Cell collection tool

Abstract

This invention provides a cell collection device for collecting bacteria and other cells contained in urine. [Solution] The device has a main body 12 that opens at the top and bottom, and a collection section 11 connected to the lower end of the main body. The main body is made of a deformable sheet that does not allow urine to pass through, and supplies urine supplied from the top opening to the collection section without permeation. The main body is configured to be deformable from a first state in which the top is open and has a space wider than the collection section, to a second state in which the top is closed and the volume of the internal space is reduced by being compressed. The collection section has a bottom and is configured to allow water constituting the urine to pass through and be discharged to the outside, and to adhere to cells contained in the urine without allowing them to pass through.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cell collector for collecting cells and the like in urine.

Background Art

[0002] For example, when identifying a patient's disease or performing a genetic test on a user, an examiner or the like collects cells contained in the urine after urine test and performs culturing or the like. For this cell collection, for example, urine accumulated in a urine collection cup or the like is sucked up with a predetermined syringe, and the sucked urine is pushed out while pressing the tip of the syringe against a syringe filter.

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The above-described conventional cell collection requires the operation of sucking urine with a syringe once, setting the tip of the syringe on a syringe filter, and pushing out the sucked urine, which is complicated. In addition, since the syringe is also disposable, it is costly. [[ID=2))

[0004] The above-described problems are described as independent ones, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the described problems, and it is sufficient if at least one problem can be solved. Also, with respect to the configuration for solving this problem, there is an intention to obtain rights by a separate filing, amendment, etc. alone.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] (1) The cell collector according to the present invention has a main body portion that opens upward and downward, and a collection portion connected to the lower end side of the main body portion, The main body portion is formed of a sheet that is deformable without allowing urine to permeate, and supplies urine supplied from the upper opening portion to the collection portion without allowing it to permeate, The main body is configured to be deformable from a first state in which the upper part is open and has a space wider than the sampling part, to a second state in which the upper part is closed and compressed, thereby reducing the volume of the internal space. The collection unit has a bottom and is configured to allow water constituting the urine to pass through and be discharged to the outside, while also allowing cells contained in the urine to adhere to it without passing through.

[0006] In this way, when separately collected urine is poured into the main body, the poured urine flows from the main body to the collection section. Because the collection section has a bottom, the urine temporarily remains inside. Since the collection section is permeable to the water content of the urine, the water content of the urine that temporarily remains inside is discharged outside the collection section. Cells such as bacteria, substances for identifying genes, and waste products present in the urine do not pass through the collection section but adhere to it. Therefore, urine residue can be easily collected simply by pouring urine into the cell collection device.

[0007] Furthermore, by biasing a predetermined part of the main body inward from the first state to change it to the second state, the air in the main body moves to the lower collection section, and the moisture from the urine accumulated in the collection section is pushed out. Thus, urine residue can be collected reliably and quickly. This operation can be performed with a simple operation, such as a person squeezing the main body.

[0008] (2) The main body portion has an intermediate portion that is wider than the sampling portion, a tapered lower portion located between the intermediate portion and the sampling portion, and an upper portion located above the intermediate portion, wherein the upper portion may have a larger shape at the upper end.

[0009] This makes it easier to pour urine, provides stable support to the upper part from below, and makes it easier to hold the cell collection tool.

[0010] (3) A connection portion is provided continuously on the upper end side of the sampling portion, and the connection portion and the lower part of the main body are fixed together (fusion, bonding, ultrasonic sealing, etc.).

[0011] This method allows the sampling section and the main body to be securely integrated. Fixation can be performed by fusion bonding, adhesive bonding, ultrasonic sealing, etc.

[0012] (4) The connecting portion and the lower portion have inclined surfaces that widen towards the top, and the connecting portion is preferably positioned on the inner circumferential surface side of the lower portion.

[0013] This allows the main body to stably hold the connection point.

[0014] (5) The bottom side of the sampling section may be provided with perforations that extend in the circumferential direction and can be cut.

[0015] This method allows for precise cutting of the bottom portion of the sample without the need for scissors or other tools, ensuring that the bottom portion is cut off without excess or deficiency.

[0016] Furthermore, the configurations described in (1) to (5) above can be combined as appropriate, and the components described in the embodiments and drawings should be combined based on such combined configurations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] This invention allows for the efficient collection of specific cells and residues contained in urine. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the cell collection device of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cell collection device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the usage state. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the cell collection device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing a preferred embodiment of a cell collector according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the cell collector 10 includes a sampling part 11 at the lower end and a main body part 12 located above the sampling part 11.

[0021] The sampling part 11 has an elongated cylindrical body part 11a extending vertically, and the lower end has a closed bottom part 11b. The body part 11a may be a cylindrical shape with the same diameter in the vertical direction, or may be a tapered shape that becomes thinner downward, for example. The length of the sampling part 11 is preferably, for example, 20 to 25 mm. Also, the diameter of the sampling part 11 is preferably about 8 mm, for example. Further, when the shape of the body part 11a of the sampling part 11 is tapered, the maximum diameter on the upper end side is preferably 8 mm.

[0022] The sampling part 11 is formed of a sheet having a function of permeating moisture, such as a mesh shape. This sheet may be, for example, a membrane filter, a microfilter, a mesh filter sheet, etc. Also, the sampling part 11 may be formed using one predetermined sheet or by laminating a plurality of sheets.

[0023] For example, when a user suffers from a certain infectious disease, the urine discharged from the user contains certain cells possessed by the bacteria of that infectious disease. Also, there is a requirement to collect various substances present in the urine for genetic testing. The size of the bacteria and the cells of the substance is, for example, about 20 to 50 μm. The sheet constituting the collection part 11 is configured to allow water (moisture) to permeate but not allow the cells to permeate. Such a configuration may be, for example, a configuration in which substances of 20 μm or more cannot permeate. For example, it is good to use those with a pore diameter of 15 μm or 16 μm. Also, the pore diameter can be, for example, a size larger than 20 μm such as 28 μm. These sizes are examples, and it is good to change them according to the cells to be collected, for example. It is good to have variations such as the cell sampler 10 having a collection part 11 with a small pore diameter and the cell sampler 10 having a collection part 11 with a large pore diameter. Also, in order to surely prevent the permeation of 20-μm cells, it is good to have a configuration in which substances of 10 μm or more cannot permeate. Note that it may be made smaller than 20 μm to enable the collection of smaller cells and the like.

[0024] Also, urine contains waste products produced by the metabolism of proteins such as uric acid, urea, and ammonia in more than 90% water. And the collection part 11 is configured not to allow such waste products to permeate. Such a configuration may be formed, for example, by the size of the mesh-like openings, the number of stacked sheets, and the like.

[0025] The main body part 12 has a lower part 12a connected to the collection part 11, an intermediate part 12b located above the lower part 12a, and an upper part 12c located above the intermediate part 12b. The side surface of the lower part 12a is formed into a tapered surface (an example of an inclined surface) whose diameter expands upward. The lower end edge of the lower part 12a has substantially the same shape as the upper end edge of the collection part 11. The angle of the taper is, for example, 45 degrees. The intermediate part 12b is formed into a cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom. In this embodiment, the intermediate part 12b is formed with the same diameter in the vertical direction. The upper part 12c is formed into a funnel shape with openings at the top and bottom. The side surface of the upper part 12c becomes a tapered surface whose diameter expands upward like the lower part 12a.

[0026] The lower portion 12a, the middle portion 12b, and the upper portion 12c are integrally formed using the same sheet. The sheet may be formed from a single sheet or by laminating multiple sheets. The sheet constituting the main body portion 12 should be made of a soft material that does not allow urine moisture to pass through, for example, a soft water-repellent sheet. The water-repellent sheet may be made of various water-repellent papers such as polypropylene water-repellent paper, polyethylene water-repellent paper, polyvinyl chloride water-repellent paper, polyurethane water-repellent paper, or rubber material. The main body portion 12 is manufactured by punching out one or an appropriate number of the above-mentioned predetermined sheets into the desired shape and simultaneously molding them by heat pressing. Furthermore, the sheet constituting the main body portion 12 should be made of a material that does not allow air to pass through. The above-mentioned water-repellent sheets and rubber materials have the property of not allowing air to pass through.

[0027] On the other hand, the collection section 11 is formed using a moisture-permeable sheet such as a mesh filter sheet, as described above, but in this embodiment, a connecting section 13 is provided continuously on the upper end side of the collection section 11. The connecting section is formed integrally using the same sheet as the collection section 11. The connecting section 13 is made to be substantially the same shape as the lower section 12a of the main body section 12. The connecting section 13 and the lower section 12a of the main body section 12 are then fused together with the inside and outside overlapping, to form a single unit. As a result, the collection section 11 and the main body section 12 are integrated to form the cell collection device 10. This cell collection device 10 is a single container shape with an open top and a closed bottom 11b. When the connecting section 13 and the lower section 12a are fused together, the collection section 11 protrudes outward from below the main body section 12 and is exposed. The above-mentioned fusion is just one example of a fixing method, and it is also possible to fix it using adhesive, ultrasonic sealing, or other methods.

[0028] Furthermore, the connection portion 13 and the lower portion 12a may be positioned on the inside, but in this embodiment, the connection portion 13 is positioned on the inside. In this way, for example, if the sampling portion 11 is subjected to a downward biasing force, even if that biasing force is transmitted to the connection portion 13, the lower portion 12a is located below and outside the connection portion 13, so a counterforce against that biasing force is generated, and the main body portion 12 can stably hold the connection portion 13.

[0029] Perforations 15 are provided near the upper end of the sampling section 11, extending in the circumferential direction. By cutting the sheet along these perforations 15, the sampling section 11 can be separated from the connecting section 13 and the main body section 12.

[0030] Furthermore, the perforations 15 can be formed, for example, by partially applying high pressure to break the sheet when press-molding a water-permeable sheet to manufacture the sampling portion 11 and the connecting portion 13. Alternatively, instead of creating the perforations 15 simultaneously with the sampling portion 11 and the connecting portion 13, the perforations 15 may be formed at a predetermined position after the sampling portion 11 and the connecting portion 13 have been manufactured.

[0031] When using the cell collection device 10 having the configuration described above, the support 20 and tray 30 are placed in predetermined positions as shown in Figure 1. The support 20 comprises a base plate 21, a support column 22 positioned upright at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the base plate 21, and a support frame 23 attached to the tip of the support column. The support frame 23 has a ring-shaped frame portion 23a and a rod-shaped connecting portion 23b that protrudes to the outside of the frame portion 23a and connects to the support column 22. The inner diameter of the frame portion 23a is set to coincide with the midpoint between the minimum value and the maximum value of the outer diameter of the upper portion 12c of the main body portion 12. As a result, when setting the cell collection device 10 on the support 20, if the collection portion 11 is inserted into the frame portion 23a from the collection portion 11 side, it will catch on the frame portion 23a at a predetermined position on the upper portion 12c, as shown in Figure 1, and the collection portion 11 will be suspended and supported by the support 20. Furthermore, a commercially available support 20 can be used.

[0032] In this embodiment, the main body 12 is formed using a soft, water-repellent sheet, making it deformable. However, when no external force is applied to crush or grip it, it maintains its open state as shown in Figure 1, and remains supported by the support 20. On the other hand, if, for example, a predetermined position of the main body 12 is pinched from both sides and biased to crush or bend, the main body 12 deforms in the direction of that bias. In other words, softness refers to a softness that possesses such functionality.

[0033] The tray 30 is positioned below the collection section 11 of the cell collection device 10, which is supported by the support 20. The capacity of the tray 30 is large enough to collect the urine that leaks out from the cell collection device 10. Also, since the tray 30 will be moved to the disposal site with the urine still inside, it is preferable that it be of a certain size and depth to prevent spillage during transport.

[0034] For example, in a hospital setting where the urine collection site and the site for collecting cells from the urine are close together, the patient, for instance, collects urine using a urine collection cup. The examiner then transports the urine collection cup to the vicinity of the cell collection device 10, which is supported by a support 20 as shown in Figure 1. The examiner then pours the urine collected in the urine collection cup into the cell collection device 10 from above. Similarly, in the case of a lidded test tube containing urine used in urine tests during health checkups or medical examinations, the examiner pours the urine from the test tube into the cell collection device 10.

[0035] The main body 12 is made of a water-repellent sheet and is therefore impermeable to moisture. As a result, the urine poured into the cell collection device 10 moves downward along the inner surface of the main body 12 and reaches the collection section 11. The moisture from the urine that comes into contact with the inner surface of the collection section 11 flows out of the collection section 11. The moisture that has gone out then flows down along the outer surface of the collection section 11 and accumulates in the tray 30.

[0036] On the other hand, bacteria of specific infectious diseases present in the urine, various substances present in the urine for genetic testing, and waste products such as cells cannot pass through the collection section 11 and remain attached as residue. Therefore, when urine is poured from the main body 12 and collected in the collection section 11, as time passes, the water in the urine collected in the collection section 11 permeates through the collection section 11 and is discharged to the outside of the collection section 11, and the concentration of the urine stored in the collection section 11 gradually increases. When all the water has been discharged, the specific cells that were contained in the urine stored in the collection section 11 become attached to the collection section 11.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main body 12 is constructed using a soft, water-repellent sheet. For example, when a certain amount of urine is poured into the cell collection device 10, the cell collection device 10 is removed from the support 20, a predetermined part of the main body 12 is crushed, and the air present in the internal space of the main body 12 is moved towards the collection unit 11. When this air moves towards the collection unit 11, the pressure inside the collection unit 11 increases, and this pressure causes the remaining water in the urine inside the collection unit 11 to permeate through the collection unit 11 and be pushed out to the outside.

[0038] In this way, the moisture from the urine can be drained from the collection section 11 in a shorter time compared to a system where the moisture from the urine naturally permeates the collection section 11 and falls to the outside. This allows for the smooth collection of urine residue. Furthermore, if the moisture is left to drain naturally, not all of the urine accumulated inside the collection section 11 may be drained to the outside, and some of the urine may remain inside the collection section 11. When some urine remains inside the collection section 11 in this way, collecting the residue becomes complicated. Even in such cases, the urine can be forcibly pushed out using the air inside the main body 12.

[0039] The process of pushing the air in the internal space of the main body 12 towards the sampling section 11 can be carried out as follows: First, the inspector lifts the cell collection tool 10 and removes it from the support 20. Next, the inspector squeezes and crushes the upper edge of the circularly spreading upper portion 12c from both sides (see Figure 3(a)). With the upper edge in contact or close to it, the inspector folds the upper edge side a predetermined number of times (see Figures 3(b) and 3(c)). This closes the upper opening of the upper portion 12c, eliminating any escape route for the air present in the internal space of the main body 12 to the upward side. In this state, for example, the inspector grips the upper side of the intermediate portion 12b in a way that crushes it (see Figure 3(d)). This reduces the volume of the internal space of the main body 12 and increases the internal pressure. In particular, the air in the intermediate portion 12b, which was in the crushed space, tries to move to the surrounding area, but by crushing the upper side, it mainly moves towards the lower sampling section 11 side. Therefore, this increase in internal pressure and the movement of air toward the collection section 11 increase the pressure applied to the urine inside the collection section 11, allowing the water in the urine to pass through the collection section 11 and be pushed out to the outside. The predetermined number of folds can be just once, but it is preferable to fold it multiple times. Folding it at least twice allows the upper end to be securely closed as shown in Figure 3(c).

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower portion 12a of the main body 12 has a tapered surface that narrows downwards, and the diameter of the sampling portion 11 is very small compared to the inner diameter of the intermediate portion 12b, so the extrusion effect described above is further enhanced.

[0041] Once the water in the urine has been drained from the cell collection device 10 through the process described above, urine residue will adhere to the collection section 11. At this point, the inspector cuts along the perforations 15 to detach the collection section 11 from the main body 12.

[0042] Next, the inspector places the cut-off sample portion 11 into a microtube. Considering that the sample portion 11 will be placed directly into the microtube in this manner, it is preferable to make the dimensions and shape of the sample portion 11 such that the height is 20-25 mm and the diameter is 8 mm. Also, microtubes come in various dimensions and shapes. It is preferable to make the dimensions and shape of the sample portion 11 such that it can be inscribed inside various types of microtubes.

[0043] By filling the microtube with culture medium before or after storing the collection unit 11, any residue attached to the collection unit 11 is immersed in the culture medium. This allows cells to be cultured and predetermined tests to be performed. Alternatively, the collection unit 11 can be stored in a container such as a microtube that is not filled with culture medium, and predetermined operations can be performed without culturing.

[0044] Inspectors should wear gloves when performing tasks such as bending the upper part 12c of the main body 12, crushing the middle part 12b, and cutting the perforations 15 to remove the sampling portion 11.

[0045] Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the cell collection device. The main body 12 has approximately the same diameter as the collection section 11, except for the upper portion 12c. As in the embodiment described above, it does not have a wide intermediate portion 11b. The collection section 11 has perforations 15 at a predetermined position on the upper part. The main body 12 is formed from, for example, a water-repellent sheet, and the collection section 11 is formed from a sheet that has the function of permeating moisture. The upper end of the collection section 11 is provided with a connecting portion 13. The connecting portion 13 is fixed in an overlapping state with the lower end side of the main body 12.

[0046] In the embodiments described above, perforations 15 are provided, but the sampling section 11 does not necessarily need to have perforations 15. If perforations 15 are not provided, the sampling section 11 can be separated from the main body 12 using a cutting tool such as scissors. In this case, it is advisable to provide a mark on the outer surface of the sampling section 11 to indicate the cutting position.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both the sampling section 11 and the main body section 12 have circular (perfectly circular) cross-sections, but they may also have elliptical or other curved surfaces, and may have flat surfaces on part or all of their sides.

[0048] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modifications, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but rather to aid in understanding it. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. Although the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, it should be noted that even configurations not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10: Cell collection tool 11: Collection section 11a: Torso 11b: Bottom 12: Main body 12a: Lower part 12b: Middle part 12c: Upper part 13: Part 15: Perforation 20: Support 21: Base plate 22: Strut 23: Support Slot 23a: Frame 23b:Connection part 30: Tray

Claims

1. The main body opens from the top and bottom, It has a sampling section connected to the lower end of the main body, The main body is made of a deformable sheet that does not allow urine to pass through, and supplies urine supplied from the upper opening to the collection section without allowing it to pass through. The main body is configured to be deformable from a first state in which the upper part is open and has a space wider than the sampling part, to a second state in which the upper part is closed and compressed, thereby reducing the volume of the internal space. The collection section has a bottom and is configured to allow water constituting the urine to pass through and be discharged to the outside, and to allow cells contained in the urine to adhere to it without passing through.

2. The main body portion has an intermediate portion that is wider than the sampling portion, a tapered lower portion located between the intermediate portion and the sampling portion, and an upper portion located above the intermediate portion. The cell collection device according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion has a larger shape at the upper end.

3. A connection portion is continuously provided on the upper end side of the sampling portion. The cell collection device according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion and the lower portion of the main body are fixed together in an overlapping state.

4. The aforementioned connection portion and the aforementioned lower portion have inclined surfaces that widen as they go upwards. The cell collection device according to claim 3, wherein the connection portion is arranged on the inner circumferential surface side of the lower portion.

5. The cell collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a circumferentially extending perforated line at a position for cutting the bottom side of the collection portion.

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