US-20260124619-A1 - DEVICE FOR COLLECTING BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

US20260124619A1US 20260124619 A1US20260124619 A1US 20260124619A1US-20260124619-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device for collecting one or more biological samples comprising a housing and a collector element. The collector element is configured to allow the passage of liquid and extends between a first end and a second end. The first end of the collector element protrudes out of the housing for collecting the one or more biological samples, and the second end of the collector element is arranged within the housing. The device further comprises at least one anchor element which extends at least partially into the collector element for maintaining the position of the collector element with respect to the housing.

Inventors

Georgios KATSIKAS
Panagiotis Kopelas
Efthymios Saltas
Phaedon PAPAGEORGIS PAPADOPOULOS
ETIENNE MICHENAUD

Assignees

SOCIéTé BIC
BIC Violex Single Member S.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20221026
Priority Date: 20211027

Claims (20)

1 . A device for collecting one or more biological samples comprising a housing and a collector element. wherein the collector element is configured to allow the passage of liquid, and wherein the collector element extends between a first end and a second end, the first end of the collector element protruding out of the housing for collecting the one or more biological samples, the second end of the collector element being arranged within the housing, wherein the device further comprises at least one anchor element which extends at least partially into the collector element for maintaining the position of the collector element with respect to the housing.
2 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one anchor element is in form of at least one flexible arm with at least one protrusion, wherein the flexible arm is designed to be moved or flexed such that the protrusion can extend at least partially into the collector element.
3 . Device according to claim 2 , wherein the housing comprises a connector element which is configured to be mounted on a main body of the housing on the side of the collector element.
4 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the connector element has a first open end and a second open end such that the collector element can protrude out of the connector element through the first open end, and such that the at least one flexible arm can be guided into the second open end.
5 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises a hollow extension for holding the second end of the collector element, wherein the connector element at least partially has a hollow shape which comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow extension and with the outer surface of the at least one flexible arm.
6 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a connector element which is integrally formed on the housing, wherein the connector element has a hollow space for holding the collector element such that the collector element can protrude out of the connector element.
7 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a fixation element which can be mounted to or into the main body of the housing on the side of the collector element wherein the fixation element has a hollow space for holding the collector element such that the collector element can protrude out of the fixation element.
8 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one anchor element comprises at least one flexible arm with at least one protrusion which can extend at least partially into the collector element wherein the at least one flexible arm is connected to an arm holder, wherein the housing comprises a connector element which can be mounted on the main body of the housing on the side of the collector element.
9 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a connector element which can be mounted on the main body of the housing on the side of the collector element, wherein the connector element comprises at least one flexible arm having at least one protrusion for extending at least partially into the collector element.
10 . Device according to claim 5 , wherein the hollow extension has at least one radial hole and wherein the at least one anchor element extends through the at least one radial hole and at least partially into the collector element for maintaining the position of the collector element with respect to the housing.
11 . Device according to claim 1 , further comprising a container for storing liquid.
12 - 18 . (canceled)
19 . Device according to claim 11 , wherein the liquid is a buffer solution and/or a reagent solution.
20 . Device according to claim 11 , wherein the housing comprises a channel for guiding the liquid stored in the container to the collector element, further comprising a valve and/or release mechanism for opening a passage from the container to the channel so that liquid stored in the container can enter the channel from the container and reach the collector element.
21 . Device according to claim 11 , wherein liquid stored in the container can reach the collector element through the channel when the valve and/or release mechanism is open, wherein at least part of the liquid can pass through the collector element by gravity acting on the liquid when the container is in a position vertically above the collector element.
22 . Device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cap element which can be fitted on the housing on the side on which the collector element is arranged.
23 . Device according to claim 22 , characterized in that the cap element comprises a reagent or an element comprising a reagent which is released to the mixture of liquid from the container and of the at least one biological sample.
24 . Device according to claim 22 , characterized in that an element for indicating and/or measuring a reaction between a reagent and the at least one biological sample is arranged within or on the cap element.
25 . Device according to claim 24 wherein the element indicates the pH value of the mixture of the liquid from the container and of the at least one biological sample.
26 . Device according to claim 22 , wherein the cap element comprises a window which is arranged such that a user can at least partially see the element for indicating a reaction between the reagent and the at least one biological sample.

Description

This application claims benefit from European patent application EP 21306497.5, filed on 27 Oct. 2021, its content being incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to device for collecting one or more biological samples, which may be subsequently used for molecular biology processing techniques such as nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a known method of amplifying nucleic acids, employed to test for the presence of specific nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) in a biological sample. It is used among other purposes as a diagnostic method to identify markers for pathogens or diseases. Other methods of amplifying nucleic acid samples include isothermal amplification methods such as Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP). Devices for collecting one or more biological samples-in particular for collecting saliva from the mouth of the consumer—are known from WO 2020/191232 A1, WO 2020/106345 A1, WO 2020/238035 A1 and EP 3 028 030 A1. Those devices comprise a wick as collector element. However, the wick is very soft and is difficult to maintain and fasten into the housing of the device. The object of the present disclosure is to provide a device for collecting one or more biological samples having a collector element which can be mounted more easily on the device. In addition, the collector element should be securely mounted and maintained within the housing of the device to avoid an undesired removal. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present disclosure is directed to a device for collecting one or more biological samples as defined in independent claim 1. The dependent claims depict embodiments of the present disclosure. According to the present disclosure, a device for collecting one or more biological samples is provided which comprises a housing and a collector element, wherein the collector element is configured to allow the passage of liquid. The collector element has two ends, the first end of the collector element protruding out of the housing for collecting the one or more biological samples, the second end of the collector element being arranged within the housing. At least one anchor element extends at least partially into the collector element for maintaining the position of the collector element with respect to the housing. It should be noted that the housing may consist of several separate housing parts. While one anchor element can be used, in some circumstances two, three or four anchor elements may be provided. Other number of anchor elements may also be provided. The collector element has a certain softness so that the at least one anchor element can extend at least partially into the collector element when the second end of the collector element is mounted within the housing. The softness of the collector element may be such that, when mounted, an anchor element extends at least 0.3 mm into the collector element, more specifically at least 0.5 mm, most specifically at least 0.8 mm, all compared to the undeformed state of the collector element. Alternatively or in addition, the softness of the collector element may be such that the anchor element extends at least 0.3 mm into the collector element (again compared to the undeformed state of the collector element), specifically at least 0.5 mm, most specifically at least 0.8 mm, when the force applied by an anchor element on the collector element in a position which corresponds to their mounted state is 1 Newton. In addition or alternatively, the density of the collector element may be between 0.1 to 0.25 g/cm3. The collector element may generally have an elongated shape extending from the first end to the second end of the collector element. In the following disclosure, the axis of the collector element is defined as being the central gravitational axis extending from the first end to the second end. The cross-sectional shape of the collector element (in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the collector element) may at least partially be circular, oval or rectangular, in examples with rounded corners. The section of the collector element at its first end may have a conical section. In addition or alternatively, the first end of the collector element may be pointed. The purpose of the collector element is to collect and/or absorb one or more biological samples. In case of dry biological samples, the biological samples may stick on the outer surface of the first end of the collector element. In case of biological samples which are contained in a liquid, the biological samples may be absorbed within the collector element. Therefore, the collector element should allow the passage of liquid at least partially in order to absorb a greater amount of the biological sample(s). The material of the collector element may be porous or may have an internal channel structure, and has, in examples, hydr