Patent ID: 11885722
Assignee: HERO SCIENTIFIC LTD.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 11:
12. A method for concentrating a liquid specimen sample, the method comprising:
placing the liquid specimen sample in a tubular container of a filtration assembly of a sampling device;
inserting, into the tubular container via a proximal container opening of the tubular container, (i) a plunger head of a plunger of the filtration assembly and (ii) a filter removably disposed on a distal end of the plunger head, such that a lateral surface of the plunger head forms a fluid-tight movable seal with an inner wall of the tubular container, wherein the plunger includes a plunger rod that (a) has a distal end portion to which the plunger head is coupled, and (b) is shaped so as to define an internal plunger space having a plunger-space proximal opening through a proximal end of the plunger rod, wherein the plunger head is shaped so as to define a plunger-head opening through the plunger head and into the internal plunger space;
distally advancing the plunger head within the tubular container to drive at least a portion of the liquid specimen sample through the filter removably disposed on the distal end of the plunger head in the tubular container, wherein the sampling device includes a filter-withdrawal shaft, which (a) includes a distal portion that is directly or indirectly coupled to the filter, and (b) is disposed passing through the internal plunger space; and
removing the filter from the tubular container via the plunger-space proximal opening while the plunger head is within the tubular container, by proximally withdrawing the filter-withdrawal shaft out of the internal plunger space, so as to pull the filter into the internal plunger space via the plunger-head opening and out of the internal plunger space via the plunger-space proximal opening, and remove the filter-withdrawal shaft and the filter from the filtration assembly.