Patent Publication Number: US-2021190643-A1

Title: Biological sample processing device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a biological sample processing device. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Acquisition and pretreatment of a biological sample are important links in a clinical examination, which directly affect an accuracy of a subsequent measurement result. Presently, the acquisition of the biological sample is made by collecting the sample (blood, urine, sputum, feces, or the like) into a corresponding container. The examiner opens the container and takes out the sample, or adds a treatment solution to the container to complete the pretreatment of the sample. A main defect existed in this process is that the examiner is directly exposed to aerosol with an infection risk when opening the container, which increases a risk of nosocomial infection. Therefore, there is a need for a safer sampling container that can protect the examiner from aerosol exposure. 
     SUMMARY 
     To solve the shortcomings in the prior art, the present disclosure provides a biological sample processing device for solving the above problems. 
     In order to achieve the above object, the disclosure employs the following technical scheme. 
     A biological sample processing device includes a containing bottle for containing a biological sample to be processed. A receiving opening is provided at an upper end of the containing bottle and a liquid outlet being provided at a lower end of the containing bottle. The biological sample processing device further includes an upper cover assembly and a lower cover, the upper cover assembly is connected to the upper end, where the receiving opening is provided, of the containing bottle, the lower cover is connected to the lower end, where the liquid outlet is provided, of the containing bottle; wherein the upper cover assembly includes an upper cover, a lower seal, a piston and a puncturing element, the upper cover is provided with a through hole, and the lower seal is disposed at a lower side of the through hole provided in the upper cover so that the upper cover forms a cavity for containing a solution reacted with the biological sample, the puncturing element is connected to the piston, the piston is closely matched with an inner wall of the through hole provided in the upper cover and sliding along the inner wall to drive the puncturing element to pierce the lower seal, and the upper cover is at least partially positioned in a cavity provided in the containing bottle. 
     Further, the biological sample processing device further includes a filter, and the filter is placed in the cavity provided in the containing bottle to divide the cavity provided in the bottle into a first cavity and a second cavity. 
     Further, the containing bottle includes an upper connecting part, an elastically deformable bottle body and a lower connecting part, the bottle body is connected with the upper connecting part and the lower connecting part, the upper connecting part is provided with the receiving opening, and the lower connecting part is provided with the liquid outlet. 
     Further, an external thread is provided at an outer side of the upper connecting part, an upper end of the upper cover is integrally provided with a sleeve portion with an internal thread defined on an inner wall of the sleeve portion, and the inner wall of the sleeve portion is provided with the internal thread matched with the external thread provided at the outer side of the upper connecting part. 
     Further, a gap is provided between the upper cover and the bottle body. 
     Further, the lower connecting part is funnel-shaped, the liquid outlet is located at a tip of the lower connecting part, and the lower cover is provided with a funnel-shaped inner cavity matched with the lower connecting part. 
     Further, the lower connecting part includes a first funnel part, a cylindrical threaded connecting part with an external thread provided at an outer side of the threaded connecting part, and a second funnel part. The first funnel part is connected to a lower end of the bottle body, and an end of the threaded connecting part is connected to the first funnel part and the other end of the threaded connecting part is connected to the second funnel part; the liquid outlet is located at a tip of the second funnel part; and an inner wall of the funnel-shaped inner cavity, matched with the lower connecting part, of the lower cover is provided with an internal thread matched with the external thread provided at the outer side of the threaded connecting part. 
     Further, an end of the threaded connecting part proximate to the first funnel part extends along a radial direction to form a supporting part; the biological sample processing device further includes a filter, the filter is positioned in the lower connecting part and abutting against the supporting part. 
     Further, a lower end of the lower cover is located in a same plane, and the plane is perpendicular to a central axis of the containing bottle. 
     Further, the upper cover assembly further includes an upper sealing member, and the upper sealing member is disposed at an upper side of the through hole provided in the upper cover and the upper sealing member is cooperating with the lower sealing member to close the cavity enclosed by the upper cover for containing the solution reacted with the biological sample. 
     The disclosure provides an advantage that the biological sample can be processed by the provided biological sample processing device without opening the upper cover. 
     The disclosure provides an advantage that the biological sample processing device can be configured to centrifuge and accumulate biological sample precipitates, and to observe, culture or detect pathogenic microorganisms. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a biological sample processing device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the biological sample processing device in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of another working state of the biological sample processing device in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     biological sample processing device  100 , containing bottle  10 , receiving opening  11 , liquid outlet  12 , upper connecting part  13 , bottle body  14 , lower connecting part  15 , first funnel part  151 , threaded connecting part  152 , second funnel part  153 , supporting part  154 , upper cover assembly  20 , upper cover  21 , sleeve portion  211 , lower seal  22  and piston  23 , puncturing member  24 , upper seal  25 , lower cover  30 , and filter  40 . 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure will be described in the following in detail with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a biological sample processing device  100  for processing a biological sample is provided. The biological sample can be blood, urine, sputum, feces, or the like. The biological sample processing device  100  includes a containing bottle  10 , an upper cover assembly  20  and a lower cover  30 . The containing bottle  10  is used for containing the biological sample to be processed, and a receiving opening  11  is provided at an upper end of the containing bottle  10  and a liquid outlet  12  is provided at a lower end of the containing bottle. The liquid outlet  12  is preferably circular with a pore size ranging from 1 to 2 mm, preferably 1.5 mm. The upper cover assembly  20  is connected to the upper end, where the receiving opening  11  is provided, of the containing bottle  10  to close the receiving opening  11 , and the lower cover  30  is connected to the lower end, where the liquid outlet  12  is provided, of the containing bottle  10  to close the liquid outlet  12 . 
     Specifically, the upper cover assembly  20  includes an upper cover  21 , a lower seal  22 , a piston  23  and a puncturing element  24 . The upper cover  21  is provided with a through hole, and the lower seal  22  is disposed at a lower side of the through hole provided in the upper cover  21  so that the upper cover  21  forms a cavity for containing a solution reacted with a biological sample. The lower seal  22  is a thin film or made of other easily punctured materials, preferably a polypropylene aluminum foil composite film, with a diameter ranging from 25 to 30 mm, preferably 28 mm, and a thickness ranging from 0.04-0.06 mm, preferably 0.05 mm. The puncturing element  24  is connected to the piston  23 . The piston  23  is closely matched with an inner wall of the through hole provided in the upper cover  21  to close the through hole, and the piston  23  can slide along the inner wall to drive the puncturing element  24  to move. The piston  23  can be made of rubber, and the surface of the piston  23  contacting with the inner wall of the through hole provided in the upper cover  21  has a threaded structure. When the puncturing element  24  moves toward the lower end of the upper cover  21 , it can pierce the lower seal  22 . At this time, the solution stored in the upper cover  21  and reacted with the biological sample flows into the containing bottle  10  to react with the biological sample in the containing bottle  10 , and the upper cover  21  is at least partially located in the cavity provided in the containing bottle  10 . The puncturing element  24  is preferably a cross-shaped puncture structure, and is preferably of polyvinyl chloride plastic, with a puncture angle ranging from 30° to 60°, preferably 45°. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the biological sample processing device  100  further includes a filter  40 . The filter  40  is placed in the cavity provided in the bottle  10  to divide the cavity provided in the bottle  10  into a first cavity and a second cavity. 
     Specifically, the filter  40  can be used for separating large-particle precipitates, and the filter  40  is preferably round, with a pore diameter ranging from 2 to 5 mm, preferably 3 mm. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the containing bottle  10  includes an upper connecting part  13 , a bottle body  14  and a lower connecting part  15 . The bottle body  14  is connected with the upper connecting part  13  and the lower connecting part  15 . The upper connecting part  13  is provided with a receiving opening  11 . The lower connecting part  15  is provided with a liquid outlet  12 . 
     Specifically, the containing bottle  10  is preferably of polypropylene resin. The bottle body  14  can be elastically deformable, and the liquid in the containing bottle  10  can be squeezed out from the liquid outlet  12  by squeezing the bottle body  14 . To ensure that the bottle body  14  has a proper elastic force, a thickness of the bottle body  14  ranges from 0.05 to 0.10 mm, preferably 0.07 mm. 
     As a preferred embodiment, an external thread is provided on an outer side of the upper connecting part  13 . The upper end of the upper cover  21  is integrally provided with a sleeve portion  211  with an internal thread defined on an inner wall of the sleeve portion. The inner wall of the sleeve portion  211  is provided with the internal thread matched with the external thread provided on the outer side of the upper connecting part  13 . When installing the upper cover  21 , the sleeve portion  211  is sleeved on the upper connecting part  13 , and then the upper cover  21  is rotated to install the upper cover  21  to the containing bottle  10 . 
     As a preferred embodiment, a gap is provided between the upper cover  21  and the bottle body  14 . A ratio of the gap provided between the upper cover  21  and the bottle body  14  to an inner diameter of the bottle body  14  ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, preferably 0.07 mm. 
     Specifically, when the bottle body  14  is squeezed to release liquid in the containing bottle  10 , the bottle body  14  is recessed inward. To ensure that the bottle body  14  has enough space to recess inward, a large enough gap needs to be provided between the upper cover  21  and the bottle body  14 . Meanwhile, the gap between the upper cover  21  and the bottle body  14  affects a volume of the cavity in the upper cover  21  for containing the solution reacted with the biological sample, which should be not too small. The ratio of the gap provided between the upper cover  21  and the bottle body  14  to the inner diameter of the bottle body  14  ranges from 0.05 to 0.2, so that the volume of the inner cavity of the upper cover  21  is large enough while the bottle body  14  has enough space to recess inward. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the lower connecting portion  15  is funnel-shaped. The liquid outlet  12  is located at a tip of the lower connecting part  15 . The lower cover  30  is provided with a funnel-shaped inner cavity matched with the lower connecting part  15 . 
     As a preferred embodiment, the lower connecting part  15  includes a first funnel part  151 , a cylindrical threaded connecting part  152  with an external thread provided on an outer side thereof and a second funnel part  153 . The first funnel part  151  is connected to the lower end of the bottle body  14 . An end of the threaded connecting part  152  is connected to the first funnel part  151  and the other end thereof is connected to the second funnel part  153 . The liquid outlet  12  is located at a tip of the second funnel part  153 . An inner wall of the funnel-shaped inner cavity, matched with the lower connecting part  15 , of the lower cover  30  is provided with an internal thread matched with the external thread provided on the outer side of the threaded connecting part  152 . 
     Specifically, a slope of the first funnel part  151  ranges from 30° to 60°, preferably 45°, and a slope of the second funnel part  153  ranges from 30° to 60°, preferably 45°, so that the sample can be completely reserved at a bottom of the containing bottle  10 . 
     As a preferred embodiment, an end of the threaded connecting part  152  proximate to the first funnel part  151  extends along a radial direction to form a supporting part  154 . The biological sample processing device  100  further includes a filter  40 . The filter  40  is located in the lower connecting portion  15  and abuts against the supporting portion  154 . 
     As a preferred embodiment, the lower end of the lower cover  30  is located in a same plane, and the plane is perpendicular to a central axis of the containing bottle  10 . 
     Specifically, the lower end of the lower cover  30  is located in the same plane, and the plane is perpendicular to the central axis of the containing bottle  10 , so that the biological sample processing device  100  can be stably rested on a horizontal table through the lower cover  30 . 
     As a preferred embodiment, the upper cover assembly  20  further includes an upper seal  25 . The upper sealing member  25  is disposed at an upper side of the through hole provided in the upper cover  21  and cooperates with the lower sealing member  22  to close a cavity enclosed by the upper cover  21  for containing the solution reacted with the biological sample. 
     Specifically, the upper seal  25  and the lower seal  22  completely seal the cavity enclosed by the upper cover  21  for containing the solution reacted with the biological sample, so that the solution reacted with the biological sample is completely isolated from the outside. Meanwhile, the upper seal  25  can also function to prevent the piston  23  from being pressed by mistake. 
     The biological sample processing device  100  is used in following steps as follows. The user unscrews the upper cover  21 , collects the biological sample in the containing bottle  10 , and screws the upper cover  21 ; tears the upper seal  25 , pushes the piston  23  to cause the cross-shaped puncturing element  24  at the lower part of the piston  23  to pierce the lower seal  22 , in which case the solution reacted with the biological sample enters the containing bottle  10  to be mixed with the biological sample inside therein, and then stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 min; place the biological sample processing device  100  in a centrifuge and centrifuge at 5000 g for 15 min at room temperature; and unscrew the lower cover  30  to squeeze the elastic bottle body  14 , in this case the precipitates are filtered by the filter  40 , and supernatant fluid flows out from the liquid outlet  12 . 
     The basic principles, main features and advantages of the present disclosure are shown and described in the above. It should be understood by those skilled in the industry that the above embodiments do not limit the present disclosure in any form, and all technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.