# US 12,178,568 B2 · Sampling face mask

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- Number: US 12,178,568 B2
- Document ID: US12178568B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/380,031
- Filed: 2021-07-20
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-03
- Applicants: Chia-Pin Liu
- Inventors: Chia-Pin Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178568B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/097: Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
- A61B 10/0051: {for taking saliva or sputum samples (devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00)}
- A61B 5/6803: {Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles}
- A61B 2010/0087: {Breath samples}
- A61B 2560/0443: Modular apparatus
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein is a sampling face mask. The sampling mask includes a mask body having a front side, a bottom, and one or more clamping blocks disposed on the bottom; a removable cartridge comprising a cartridge body having a chamber for housing the substances exhaled from the nose of the subject, and a door disposed above the chamber for opening or closing the chamber, and a driving means for driving the door to move laterally or vertically with respective to the cartridge body; wherein, the one or more clamping blocks can hold the door in place thereby keeping the door from closing; and when the one or more clamping blocks does not hold the door in place, the door is driven close via the driving means thereby closing the chamber and allowing the removable cartridge to be separated from the mask body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sampling face mask for collecting substances exhaled from the nose of a subject, comprising:
a mask body having a front side conforming to the shape of the nose of the subject, a bottom, and one or more clamping blocks disposed on the bottom;
a removable cartridge removably coupled to the mask body comprising:
a cartridge body having a chamber for housing the substances exhaled from the nose of the subject; and
a door disposed above the chamber for opening or closing the chamber, and
a driving means operably coupled to the mask body, the cartridge body, and the door for driving the door to move laterally or vertically with respect to the cartridge body thereby opening or closing the chamber;
wherein,
the one or more clamping blocks of the mask body can hold the door in place thereby keeping the door from closing and the chamber being disposed underneath the nose and stayed open; and
when the one or more clamping blocks does not hold the door in place, the door is driven closed via the driving means thereby closing the chamber, and allowing the removable cartridge to be separated from the mask body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, wherein the mask body has one or more breathable areas respectively disposed at positions corresponding to both sides of the nose.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, further comprising a base coupled to the bottom of the mask body for receiving the removable cartridge thereon.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, wherein the driving means is a spring, a magnet, a rubber band, a rail, a guiding member, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, wherein the chamber is compartmented into one or more compartments.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The sampling face mask of claim 5, wherein the cartridge body further comprises one or more conduits independently coupled to the one or more compartments.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, wherein the door consists of one or more pieces of planks, and is driven to move laterally or vertically with respect to the cartridge body via the driving means.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The sampling face mask of claim 7, wherein the door is made of transparent, translucent, or opaque material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The sampling face mask of claim 1, wherein the chamber is filled with or coated with a carrier for carrying the exhaled substances.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The sampling face mask of claim 9, wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of active carbon, alumina, carbon molecular sieve, polyacrylamide, silicone, zeolite, aminobenzyl methylcellulose, aminophenylene sulfide cellulose, diethylamine ethylcellulose, nitrobenzyl methylcellulose, nitrocellulose, and polyvinylidene fluoride.