# US 12,110,543 B2 · Sample transfer tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,543 B2 - Document ID: US12110543B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/791,799 - Filed: 2020-02-14 - Published: 2020-08-20 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-14 - Assignees: Axagarius GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Axagarius GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Christoph Kirsch; Elena Yaroshevskaya - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110543B2 ## CPC - C12Q 1/686: Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] - A61C 15/02: Toothpicks - A61K 31/715: Polysaccharides, i.e. having more than five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages; Derivatives thereof, e.g. ethers, esters - B01L 7/52: {with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples} - C12N 15/1003: {Extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples, e.g. pure separation or isolation methods; Conditions, buffers or apparatuses therefor} - C12Q 1/6806: Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay (C12Q1/6804 takes precedence) - C12Q 1/6869: Methods for sequencing - B01L 2300/0832: cylindrical, tube shaped - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) ## Abstract The invention relates to an active substance-coated rod-shaped sample transfer tool, the preparation thereof, and the use thereof for transferring nucleic acid-containing sample material into reaction mixtures of enzymatic detection reactions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rod-shaped or tubular sample transfer tool for direct transfer of sample, said sample transfer tool being sized to be suitable for transfer of sample volumes smaller than 1 μl or sample quantities from 10 to 200 μg, and having at least one region designed for contact with a sample containing nucleic acids and coated with one or more active substances, said one or more active substances having an effect on the sample containing nucleic acids, so that materials contained in the sample that would inhibit an enzymatic reaction taking place after the transfer are bound at least in part, or inactivated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sample transfer tool according to claim 1, wherein (i) said enzymatic reaction is a detection reaction selected from PCR, reverse transcription, isothermal amplification, restriction digestion, and sequencing and nucleic acid amplification; and/or (ii) said one or more active substances inactivate compounds that inhibit the enzymatic reaction performed after the transfer, or reduce their inhibiting effect, wherein said sample transfer tool is suitable for either binding said compounds/inhibitors by the one or more active substances, or releasing the one or more active substances to thereby inactivate the inhibitors, and wherein said one or more active substances are selected from anticoagulants and polysaccharides; and/or (iii) said one or more active substances are released into or dissolved in the sample upon contact with the sample. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sample transfer tool according to claim 1, wherein said one or more active substances are present on said sample transfer tool in a sufficient inhibitor-inhibiting amount. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sample transfer tool according to claim 1, which (i) has the shape of a rod, a pin, a needle, a tube or a pipette tip; and/or (ii) is made of a solid material selected from plastic, wood, cardboard, paper, ceramics, glass, ceramics, clay, magnesia, metal, and combinations thereof, and/or (iii) comprises a region at which the sample transfer tool is held by the operator; and/or (iv) is sized to be suitable for transfer of sample volumes from 10 to 500 nl; and/or (v) is coated with said active substance(s) in such a way that a sufficient inhibitor-inhibiting amount of said active substance(s) is present on the sample transfer tool; and/or (vi) the sample transfer tool is coated with other neutral surfactants and with salts in addition to said one or more active substances. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sample transfer tool according to claim 1, which consists of a plastic rod, toothpick or plastic toothpick coated with heparin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A process for preparing the rod-shaped or tubular sample transfer tool according to claim 1, comprising treating or coating a starting sample transfer tool with said one or more active substances. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process according to claim 6, comprising (i) immersing the starting sample transfer tool once or several times into an aqueous solution comprising said one or more active substances, followed by drying the sample transfer tool; or (ii) covalently binding said one or more active substances to said starting sample transfer tool. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The process according to claim 6, wherein said one or more active substances are selected from anticoagulants and polysaccharides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method comprising transferring samples containing nucleic acids into an enzymatic reaction with the rod-shaped or tubular sample transfer tool according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein (i) said enzymatic reaction is an enzymatic detection reaction; and/or (ii) said samples are selected from body components and body fluids, plants and plant components. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A detection method, comprising: (a) contacting the rod-shaped or tubular sample transfer tool according to claim 1 with a solid or liquid phase of a sample containing nucleic acids, so that a sufficient amount of said sample containing nucleic acids becomes adhered to said sample transfer tool; (b) directly transferring the sample transfer tool to a reaction mixture for an enzymatic detection reaction, and immersing the sample transfer tool into the reaction mixture, so that an amount of said sample containing nucleic acids sufficient for the detection reaction is carried from the sample transfer tool into the enzymatic detection reaction; (c) removing the sample transfer tool from the reaction mixture for said enzymatic detection reaction; and (d) performing said enzymatic detection reaction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The detection method according to claim 11, wherein (i) said sample transfer tool has an influence on the sample containing nucleic acids such that substances contained in the sample that inhibit the enzymatic detection reaction are at least partially inactivated or bound; and/or (ii) the enzymatic detection reaction is selected from PCR, reverse transcription, isothermal amplification, restriction digestion, and sequencing and nucleic acid amplification; and/or (iii) the samples are selected from body components and body fluids, plants and plant components; and/or (iv) said reaction mixture is present in a reaction vessel, in a well of a titration plate, or on a planar plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The detection method according to claim 11, wherein (i) steps (a) and (b) are performed independently of one another, manually by an operator, or by a machine; and/or (ii) a sample volume is transferred in steps (a) and (b); and/or (iii) the reaction volume of the detection reaction is from 1 to 100 μl; and/or (iv) lysis of the sample material is performed before said contacting of step (a). ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A kit for performing a detection process, comprising one or more of the sample transfer tools according to claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The kit according to claim 14, further comprising reagents, reaction mixtures and/or solvents for the detection reaction, and/or reagents for lysis of a sample material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The sample transfer tool according to claim 2, wherein said one or more active substances are selected from heparin, chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, keratan sulfate, amidopectins, hyaluronic acid, pectins, xanthan, chitosan, oligo-glucosamine, dextran sulfate, carrageenan, methylcellulose, guaran, and chaotropic salts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The sample transfer tool according to claim 3, wherein the one or more active substances is heparin and the heparin is present on the sample transfer tool in a coating of 0.001 to 0.5 IU/cm2; or the one or more active substances is a polysaccharide other than heparin and the polysaccharide other than heparin is present on the sample transfer tool in a coating of 0.005 to 50 μg/cm2; or the one or more active substances is a chaotropic salt and the chaotropic salt is present on the sample transfer tool in a coating of 0.1 to 50 μmol/cm2. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The sample transfer tool according to claim 4, which is sized to be suitable for transfer of sample volumes from 50 to 200 nl; or sample quantities from 50 to 200 μg. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the enzymatic detection reaction is selected from the group consisting of PCR, reverse transcription, isothermal amplification, restriction digestion, and sequencing and nucleic acid amplification; and/or said samples are selected from blood, urine, saliva, cells, tissues, stool, and plant material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The detection method according to claim 12, wherein the samples are selected from blood, urine, saliva, cells, tissues, stool, and plant material.