US 12,265,005 B2
Environmental DNA sample collector
Demian Willette, Los Angeles, CA (US); Emily Hawkins, Los Angeles, CA (US); and Joshua Simkin, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed by Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/208,865.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/351,284, filed on Jun. 10, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0400393 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/4005 (2013.01) [G01N 2001/4016 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An environmental DNA sample collector comprising:
a rigid housing;
a membrane receptable;
a membrane; and
a reversibly secured membrane holder, wherein:
the rigid housing has an upper end, a lower end, a first face, a second face, an interior, and an exterior, wherein the first face has a first right side, a first left side, and at least one first opening between the interior and the exterior and the second face has a second right side, a second left side and at least one second opening between the interior and the exterior;
the membrane receptacle is disposed in the housing in fluid communication with the at least one first opening or with the at least one second opening, the membrane receptacle comprising a space adapted to retain the membrane;
the membrane is disposed in the membrane receptable and configured to capture environmental DNA from a fluid environment when the environmental DNA sample collector is positioned within the fluid environment such that the membrane contacts the fluid environment; and
the reversibly secured membrane holder retains the membrane within the membrane receptacle.
 
15. An environmental DNA sample collector comprising:
a rigid housing;
a membrane receptable;
a membrane; and
a reversibly secured membrane holder, wherein:
the rigid housing is spherical in shape and comprises an upper half, a lower half, an interior, and an exterior, the interior including an interior surface and the upper half reversibly secured to the lower half in order to enable access to the interior, the rigid housing comprising a plurality of openings disposed between the interior and the exterior;
the membrane receptacle is disposed in the rigid housing in fluid communication with the plurality of openings, the membrane receptacle comprising a space adapted to retain the membrane and further comprising a pair of approximately parallel slots positioned on the interior surface, each slot of the pair of slots having a slot upper end, a slot lower end and a groove extending from the slot upper end to the slot lower end and having an opening at the slot upper end;
the membrane is disposed in the membrane receptable and is configured to capture environmental DNA from a fluid environment when the environmental DNA sample collector is positioned within the fluid environment such that the membrane contacts the fluid environment; and
the membrane holder comprises a flexible planar panel having a pair of approximately parallel sides, each parallel side of the flexible planar panel adapted to fit through the opening of a corresponding slot and in the groove of the corresponding slot.