Self-Sampling Cloth Kit for Painless Broad-Cavity Specimen Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-sampling devices for cervical and rectal specimens are difficult to use, painful, and lack precision, often requiring professional assistance, leading to unsatisfactory collections and high production costs, especially in developing countries.
Innovation Solution
A self-sampling kit comprising a flexible, atraumatic sampling cloth and a sealable recipient, designed for easy insertion and extraction, which collects specimens from the entire vaginal or rectal cavity, maximizing specimen collection without causing discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional cervical scraping methods are used by trained specialists, then specimen collection accuracy is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates and accessibility worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling patients to perform cervical specimen collection independently using a self-administered swabbing device, eliminating the need for trained specialists while maintaining specimen quality. The device includes a handle, protective cap, and swab assembly that patients can easily manipulate to collect specimens from the cervix themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a protective cap as an intermediary element between the patient and the cervix. The cap guides the swab and protects the cervix during insertion, while allowing the swab to reach the cervical os for effective sampling. This intermediary structure improves both patient comfort and specimen collection accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If complex self-sampling devices with alignment tools are used, then sampling precision is improved, but device complexity and production cost worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential functional elements needed for accurate cervical sampling, removing unnecessary alignment tools and complex mechanisms. The simplified device focuses on the core function of swabbing the cervix effectively while maintaining patient-friendly operation and low production cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by designing the swab tip with specific properties (soft, absorbent material) concentrated at the sampling point, while the rest of the device remains simple and inexpensive. This localized enhancement of sampling capability achieves precision without requiring complex overall device design.
3Reliability
If cervical scraping is performed to obtain tissue samples, then diagnostic completeness is improved, but patient pain and discomfort worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scraping action with a gentle swabbing motion. Instead of using a rigid scraper that scratches cervical tissue, the device employs a soft swab that rotates to collect cellular material through gentle contact, eliminating pain while maintaining diagnostic completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the sampling interface by using a soft, flexible swab tip instead of a rigid scraper. The swab material is designed to be compliant and non-traumatic, changing the mechanical interaction from painful scraping to painless swabbing while still collecting sufficient diagnostic material.
4Device complexity
If single-point sampling is performed in self-testing, then device simplicity is improved, but sampling accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic motion to the sampling process by designing the swab to rotate during use. The rotational movement allows the swab to sweep across multiple areas of the cervix, collecting specimens from various points rather than a single location, thereby improving sampling accuracy while keeping the device simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous sampling action through the rotational movement of the swab, which continuously contacts different areas of the cervix during insertion and withdrawal. This continuous sweeping motion maximizes the area sampled without requiring multiple separate sampling actions or complex device mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a self-sampling kit and method for the universal sampling of at least one specimen such as a cell, cell residue, DMA, RNA, protein, virus, bacterium, parasite or fungus from the vaginal and/or rectal cavities of humans and animals, said kit comprising a self-sampling cloth (10) made of a flexible fabric with an absorbency of 3.5 g/g or less and a sealable recipient (50) for storing and transporting said sampling cloth (10). The present invention also relates to the use of the self-sampling cloth (10) for self-sampling of at least one specimen from bodily cavities of humans and animals, for instance for diagnosing an STI, such as an HPV infection.