Gas collection bag, gas collection tool, and gas suction tool

Abstract

Provided are a gas collection bag, a gas collection tool, and a gas suction tool capable of collecting and sampling emitted gas regardless of the type thereof and collecting and sampling the emitted gas easily. The gas collection bag comprises: a bag portion; a conduit for introducing gas into the bag portion, one end part of the conduit being located on the side for blowing the gas into the bag portion and being connected to an inner peripheral surface of the bag portion; and a belt portion provided on an outer peripheral surface side of the bag portion. The one end part of the conduit is joined to a flat tube. The gas collection bag is configured such that, after collecting the gas, in a state where a plug is attached to the other end part of the conduit, the other end part of the conduit can be fixed by the belt portion by rotating the conduit to the belt portion side around the one end part of the conduit.

Description

Gas collection bag, gas collector, and gas suction device

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas collection bag, a gas collector, and a gas suction device.

[0002] When measuring the diffused gas from a subject, a method of directly collecting the entire gas or specific components of the gas, or adsorbing it using an adsorbent and then separating and quantifying each component using an analytical device such as a gas chromatograph or a liquid chromatograph has been adopted.

[0003] Examples of the types of diffused gas from a subject include exhaled gas, skin gas, etc. if it is a biological gas, and environmental gases such as sick house gas and malodor if it is a living environment gas. In particular, it is known that there is a partial correlation between biological gas and the health state of the living body. From the viewpoint of grasping the health state of the living body at an early stage and preventing its aggravation, etc., it is desired to develop a technology for efficiently collecting biological gas and accurately separating and quantifying it.

[0004] As a biological gas collection device, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose an exhaled gas collection device, and Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 disclose a skin gas collection device.

[0005] JP-A-2006-68425 JP-A-2015-14552 JP-A-2006-214747 JP-A-2018-141711

[0006] In recent years, with the development of analytical techniques, the measurement and analysis of gas components have become possible quickly. However, regarding the collection of gas components and their subsequent collection into a cylinder, even if it is non-invasive, there are problems such as giving discomfort or behavior restrictions to the subject, having a long collection time, and malfunction of the detection part or gas collection material due to sweating, etc.

[0007] Further, in the conventional technologies such as the above-mentioned patent documents, it has remained at the collection and measurement analysis of only specific gases such as exhaled gas and skin gas, and the development of a method for commonly measuring diffused gas has been demanded.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas collection bag, a gas collector, and a gas suction device that can collect and collect diffused gas regardless of the type of diffused gas, and can easily collect and collect diffused gas.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the gas collection bag of the present invention comprises: a bag portion; a conduit for introducing gas into the bag portion, the conduit having one end which is the gas outlet side to the bag portion connected to the inner circumferential surface of the bag portion; and a belt portion provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the bag portion, wherein the one end of the conduit is joined to a flat tube, and after gas collection, with a plug attached to the other end of the conduit, the conduit can be rotated toward the belt portion around the one end of the conduit, and the other end of the conduit can be fixed by the belt portion.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a gas collection bag, a gas collection device, and a gas suction device that can collect and extract emitted gases regardless of the type of emitted gas, and that can easily collect and extract emitted gases.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a conduit and flat tube of a gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a flat tube when gas is filled into the gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an example of a gas collection device using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a gas collection method using the gas collection device according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of a gas suction container applicable to the gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the gas collection bag is attached to the gas suction container according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a gas collection method using the gas collection device according to this embodiment. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an example of a syringe set applicable to the gas collection bag according to this embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of collecting gas from the gas collection bag according to this embodiment.

[0012] A gas collection bag according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Overall Configuration) Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a gas collection bag according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the gas collection bag 100 according to this embodiment is configured to have a bag portion 110 in which gas is collected, a conduit 120 for introducing gas into the bag portion 110, and a flat tube 130 connected to one end 122 of the conduit 120. Each component will be described in detail.

[0014] The bag portion 110 has a bag-like structure in which gas is collected inside, and is made of a material such as polyester resin, which is odorless, transparent, and has low gas adsorption and permeability. Although not limited to this, in this embodiment, a rectangular bag portion 110 was used, which was made by weaving a polyester resin film into a bag and welding it to give it volume using a heat-wire seal or the like.

[0015] The outer surface of the bag portion 110 is provided with a label portion 114 for recording information about the collected gas (information about the subject, information about the gas, date and time information, etc., and may also include other information), and a belt portion 116 for visually confirming that the amount of gas collected in the bag portion 110 has reached a predetermined amount. The bag portion 110 may also be provided with a scale band (not shown) for confirming the detailed amount of gas.

[0016] The conduit 120 serves to introduce gas into the bag portion 110, with one end 122 positioned inside the bag portion 110 and the other end 124 positioned outside the bag portion 110 via the opening 112 of the bag portion 110.

[0017] The conduit 120 is made of an odorless material such as fluororesin, although this is not limited to the conduit.

[0018] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a conduit and flat tube in a gas collection bag according to this embodiment. More specifically, Figure 2(a) is a top view of the cross-section when one end of the conduit is cut diagonally from one side to the other in the radial direction, and Figure 2(b) is a side view of the cross-section when it is cut in the same way. Figure 2(c) is a top view of the cross-section when one end of the conduit is cut diagonally from both sides in the radial direction towards the center of the conduit, and Figure 2(d) is a side view of the cross-section when it is cut in the same way. Figures 2(a)', (b)', (c)', and (d)' are schematic diagrams showing the state after a flat tube has been joined to the conduit shown in the respective left diagrams.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the end of the conduit 120 that is located outside the bag portion 110, i.e., the other end 124, has a cut surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and it is preferable that the end of the conduit 120 that is located inside the bag portion 110, i.e., one end 122, has a cut surface oblique to the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(d).

[0020] By configuring one end 122 of the conduit 120 inserted into the bag portion to have a cross-section oblique to the longitudinal direction, the flat tube 130 opens (expands) gently during gas sampling, and after gas sampling, the flat tube 130 easily closes at atmospheric pressure to prevent gas backflow, thus preventing leakage of the collected gas.

[0021] The flat tube 130 is made of a material such as polyester resin, and a commercially available flat tube may be used, or a polyester film or sheet, or a bag-shaped polyester product may be processed into a flat tube. The width of the flat tube 130 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the material used, but it is preferably about 40% to about 60% of the outer circumference of the conduit 120, and particularly preferably about 50% of the outer circumference of the conduit 120. The thickness of the flat tube 130 is preferably in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.03 mm, and particularly preferably 0.02 mm. Furthermore, the length of the flat tube 130 is preferably 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the length of the bag portion 110. By setting the length of the flat tube 130 within the above range, the effect of the flat tube 130 easily closing at atmospheric pressure after gas extraction, thereby preventing gas backflow, is efficiently achieved.

[0022] When forming the flat tube 130 on the conduit 120, first, the flat tube 130 is placed over the conduit 120 so as to cover one end 122 of the conduit 120, and the flat tube 130 is joined (welded) to the conduit 120. Then, the flat tube 130, along with one end 122 of the conduit 120, is welded to the inner surface of the bag portion 110. This makes it possible to form a gas collection bag 100 in which the flat tube 130 and the conduit 120 are connected and inserted into the bag portion 110. Furthermore, by forming the flat tube 130 in this way, the flat tube 130 naturally adheres to the conduit 120 in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of one end 122 of the conduit 120 due to the elastic force of the flat tube 130 itself and atmospheric pressure, so that the collected gas does not leak.

[0023] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the flat tube when the gas collection bag is filled with gas according to this embodiment. More specifically, Figure 3(a) is a schematic top view of the gas collection bag before gas filling, Figure 3(b) is a schematic side view of the gas collection bag during gas filling, and Figure 3(c) is a schematic side view of the gas collection bag after gas filling. Furthermore, Figures 3(a)', 3(b)', and 3(c)' in the lower part of Figure 3 are cross-sectional views taken along A-A' in Figure 3(a), B-B' in Figure 3(b), and C-C' in Figure 3(c), respectively. In this embodiment, as an example, an embodiment will be described in which one end 122 of the conduit 120 is cut diagonally from one side radially to the opposite side, as described above with reference to Figures 2(a)' and 2(b)', and then the flat tube 130 is joined. When a predetermined gas is blown into the gas collection bag 100 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(a), the flat tube 130 opens due to the gas pressure, as shown in Figure 3(b), and the bag portion 110 is filled with gas, causing the bag portion 110 to inflate. After the gas has been filled, as shown in Figure 3(c), the flat tube 130 closes due to the elastic force of the flat tube 130 itself and the gas pressure inside the bag portion 110, so that the collected gas does not flow back.

[0024] (Example 1) An example of collecting exhaled gas from a subject using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an example of a gas collection device using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a gas collection device using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the gas collection device 140 according to this embodiment is configured such that an intake pipe 142 and an odorless pocket mask 144 that can be tightly fitted to the subject S are connected to the upstream side of the other end 124 of the conduit 120 of the gas collection bag 100 described above.

[0026] The inhalation tube 142 is not particularly limited as long as it can connect the pocket mask 144 and the conduit 120, and can be made of, for example, fluororesin. Furthermore, the length of the inhalation tube 142 can be easily adjusted according to the condition of the subject. The pocket mask 144 is a mask used, for example, when performing artificial respiration, and has an exhalation port 145 at the bottom and an inhalation port 146 at the top for inhaling gas. In this embodiment, the gas collection device 140 and the pocket mask 144 are connected via the inhalation tube 142, with the exhalation port 145 and the conduit 120 being connected. Normally, when not in use, it is designed to be small and storable so that it can be carried in a pocket, etc., and is therefore called a pocket mask by those skilled in the art.

[0027] Furthermore, when using the gas collection device 140 according to this embodiment, a nonwoven fabric 148 is placed between the subject S and the pocket mask 144 to absorb moisture such as saliva from exhaled breath and prevent moisture from entering the gas collection bag.

[0028] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a gas collection method using the gas collection device according to this embodiment, particularly a method for collecting exhaled gas. When using the gas collection device 140 described above, a pocket mask 144 covered with nonwoven fabric 148 is placed over the mouth of the subject S (for example, a human), and the subject is instructed to exhale at the timing of breathing (see Figure 5(a)). Typically, one breath of a human is about 500 mL. The bag portion 110 according to this embodiment is provided with a belt portion 116 for visually confirming that the amount of collected gas has reached a predetermined amount. Therefore, the gas collection state can be visually confirmed, preventing the bag portion 110 from rupturing due to gas collection, and allowing confirmation of the amount collected.

[0029] After gas collection is complete, the suction pipe 142 is removed from the other end 124 of the conduit 120, and the other end 124 of the conduit 120 is sealed with a stopper 150 made of silicone rubber or the like, as shown in Figure 5(b). At this time, information about the collected gas may also be written on the label portion 114. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(c), the conduit 120 is rotated around one end 122 towards the upper surface of the bag portion 110, and the other end 124 of the conduit 120 is fixed with the belt portion 116. This causes the inner walls of the flat tube 130 joined to the conduit 120 to be in even closer contact, resulting in a more secure seal of the gas collection bag. Therefore, gas leakage due to atmospheric pressure or the like can be prevented.

[0030] In summary, the gas collection method according to this embodiment allows for easy gas collection simply by the subject S exhaling as if breathing, and also allows for visual confirmation of the subject S's health condition in relation to their respiratory volume. Furthermore, since the nonwoven fabric 148 is placed between the subject S and the pocket mask 144, it is hygienic, and moisture such as saliva from the subject S's exhaled breath does not enter the gas collection bag.

[0031] (Example 2) Next, an example of collecting emitted gases from the skin of a subject using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of a gas suction container applicable to the gas collection bag according to this embodiment, with the left figure (a) of Figure 6 being a schematic top view, the center figure (b) of Figure 6 being a schematic side view, and the right figure (c) of Figure 6 being a schematic front view. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the gas collection bag is attached to the gas suction container according to this embodiment, and more specifically, how the gas collection device described using Figure 4 is attached.

[0032] When collecting gases emitted from the skin of a subject, the gas collection bag 100 is placed inside an airtight suction container, and the inside is depressurized. The suction container 160 shown in Figure 6 is configured to have an airtight container body 162 for housing the gas collection bag 100, an opening 164 provided in the container body 162 with a vacuum-sealing rubber for airtightly passing the conduit 120 through, and a discharge pipe 166 for depressurizing the container body 162.

[0033] Furthermore, a lid portion 170, to which an atmospheric release valve 168 for venting to the atmosphere is attached, is attached to the container body 162 via a vacuum sealing packing 172, and the container body 162 and the lid portion 170 are fixed together with a clamp 174.

[0034] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a gas collection method using the gas collection device according to this embodiment, particularly a method for collecting skin gases. When collecting skin gases from a subject S, first, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the gas collection device 140 according to this embodiment is attached to the aforementioned suction container 160, and the discharge pipe 166 is connected to the suction pump 178 via the exhaust pipe 176.

[0035] To prevent the pocket mask 144 from directly contacting the target area of ​​the subject S, the nonwoven fabric 148 is placed over the subject S, or the pocket mask is covered with the nonwoven fabric 148. With the suction pump 178 activated, the gas emitted from the subject S (in this case, skin gas) can be aspirated and collected. After gas collection, the suction pump 178 is stopped, the atmospheric release valve of the suction container 160 is opened, and the suction tube 142 is removed from the conduit 120. Then, as described above with reference to Figure 5, the other end 124 of the conduit 120 is sealed with a stopper 150 made of silicone rubber or the like, the conduit 120 is rotated towards the upper surface of the bag portion 110 around the one end 122 of the conduit 120, and the other end 124 of the conduit 120 is fixed with the belt portion 116. This further tightens the flat tube 130 connected to the conduit 120, resulting in a more secure seal of the gas collection bag. Therefore, gas leakage due to atmospheric pressure or the like can be prevented.

[0036] As described above, the gas collection method according to this embodiment does not require direct contact with the subject S, and air is drawn in together through the gap, thus preventing congestion problems in the subject S. Furthermore, since the nonwoven fabric 148 is placed between the subject S and the pocket mask 144, it is hygienic and does not involve the drawing in of dust, making it a safe gas suction collection method.

[0037] Furthermore, this embodiment can also be applied to assisting the exhalation of subjects with weak spontaneous breathing. In this case, the pocket mask 144 covered with nonwoven fabric 148 is placed over the mouth of the subject S, and the suction pump 178 is activated to assist the subject's exhalation.

[0038] (Example 3) A method for collecting the gas collected in the gas collection bag according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the figure.

[0039] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a syringe set applicable to the gas collection bag according to this embodiment. When the gas collected in the gas collection bag according to this embodiment is to be used for various analyses such as mass spectrometry, it is necessary to extract the gas from the gas collection bag. When extracting gas from the gas collection bag according to this embodiment, although the present invention is not limited in this respect, it is preferable to use a syringe set 180 of the type in which the gas collected from the injection needle 182 is drawn into the syringe 186 via a three-way stopcock 184 by pulling the plunger 188 and held therein.

[0040] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an example of gas collection from a gas collection bag according to this embodiment. When collecting gas from a gas collection bag according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10(a), a predetermined amount of gas can be aspirated without removing the needle 182 by inserting the injection needle 182 into, for example, the label portion 114 of the gas collection bag 100 and pulling the plunger 188 of the syringe 186 (see Figure 10(b)). At this time, by controlling the opening and closing of the three-way stopcock 184, the inside of the syringe 186 can also be rinsed before gas collection. After gas collection, the injection needle 182 is removed from the syringe set 180, and the sample gas 190 inside the syringe 186 is airtightly sealed by the three-way stopcock 184 and subjected to predetermined analysis (see Figure 10(c)). Furthermore, the label portion 114 may be provided with a label protection sheet, such as odorless paper, to prevent enlargement and damage to the insertion hole when inserting the injection needle 182 into the gas collection bag 100 and when rinsing the inside of the syringe 186. In this case, the label protection sheet can prevent ink components and other substances from permeating into the gas collection bag 100, which may occur when writing directly on the gas collection bag 100 with an oil-based pen or the like.

[0041] In summary, the gas sampling method using the gas collection bag according to this embodiment is a simple method that can reliably collect gas into a syringe, and also allows for rinsing of the syringe.

[0042] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in this embodiment, the case of collecting biological gases that are technically difficult to collect and sample from a subject has been described, but the present invention is not limited in this respect and can also be applied to examples of collecting and sampling environmental gases such as sick building syndrome gases and malodorous odors. The scope of the present invention is indicated not only by the above-described embodiments but also by the claims, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the claims.

[0043] 100 Gas collection bag 110 Bag section 112 Opening 114 Label section 116 Belt section 120 Conduit 122 One end 124 The other end 130 Flat tube 140 Gas collection device 142 Inhalation tube 144 Pocket mask 145 Exhalation port 146 Inhalation port 148 Nonwoven fabric 150 Stopper 160 Suction container 162 Container body 164 Opening 166 Discharge tube 168 Atmospheric release valve 170 Lid section 172 Gasket 174 Clamp 176 Exhaust pipe 178 Suction pump 180 Syringe set 182 Injection needle 184 Three-way stopcock 186 Syringe 188 Plunger 190 Sample gas S Subject

Claims

1. A gas collection bag comprising: a bag portion; a conduit for introducing gas into the bag portion, the conduit having one end which is the gas outlet side to the bag portion connected to the inner circumferential surface of the bag portion; and a belt portion provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the bag portion, wherein the one end of the conduit is joined to a flat tube, and after gas collection, with a plug attached to the other end of the conduit, the conduit can be rotated toward the belt portion around the one end of the conduit, and the other end of the conduit can be fixed by the belt portion.

2. The gas collection bag according to claim 1, wherein the flat tube is joined to the inner circumferential surface of the bag portion.

3. The gas collection bag according to claim 1, wherein one end of the conduit has a cross-section oblique to the longitudinal direction.

4. The gas collection bag according to claim 1, wherein the bag portion is made of polyester resin, the conduit is made of fluororesin, and the flat tube is made of polyester resin.

5. A gas collection device comprising: a bag portion; a conduit for introducing gas into the bag portion, the conduit having one end which is the gas outlet side to the bag portion connected to the inner circumferential surface of the bag portion; a belt portion provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the bag portion; an intake pipe connected to the other end of the conduit portion; and a pocket mask connected to the intake pipe, wherein the one end of the conduit portion is joined to a flat tube, and after collecting gas, the intake pipe connected to the other end of the conduit portion is removed, and with a plug attached to the other end of the conduit portion, the conduit portion is rotated toward the belt portion side around the one end of the conduit portion, so that the other end of the conduit portion can be fixed by the belt portion.

6. A gas suction device comprising: a bag portion; a conduit for introducing gas into the bag portion, the conduit having one end that will be the gas outlet side to the bag portion connected to the inner circumferential surface of the bag portion; a belt portion provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the bag portion; an inhalation tube connected to the other end of the conduit portion; a pocket mask connected to the inhalation tube; and a suction container for airtightly housing the bag portion, the suction container having at least an exhaust pipe and an atmospheric release valve, wherein the one end of the conduit portion is joined to a flat tube, and after collecting gas, the inhalation tube connected to the other end of the conduit portion is removed, and with a stopper attached to the other end of the conduit portion, the conduit portion is rotated toward the belt portion side around one end of the conduit portion, so that the other end of the conduit portion can be fixed by the belt portion.

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