Sample storage container

The specimen storage container addresses the complexity of O-ring usage by employing a helical coupling mechanism and tapered lead section to seal specimens efficiently, improving manufacturing efficiency and ensuring specimen safety.

JP2025508960AInactive Publication Date: 2025-04-10BIONLIFESCIENCE INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024552158
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-03-03
Filing Date
2023-02-24
Publication Date
2025-04-10
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing specimen storage containers require O-rings for sealing, which complicates the manufacturing process and reduces production efficiency.

Method used

A specimen storage container design that seals without O-rings, using a helical coupling nut and bolt mechanism, along with a tapered lead section and obliquely formed inner peripheral surface, to create a secure seal.

Benefits of technology

The container effectively seals the specimen space without O-rings, enhancing production efficiency and ensuring safe storage and transportation of specimens.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a sample storage container, which includes a container body having a storage space and a coupling nut section, and a cover for sealing the storage space, and the cover includes a coupling bolt section that is coupled to the coupling nut section by contacting the coupling bolt section, and a lead section for sealing the storage space, so that the storage space can be sealed without using parts such as an O-ring, and the manufacturing process is simplified, thereby improving the production efficiency of the sample storage container.
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a specimen storage container, and more particularly to a specimen storage container capable of sealing a space containing a specimen without the need for a sealing part such as an O-ring. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of medical technology, medical examinations have become widespread to find the cause of disease and treat it accordingly. Medical examinations involve taking samples from subjects, such as blood, saliva, or organ tissues, and then conducting various types of tests, such as biochemical tests, immunological serum tests, and hematology tests, to examine the subject's health condition and whether or not they have a disease.

[0003] Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of the screening test, it is important that the specimen collected from the subject is not contaminated from the outside, and that the collected specimen is not lost.

[0004] For this purpose, the collected specimen is stored in a specimen preservation container that contains a specimen preservation liquid such as formalin, and is transported by the specimen preservation container. Here, it is absolutely necessary for such a specimen preservation container to prevent the specimen and specimen preservation liquid contained therein from leaking out, and to prevent the collected specimen from being contaminated by foreign matter flowing in from the outside.

[0005] Therefore, the specimen storage container is required to have a sealing part, such as an O-ring, which is interposed between the lid and the tube-shaped container body to seal the inside of the container body.

[0006] However, in the manufacturing process of the sample storage container, an O-ring must be inserted into each of the many sample storage containers, which complicates the manufacturing process and reduces production efficiency. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional method and to provide a sample storage container that can seal the space containing the sample without using sealing parts such as O-rings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container body having a predetermined length, outer diameter, and inner diameter, and in the form of a container or tube with one side open, and having an accommodation space inside capable of accommodating a predetermined sample or fluid, and a cover part coupled to one side of the container body by inserting a portion of a front side of the cover part into the one side of the container body to seal the accommodation space from the outside, the container body part having a coupling nut section on one side, the coupling nut section having a concave or convex part on an inner side formed in a spiral shape with a central axis of the container body as a center of rotation, the cover part including: a coupling bolt section having an outer circumferential surface formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of the coupling nut section so as to contact an inner surface of the coupling nut section to perform the coupling; and a lead section located in front of the coupling bolt section, at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the cover part contacting an inner surface of the container body to seal the accommodation space.

[0009] Here, another feature of the lid portion is that it further includes a cap section located behind the coupling bolt section so that a user can handle the lid portion, and having an outer diameter formed to be the same as or smaller than the outer diameter of the container body portion.

[0010] In addition, the cover portion further includes a sealing support section positioned between the coupling bolt section and the cap section to support the coupling bolt section, and at least a portion of its outer peripheral surface contacts an inner surface of one side of the container body portion to seal the inside of the container body portion.

[0011] Here, the container body is further characterized in that it is made of a transparent material so that the state inside the storage space can be confirmed from the outside.

[0012] In this case, as another feature, at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the lead section of the cover is tapered so that an outer diameter thereof becomes smaller toward a front side.

[0013] In addition, as a further feature, a part of the inner peripheral surface of the container body is formed obliquely so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lead section which is formed in a tapered shape. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The sample storage container according to the present invention can seal the storage space containing the sample by joining the container body and the lid without the need for sealing parts such as O-rings, so that the sample can be safely stored or transported. Furthermore, since sealing parts such as O-rings are not required during the manufacturing process, the production efficiency of the sample storage container can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a container body of a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a lid of a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, but a specific embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, and it should be understood that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. The present embodiment is provided to explain the present invention in more detail to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the shape of each element shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description, and if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description may be omitted.

[0017] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. Terms are used for the purpose of explaining and understanding one component by distinguishing it from other components.

[0018] The terms used in the present invention are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, the singular expression includes the plural expression.

[0019] In the present invention, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The same reference numerals may be used throughout the specification to refer to similar parts.

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is an exploded oblique view showing a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a container body portion of a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a lid portion of a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a sample storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] 1 to 4, a specimen storage container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 100 and a cover 200. As shown in FIG.

[0024] As shown in the drawings, the container body 100 has a predetermined length, outer diameter, inner diameter, and is in the form of a container or tube with one side open. The container body 100 has an internal storage space 110 capable of storing a predetermined specimen or fluid.

[0025] In this manner, the receiving space 110 provided inside the container body 100 is sealed by the combination of the cover 200 and the container body 100, and can be protected from the outside.

[0026] The container body 100 is preferably made of a transparent material so that the state inside the receiving space 110 can be confirmed from the outside. If the container body 100 is made of a transparent material, the amount and state of the specimen or fluid contained in the receiving space 110 can be confirmed, which is preferable.

[0027] The container body 100 is provided on one side with a coupling nut section 120, which is a section in which a concave portion 1222 or a convex portion 1221 is formed in a spiral shape around the central axis AX in the longitudinal direction of the container body 100 as a rotation center on the inner surface 122. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the coupling nut section 120 is provided on one open side of the container body 100.

[0028] The direction in which the recess 1222 or the protrusion 1221 on the inner surface 122 of the container body 100 rotates around the central axis AX in the longitudinal direction of the container body 100 is not limited to a specific direction. That is, either a clockwise spiral shape or a counterclockwise spiral shape is possible.

[0029] In addition, the outer circumferential surface 222 of the coupling bolt section 220 in the cover 200 described below also has a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner circumferential surface 122 of the coupling nut section 120. That is, they are in a face-to-face shape so as to mesh with each other. Therefore, when the cover 200 is inserted into one open side of the container body 100, the coupling bolt section 220 of the cover 200 can be coupled to the coupling nut section 120 by a bolt and nut method.

[0030] The outer diameter of the coupling bolt section 220 of the cover 200 is determined to correspond to the inner diameter of the coupling nut section 120 of the container body 100 so that the coupling bolt section 220 of the cover 200 is connected to the coupling nut section 120 of the container body 100 using a bolt and nut method.

[0031] In addition, it is preferable that a part of the inner circumferential surface 1123 of the inner circumferential surface 112 of the container body 100 is formed obliquely so as to come into contact with an outer circumferential surface 2123 formed in a tapered shape on the lead section 210 of the cover 200 described below. Here, it is preferable that the inclination direction of the inner circumferential surface 1123, i.e., the tangent direction of the surface 1123, is formed in a form that faces the inner central axis AX as shown in the drawing.

[0032] When the lid 200 is coupled to the container body 110, a portion of an inner circumferential surface 1123 of the container body 100 and a portion of an outer circumferential surface 2123 of the lid 200 come into contact with each other and are in close contact with each other, so that the receiving space 110 is sealed from the outside.

[0033] In this way, the tapered outer surface 2123 of the lead section 210 of the lid portion 200 comes into contact with the obliquely formed portion of the inner surface 1123 of the container body portion 100, thereby sealing or sealing the storage space 110.

[0034] It is preferable that the surface of the edge portion of the open side end of the container body 100 is inclined toward the inside of the container body 100 .

[0035] If the edge of one side end of the container body 100 is formed to be inclined toward the inside of the container body 100, the cover 200 can be guided to be inserted into the open one side end of the container body 100. In addition, the edge portion of one side end of the container body 100 can contact the sealing support section or cap section 240 of the cover, which helps seal the inside of the container body 100.

[0036] The cover 200 is coupled to the container body 100 in such a manner that a portion of the front side of the cover 200 is inserted into one side of the container body 100, thereby sealing the receiving space 110 from the outside.

[0037] The lid 200 includes a coupling bolt section 220 and a lead section 210 , and may further include a cap section 240 and a sealing support section 230 .

[0038] The coupling bolt section 220 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface 122 of the coupling nut section 120 so as to contact the inner surface 122 of the coupling nut section 120 and be coupled in the above manner, i.e., so that a portion of the front side of the cover 200 is inserted into one side of the container body 100 using a bolt and nut method.

[0039] That is, the recess 2222 or the protrusion 2221 on the outer circumferential surface 222 of the coupling bolt section 220 of the lid 200 is formed in a spiral shape with the central axis AX of the lid 200 or the container body 100 in the longitudinal direction as the center of rotation.

[0040] Therefore, the coupling bolt section 220 and the coupling nut section 120 can be coupled to each other in a face-to-face engagement manner as shown in FIG. 4, and the coupling bolt section 220 and the coupling nut section 120 also seal the inside of the container body 100.

[0041] The lead section 210 is located in front of the coupling bolt section 220 , and at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface 212 contacts the inner surface 112 of the container body 100 to seal the receiving space 110 .

[0042] It is preferable that the lead section 210 of the cover portion 200 has an outer diameter that is equal to or smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the coupling bolt section 220, and at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface 2123 is formed in a tapered shape 2123 such that the outer diameter becomes smaller toward the front.

[0043] As described above, a portion of the inner circumferential surface 1123 of the inner circumferential surface 112 of the container body 100 is formed at an angle so as to come into contact with the outer circumferential surface 2123 of the lead section 210 of the lid 200, which is formed in a tapered shape.

[0044] Therefore, a portion of the outer peripheral surface 2123 of the lead section 210 is formed in a tapered shape such that the outer diameter becomes smaller toward the front, so that it can be sealed by contacting a portion of the inner peripheral surface 1123 of the inner peripheral surface 112 of the container body portion 100.

[0045] In this manner, it is preferable that a portion of the inner circumferential surface 1123 of the container body 100 is formed obliquely so as to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface 2123 of the lead section 210 which is formed in a tapered shape.

[0046] The cap section 240 is located behind the coupling bolt section 220 so that a user can handle the lid 200. The cap section 240 is preferably formed to have an outer diameter equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the container body 100.

[0047] A liquid handler (not shown), which has become widespread for handling a large number of specimen collection containers, is provided with a large number of mounting grooves or mounting holes that correspond to the outer diameter of the container body 100 to be mounted. However, in the case of conventional specimen collection containers, the diameter of the lid is often made larger than the outer diameter of the container body.

[0048] Therefore, when a large number of specimen collection containers are mounted on a liquid handler, there is a problem in that the covers of adjacent specimen collection containers collide with or push against each other, resulting in interference.

[0049] Therefore, if the outer diameter of the cap section 240 is formed to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the container body 100, multiple sample storage containers attached to the liquid handler do not interfere with each other, which has the advantage of making it easier to handle the liquid handler and the sample storage containers.

[0050] The sealing support section 230 is located between the coupling bolt section 220 and the cap section 240 to support the coupling bolt section 220. At least a portion of the outer circumferential surface 232, 2323 of the sealing support section 230 contacts the inner surface 122 of one side of the container body 100 to seal the inside of the container body 100.

[0051] Although not clearly shown in the drawings, it is preferable that the outer circumferential surface 232 of the sealing support section 230 is also tapered so that the outer diameter decreases toward the front side of the cover 200 .

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in the drawings, it is also preferable that the edge portion at the front end of the outer circumferential surface 232 of the sealing support section 230 is rounded (2323). Although not shown in the drawings, it is also possible that the rounded edge portion 2323 on the outer circumferential surface 232 of the sealing support section 230 can also contact the inner circumferential surface of the container body 100 to seal it.

[0053] When the cover 200 is inserted into and coupled with the container body 100, the outer circumferential surfaces 232, 2323 of the sealing support section 230 contact the inner surface 122 of one side of the container body 100 to seal the inside of the container body.

[0054] As such, the sample storage container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention does not require a separate sealing part such as an O-ring, and the lead section 210 seals the storage space 110 when the cover 200 is attached to the container body 100, the coupling bolt section 220 and the coupling nut section 120 are attached using a bolt and nut method to seal, and the sealing support section 230 is in contact with the inner surface 122 of the container body 100 to seal.

[0055] Therefore, the cover portion 200 and the container body portion 100 are sealed or hermetically sealed at three points where they come into contact with each other, so that the specimen or fluid contained in the containing space can be stored in isolation.

[0056] For reference, if necessary, the cover 200 may be provided with a specimen picking stick mounting means so that the specimen picking stick is mounted parallel to the central axis AX inside the cover 200. In such a case, the specimen picking stick can be safely stored in the storage space 110 by the specimen storage container 10.

[0057] In this way, the specimen storage container according to the present invention can seal the storage space containing the specimen by joining the container body and the lid without the need for a sealing part such as an O-ring, so that the specimen can be safely stored or transported, and further, since a sealing part such as an O-ring is not required in the manufacturing process, the manufacturing process is simplified, which has the advantage of improving the production efficiency of the specimen storage container.

[0058] As described above, the specific description of the present invention has been disclosed based on the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. However, since the above-mentioned embodiments are merely described as examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention should not be understood as being limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the scope of the present invention should be understood based on the claims and their equivalents described below.

Claims

1. a container body having a predetermined length, an outer diameter, and an inner diameter, and in the form of a container or tube with one side open, and having an internal storage space capable of storing a predetermined specimen or fluid; a cover part having a front part inserted into one side of the container body part and coupled to the container body part to seal the receiving space from the outside, The container body has a coupling nut section on one side, the coupling nut section being a section in which a concave or convex portion on an inner surface is formed in a spiral shape with a central axis of the container body in a longitudinal direction as a rotation center, The lid portion is a coupling bolt section having an outer circumferential surface formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of the coupling nut section so as to contact the inner surface of the coupling nut section to perform the coupling; a lead section located in front of the coupling bolt section, at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the lead section contacting an inner surface of the container body to seal the storage space.

2. 2. The specimen storage container of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a cap section located behind the coupling bolt section so that a user can handle the cover, the cap section having an outer diameter equal to or smaller than an outer diameter of the container body.

3. 3. The specimen storage container of claim 2, wherein the cover portion further comprises a sealing support section positioned between the coupling bolt section and the cap section to support the coupling bolt section, and at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the sealing support section contacts an inner surface of one side of the container body portion to seal the inside of the container body portion.

4. 2. The specimen storage container according to claim 1, wherein the container body is made of a transparent material so that a state inside the storage space can be confirmed from the outside.

5. 2. The sample storage container of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the lead section of the cover is tapered such that an outer diameter thereof decreases toward a front side.

6. 6. The specimen storage container according to claim 5, wherein a part of an inner peripheral surface of the container body is formed obliquely so as to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface formed in a tapered shape in the lead section.

Citation Information

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