US 12,226,084 B2
Collection device and method
Justin Griffin, Scarborough, ME (US); and John Palme, Gorham, ME (US)
Assigned to IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME (US)
Filed by IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/363,279.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/046,742, filed on Jul. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0000456 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 10/00 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 10/0038 (2013.01) [A61B 10/0096 (2013.01); B01L 3/0224 (2013.01); B01L 3/508 (2013.01)] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A collection device for separating particles from a sample of matter and concentrating the particles therein for subsequent extraction and analysis, which comprises:
an elongated collection tube for holding an emulsion formed from mixing the sample of matter with a flotation solution used in separating the particles from the sample of matter, the particles being suspended in the emulsion, the collection tube having a sidewall, the sidewall including an inner surface, and defining a tube inner bore and a top opening in communication with the tube inner bore; and
a particle accumulating plug, the particle accumulating plug being mounted in the tube inner bore of the collection tube at the top opening thereof, the particle accumulating plug having an outer sidewall defining a plug inner bore, and an inner wall disposed within the plug inner bore, the inner wall of the plug being conically shaped to define an inverted funnel having an apex, the conically-shaped inner wall converging to the apex and having a pipetting port formed through the thickness thereof at the apex, the pipetting port being dimensioned to receive the tip of a pipette;
wherein particles suspended in the emulsion that rise in the collection tube are directed by the conically-shaped inner wall to accumulate within the funnel defined by the conically-shaped inner wall, providing a fluid thereat having a concentrated quantity of separated particles for extraction therefrom by the fluid being aspirated into the tip of the pipette inserted into the pipetting port.