Stool Sample Verification by Absorbance for Occult Blood Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stool specimen tests face challenges in accurately detecting fecal occult blood markers due to variations in stool sample collection, leading to missed detections of large bowel cancer or polyps, as the amount of stool collected can vary significantly and is difficult to visually assess.
Innovation Solution
A stool specimen test device with a sampling verification mechanism that measures absorbance at specific wavelengths to detect the presence or absence of a stool sample, using a sampling verification section and a sample test section to ensure accurate detection of fecal occult blood markers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a subject collects a stool specimen at home using a sampling container, then the test can be performed with reduced burden on the subject, but the amount of stool specimen collected varies significantly and may be insufficient for accurate testing
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling container is pre-filled with a buffer solution before being given to the subject. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the subject collects the stool specimen, the buffer is already present to suspend and preserve the sample, eliminating the need for the subject to measure or prepare the buffer themselves while ensuring adequate liquid is present for testing.
2Ease of operation
If the collected stool specimen is suspended and dispersed in the sampling buffer, then the sample is easier to handle, but it becomes impossible to visually detect the presence or absence of the stool specimen from the outside of the container
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces visual inspection with an automated optical detection system. The test device uses a light source and detector to measure light absorption or scattering properties of the sample, automatically determining whether stool specimen is present. This substitutes the mechanical/visual inspection method with an optical measurement system that can detect the suspended stool particles in the buffer.
3Productivity
If the specimen without collected stool sample is subjected to the fecal occult blood test, then the test procedure is completed, but the test result always becomes negative and polyps or large bowel cancer may not be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs a preliminary check to detect the presence of stool specimen before conducting the fecal occult blood test. This preliminary detection step prevents proceeding with tests on empty samples, ensuring that only valid samples with actual stool material are subjected to the diagnostic testing, thereby maintaining high reliability of test results.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback about the presence or absence of stool specimen to the operator or system controller. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify and flag samples that lack sufficient stool material, preventing false negative results and enabling appropriate follow-up actions such as requesting recollection of the sample.
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 device improves the accuracy of stool specimen tests by detecting specimens without collected stool samples, preventing missed detections and enhancing the specificity and sensitivity of large bowel cancer screening.
Implementation Method 1
a sampling verification section where a specimen without the collected stool sample is detected based on the absorbance of the sample measured at the first wavelength
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a stool specimen test device comprising: a suction port of a sample comprising a stool suspension; a sampling verification section that detect a specimen without the collected stool sample based on the absorbance of the stool suspension measured at the first wavelength; and a sample measurement section that performs measurement based on the absorbance measured at the second wavelength. This invention can improve the test accuracy by detecting a specimen without the collected stool sample in the stool specimen test.