used as the bases 15 in Examples 1 to 3. The specifications of these bases 15 are shown in Table 1 below. Example 1 Diamond-shaped sponge: Kao Corporation, product name "Est Makeup Sponge", forming material NBR Example 2 Teardrop-shaped sponge: manufactured by Shobido Co., Ltd., product name "Silicon Gel Puff", forming material: silicone Example 3 Fan-shaped sponge: Kao Corporation, product name "est Biomimesis Veil Applicator", forming material NBR The hardness of the forming material of each of the sponges used for the base 15 in Examples 1 to 3 was within the range of 50 to 70. The hardness of the forming material was measured by the hardness measurement method described above.

[0036] [Examples 4 to 5] In Example 4, instead of using double-sided tape, a pseudo adhesive sheet 12 was placed on the main surface of the base 15 to form the flat portion 11. An acrylic foam sheet having a micro-suction cup structure was used as the pseudo adhesive sheet 12. The pseudo adhesive sheet used had a size that matched the shape and size of the flat portion 11. In Example 5, oil blotting paper (manufactured by Kose Cosmeport Co., Ltd., 10.0 cm×10.0 cm) was used as the sebum retention sheet 2 in place of the oil blotting film. Except for the above points, in Examples 4 and 5, the collection tools 1 were produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0037] [Comparative Examples 1 to 3] Except for the fact that the base portion constituting the main part of the collection aid was different, the collection tools were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3. The base portions used in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were as follows. The specifications of these base portions are shown in Table 1 below. Comparative Example 1: Callus scraper: Made by P-Shine Co., Ltd., product name "Beauty Foot", made of polyethylene Comparative Example 2: Kassa: manufactured by Kojit Co., Ltd., product name "Kassa Lift Plate", forming material porcelain Comparative Example 3 Mushroom-shaped sponge: Kao Corporation, product name "est The Glowing Cream Make-up Sponge", molding material NBR The sampling tools of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 had bases that were not elastically deformable. The sampling tool of Comparative Example 3 had a base that did not have a flat surface, and the sebum-retaining sheet 2 was fixed to the curved surface of the mushroom-shaped cap. The sponge used in Comparative Example 3 had a hardness in the range of 50 to 70, measured by the hardness measurement method described above.

[0038] The collection tools of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were subjected to the following evaluation tests.

[0039] <Evaluation test of harvest volume 1> In this evaluation test, the amount of sebum scraped off from the skin was evaluated for the collection tools of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, with sunscreen as sebum. First, the inside of the forearm of three subjects 1 to 3 (healthy women in their 30s) was washed with a detergent (Kao Corporation, product name Biore Marshmallow Whip Oil Control) and dried, and then a marker was used to scrape about 10 cm of the inside of the forearm. 2 A rectangle measuring 2 × 5 cm was drawn and marked in two places, which were used as the evaluation sites. Next, about 15 g of a commercially available sunscreen (Kao Corporation, product name Biore UV) was applied to the evaluation sites and spread evenly over the entire evaluation site, and then the sunscreen was allowed to dry (the amount of sunscreen in the evaluation sites was about 1.5 mg / cm). 2Next, UV images of the two evaluation sites were taken using a skin measurement device, VISIA (Canfield Scientific), and these images were designated as "images before sampling."

[0040] Next, a sunscreen similar to sebum was collected from one of the two evaluation sites using one of the collection tools of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. Also, from the other evaluation site, a sunscreen similar to sebum was collected using only the sebum-retaining sheet 2. The collection operation was performed by the subject himself, and with the sebum-retaining sheet 2 of the collection tool in contact with the evaluation site, the collection tool was slid in the same direction to scrape off the sample three times. After this collection operation, a UV image was taken in the same manner as above, and this image was designated as the "image after collection."

[0041] Next, the images before and after collection (RGB color images) were processed using image processing software ImageJ to obtain image B. Image B is an image obtained by dividing the blue element (B) from the RGB color image and extracting only the gradation of the B value, and is expressed by the gradation of the B value. Next, the luminance value (B value) of each pixel constituting the obtained B image was divided by a constant (base 32), and then logarithmic conversion (common logarithm) was performed, and non-numeric values ​​were removed using the Remove NaNs function. Next, for the B image after non-numeric removal, the range of the area for calculating the median was specified, and the brightness and contrast were set to a minimum value of 0 and a maximum value of 1. Next, color modulation was performed so that the minimum value of the color tone was red and the maximum value was blue, and an imaging image showing the reflectance distribution was obtained. From this imaging image, the average color tone value at the evaluation site was calculated, and this was used as the reflection absorbance. Next, for the reflection absorbance, the image after collection was subtracted from the image before collection, and the amount of change in reflection absorbance was calculated for each subject 1 to 3, and the average value was also calculated. It can be seen that the greater the change in reflected light absorbance, the more sunscreen was collected. Furthermore, the ratio of the change in reflected light absorbance when the sampling tool was used to the change in reflected light absorbance when only the sebum retaining sheet 2 was used (with sampling tool / without sampling tool) was calculated. These results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0042] [Table 1]

[0043] As is clear from the results in Table 1, when the collection tools of Examples 1 to 3 having an elastically deformable base 15 and a flat surface portion 11 were used, the amount of absorbance change was improved compared to when only the sebum retaining sheet 2 was used. On the other hand, the collection tools of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 showed the same amount of absorbance change as when only the sebum retaining sheet 2 was used.

[0044] <Evaluation test of harvest volume 2> In this evaluation test, the amount of sebum collected from the face was evaluated for the collection tool of Example 4. Three healthy males 1 to 3 and four healthy females 1 to 4 (all in their 20s and 30s) were used as subjects, a total of seven subjects. First, sebum was collected from one of the left and right halves of the face of each subject using the collection tool of Example 4. In addition, sebum was collected from the other half of the left and right halves of the subject's own face using only the sebum retaining sheet 2. The collection operation was performed by the subject himself while wearing gloves to prevent cross-contamination of sebum. It was up to the subject to decide whether to collect sebum using the collection tool from the left or right half of the face. Next, the mass of the sampling tool after sampling was measured, and the mass of the sampling tool before sampling was subtracted from this value (after sampling - before sampling) to obtain the amount of collected sebum. The amount of collected sebum was also calculated using the same method for the sebum retention sheet 2. Furthermore, the median amount of collected sebum for the subjects was calculated for the cases where a sampling tool was used and where a sampling tool was not used (only sebum retention sheet 2), and the ratio of the median amount when a sampling tool was used to the median amount when a sampling tool was not used (with sampling tool / without sampling tool) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0045] [Table 2]

[0046] As is clear from Table 2, when the collection tool with the sebum-retaining sheet fixed with the pseudo-adhesive sheet of Example 4 was used, the amount of sebum collected was improved compared to when only the sebum-retaining sheet was used.

[0047] <Evaluation test of harvest volume 3> In this evaluation test, the amount of sebum collected from the face was evaluated using the collection tool of Example 5. Six healthy women 1 to 6 (in their 20s and 30s) were used as subjects. The amount of sebum collected was determined in the same manner as in the above-mentioned <Collection Amount Evaluation Test 2>, except that the collection tool of Example 5 was used. The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0048] [Table 3]

[0049] As is clear from Table 3, even when the collection tool in which the sebum retaining sheet of Example 5 was an oil blotting paper was used, the amount of sebum collected was improved compared to when only the sebum retaining sheet was used.

[0050] <Evaluation test of the amount of RNA contained in sebum> In this evaluation test, sebum was collected from the face using the collection tool of Example 4, and the amount of RNA collected from the sebum was evaluated. Three healthy males 1 to 3 and four healthy females 1 to 4 (all in their 20s and 30s) were used as subjects, a total of seven subjects. First, sebum was collected from one of the left and right halves of the face of each subject using the collection tool of Example 4 in the same manner as in the above-mentioned <Evaluation test 2 of the amount of collection>, and then sebum was collected from the other of the left and right halves of the subject's own face using only the sebum-retaining sheet 2. The sebum-retaining sheet 2 from which the sebum was collected was immediately peeled off from the gripping part 10, placed in a 20 mL glass vial or a 5 mL tube (Eppendorf DNA LoBind 5 mL, PCR clean), and left to stand on dry ice, and then stored at -80°C. These vials and 5 mL tubes were made RNase-free by dry heat treatment, and after the dry heat treatment, 1 g of a desiccant (manufactured by Shinwa Kako Co., Ltd., product name "Molecular Sieves") was placed inside.

[0051] Next, the sebum retention sheet 2 was cut to an appropriate size, and an RNA extraction reagent (manufactured by Qiagen, product name "QIAzol Lysis Reagent") was added to the cut pieces, RNA was extracted in accordance with the protocol attached to the reagent, and an RNA-containing solution containing the RNA (hereinafter also referred to as "SSL-derived RNA-containing solution") was prepared. Next, the obtained RNA-containing solution was subjected to real-time PCR (one-step RT-PCR) using 18S rRNA as the target gene. The primers used in this PCR (reference: http: / / www.bio-rad.com / webroot / web / pdf / lsr / literature / Bulletin_2804.pdf) are shown in Table 4 below. The primers were 18S_02_for (Fwd_Primer) (SEQ ID NO: 1) and 18S_02_rev (Rev_Primer) (SEQ ID NO: 2). As a target template for creating a calibration curve, human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell RNA (Takara Bio, 1 μg / μL) with a known concentration was used. Such cell RNA was diluted to the concentration shown in Table 5 below (HelLa RNA solution). In addition, as a target template for calculating the human RNA concentration, the SSL-derived RNA-containing solution of each of the seven subjects was used.

[0052] [Table 4]

[0053] The RT-PCR conditions in this evaluation test are shown below. Reagent: Power SYBR Green RNA-to-CT 1-Step Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific KK) Equipment: QuantStudio 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System (Thermo Fisher Scientific KK) Reaction system: Plate: MicroAmpTM Fast Optical 96-Well Reaction Plate, 0.1mL (Thermo Fisher Scientific KK) Thermal cycle: [48°C, 30 min → 95°C, 10 min → (95°C, 15 sec → 60°C, 1 min) × 40 cycles]

[0054] In this evaluation method, a reaction solution was prepared containing 0.1 μL each of primers (100 μM) of SEQ ID NO: 1 and 2 shown in Table 4, 0.08 μL of RT Enzyme Mix (125×), 5.0 μL of RT-PCR Mix (2×), 3.72 μL of water, and further containing 1 μL of HelLa RNA solution or 1 μL of SSL-derived RNA-containing solution, and then the reaction solution was added to the plate and RT-PCR was performed using the thermal cycle described above.

[0055] The Ct values ​​of the target genes in the HelLa RNA solution are shown in Table 5 below. In addition, the Ct value of the target gene was obtained for the SSL-derived RNA-containing solution, and the human RNA concentration was calculated based on the Ct value and the calibration curve. Furthermore, the ratio of the median human RNA concentration when a collection tool was used to the median human RNA concentration when no collection tool was used (with collection tool / without collection tool) was calculated. These results are shown in Table 6 below. The calibration curve was created based on the Ct value of the HelLa RNA solution shown in Table 5.

[0056] [Table 5]

[0057] [Table 6]

[0058] As is clear from Table 6, when a collection tool having a sebum-retaining sheet fixed with the pseudo adhesive sheet of Example 4 was used, the human RNA concentration was improved compared to when only the sebum-retaining sheet was used. The above results demonstrate that the lipids on the skin surface and the RNA contained therein can be efficiently collected using the lipid collection tool, collection aid, and collection method for lipids on the skin surface of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Collection tool 2 Sebum Retention Sheet 10 Gripping part 11 Plane part 12 Pseudo adhesive sheet 15 base U Subject

Claims

1. The device has a sebum-retaining sheet capable of retaining lipids on the surface of the skin, and a gripping portion having a flat surface and capable of elastically deforming in a thickness direction, The gripping portion is a detachable fixable device for collecting lipids on the skin surface, the sebum-retaining sheet being capable of covering the flat portion.

2. The collection tool according to claim 1 , wherein the sebum-retaining sheet is made of a sebum-absorbent material or a sebum-adhesive material.

3. 3. The collection tool according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the planar portion is formed from an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive material.

4. 4. The collection tool according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the planar portion is formed from a pseudo-adhesive sheet made of the pseudo-adhesive material.

5. the gripping portion has a base and the flat surface partially formed on the base, the surface of the flat surface being formed of an adhesive sheet made of an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive sheet made of a pseudo-adhesive material, The collection tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base portion is comprised of natural rubber or synthetic rubber.

6. The grip portion has a base and the flat portion partially formed on the base, The collection tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thickness of the base portion is 100 mm or more and 300 mm or less.

7. The collection tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sebum-retaining sheet has a size such that at least a portion of the sheet extends beyond the periphery of the gripping portion in a plan view.

8. A skin surface lipid collection aid having a base that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction and a flat surface partially formed on the base, the surface of the flat surface being formed from an adhesive sheet made of an adhesive material or a pseudo-adhesive sheet made of a pseudo-adhesive material.

9. A collection method for collecting lipids on the skin surface from the skin surface using a sebum-retaining sheet capable of retaining lipids on the skin surface and a collection tool to which the sebum-retaining sheet is fixed and which has a gripping part that is elastically deformable in the thickness direction.

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