Integrated Exhalation Sample Collection and Assay System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic tests for viruses and pathogens, such as nasal swabs and saliva samples, face contamination issues that lead to inaccurate results and require purification steps, necessitating a more reliable and self-contained sample collection and testing system.
Innovation Solution
A sample collection system comprising a housing with movable parts, porous sample collection media along an airflow path, and an integrated assay for capturing and testing exhalation samples, which is self-contained and can be safely disposed of, using nonwoven materials like polylactic acid or polypropylene with electrostatic charges for efficient sample capture and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If nasal swabs or saliva samples are used for viral testing, then sample collection is simple and can be performed at home, but contamination occurs that interferes with diagnostic tests and requires purification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sample collection and testing functions into a single integrated device. The collection well and assay are housed together in one device, allowing the user to collect sample and perform testing without transferring to separate containers, thereby eliminating contamination risks from multiple handling steps while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a purification step using a purification bead or column as an intermediary between sample collection and testing. This intermediary component captures contaminants while allowing the target analyte to pass through, thereby improving test accuracy without compromising the simplicity of home collection.
2Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for sample collection and testing, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but the system becomes complex and requires multiple handling steps that increase contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the collection well, purification components, and assay into a single integrated housing. This unified structure maintains the functional optimization of each component while eliminating the complexity of multiple separate devices and the handling steps between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device serves multiple functions within a single unit: sample collection, purification, and testing. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining the specialized capabilities required for each function.
3Productivity
If sample collection devices are reusable or open systems, then they can be used multiple times, but they become contaminated and require sterilization or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable integrated device that is used once and then discarded. This eliminates the need for sterilization or replacement of individual components, as the entire device is disposed of after a single use, ensuring no contamination carries over to subsequent tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the assay from the collection device in a way that allows the collection portion to be disposable while the assay can be preserved. The assay remains sealed until the moment of testing, and the disposable collection portion is discarded after use, separating the reusable testing component from the single-use collection component.
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
The system provides a reliable, inexpensive, and user-friendly method for collecting and testing viral or pathogenic samples with reduced contamination, improving accuracy and ease of use by integrating sample collection and testing in a single, sterile device.
Implementation Method 1
The porous sample collection media may be made of nonwoven material. The nonwoven material may include polylactic acid, polypropylene, or a combination thereof. The nonwoven material may carry an electrostatic charge.
Data Source
AI summary
A sample collection system includes a housing comprising a first part and a second part, the first and second parts being movable relative to one another; porous sample collection media disposed along an airflow path in the first part; and an assay disposed on the second part and constructed to receive a sample captured by the porous sample collection media. The first and second parts are rotatably movable relative to one another. Moving the first and second parts relative to one another aligns the porous sample collection media with at least a portion of the assay. The assay may be a lateral flow assay or a vertical flow assay. The media is constructed to collect a sample from exhalation airflow. A collected sample may be eluted from the media onto the assay using a liquid.