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US 11,885,722 B2Granted
Filtration sampling devices
AssigneeHero Scientific Ltd.
InventorsZvi Feldman, Robert Eric Levitz, Rinat Adi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sampling device is provided for concentrating a liquid specimen sample, including a filtration assembly, which includes a tubular container and a plunger. The plunger includes a plunger head and a plunger rod that is shaped so as to define an internal plunger space having a plunger-space proximal opening through a proximal end of the plunger rod. The sampling device is configured such that a filter is removable from the tubular container via the plunger-space proximal opening while the plunger head is within the tubular container. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims22
A sampling device for concentrating a liquid specimen sample, the sampling device comprising:
- a filtration assembly, which comprises:
- (i) a tubular container, which is shaped so as to define an inner wall and a proximal container opening for receiving the liquid specimen sample;
- (ii) a plunger, which comprises a plunger head and a plunger rod, which (1) has a distal end portion to which the plunger head is coupled, and (2) is shaped so as to define an internal plunger space having a plunger-space proximal opening through a proximal end of the plunger rod, wherein the plunger head is shaped so as to define a plunger-head opening through the plunger head and into the internal plunger space;
- (iii) a filter, which is removably disposed on a distal end of the plunger head;
- and
- (iv) a filter-withdrawal shaft, which (a) includes a distal portion that is directly or indirectly coupled to the filter, and (b) which is disposed passing through the internal plunger space,
- wherein the plunger is insertable into the tubular container via the proximal container opening, thereby inserting the filter into the tubular container and forming a fluid-tight movable seal between a lateral surface of the plunger head and the inner wall of the tubular container,
- wherein the filtration assembly is configured such that movement of the plunger head within the tubular container, when the liquid specimen sample is contained in the tubular container and the filter is removably disposed on the distal end of the plunger head in the tubular container, pushes at least a portion of the liquid specimen sample through the filter, and
- wherein the sampling device is configured such that while the plunger head is within the tubular container:
- proximal withdrawal of the filter-withdrawal shaft out of the internal plunger space pulls the filter into the internal plunger space via the plunger-head opening and out of the internal plunger space via the plunger-space proximal opening, and removes the filter-withdrawal shaft and the filter from the filtration assembly.
7 more elements
A method for concentrating a liquid specimen sample, the method comprising:
- placing the liquid specimen sample in a tubular container of a filtration assembly of a sampling device;
- inserting, into the tubular container via a proximal container opening of the tubular container, (i) a plunger head of a plunger of the filtration assembly and (ii) a filter removably disposed on a distal end of the plunger head, such that a lateral surface of the plunger head forms a fluid-tight movable seal with an inner wall of the tubular container, wherein the plunger includes a plunger rod that (a) has a distal end portion to which the plunger head is coupled, and (b) is shaped so as to define an internal plunger space having a plunger-space proximal opening through a proximal end of the plunger rod, wherein the plunger head is shaped so as to define a plunger-head opening through the plunger head and into the internal plunger space;
- distally advancing the plunger head within the tubular container to drive at least a portion of the liquid specimen sample through the filter removably disposed on the distal end of the plunger head in the tubular container, wherein the sampling device includes a filter-withdrawal shaft, which (a) includes a distal portion that is directly or indirectly coupled to the filter, and (b) is disposed passing through the internal plunger space;
- and
- removing the filter from the tubular container via the plunger-space proximal opening while the plunger head is within the tubular container, by proximally withdrawing the filter-withdrawal shaft out of the internal plunger space, so as to pull the filter into the internal plunger space via the plunger-head opening and out of the internal plunger space via the plunger-space proximal opening, and remove the filter-withdrawal shaft and the filter from the filtration assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.