FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a purifying collector, and more particularly to an improved purifying collector with filter member.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Concentration and filtration of body fluids have long been practiced in the medical and/or laboratory arts. Various body fluids which may be concentrated or filtered after the sample volume of fluids are obtained. The body fluids such as urine contains sediment and blood are perhaps the most common. In some instances, the concentration and separation of body fluid analytes are not critically time sensitive, but rather can be carried out over a period of hours or days. However, in other instances, the filtration and/or concentration process must be completed in a more time sensitive manner, such as within a matter of minutes.

In some applications, the filtration and/or concentration process is carried out in a batch. For body fluids which can be treated in a batch process, centrifugation is a common method of concentration. For example, a batch of body fluids may be removed as a unit and placed into a centrifuge vessel. The centrifuge vessel is spun at substantial high speed, subjecting the body fluid samples to a centrifugal force. Under this centrifugal force, the body fluids sample separates into different components based to an extent on molecular weight. However, the progression of concentration through centrifugation involves high running costs and times.

Various concentration and separation devices for laboratory testing of body fluid samples have been used. However there are some factors which may need to be considered such as their sophisticated design and high cost of contemporary introduction devices.

In view of these and other shortcomings of the prior art, it is therefore desirable to provide an improved purifying collector with filter member for concentration and separation of body fluid analytes. Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved purifying collector which is simple, low cost and reliable to use. The improved purifying collector is capable of being associated with accessory device such as repeater pipette or other similar function device for accurate dispensing and concentration of analytes of body fluids. Moreover, the present invention is particularly intended for batch processing. It is also appropriate for use in time sensitive situations, and to reduce the handling time as compared to the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved purifying collector having a barrel and plunger detachably mounted to an accessory device, said improved purifying collector includes: (a) a barrel having a first open end and a second open end; (b) a barrel tip having a neck in associated with the first open end of the barrel; (c) a filter member that is disposed in the barrel; and (d) a plunger slidably attached with the barrel through the second open end of the barrel; wherein the filter member is separate item from the barrel tip which is detachably mounted to the neck of the barrel tip, said filter member includes material which allows liquid sample to pass to it, while preventing concentration of said liquid sample from passing through the filter member.

In the preferred embodiment, the first open end of the barrel is provided with internal screw thread at its internal circumference wall to which the barrel tip is removably attached therewith. The second end of the barrel is provided with suitable wings for desired gripping by any types of accessory devices. If desired, the barrel can be of any syringe barrel type wherein the barrel tip is an integrate part of the barrel.

It will be appreciated that the neck of the barrel tip has an external screw thread in communication with internal screw thread of the first open end of the barrel. The barrel tip is further provided with flanges disposed in adjacent to luer projected from the neck. Accordingly, the flanges are hand grip to permit ease of assembly of the barrel tip to the barrel. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filter member is removably attached and rest seated on upper face of the neck. Preferably, the filter member has a cross-sectional length or width that contacts the inner wall of the barrel, and sufficiently contacts the inner wall such that the concentration of the liquid does not pass between the inner wall and periphery of the filter member.

The plunger of the improved purifying collector has an elongated bar that is terminated at one end in a disk-like member. Other end of the elongated bar is provided with a shaft with suitable protruded members. Accordingly, the shaft and protruded members of the plunger are designed for beneficial grasping by any accessory devices.

It will be appreciated that the accessory device, where the improved purifying collector is detachably mounted, can be any market available type of repeater pipette or other similar function device.

The present invention consists of several novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying description and drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:

FIG. la is an exploded perspective view of an improved purifying collector with filter member disposed therein according to preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. lb is a partially cross sectional view of the assembled purifying collector in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the improved purifying collector associated with an accessory device such as repeater pipette.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to an improved purifying collector with filter member. Hereinafter, this specification will describe the present invention according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

The improved purifying collector according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in accordance to the accompanying drawings FIGS, la to 2, both individually and in any combination thereof. The improved purifying collector (10) generally includes a barrel (12), a barrel tip (14), a filter member (16) and a plunger (18).

The barrel (12) is preferably, but not limited to a cylindrical in shape along its length. Said barrel (12) has a first open end (12a) adapted to receive the barrel tip (14). Second end (12b) of the barrel (12) is adapted to receive the plunger (18). In the preferred embodiment, internal circumference wall of the first open end (12a) is provided with internal screw thread (20a) in which the barrel tip (14) can be removably attached therewith. The second end (12b) of the barrel (12) is preferably provided with suitable wings (22) for desired gripping by any types of accessory devices such as, for example, a market available type of repeater pipette (30) or other similar function device for accurate dispensing of body fluids as shown in FIG. 2. It will be appreciated that the barrel (12) may be of any syringe barrel type (not shown) wherein the barrel tip (14) is an integrate part of the barrel (12). The barrel tip (14) of the present invention has a neck (14a) in associated with the first open end (12a) of the barrel (12). Preferably, the neck (14a) has an external screw thread that is in communication with the internal screw thread (20a) of the first open end (12a). The barrel tip (14) is further provided with flanges (14b) disposed in adjacent to luer (14c) projected from the neck (14a). The flanges (14b) serve to permit ease of assembly of barrel tip (14). Accordingly, the flanges (14b) serve as hand grip for the user to assemble of the barrel tip (14) to the barrel (12). In the preferred embodiment, the projected luer (14c) has a tip opening (14d) which serves to permit the flow of fluid sample.

It is to be noted that the improved purifying collector (10) also includes a filter member (16) that is disposed in the barrel (12). Accordingly, the filter member (16) is separate item from the barrel tip (14) which is detachably mounted to the neck (14a). Particularly, the filter member (16) is removably attached and rest seated on upper face of the neck (14a). It will be appreciated that that the filter member (16) includes material that allows the liquid sample, such as blood, urine, sputum, saliva, pus, mucous or cerebrospinal fluid to pass to it, while preventing concentration of said liquid sample from passing through the filter member (16). It will also be appreciated that the choice of the filter member (16) pore size and flow rate allows a clear separation of analytes according to its size. The filter member (16) has a cross-sectional length or width that contacts the inner wall of the barrel (12), and sufficiently contacts the inner wall such that the concentration of the liquid does not pass between the inner wall and periphery of the filter member (16).

The improved purifying collector (10) further provided with a plunger (18). The plunger (18) slidably attached with the barrel (12) through the second open end (12b) of the barrel (12). Accordingly, the plunger (18) preferably has an elongated bar (18a) that terminate at one end in a disk-like member (18b). Other end of the elongated bar (18a) is provided with a shaft (18c) with suitable protruded members (18d). It will be appreciated that the combination of the shaft (18c) and protruded members (18d) of the plunger (18) are designed for beneficial grasping by any accessory devices such as, for example, the market available type of repeater pipette (30) or other similar function device for accurate dispensing of fluid sample.

The accessory device, repeater pipette (30) or similar function device where the improved purifying collector (10) is mounted thereto, provides an accurate pipetting (concentration volume) and dispensing (concentrated volume) of the required volumes for laboratory analysis.

The usage of the improved purifying collector (10) and its applications will now be described. Preferably, the purifying collector (10) is used in the laboratory specimen preparation steps prior to analysis. It will also be used to concentrate body fluid analytes such as blood, urine, sputum, saliva, pus, mucous or cerebrospinal fluid, which traditionally are processed by centrifugation and decantation of the supernatant. Conventionally, the centrifugation step with removal of supernatant is a major tool for concentration of the body fluid analytes. However, it is also a major source of errors, due to losses during centrifugation and the decantation of the supernatant steps. Filtration of particles on supportive media allows for recovery of essentially all particles existing in a defined volume of body fluids if remaining intact.

Accordingly, the applications of the improved purifying collector (10) may include, for example,

i) urine specimen preparation for urine sediment miscopy;

ii) to concentrate and to remove lysed red blood cells from body fluids collected for cytology analysis;

iii) for separation and recovery of analytes in the supernatant for life science application. i) Urine specimen preparation for urine sediment microscopy

In the traditional urine sediment microscopy protocol, a fixed volume of urine specimen is concentrated by centrifugation, with the removal of supernatant by suction or decantation, leaving residual concentrated urine sediment suspended in the small volume of urine for microscopy analysis. This concentration step by centrifugation and the removal of supernatant step by suction or decantation of urine specimen, and it can be replaced with the use of this new improved purifying collector (10). The aspiration step of the improved purifying collector (10) with the aid of the accessory device, repeater pipette (30) or similar function device will first concentrate and trap urine sediment on the lower side membrane of the filter member (16), while the supernatant is separated at the upper side membrane of the filter member (16). The dispensing step will release the concentrated urine sediment for urine microscopy, with the supernatant trapped in the purifying collector (10). ii) To concentrate and to remove lysed red blood cells from body fluids collected for cytology analysis

Some body fluids collected for cytology analysis may contained very low level of analytes (cells and microorganisms) content, and they may also contained red blood cells that will obscured the cytology reading. To retrieve these low levels of analytes in the current setting, these samples will be subjected to a pre-treatment process, i.e. first, the red blood cells will be lysed with the addition of lysis solution, follow by centrifugation to concentrate the analytes content, and removal of the lysed red blood cells by decanting away the supernatant. Particularly with very low level of analytes to start off with in the collected body fluids, losses of the analytes due to the centrifugation and decanting steps may render the sample unsatisfactory for cytology analysis. This concentration of the analytes content and removal of the obscuring lysed red blood cells can be done with this new improved purifying collector (10) with almost full recovery of the analytes. iii) For separation and recovery of analytes in the supernatant for life science application

Some life science application required the collection of supernatant for analysis, e.g. small vesicular urinary exosomes, where the larger particles present in the urine can first be sieved off using a larger pore size membrane of this device, while the supernatant containing the urinary exosomes can be further concentrated using a smaller pore size membrane of the filter member ( 16) of this improved purifying collector (10).

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the principle and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would obvious to one skilled in the art intended to be included within the scope of following claims.