Sample collection and processing device
OwnerKimberly R. Gambleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sample processing device [700] comprises an elongated body [101] with a septum seal [109] on one end and a drip tube [731] on the second end. A small-diameter through-chamber [103] in the body provides a receiving and alignment chamber for a hypodermic needle [109] inserted into the septum. A sample processing chamber [709] provides a location for processing elements such as filters and adsorption or absorption frits [135,137]. Sample fluid injected into, or withdrawn from, the device by the hypodermic needle communicates with a bottom opening [701] of the drip tube via a drip tube nozzle [705], the sample processing chamber and the small-diameter chamber. The device is particularly useful in automated testing where the device is moved to various processing locations by the hypodermic needle.
Claims18
A sample processing device for liquid sample, intake and discharge from a sample vessel, the device comprising:
- a body comprising a top portion, a bottom portion and a reduced-diameter chamber;
- a septum disposed on said top portion of said body;
- a drip tube comprising a bottom opening and defining a bottom end of said bottom portion of said body, said bottom opening in fluid communication with said septum;
- a conical needle guide disposed between said septum and said reduced-diameter chamber;
- and
- a processing chamber disposed between said bottom opening and said reduced-diameter chamber;
- wherein a diameter of said reduced-diameter chamber and said bottom opening of said drip tube are less than one half of a diameter of said processing chamber and said drip tube extends downwardly from said body and converges inwardly from said processing chamber to define a drip tube nozzle of diameter sufficiently small for excessive sample to converge into a single drop on said nozzle when said nozzle is inserted and removed from a liquid sample in said sample vessel.
A method of testing samples, the method comprising the steps:
- inserting a penetrating sample deposit/extraction element into a sample processing device, said sample processing device comprising a top and a bottom opening of a drip tube defining an axial direction, a septum seal in an upper portion of the device, a reduced-diameter chamber disposed between said septum seal and said drip tube and communicating with said bottom opening of said device, and a processing chamber disposed between said bottom opening and said reduced-diameter chamber wherein said drip tube extends downwardly from said body and converges inwardly from said processing chamber to define a drip tube nozzle of diameter sufficiently small for excessive sample to converge into a single drop on said nozzle;
- transferring sample fluid between said penetrating sample deposit/extraction element and a first sample vessel via said device;
- and
- physically positioning said sample processing device to another sample processing location by movement of said penetrating sample deposit/extraction element.
A sample processing device for liquid sample intake and discharge from a sample vessel, the device comprising:
- a body comprising a top portion, a bottom portion and a reduced-diameter chamber;
- a septum disposed on said top portion of said body;
- a drip tube comprising a bottom opening and defining a bottom end of said bottom portion of said body, said bottom opening in fluid communication with said septum;
- and
- a processing chamber comprising a diameter greater than a diameter of said reduced-diameter chamber disposed between said drip tube and said reduced-diameter chamber;
- wherein said drip tube extends downwardly from said body and converges inwardly from said processing chamber to define a drip tube nozzle of diameter sufficiently small for excessive sample to converge into a single drop on said nozzle when said nozzle is inserted and removed from a liquid sample in said sample vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.