Biological agent specimen collection and growth system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11517903-B2
Application number	US-201816613987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2018
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A system for collecting, growing, and analyzing biological specimens that may present a health threat. The system includes separate modules for specimen collection, sample isolation, and sample analysis that can be interconnected to safety process, culture, and analyze and unknown specimen. A decapitation module allows a user to safely collect a swab tip containing an unknown sample and transport the sample to a culture module where the sample can be washed from the swab tip and isolated in a cuvette for growth and analysis. The culture module may be coupled to a base station that can provide mixing, heating and cooling, as well as optical and spectral analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A specimen collection system, comprising:
a swab decapitation unit having a swab port dimensioned to accept a sample swab, a cutting instrument positioned at an end of the swab port and moveable to sever a tip of the swab, a swab receptacle for retaining the severed tip of the swab, and a valve controlled by a first interlock in communication with the receptacle;
a growth chamber having an entry port with a second interlock that is adapted to be coupled to the first interlock and to open the valve of the decapitation unit so that the entry port is in communication with the swab receptacle when the first interlock and second interlock are coupled together; and
a wash receptacle positioned in the growth chamber in communication with the entry port and having a first slide that is moveable between a first position, wherein the entry port and the wash receptacle are in open communication, and a second position, wherein the entry port and the wash receptacle are isolated from each other;
a specimen receptacle coupled to the wash receptacle and having a second slide that is moveable from a first position, wherein the wash receptacle and the specimen receptacle are in open communication when the first slide is in the second position, and a second position, wherein communication between the wash receptacle and the specimen receptacle is closed; and
a cuvette extending from the growth chamber and in open communication with the specimen receptacle when the second slide is in the second position.

2. The specimen collection system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base unit having a cuvette receptacle for receiving the cuvette of the growth chamber;
an illumination source positioned in the base unit to illuminate the cuvette when positioned in the cuvette receptacle;
at least one detector positioned in the base unit to collect data about any contents of the cuvette when positioned in the cuvette receptacle; and
a thermal device positioned in the base unit to change the temperature of any contents of the cuvette when positioned in the cuvette receptacle.

3. The specimen collection system of claim 2 , further comprising a wash port associated with the wash receptacle and adapted to allow introduction of a wash fluid into the wash receptacle from the exterior of the growth chamber.

4. The specimen collection system of claim 3 , further comprising a filter positioned between the wash receptacle and the specimen receptacle configured to prevent the swab tip from moving from the wash receptacle to the specimen receptacle when the first slide is in the second position.

5. The specimen collection system of claim 4 , further comprising a frame that surrounds the cuvette and defines a pair of openings side opening and a bottom opening that permit access to the cuvette.

6. The specimen collection system of claim 5 , further comprising a magnetic stirring assembly positioned in the base unit and position to drive a stirring bar positioned in the cuvette.

7. The specimen collection system of claim 6 , wherein the decapitation unit is cylindrical and comprises an upper portion defining the swap port and a lower portion defining the swab receptacle.

8. The specimen collection system of claim 7 , wherein the cutting instrument is coupled between the upper portion and the lower portion and moveable in response to rotation of the upper portion relative to the lower portion from a non-cutting position to a cutting position that will sever the tip from any swab extending through the swab port and close the swab port.

9. The specimen collection system of claim 8 , wherein the first slide and the second slide are unidirectional.

10. The specimen collection system of claim 9 , wherein the thermal device is configured to provide a range of temperatures that allows for growth of any biological specimens in the cuvette.

11. The specimen collection system of claim 10 , wherein the thermal device is configured to provide a range of temperatures that allow for suppression of growth of any biological specimens in the cuvette.

12. The specimen collection system of claim 11 , wherein the thermal device is configured to provide a range of temperatures that allow for killing of any biological specimens in the cuvette.

13. The specimen collection system of claim 12 , wherein the detector comprises a spectrometer.

14. The specimen collection system of claim 12 , wherein the detector comprises an optical imager.

Assignees

• Univ Syracuse

Inventors

• Silver Robert B

Classifications

• C12M41/36 Primary

  of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404) · CPC title

• B01L2300/1822

  using Peltier elements · CPC title

• B01L2200/141

  Preventing contamination, tampering · CPC title

• B01L3/5029 Primary

  using swabs · CPC title

• B01L2300/0681

  Filter · CPC title