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-8420385-B2
Publication Date
2013-04-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
Swabs, and materials of the present disclosure, and methods of making same, include randomly arranged sea-island bicomponent fibers.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a swab configured to collect and release a biological sample comprising a liquid. The swab includes a flock fiber tipped applicator having flocked fibers that are sea-island bicomponent composite fibers, and the sea component is not removed from the island component.
The swab further includes fibers adhered to the applicator with an adhesive. The bicomponent fibers comprise a first polyester sea material and a second polyester island material, wherein the first polyester and the second polyester have at least one different property selected from melting point or solubility.
The bicomponent fibers are structurally stable in water. The described construction also includes sea-island bicomponent fibers with randomly arranged fibers, where sea material is not removed or dissolved, and the flocked fibers are attached to an applicator using adhesives, including polyurethane or UV-photo-curable adhesives.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claim coverage includes 3 inventive features for a biological sample collection and release swab with a flocked applicator using sea-island bicomponent composite fibers where the sea component is not removed, together with adhesive attachment and structural stability in water.
Biological-sample swab with flock fiber tipped applicator using non-removed sea-island bicomponent fibers
A swab configured to collect and release a biological sample comprising a liquid, the swab comprising a flock fiber tipped applicator, wherein the flocked fibers are sea-island bicomponent composite fibers, and the sea component of the composite fibers is not removed from the island component of the composite fibers.
Adhered fibers on the applicator
The bicomponent fibers are adhered to the applicator with an adhesive.
Sea and island polyester materials with different melting point or solubility and water structural stability
Bicomponent fibers comprising a first polyester sea material and a second polyester island material wherein the first polyester and the second polyester materials have at least one different property selected from the group consisting of melting point or solubility, said bicomponent fibers being structurally stable in water.
The claims cover a liquid-biological-sample swab with a flocked applicator using sea-island bicomponent fibers in which the sea component is not removed, with adhesive attachment and water structural stability, and with a first polyester sea material and a second polyester island material that differ in melting point or solubility.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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