Systems, devices, and methods for sample collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973497-B2
Application number	US-201816481050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for sample collection. A sample collection device may comprise a vessel, a lid, and pre-loaded liquid solutions. The sample collection device may collect a liquid sample, such as a biological sample. The liquid solutions may comprise reagents for preserving and/or stabilizing biological samples, such as saliva, collected in the vessel. A chamber comprising the liquid solutions may be located in the vessel and/or the lid. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released from the chamber upon closure of the vessel with the lid. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released from the chamber upon actuation of an implement, such as a plunger. In some instances, the liquid solution may be released upon compression of an absorbent member. The sample collecting device may be delivered to a remote location for further processing and/or analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for storing a liquid sample, comprising:
one or more walls defining a reservoir for receiving said liquid sample, wherein said reservoir comprises an opening for receiving and storing said liquid sample and an aperture;
a reagent chamber for storing a liquid solution, wherein said reagent chamber is in controllable fluid communication with said reservoir through said aperture; and
a plunger comprising a first part and a second part, said first part carrying a lower gasket and said second part carrying an upper gasket, wherein said plunger is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position in which said plunger is configured to be further inserted into said reservoir compared to said first position, wherein (i) at said first position, said upper gasket of said second part of said plunger is configured to seal said aperture from a side of said reservoir, and (ii) at said second position, said upper gasket is configured to be positioned away from said aperture and said lower gasket of said first part of said plunger is configured to seal said aperture from a side of said reagent chamber,
wherein said plunger is configured to push said liquid solution from said reagent chamber through said aperture to said reservoir during movement of said plunger from said first position to said second position.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a lid for closing said opening.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reagent chamber comprises a second opening for receiving said liquid solution, and wherein said lower gasket is configured to seal said second opening during said movement of said plunger from said first position to said second position.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the device is configured such that a mixture of said liquid sample and said liquid solution is retained in said reservoir when said plunger is at said second position.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein a diameter of said second opening is greater than or equal to a diameter of said aperture.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein, at said first position, said reagent chamber comprises said liquid solution in an amount that partially fills said reagent chamber.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein said plunger is configured to lock at said second position.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said liquid sample is a biological sample.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein said liquid solution is a reagent for stabilizing said biological sample.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a container for shipping said device, where said container comprises a cavity that is dimensioned to receive and retain said device during said shipping.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reagent chamber comprises a second opening for receiving said liquid solution, and wherein said lower gasket is configured to seal said second opening when said plunger is at said first position and at said second position.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein said first part of said plunger comprises a pre-inserted portion with a diameter greater than a diameter of said second opening, and wherein said pre-inserted portion of said first part of said plunger is inside of said reagent chamber at said first position and at said second position.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein said plunger is fixed in said device.

Assignees

• Ancestry Com Dna Llc

Inventors

• Sessions Travis
• O'Neill Dan H
• Wakley Jacob
• Barron William R
• Patterson Ryan
• Devore Aaron
• Sorensen Collin
• Daniels Grant

Classifications

• A61B10/0051 Primary

  for taking saliva or sputum samples (devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00) · CPC title

• A61B5/150755

  Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing · CPC title

• A61B10/0096

  Casings for storing test samples (A61B10/0038, A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/10; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30) · CPC title

• A61B10/0283

  with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe (A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence) · CPC title