Biological Sample Collector with Integrated Reagent Cap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for collecting biological samples, such as saliva, face challenges in maintaining and securing the soft wick collector element within the housing, making it difficult to efficiently collect and analyze samples for nucleic acid amplification and detection methods like PCR, RPA, and LAMP.
Innovation Solution
A device with a housing and a collector element designed to absorb and pass liquid, featuring a cap element with a reagent that can be mounted on the housing, allowing for on-site testing and analysis, using materials like cotton-based or plastic matrices with high porosity to facilitate sample collection and reaction chamber integration for pH indication or fluorescence detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a soft wick collector element is used to collect biological samples, then the absorption capability is improved, but the ease of maintaining and fastening the collector element into the housing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The collector element is pre-mounted into the housing during manufacturing, so that the fastening operation is performed in advance. This eliminates the difficulty of maintaining and fastening the soft wick element during device assembly or maintenance, while preserving its absorption capabilities.
2Productivity
If the collector element allows liquid passage to wash out biological samples, then the efficiency of sample recovery is improved, but the risk of nucleic acid adsorption onto the collector element increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collector element is made from porous materials such as polyester or polypropylene with controlled pore sizes. These materials allow liquid to pass through efficiently for sample recovery while the hydrophobic nature and pore structure minimize nucleic acid adsorption, thus resolving the contradiction between sample recovery efficiency and nucleic acid loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a cap element with reagent is added to enable on-site testing, then the functionality for sample analysis is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap element integrates multiple functions: it stores the reagent, provides the reaction chamber, and incorporates the indicator element. By combining these previously separate components into a single integrated cap element, the patent adds on-site testing functionality while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap element serves multiple purposes: it seals the housing, stores the reagent, provides the reaction chamber for nucleic acid amplification, and contains the indicator for result detection. This multi-functionality allows the device to perform both sample collection and on-site analysis without requiring separate dedicated components for each function.
4Speed
If the collector element has high porosity to absorb liquid quickly, then the absorption speed is improved, but the amount of nucleic acid adsorbed onto the collector element increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collector element uses composite materials such as polyester-polypropylene blends or treated cellulose. These composite materials provide both high porosity for rapid liquid absorption and surface properties that minimize nucleic acid adsorption, thus resolving the contradiction between absorption speed and nucleic acid loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easier collection and analysis of biological samples by securely holding the cap element in place, allowing liquid to drain into the reaction chamber, facilitating efficient sample processing and on-site testing with improved absorption and minimal nucleic acid adsorption, enhancing the usability of the device for various amplification methods.
Implementation Method 1
the collector element may be made of a combination of PE and PP, wherein the PP may be the core portion and the PE may be the outer coating, due to its particular properties on absorption of liquid via its capillary structure
Implementation Method 2
The material of the collector element may be porous or may have an internal channel structure, and may have hydrophilic properties in order to absorb a large amount of liquid biological samples more quickly. The porosity may be at least 50%, more specifically at least 70%, most specifically at least 80%.
Implementation Method 3
the collector element may be made of a combination of PE and PP, wherein the PP may be the core portion and the PE may be the outer coating, due to its particular properties on absorption of liquid via its capillary structure, and adsorption which is minimal with regards to nucleic acids.
Implementation Method 4
When the mixture of liquid from the container and of the at least one biological sample reaches a reaction chamber of the cap, the reagent is released to the mixture for testing/analyzing the one or more samples on site.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4a~6
Figure 7a~8c
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a device for collecting one or more biological samples comprising a housing and a collector element, wherein the collector element is designed to collect one or more biological samples. The device comprises a cap element which can be mounted on the housing, wherein the cap element comprises a reagent or an element comprising a reagent.