# US 11,998,333 B2 · Device and system for preserving analytes in blood samples during storage and transportation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,333 B2 - Document ID: US11998333B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/622,140 - Filed: 2018-08-03 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-13 - Assignees: VDI Laborary, LLC. - Applicants: VDI Laboratory, LLC; Kepler Diagnostics, Inc. - Inventors: Randy Ringold; Tyson Ringold - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998333B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/145: Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration or pH-value {; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid or cerebral tissue} (non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06) - A61B 5/150358: {Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent} - A61B 5/150022: {for capillary blood or interstitial fluid} - A61B 5/150305: {Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices} - A61B 10/0096: {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)} - B01L 3/5021: {Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes} - B01L 3/5023: {with a sample being transported to, and subsequently stored in an absorbent for analysis} - B01L 3/505: {Flexible containers without fluid transport within} - B01L 9/52: {Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips} - G01N 1/28: Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00}) - G01N 1/30: Staining; Impregnating {; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis} - G01N 1/36: Embedding or analogous mounting of samples - A61B 2010/0006: {involving a colour change} - B01L 2200/16: Reagents, handling or storing thereof - B01L 2200/18: Transport of container or devices - B01L 2200/185: Long distance transport, e.g. mailing - B01L 2300/0618: for removable separation walls - B01L 2300/069: Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid - B01L 2300/0809: rectangular shaped - B01L 2300/10: Means to control humidity and/or other gases - B01L 2300/105: using desiccants - B01L 2300/123: Flexible; Elastomeric - B01L 2300/126: Paper - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Freshly obtained blood samples are deposited into a device that contains blood sample carriers, each of the carriers is designed to hold a fixed amount of blood and allow excess blood sample to flow through and be discarded. A desiccant within the blood sample carrier aids with the drying of the blood and the discarding of the excess sample blood. The device is stored/transported within a modified atmosphere package comprised of an impermeable sealable bag and an oxygen scavenger compound for removing oxygen from the bag. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for drying blood, and preserving analytes in dried blood samples during storage and transportation comprising: at least one blood sample carrier comprises a sheet of an absorbent matrix having a uniform pore size, and able to absorb a predetermined amount of liquid per area, thus allowing for recovery of a fixed amount of dried blood sample per area of said absorbent matrix, wherein a calculated area of said sheet of said absorbent matrix is used to store a fixed amount of blood, wherein said sheet of absorbent matrix is punched into two or more cuts, wherein each of the two or more cuts is used in a separate test to increase statistical significance of measurements; a desiccant layer mounted as an underlayment adjacent to said absorbent matrix, wherein said desiccant layer is a molecular sieve having properties to adsorb water molecules, wherein said molecular sieve is a sodium aluminosilicate compound having a pore diameter of 4 Angstrom; a box comprised of a top lid and a bottom lid, wherein said top lid and bottom lid are configured to lock to one another to provide an enclosure for receiving said at least one blood sample carrier; and a plurality of holding areas separated by ridges and further having channels for air circulation within said enclosure for holding said at least one blood sample carrier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said box is made of plastic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said box is made of metal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said top lid and bottom lid have matching rectangular shapes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said top lid and bottom lid have matching square shapes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein said top lid and bottom lid have a matching square shape with a side dimension in the range of 2 inches to 3 inches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein said top lid and bottom lid have a matching square shape with a side dimension of 2.3 inches and a thickness of 0.2 inch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said top lid further having at least one window for allowing a user access to said blood sample carrier to deposit a blood sample thereon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said absorbent matrix is a 18×25 mm glass fiber medium configured to hold 230 μL of liquid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein said desiccant is a four (4) Angstrom pore size molecular sieve for adsorbing water molecules evaporated from 400 μL. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said enclosure further comprises an oxygen sensor for detecting a level of oxygen in the air within the box, and a window through said box to allow for visually inspecting said oxygen sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein said oxygen sensor has a color pink when the surrounding level of oxygen is below 0.05%, and has the color of purple when the oxygen level is 0.05%. ### Claim 13 A system for drying blood, and preserving analytes in dried blood samples during storage and transportation comprising: a device for receiving and storing blood samples comprising: at least one blood sample carrier comprises a sheet of an absorbent matrix having a uniform pore size, and able to absorb a predetermined amount of liquid per area, thus allowing for recovery of a fixed amount of dried blood sample per area of said absorbent matrix, wherein a calculated area of said sheet of said absorbent matrix is used to store a fixed amount of blood, wherein said sheet of absorbent matrix is punched into two or more cuts, wherein each of the two or more cuts is used in a separate test to increase statistical significance of measurements; a desiccant layer mounted as an underlayment adjacent to said absorbent matrix, wherein said desiccant layer is a molecular sieve having properties to adsorb water molecules, wherein said molecular sieve is a sodium aluminosilicate compound having a pore diameter of 4 Angstrom; a box comprised of a top lid and a bottom lid, wherein said top lid and bottom lid are configured to lock to one another to provide an enclosure for receiving at least one blood sample carrier; and at least one holding area within said enclosure for holding said at least one blood sample carrier; and a modified atmosphere container comprised of an impermeable bag and containing therein a bag of an oxygen scavenging compound. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein said impermeable bag further comprises a Mylar bag. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein said Mylar bag is configured with a dual-track zip lock and a seal adhesive glue over flap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein said oxygen scavenging compound comprises iron filings. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein said absorbent matrix comprises an absorbent paper. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein said absorbent matrix comprises a glass fiber medium.