Patent ID: 7169599

Claim:
A method of aseptically sampling a biofluid, comprising automatically: collecting a biofluid sample by opening an inlet valve at a biofluid source site; directing the sample through a trap to a biofluid process site by opening an outlet valve coupled to the process site, and closing a waste valve that couples the trap and a waste site, the trap being a portion of a sampling conduit extending from the inlet valve to the outlet valve, the trap having a low region that is lower than the inlet valve and the outlet valve, and the waste valve being coupled to the low region of the trap; isolating the biofluid sites by: closing the inlet and outlet valves; and opening the waste valve to drain biofluid from the trap to the waste site; and cleaning the sampling conduit before sample collection by directing a wash fluid through at least one valve selected from the inlet and outlet valves, and subsequently through the waste valve to the waste site.