Devices and Methods for High-Volume Sampling, Extraction, and Purification of Biological and Chemical Targets
AssigneePureBioX, Inc.
InventorAbdennour Abbas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure include improved water filtration systems and devices that increase efficiency and reduce cost. Embodiments include water filters within a filter cartridge where the filter cartridge includes one or more fittings and where the filter cartridge is securable directly to a centrifuge tube without needing to remove the filter that has trapped the target of interest taken from a sample from the filter cartridge. The system and devices include filter cartridges for taking a sample from air, water, and/or a surface.
Claims20
A filter cartridge for collecting samples for testing, the filter cartridge comprising:
- a filter having a top end and a bottom end, the filter further comprising multiple layers of corrugated filter material, wherein a hollow core runs through the center of the filter from the top end of the filter to the bottom end of the filter;
- a housing comprising:
- a top support connected to the top end of the filter, the top support covering the entire top end of the filter, the top support further comprising a flange extending toward the bottom end of the filter, wherein the flange is spaced apart from the filter to create a gap;
- the top support further comprising an opening to access the filter, wherein the opening in the top support is surrounded by a fitting;
- a bottom support having a circumference smaller than a circumference of the top support, the bottom support further comprising a center cylinder centrally placed on and connected to a top surface of the bottom support, wherein a circumference of the center cylinder is smaller than the circumference of the bottom support and wherein the bottom support is connected to the filter such that the center cylinder of the bottom support resides in the hollow core of the filter and the bottom end of the filter connects to the top surface of the bottom support.
A filter cartridge for collecting samples from water, the filter cartridge comprising:
- a filter with a top end and a bottom end, the filter having a hollow core running from the top end of the filter to the bottom end of the filter;
- a housing body that the entire filter fits into, the housing body having a top support fit over a top end of the housing body, and a bottom support fit over a bottom end of the housing body, wherein the top end of the filter is connected to the top support;
- the top support having an opening to access the filter placed in the housing, wherein the opening in the top support is surrounded by a fitting;
- a bottom support having an opening to access the filter placed in the housing, wherein the opening in the bottom support is surrounded by a fitting;
- and
- a central cylinder that runs from the top support to the bottom support and through the hollow core of the filter.
A method of processing environmental samples, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing a filter cartridge for collecting the environmental sample in a location of interest, wherein the filter cartridge comprises a filter disposed between a top support and a bottom support, wherein the top support has an opening to access the filter disposed therein, and wherein the opening is surrounded by a fitting;
- placing the filter cartridge, after the environmental sample has been collected, into a centrifuge tube, wherein the top support of the filter cartridge secures to a top of the centrifuge tube;
- pouring a centrifuging fluid through the opening of the top support;
- performing centrifuge on the centrifuge tube containing the filter cartridge containing the environmental sample;
- collecting a target result of the centrifuge process from the bottom of the centrifuge tube;
- placing the target result collected from the centrifuge tube into a spin tube with a washing buffer solution and centrifuging the spin tube;
- collecting a target from the spin tube after the spin tube has been centrifuged and placing the target from the spin tube in a collection tube with a buffer solution and centrifuging the collection tube;
- collecting a concentrated target after centrifuge in the collection tube and performing analysis on the concentrated target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.