Nasal specimen collection system

A nasal specimen collection system, comprising:

• a fluid actuator;
• a sample tube;
• and
• a nasal specimen collection apparatus, the nasal specimen collection apparatus comprising:
• a nasal pathway irrigator including an irrigation chamber that defines an irrigation path for directing fluid into a nasal pathway in order to dislodge a sample from within the nasal pathway;
• a nasal sample collector including a collection chamber that surrounds the nasal pathway irrigator, wherein the collection chamber has an outer rim that is configured to interface with the nasal pathway, and wherein the collection chamber defines a collection path for recapturing at least a portion of the fluid in order to collect the sample that was dislodged from within the nasal pathway;
• and
• an annular shell that surrounds the nasal sample collector with an annular cavity formed in between the annular shell and the collection chamber of the nasal sample collector, wherein the nasal pathway irrigator and the nasal sample collector are nested within the annular shell and supported by an annular base that includes an irrigation port for coupling the fluid actuator to the irrigation chamber of the nasal pathway irrigator, and wherein the annular shell is configured to interface with the sample tube so that contents of the collection chamber can be emptied into the sample tube.

A method of nasal specimen collection, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a distal end of a nasal specimen collection apparatus into a nasal pathway, wherein the nasal specimen collection apparatus includes a nasal pathway irrigator and a nasal sample collector nested within an annular shell that has a coupling interface, and wherein the nasal sample collector includes a collection chamber that surrounds the nasal pathway irrigator and has an outer rim that is configured to interface with the nasal pathway;
• directing fluid into the nasal pathway via the nasal pathway irrigator in order to dislodge a sample from within the nasal pathway;
• recapturing at least a portion of the fluid within the collection chamber of the nasal sample collector in order to collect the sample that was dislodged from within the nasal pathway;
• and
• coupling the annular shell to a sample tube via the coupling interface to transfer contents of the collection chamber to the sample tube and to seal the contents within the sample tube.