CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/170,516, filed on April 4, 2021, entitled “SAMPLING SWAB HAVING SLIDABLE COVER ASSEMBLY”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to an exemplary shieldable swab assembly; in particular, the present disclosure relates to an exemplary shieldable swab assembly having a slidable cover assembly. The slidable cover assembly may protect a collector tip of the exemplary shieldable swab assembly from environmental and/or secondary contaminations pre-, post-, and during a sampling procedure and may decrease the risk of disease transmission.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Sampling swabs that may generally comprise an elongated shaft and a collector tip secured at one end, are common tools for collecting a wide variety of specimens including, but not limited to, organic/biological fluids, tissues, mucosa, environmental specimens, etc. Conventional sampling swabs may be prone to contamination prior to, during, and after conducting a sampling procedure; meanwhile, in some instances, conventional swabs may play a part in disease transmission.

[0004] Sample collection from target sites that are located through or at a depth of a canal may require customized swabs capable of passing through the canal and reaching a desired location. Thus, the collector tip that is responsible to collect sufficient specimen from a target site may be prone to touching sites surrounding the target site. For example, collection of oropharyngeal mucus may be accomplished by dipping the collector tip of a sampling swab in a particular part of a subject’s mouth without contacting other sites within the mouth. In this particular example, the sampling swab, after smearing the collector tip across the throat and tonsils, may be preferably withdrawn without contacting the collector tip with the surrounding areas within the subject’s mouth. Exposure of a swab’s collector tip to sites other than a target site may result in secondary and/or environmental contamination, and therefore may give rise to analytical errors. Furthermore, use of sampling swabs for collecting specimens of infectious and/or contagious diseases may increase the risk of disease transmission to healthcare personnel.

[0005] Sampling swabs are disposable items and may be used in large quantities in healthcare centers and diagnostic laboratories. Thereby, there is need to produce low-priced sampling swabs that are protected against environmental and/or secondary contaminations pre-, post-, and during sampling procedure and decrease the risk of disease transmission.

SUMMARY

[0006] This summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter of the present disclosure, and is not intended to identify essential elements or key elements of the subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed implementations. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. The proper scope of the present disclosure may be ascertained from the claims set forth below in view of the detailed description below and the drawings.

[0007] In one general aspect, the present disclosure relates to a shieldable swab assembly. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the shieldable swab assembly may generally include an elongated shaft, a collector tip secured around a distal end of the elongated shaft, and a slidable cover assembly carried by the elongated shaft. The elongated shaft may have a distal end comprising a distal opening, a proximal end comprising a proximal opening, and a central duct extending through the elongated shaft from the distal end of the elongated shaft to the proximal end of the elongated shaft.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the slidable cover assembly may comprise a hollow cover and a plurality of strings extending through the central duct of the elongated shaft. The hollow cover may have a hollow cover proximal end and a hollow cover distal end, wherein the hollow cover proximal end may include a proximal aperture and the hollow cover distal end may include a distal aperture. In an exemplary embodiment, the elongated shaft may pass through the proximal and distal apertures of the hollow cover. The hollow cover proximal end may be slidably fastened around the elongated shaft and the distal aperture of the hollow cover may be capable of adopting a closed state and an open state. In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow cover may be capable of moving along a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft, towards the proximal and distal ends of the elongated shaft. In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow cover proximal end may be slidably fastened around the elongated shaft using a band which is twisted, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft, around the hollow cover proximal end. The band may be configured to fasten the hollow cover proximal end around the elongated shaft such that the hollow cover may be capable of sliding on the elongated shaft, along the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft and towards the proximal and distal ends of the elongated shaft. In an exemplary embodiment, the band may be an elastic band. In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow cover may be made of a resilient material.

[0009] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the shieldable swab assembly may further comprise a plurality of strings extending through the central duct of the elongated shaft. In an exemplary embodiment, each respective string of the plurality of strings may comprise a distal end extending out from the distal opening of the elongated shaft and a proximal end extending out from the proximal opening of the elongated shaft. In an exemplary embodiment, the distal end of each respective string may be attached to an outer surface of the hollow cover distal end. The distal ends of the plurality of strings may be arranged radially and concentrically around the hollow cover distal end. In an exemplary embodiment, the proximal ends of the plurality of strings may be attached to one another.

[00010] In one or more exemplary embodiment, the hollow cover may adopt a first state in which the hollow cover may enclose the collector tip and the distal aperture of the hollow cover may adopt said closed state in which the distal aperture of the hollow cover is closed around a distal end of the collector tip. In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow cover distal end may be squeezed and fitted around the collector tip when the hollow cover is arranged in the first state. [00011] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the hollow cover may adopt a second state in which the hollow cover may be moved along the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft, towards the proximal end of the elongated shaft, such that the distal aperture of the hollow cover may open and the collector tip or a portion of the collector tip may become uncovered.

[00012] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the hollow cover may adopt a third state in which the hollow cover — being in the second state — may be retracted towards the distal end of the elongated shaft by drawing the proximal ends of the plurality of strings away from the proximal end of the elongated shaft so that the collector tip may become surrounded by the hollow cover. In an exemplary embodiment, the third state may comprise drawing the proximal ends of the plurality of strings away from the proximal end of the elongated shaft until the collector tip may become surrounded by the hollow cover and the distal aperture of the hollow cover may become closed around the distal end of the collector tip.

[00013] In an exemplary embodiment, the elongated shaft may further comprise a stopper disposed on the elongated shaft, further apart from the proximal end of the elongated shaft, and on a rear side of the hollow cover proximal end. The stopper may be configured to prevent the hollow cover from sliding up to the proximal end of the elongated shaft and from being removed from the elongated shaft. [00014] This Summary may introduce a number of concepts in a simplified format; the concepts are further disclosed within the “Detailed Description” section. This Summary is not intended to configure essential/key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00015] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present disclosure, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example in association with the accompanying drawings in which:

[00016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary shieldable swab assembly carrying an exemplary slidable cover assembly, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[00017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary elongated shaft and the slidable cover assembly of the shieldable swab assembly in a separated scenario, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[00018] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the shieldable swab assembly carrying the exemplary slidable cover assembly, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[00019] FIG. 4A schematically illustrates the exemplary shieldable swab assembly with the hollow cover shown in a first state (in which the hollow cover encloses the collector tip) and a second state (in which the collector tip becomes uncovered), consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[00020] FIG. 4B schematically illustrates the exemplary shieldable swab assembly with the hollow cover shown in a third state in which the hollow cover, being in the second state, is retracted towards the distal end of the elongated shaft and the collector tip becomes surrounded by the hollow cover, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and [00021] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method for sampling oropharyngeal mucosa using the exemplary shieldable swab assembly, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00022] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings related to the exemplary embodiments. However, it should be apparent that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.

[00023] The following detailed description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the methods and devices disclosed in exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments are provided only as representative examples. Various modifications to the exemplary implementations will be plain to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations and applications without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[00024] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the disclosed steps, functions or acts may eventuate out of the order illustrated in the figures or disclosed in the following specification. For example, two operations or steps shown in succession may be accomplished substantially concurrently or may be accomplished in a reverse order, depending on the involved steps/acts/functionality.

[00025] The terms used in the present disclosure may generally have their ordinary meanings in the related art, within the scope of the present disclosure and the specific context where each term is mentioned. Some of the terms that are used within the present disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in the description. It is to be understood that a term or phrase may be used in more than one way.

[00026] Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one of the terms mentioned herein. Meanwhile, no special significance is intended to be placed upon whether or not a term is described herein. Mentioning one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in the present disclosure is illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope and context of the specification.

[00027] It must be noted that, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” as used in the present disclosure, may include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[00028] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “constituting,” “containing,” “consisting of,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unmentioned method/process steps or elements.

[00029] Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” “one exemplary embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” “some exemplary embodiments,” and “one or more exemplary embodiments” indicate that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection or association with the embodiment may be included in at least one of such embodiments. However, the appearance of such phrases in various places in the present disclosure do not necessarily refer to a same embodiment or embodiments.

[00030] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

[00031] The term “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately” as used herein, may indicate that a value(s) may include an inherent variation of error for a method being employed, a device, or a variation that may exist among the subjects/factors of a study.

[00032] Sampling swabs that may generally comprise an elongated stick/shaft/stem and a collector tip — secured at one end — are common tools for collecting samples of organic/biological fluids, tissues, etc. In some instances, a collector tip may be inserted and dipped into a canal or an area to reach a target site. In an exemplary embodiment, a target site may refer to a site from which a sample is to be collected. In such cases, the collector tip may be prone to touching the neighboring areas around the target site(s). For example, collection of cervical mucus may be accomplished by inserting a collector tip of a sampling swab through a subject’s vagina without contacting the vagina’s wall. Meanwhile, the sampling swab may be ideally withdrawn without contacting the vagina wall. Other cases for use of such a sampling swab may include, but are not limited to, rectal wall sampling, oropharyngeal sampling, nasopharyngeal sampling, nasal sampling, oral sampling, laryngeal sampling, etc. Contact of a collector tip to surrounding sites other than the target site may result in secondary and/or environmental contamination of a sample and, therefore, erroneous analytical results. [00033] The present disclosure, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments, is directed towards an exemplary shieldable swab assembly. The shieldable swab assembly of the present disclosure may comprise a slidable cover assembly configured to protect a collector tip of the shieldable swab assembly from touching other sites surrounding an exemplary target site. Thus, the slidable cover assembly may protect the collector tip from secondary contamination, environmental contamination, an/or cross-contamination pre, post, or during a sampling procedure. Meanwhile, exemplary shieldable swab assembly of the present disclosure may decrease the risk of disease transmission to healthcare personnel/operator.

[00034] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described primarily in context of said shieldable swab assembly. However, it will be appreciated that the embodiments illustrated in the attached figures and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the shieldable swab assembly defined in the appended claims. Thus, physical characteristics and specific dimensions related to the disclosed exemplary embodiments are not intended to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. Meanwhile, the present disclosure may pertain to any applicator used for sampling a specimen and any kit comprising the same.

[00035] The term “cover” and its derivatives as used herein may be employed interchangeably with the terms “surround,” enclose,” “enshroud,” and the like. Such terms may refer to a state at which something may be extended over an entire or at least a portion of an object, e.g., the collector tip of the shieldable swab assembly.

[00036] The term “sampling site” and “target site” as used herein may refer to any location or site from which a specimen is intended to be collected. These terms may be used interchangeably with all terms or phrases that may have a same or similar meaning with “sampling site” and “target site”. [00037] Referring to the figures, FIGs. 1 to 3 illustrate exemplary embodiments of the shieldable swab assembly. It is to be understood that structure and configuration of the shieldable swab assembly and the slidable cover assembly may not be limited to the embodiments shown in these figures. More particularly, FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of exemplary shieldable swab assembly 100 carrying exemplary slidable cover assembly 102, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of exemplary elongated shaft 104 and slidable cover assembly 102 of shieldable swab assembly 100 in a separated scenario, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of shieldable swab assembly 100 carrying slidable cover assembly 102, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGs. 1-3, shieldable swab assembly 100, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments, may include elongated shaft 104, collector tip 106 secured around distal end 206 of elongated shaft 104, and slidable cover assembly 102. In an exemplary embodiment, elongated shaft 104 may include distal end 206, proximal end 112, and central duct 302 (see FIG. 3). Central duct 302 may extend through elongated shaft 104, along a longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104, from distal end 206 towards proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104. Distal end 206 may comprise distal opening 114 and proximal end 112 may comprise proximal opening 304. As stated above, shieldable swab assembly 100 may be provided with slidable cover assembly 102 which may be carried by elongated shaft 104. Slidable cover assembly 100 may include hollow cover 116 — configured to protect collector tip 106 from contamination (by enclosing collector tip 106) — and a plurality of strings 118 extending through central duct 302 of elongated shaft 104. In an exemplary embodiment, hollow cover 116 may include hollow cover proximal end 201 and hollow cover distal end 203 (see FIG. 2); hollow cover proximal end 201 may comprise proximal aperture 202 and hollow cover distal end 203 may comprise distal aperture 204. Hollow cover proximal end 201 may be slidably fastened around elongated shaft 104, on a rear side of collector tip 106. Elongated shaft 104 may pass through proximal and distal apertures (202 and 204, respectively) of hollow cover 116. In an exemplary embodiment, hollow cover proximal end 201 may be slidably fastened around elongated shaft 104 using band 124 (such as a grommet, a washer and the like) which may be twisted, perpendicular to longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104, around hollow cover proximal end 201. Band 124 may fasten hollow cover proximal end 201 around elongated shaft 104, such that hollow cover 116 may be capable of sliding on elongated shaft 104, along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104 and towards proximal and distal ends (112 and 206, respectively) of elongated shaft 104. In an exemplary embodiment, distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 may be capable of adopting a closed state 406 and an open state 408 (both of closed and open states (406 and 408, respectively) are explained in detail in FIGs. 4A-4B). Hollow cover 116 may be capable of moving along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104, towards distal and proximal ends (206 and 112, respectively) of elongated shaft 104. In an exemplary embodiment, band 124 may be an elastic band.

[00038] Referring again to FIGs. 1 to 3, as mentioned above, slidable cover assembly 102 may further comprise plurality of strings 118 extending through central duct 302 of elongated shaft 104. FIG. 3 illustrates how plurality of strings 118 may be disposed/arranged inside central duct 302, consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Each respective string of the plurality of strings 118 may have distal end 120 extending out from distal opening 114 of elongated shaft 104, and proximal end 122 extending out from proximal opening 304 of elongated shaft 104. In an exemplary embodiment, distal end 120 of each respective string of the plurality of strings 118 may be attached to an outer surface of hollow cover distal end 203. Distal ends (120) of plurality of strings 118 may be arranged radially and concentrically around hollow cover distal end 203. In an exemplary embodiment, proximal ends (122) of plurality of strings 118 may be attached to one another (see knot 132 in FIGs. 1 to 3). In an exemplary embodiment, plurality of strings 118 may be used for moving hollow cover 116 along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104, as described with further details below in context of descriptions of FIGs. 4A and 4B. [00039] In one or more exemplary embodiments, hollow cover 116 may be configured to adopt a first state, a second state, and a third state (shown in FIGs. 4A-4B). FIG. 4A schematically illustrates exemplary shieldable swab 100 assembly with hollow cover 116 shown in first state 402 (in which hollow cover 116 encloses collector tip 106) and second state 404 (in which collector tip 106 becomes uncovered), consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4A, in first state 402, hollow cover 116 may enclose collector tip 116 while distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 may adopt closed state 406. Closed state 406 may refer to a state in which distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 may be closed around distal end 107 of collector tip 106. The diameter of distal aperture 204 in closed state 406 may be less than its diameter in open state 408, such that hollow cover distal end 203 becomes squeezed and fitted around collector tip 106.

[00040] With further reference to FIG. 4A, hollow cover 116 may further adopt second state 404 in which hollow cover 116 may be moved along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104, towards proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104, such that distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 opens (see open state 408 in FIG. 4A) and collector tip 106 or a portion of collector tip 106 becomes uncovered. For example, collector tip 106 may be uncovered to collect a specimen or to dispense a collected specimen on a physical substrate or in a liquid, such as a buffer or growth medium.

[00041] FIG. 4B schematically illustrates exemplary shieldable swab assembly 100 with hollow cover 116 shown in third state 410 in which hollow cover 116 — being in second state 404 — is retracted towards distal end 206 of elongated shaft 104 and collector tip 106 becomes surrounded by hollow cover 116, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4B, hollow cover 116 may adopt third state 410 in which hollow cover 116 — being in second state 404 — may be retracted towards distal end 206 of elongated shaft 104 by drawing proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118 away from proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 so that collector tip 106 may become surrounded by hollow cover 106 and distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 may adopt closed state 406.

[00042] Referring again to FIGs. 1-3, elongated shaft 104 may further comprise stopper 126 disposed on elongated shaft 104, further apart from proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104, and on a rear side of hollow cover proximal end 201. Stopper 126 may be configured to prevent hollow cover 116 from sliding up to proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 and from being removed from elongated shaft 104. In an exemplary embodiment, elongated shaft 104 may further include handle 128 — circumscribing around proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 and further apart from proximal end 112 towards stopper 126 — that may facilitate holding shieldable swab assembly 100 in hand (between fingers). Meanwhile, one or more breakpoints, e.g., breakpoint 130, may be provided on elongated shaft 104 that may allow to safely and easily break off elongated shaft 104 at breakpoint 130 and release collector tip 106. In an exemplary embodiment, breakpoint (e.g., breakpoint 130) may refer to a site/point on an elongated shaft (positioned on a predetermined location on an elongated shaft, on a rear side of a collector tip) where the body of an elongated shaft may become smaller in width (compared to the rest of elongated shaft’s body), i.e., may be reduced in thickness, such that an elongated shaft may be easily broken off (for example by bending an elongated shaft at a breakpoint).

[00043] In an exemplary embodiment, collector tip 106 may be available in different shapes, sizes, and materials based upon different applications. Collector tip 106 may comprise of different materials including, but not limited to, rayon, nylon, polyester, cotton, polyurethane, calcium alginate, and other synthetic, natural, and composite materials. Meanwhile, collector tip 106 may be manufactured in different shapes including, but not limited to, spoon shaped, paddle shaped, brush shaped, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, hollow cover 116 may comprise of a resilient material, such as plastic, however, the employed material for production of hollow cover 116 may not be limited thereto.

[00044] Shieldable swab assembly 100 may be manufactured in different dimensions (based on the application of shieldable swab assembly 100) that may enable its easy movement to different target sites. Elongated shaft 104 of shieldable swab assembly 100 may comprise of different materials, e.g., plastic, etc.

[00045] In one or more exemplary embodiments, shieldable swab assembly 100 may be used for rectal wall sampling, oropharyngeal sampling, nasopharyngeal sampling, nasal sampling, oral sampling, vagina sampling, laryngeal sampling, etc. FIG. 5 illustrates exemplary method 500 for sampling oropharyngeal mucosa using shieldable swab assembly 100, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, method 500 may comprise: inserting and dipping shieldable swab assembly 100 from its distal end 206 into a subject’s mouth until collector tip 106 reaches the target site, i.e., the subj ect’ s throat and/or tonsils (step 502); uncovering collector tip 106 of shieldable swab assembly 100 (either entirely or partially) by drawing backward hollow cover 116 of shieldable swab assembly 100 along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104 — towards proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 — such that distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 opens and collector tip 106 or a portion of collector tip 106 becomes uncovered (step 504); rubbing collector tip 106 of shieldable swab assembly 100 across the target site, i.e., throat and/or tonsils, to collect mucosa (step 506); drawing/pulling proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118 away from proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 so that collector tip 106 becomes surrounded by hollow cover 116 (step 508); and withdrawing shieldable swab assembly 100 from the subject’s mouth (step 510).

[00046] Further referring to FIG. 5, step 502 may comprise inserting and dipping shieldable swab assembly 100 from its distal end 206 into a subject’s mouth until collector tip 106 reaches the target site, i.e., the subject’s throat and/or tonsils. In an exemplary embodiment, shieldable swab assembly 100 may be pre- sterilized and packed within a disposable package to be protected from environmental contaminations. As discussed earlier, shieldable swab assembly 100 may have handle 128, circumscribing proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 and further apart from proximal end 112 towards stopper 126. An operator may hold shieldable swab assembly 100 between his fingers using handle 128.

[00047] Step 504 may comprise uncovering collector tip 106 of shieldable swab assembly 100 (either entirely or partially) by drawing backward hollow cover 116 of shieldable swab assembly 100 along longitudinal axis 208 of elongated shaft 104 — towards proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 — such that distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 opens and collector tip 106 or a portion of collector tip 106 becomes uncovered. For example, an operator may hold shieldable swab assembly 100 with one hand and grip hollow cover 116 or band 124 with the other hand. The operator may then draw/slide back hollow cover 116 such that an entire or at least a portion of collector tip 106 becomes uncovered/exposed. As discussed previously, stopper 126 may be configured to prevent hollow cover 116 from sliding up to proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 and from being removed from elongated shaft 104. As stated above (in step 506), after uncovering collector tip 106, an operator may rub collector tip 106 across the sampling/target site, i.e., throat and/or tonsils, to collect mucosa.

[00048] Step 508 may include drawing/pulling proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118 away from proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104 so that collector tip 106 becomes surrounded by hollow cover 116. For example, an operator may grip knot 132 and/or proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118 and pull them away from proximal end 112 of elongated shaft 104. The operator may release his hand and/or fingers from hollow cover 116 and/or band 124 when drawing/pulling proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118. In particular, in step 508, hollow cover 116 may adopt third state 410 shown and explained in FIG. 4B. In an exemplary embodiment, proximal ends 122 of plurality of strings 118 may be pulled away until distal aperture 204 of hollow cover 116 may be closed around distal end 107 of collector tip 106 and hollow cover distal end 203 becomes squeezed and fitted around collector tip 106.

[00049] With further reference to FIG. 5, step 510 may comprise withdrawing shieldable swab assembly 100 from the subject’s mouth. During step 510, hollow cover 116 may protect collector tip 106 from touching the neighboring/surrounding sites around the subj ect’ s throat and tonsils, e.g., tongue, buccal mucosa, teeth, palate, saliva, gingiva, etc. In general, contact of a swab tip (e.g., collector tip 106) to surrounding sites of a target site during swab-sampling may result in erroneous analytical test results. After withdrawing shieldable swab assembly 100, an operator may again uncover collector tip 106 — by drawing/sliding backward hollow cover 116 along longitudinal axis 208 — and bend elongated shaft 104 at breakpoint 130 to break elongated shaft 104 and release/separate collector tip 106 (for example in a tube). An operator may also preserve shieldable swab assembly 100 in its original state (i.e., may not separate collector tip 106). [00050] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.

[00051] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain. [00052] The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.

[00053] Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.

[00054] It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. An element proceeded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[00055] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[00056] It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study, except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as “first” and “second” and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.

[00057] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it may be seen that various features are grouped together in various implementations. This is for purposes of streamlining the disclosure, and is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed implementations require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed implementation. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter. [00058] While various implementations have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more implementations and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the implementations. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any implementation may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other implementation unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and/or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the implementations are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.