Saliva Collection Device with Venting Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing saliva collection methods, such as intra-oral absorption and direct expectoration, face issues like adsorption errors, donor discomfort, clumsiness, and pressure build-up in closed containers, making continuous saliva collection challenging and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A saliva collection device with a mouthpiece connected to a collection chamber featuring a venting outlet and a one-way valve, allowing continuous saliva collection without pressure build-up, and enabling the donor to spit and blow air into a closed container without releasing from the device until the desired volume is collected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct expectoration into a closed container is used, then continuous collection is enabled, but pressure build-up occurs preventing further saliva flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic air space from the collection system by introducing a liquid-tight seal that eliminates the air gap between the saliva and the container closure. This allows the container to be completely filled with saliva without creating pressure build-up, enabling continuous collection while maintaining the closed container advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid-tight seal as an intermediary element between the saliva and the container closure. This seal acts as a mediator that allows the container to be sealed completely while still permitting continuous saliva flow, resolving the contradiction between closed container storage and continuous collection capability.
2Ease of operation
If intra-oral sponge absorption is used, then easy collection is achieved, but adsorption errors occur affecting sample accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the absorbent sponge material from the collection system entirely. Instead of using a sponge that can adsorb saliva components and cause measurement errors, the invention uses a direct expectoration method with a liquid-tight seal, achieving both ease of collection and sample accuracy by eliminating the adsorbing intermediary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the reusable absorbent sponge with a disposable liquid-tight seal system. The seal is designed to be single-use, ensuring that no adsorption errors can occur in subsequent measurements, while maintaining the ease of oral insertion and collection.
3Stress or pressure
If donor must release from device to prevent pressure build-up, then pressure is relieved, but collection continuity is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for donor release by removing the air gap and implementing a liquid-tight seal that allows complete container filling without pressure build-up. This enables continuous collection throughout the entire testing period without requiring the donor to remove or release from the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by designing the liquid-tight seal system to maintain continuous saliva flow into the container without interruption. The seal allows the container to be completely filled and sealed while still permitting ongoing collection, eliminating breaks in the collection process.
4Stress or pressure
If open container is used for saliva collection, then pressure build-up is avoided, but sanitation and leakage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful air gap from the system by implementing a liquid-tight seal that allows the container to be completely filled with saliva. This eliminates both pressure build-up and contamination risks associated with open containers, achieving both pressure management and sanitation in a single closed system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid-tight seal as an intermediary that enables the container to remain closed while still allowing continuous saliva flow. This seal acts as a mediator that prevents both pressure build-up and contamination, resolving the contradiction between closed container sanitation and pressure management.
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 efficient, continuous, and sanitary saliva collection in a closed container, reducing the risk of leakage and contamination, while minimizing donor discomfort and effort, and allowing for easy access and transfer of the collected saliva for analysis.
Implementation Method 1
The venting outlet may be covered by a liquid-impervious membrane
Implementation Method 2
A saliva collection device with a mouthpiece connected to a collection chamber featuring a venting outlet and a one-way valve
Data Source
AI summary
A device for collecting oral fluid includes a mouthpiece with a fluid inlet connected to a collection chamber. The collection chamber includes a collecting vessel, a venting outlet, and an access port. The venting outlet may be covered by a liquid-impervious or resistant membrane, such as a hydrophobic membrane, and the access port is suitable for removing some or all of the collected fluid. This arrangement allows a saliva donor to continuously spit saliva and blow air into the closed collection chamber, without pressure build-up in the collection chamber, and without the need for the donor to release from the device until the desired oral fluid volume is collected. A valve, including a check valve may be in the saliva flow stream and baffles and structure creating a tortuous path may be utilized to keep saliva away from the membrane.