Collection device and material
Inventors
Young, Terry • TEMPLET, Timothy • Dube, Paul • DIXON, Todd • Lewis, Armand F. • Kim, Yong K.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10094744-B2
Publication Date
2018-10-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
Swabs, materials and methods of making same, include randomly arranged sea-island bicomponent fibers. According to certain embodiments, swabs and methods of using such swabs are provided so as to collect and release a biological sample comprising a flock fiber tipped applicator wherein the flock fibers are sea-island bicomponent fibers attached to an end portion of the applicator with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a photocurable acrylic adhesive and a polyurethane adhesive, the bicomponent fibers being structurally stable in water and the sea component of the bicomponent flock fibers being intact.
Core Innovation
A swab constructed to collect and release a biological sample includes a flock fiber tipped applicator. The flock fibers are sea-island bicomponent fibers attached to an end portion of the applicator with an adhesive selected from a photocurable acrylic adhesive and a polyurethane adhesive.
The sea-island bicomponent fibers are structurally stable in water, and the sea component of the bicomponent flock fibers is intact. The bicomponent fibers comprise 10-3000 island parts per fiber, and the sea-island bicomponent fibers are described as randomly arranged flock fibers formed by a flocking technique in which adhesive is applied to the applicator end portion and the bicomponent fibers become attached.
The documented example describes sea-island bicomponent fiber constructions with combinations including PET/PET sea-island and nylon/PET sea-island. The fibers are characterized using parameters such as denier/dtex, island mass, and fiber cut length, and the example reports a measured water pick-up of about 8.95% for a flocked fiber swab versus controls.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers a swab for collecting and releasing a biological sample using a flock fiber tipped applicator with sea-island bicomponent flock fibers attached by specified adhesives. The coverage includes at least three main inventive feature groups that refine the independent claim: the sea-island bicomponent fiber attachment and stability requirements, the island-parts-per-fiber limitation, and material/alkaline solubility relationships that further constrain the fiber pairings.
Flock fiber tipped applicator with sea-island bicomponent fibers
A swab constructed to collect and release a biological sample comprising a flock fiber tipped applicator wherein the flock fibers are sea-island bicomponent fibers.
Adhesive-selected fiber attachment with water stability and intact sea component
The sea-island bicomponent fibers are attached to an end portion of the applicator with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a photocurable acrylic adhesive and a polyurethane adhesive, wherein the bicomponent fibers are structurally stable in water and the sea component of the bicomponent flock fibers is intact.
Island parts per fiber limitation for the bicomponent flock fibers
The bicomponent fibers comprise 10-3000 island parts per fiber.
Specific sea/island polymer pairing for the bicomponent fibers
The swab includes bicomponent fibers comprising a polyethylene terephthalate sea material and a polyamide island material.
Island parts per fiber narrowed to 10-240
The swab includes fibers that contain 10-240 island parts per fiber.
Alkaline solubility comparison of polymer components using sodium hydroxide
A solubility comparison in an alkaline sodium hydroxide solution where a first polyester has higher solubility in an alkaline sodium hydroxide solution than a second polyester, with sodium hydroxide present at about 5% to about 50% by weight in water.
Alkaline solubility comparison at a specified heated temperature range
A solubility comparison in an alkaline solution heated to a temperature of about 170°F to about 190°F in which the first polyester has greater solubility than a second polyester.
Across the independent claim and its dependents, the inventive coverage centers on a biological-sample swab having a flock fiber tipped applicator with sea-island bicomponent flock fibers attached by photocurable acrylic or polyurethane adhesives, with water structural stability and an intact sea component, and with the bicomponent fibers comprising 10-3000 island parts per fiber, including narrower 10-240. Additional dependents further constrain the sea/island polymer pairing and require quantified polymer solubility relationships in alkaline sodium hydroxide solutions, including a specified heated temperature range.
Stated Advantages
Structurally stable flock fibers in water, with the sea component intact.
Documented Applications
Collect and release a biological sample using the described swab.
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