SYSTEM FOR BREATH SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

摘要

Systems and methods for collecting samples from a patient for diagnosis are provided. In many embodiments, the sample collection and analysis system concentrates particles emanating from a patient's cough, sneeze, or breathe in a sample for the diagnosis of a respiratory tract infection or other ailment of the patient. The sample collection and analysis system has a pre-collection assembly (that is patient interface, a collector in fluid communication with a sample reservoir that function in combination to: efficiently capture the volume of air expelled from the subject, direct the expelled air towards a sample reservoir, and separate the desired particle sizes from the expelled air into the sample reservoir.

主权项

1. A biological sample collector system comprising:
a pre-collection assembly configured to engage with a patient such that the entirety of the outflow of breath from the patient including any biological particulates contained therein is captured within the collector system; a sample reservoir defining a volume having therein a sample medium for entraining the target biological particulates in the sample medium to form a sample analyte suitable for diagnostic analysis; a collector in fluid communication between the pre-collection assembly and the sample reservoir, and having at its terminating end a fluid focusing nozzle, the collector being configured to select said biological particulates of greater than a target size from said outflow of breath and direct said target biological particulates into said sample reservoir such that efficient transfer of the target biological particulates into the sample medium is obtained; and wherein at least a portion of the outflow of breath flows through said pre-collection assembly and into said collector in any single breath, and wherein the remainder of the outflow of breath is temporarily stored within said pre-collection assembly.