Density phase separation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919307-B2
Application number	US-201414572102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2009
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A mechanical separator for separating a fluid sample into first and second phases within a collection container is disclosed. The mechanical separator may have a separator body having a through-hole defined therein, with the through-hole adapted for allowing fluid to pass therethrough. The separator body includes a float, having a first density, and a ballast, having a second density greater than the first density. A portion of the float is connected to a portion of the ballast. Optionally, the float may include a first extended tab adjacent a first opening of the through-hole and a second extended tab adjacent the second opening of the through-hole. In certain configurations, the separator body also includes an extended tab band disposed about an outer surface of the float. The separator body may also include an engagement band circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the separator body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanical separator for separating a liquid sample into first and second phases within a collection container, comprising:
a separator body having a through-hole defined therein, the through-hole defining a through-axis and adapted for allowing liquid to pass therethrough, the separator body comprising:
a float; and
a ballast, wherein a portion of the float is connected to a portion of the ballast,

wherein the float defines an upper exterior surface of the mechanical separator, the ballast defines a lower exterior surface of the mechanical separator, and the through-axis is disposed within a plane angled with respect to a plane extending vertically from an apex of the upper exterior surface of the float to an apex of the lower exterior surface of the ballast and bisecting the separator into a first half and a second half, the first half including a first opening of the through-hole and the second half including a second opening of the through-hole,
wherein at least a portion of the separator body is adapted to resiliently deform upon application of rotational force, and
wherein the apex of the upper exterior surface and the apex of the lower exterior surface are aligned along a central longitudinal axis of the separator.

2. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the mechanical separator has a spheroid shape.

3. The mechanical separator of claim 2 , wherein the float comprises an exterior surface and a joining surface, and the ballast comprises a contact surface connected to the joining surface of the float and an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the float and the exterior surface of the ballast taken together form the spheroid shape.

4. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the float defines the through-hole adapted for allowing liquid to pass therethrough.

5. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the through-hole has a circular cross-section.

6. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the through-hole has an elliptical cross-section.

7. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the through-hole is defined along the through-axis and the float is adapted for deformation in a direction perpendicular to the through-axis upon applied rotational force.

8. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the float further comprises a first extended tab adjacent a first opening of the through-hole and a second extended tab adjacent a second opening of the through-hole.

9. The mechanical separator of claim 8 , wherein the first extended tab and the second extended tab are provided at least partially above and about the through-hole and extend radially outwardly from a portion of the float in a direction parallel to the through-axis of the separator body.

10. The mechanical separator of claim 8 , wherein the first extended tab, an upper surface of the float, and the second extended tab form an at least partially convex upper float surface.

11. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the separator body further comprises an extended tab band disposed about a portion of an outer surface of the float.

12. The mechanical separator of claim 11 , wherein the float comprises the extended tab band.

13. The mechanical separator of claim 11 , wherein the float and the extended tab band are formed of TPE and the ballast is formed of PET.

14. The mechanical separator of claim 11 , wherein a first portion of the extended tab band is disposed adjacent a first opening of the through-hole and a second portion of the extended tab band is disposed adjacent a second opening of the through-hole.

15. The mechanical separator of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the extended tab band have a concave downwardly-directed orientation.

16. The mechanical separator of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the extended tab band are oriented in an outwardly-extending arcuate shape about an upper portion of at least one of the first opening and second opening of the through-hole.

17. The mechanical separator of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the extended tab band extend radially outwardly from the float.

18. The mechanical separator of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the first portion of the extended tab band and at least a portion of the second portion of the extended tab band have the same shape and curvature.

19. The mechanical separator of claim 14 , wherein the extended tab band further comprises a joining portion disposed between and connecting the first portion and the second portion disposed on each connecting side of the separator body.

20. The mechanical separator of claim 19 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the extended tab band have a concave downwardly-directed orientation, and the joining portion of the extended tab band has a concave upwardly-directed orientation.

21. The mechanical separator of claim 14 , wherein the through-axis is disposed within a plane that is perpendicular to the plane extending vertically from the apex of the upper exterior surface of the float to the apex of the lower exterior surface of the ballast and bisecting the separator into a first half and a second half.

22. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , further comprising an initial engagement band circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the separator body.

23. The mechanical separator of claim 22 , wherein the initial engagement band is at least one of continuous and at least partially segmented.

24. The mechanical separator of claim 22 , wherein the initial engagement band and the float are formed of the same material.

25. The mechanical separator of claim 22 , wherein the initial engagement band bisects at least a portion of the ballast.

26. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the ballast comprises a base portion and a joining structure for engaging a portion of the float.

27. The mechanical separator of claim 26 , wherein the joining structure provides flexure between the float and the ballast.

28. The mechanical separator of claim 1 , wherein the central longitudinal axis of the separator extends perpendicular to the through-axis.

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Crawford Jamieson W
• Attri Ravi
• Battles Christopher A
• Bartfeld Benjamin R
• Hires Gregory R

Classifications

• G01N1/4077

  by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids · CPC title

• B01D21/2405

  Feed mechanisms for settling tanks · CPC title

• G01N1/34

  Purifying; Cleaning {(processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003)} · CPC title

• B01L3/50215 Primary

  using a float to separate phases · CPC title

• G01N33/491

  by separating the blood components (G01N15/05 takes precedence) · CPC title