Flocked Swab Structure for Flexible Use and Controlled Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swabs for collecting biological samples from human orifices are prone to accidental breakage, lack flexibility, and do not allow controlled breakage at specific points, leading to inefficiencies in sample collection and transfer.
Innovation Solution
A swab design featuring a flexible polyamide support body with a flocked collecting portion and a weakened portion that allows controlled breakage at precise conditions, ensuring high flexibility and safety during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible rod material (e.g., polystyrene) is used for the support body, then the swab can be bent to reach small radii of curvature, but the rod becomes prone to accidental breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is divided into three distinct portions: a flexible first portion for navigation, a weakened intermediate portion for controlled breakage, and a rigid second portion for structural support. This segmentation allows each portion to have optimized properties - the first portion can bend to small radii while the second portion provides overall strength, and the weakened portion enables controlled separation when needed.
2Strength
If a rigid rod structure is used for the support body, then the swab maintains structural integrity, but it cannot be bent to reach small radii of curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is divided into three distinct portions: a flexible first portion for navigation, a weakened intermediate portion for controlled breakage, and a rigid second portion for structural support. This segmentation allows each portion to have optimized properties - the first portion can bend to small radii while the second portion provides overall strength, and the weakened portion enables controlled separation when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the support body have different mechanical properties: the first portion is designed to be flexible and bendable, the second portion is designed to be rigid and structurally sound, and the intermediate portion is designed to be weakened for controlled breakage. This local differentiation of properties resolves the contradiction between overall rigidity and local flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If predetermined breaking points are incorporated into the rod, then controlled breakage can be achieved at precise points, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weakened portion is pre-formed in the support body during manufacturing (by injection molding or material removal), creating a predetermined breaking point that will fail under specific bending conditions. This preliminary preparation allows controlled breakage to occur automatically when the swab is bent beyond a certain radius, eliminating the need for complex control mechanisms or user intervention to create the break point.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (1) for collecting and transferring samples of biological material, where the device comprises at least: a support body (2) having at least a first end portion (2a) and at least a gripping portion (2b), and a plurality of fibres (6) attached to and arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) by flocking, such as to define a flocked collecting portion (3) suitable for collecting, on the collecting portion (3), a quantity of a sample of biological material, where the support body (2) is made of polyamide (PA or nylon), in particular polyamide 66 (PA66 or nylon 66). The support body can be provided with at least a weakened portion (4) suitable for enabling a selective breaking of the support body and a separation of the collecting portion (3) at least from a part of the gripping portion (2b).