A SAMPLING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF DE PRELEVEMENT

English Abstract

A sampling device for taking out a sample of a cell-containing liquid fluid,
such as an amniotic fluid, from a human or an animal body comprises a syringe
(10) with a fluid chamber and a sampling tube (29, 30). A volume of fluid may
be drawn along a first path into the fluid chamber via the sampling tube and
subsequently expelled from the fluid chamber along a second path. The device
further comprises a valve device (14) having a first position, in which a cell
filter (17) is included in one of said first and second paths, a second
position in which the other of said paths is defined so as to by-pass the cell
filter, and a third position, in which the fluid chamber is in communication
with a removable fluid sample receptacle (27).

French Abstract

Dispositif de prélèvement permettant de prélever un échantillon d'un liquide contenant des cellules, tel que le liquide amniotique, dans le du corps d'une personne ou d'un animal. Ce dispositif comprend une seringue (10) dotée d'un réservoir à liquide et d'un tube de prélèvement (29, 30). Un certain volume de liquide peut être aspiré le long d'un premier passage vers le réservoir par l'intermédiaire du tube, et ultérieurement expulsé hors du réservoir le long d'un autre passage. Ce dispositif comprend en outre un ensemble valve (14) pouvant adopter une première position dans laquelle un filtre cellulaire (17) est prévu dans l'un desdits passages, une seconde position dans laquelle le passage restant est délimité de façon qu'il contourne le filtre, et une troisième position dans laquelle le réservoir à liquide communique avec un récipient amovible pour échantillon liquide (27).

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A sampling device for taking out a sample of a
cell-containing liquid fluid from a human or an animal body and
comprising
a fluid chamber (10),
a sampling tube (29, 30),
means (13) for drawing a volume of fluid along a first
path (18, 19) into the fluid chamber via the sampling tube
and for subsequently returning said fluid from the fluid
chamber via the sampling tube along a second path (23, 25,
22, 30),
cell-filtering means (17) for filtering cells from said
fluid, a removable sample receptacle (27), and
a valve device (14) having a first position, in which the
cell filtering means (17) is included in one (23, 25, 22, 30)
of said first and second paths and a second position in which
the other (18, 19) of said paths is defined so as to by-pass
the cell filtering means,
characterized in that the valve device (14) has a third
position, in which the fluid chamber (10) is in communication
with the removable fluid sample receptacle (27).
2. A sampling device according to claim 1, wherein the sample
receptacle (27) has a vent (28).
3. A sampling device according to claim 2, wherein the vent
comprises a filter (28) of the type allowing gaseous, but not
liquid fluid to pass.
4. A sampling device according to any of the claims 1-3,
wherein the sample receptacle (27) is a hose or tube section
which may be closed at opposite ends.
5. A sampling device according to any of the claims 1-4,
wherein the valve device (14), the cell-filtering means (17),
and the fluid sample receptacle (27) are arranged in a common

housing (15), a free end portion of the sampling tube (29,
30) extending outwardly from said housing.
6. A method for operating the sampling device according to
any of the claims 1-5, said method comprising
positioning the valve device in one of said first and
second positions,
drawing a volume of body liquid into the fluid chamber
from a human or an animal body via the sampling tube
positioning the valve device in its third position,
expelling a first part of the fluid volume from the fluid
chamber so as to at least partly fill the sample receptacle
with liquid fluid,
positioning the valve device in the other of said first
and second positions, and
expelling a second part of the fluid volume from the
liquid chamber so as to return filtered fluid to said body.

Description

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A SAMPLING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a sampling device for taking
out a sample of a cell-containing liquid fluid from a human
or an animal body.
A sampling device of this type for taking out a sample of a
cell-containing amniotic fluid from an amniotic cavity is
known from EP 0471721 and US-A-5,000,192. These prior
publications disclose a method in which a syringe is used for
removing an amniotic fluid specimen from a pregnant woman
preparatory to a laboratory analysis. This known method
includes the steps of inserting a hollow needle into the
uterus, withdrawing fluid therefrom into the syringe,
filtering the fluid within the syringe so as to maintain
embryonal cells, and returning the filtered fluid into the
uterus.
The present invention provides a sampling device by means of
which it is possible to take out not only a sample with an
increased concentration of cells, but also a fluid sample in
the same operation.
The sampling device according to the invention for taking out
a sample of a cell-containing liquid fluid from a human or an
~n;m~l body comprises a fluid chamber, a sampling tube, means
for drawing a volume of fluid along a first path into the
fluid ch~mhPr via the sampling tube and for subsequently
returning said fluid from the fluid chamber via the sampling
tube along a second path, cell-filtering means for filtering
cells from said fluid, and a valve device having a first
position, in which the cell-filtering means is included in
one of said first and second paths, and a second position, in
which the other of said paths is defined so as to by-pass the
cell filtering means, and the sampling device according to
the invention is characterized in that the valve device has a
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third position, in which the fluid chamber is in
communication with a removable fluid sample receptacle.
The sampling device according to the invention may be used
not only for taking out a sample of an amniotic fluid for the
purpose described in the above EP 0471721 and US-A-5,000,192,
but also for taking out samples of other kinds of
cell-containing liquid body fluids, such as blood, and the
free end of the sampling tube may be defined by or connected
to a hollow needle or cannula for penetrating the wall of a
body cavity from which a sample should be taken out.
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When the sampling tube has been placed in communication with
~ an amniotic cavity, a blood vessel, or another fluid
containing cavity of an animal or human body, and the valve
device has been positioned in one of its said first and
second positions, a suitable volume of body fluid is drawn
into the fluid chamber via the sampling tube. Subsequently,
the valve device may be positioned in the other of said first
and second positions and in said third position. When the
valve device is in its third position, a minor part of the
fluid volume is expelled from the fluid chamber so as to at
~ least partly fill the fluid sample receptacle. A major part
of the fluid volume is expelled from the fluid chamber when
the valve device is in said other position. This major part,
which has passed the cell-filtering means or cell-retaining
means may be returned to the body cavity via the sampling
tube.
Thus, the sampling device according to the invention may be
used for taking out a volume of a liquid sample, for
filtering cells from such sample, for retaining a minor part
of the sample, and for almost immediately returning the major
part of the filtered fluid to the body cavity from which it
was withdrawn.
The valve device may be of any suitable type, such as a
manually operatable three-way valve or cock, and the fluid
chamber may, for example, be defined by a syringe barrel and
by a piston displaceably arranged therein.
The sample receptacle may have a vent, which may, for
example, comprise a filter of the type allowing gaseous, but
not liquid fluid to pass.
When the valve device is in its third position it may define
a third fluid flow path including the filtering means, so
that the sample collected in the fluid sample receptacle have
been filtered. Preferably, the valve device is placed in its
second position when the fluid volume is drawn into the fluid
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chamber and is by-passing the filtering means. The valve
device may then be placed in its third position and as a
first expulsion step a minor part of the fluid volume may be
transferred from the fluid chamber to the fluid sample
receptacle via the filtering means. The valve device may now
be placed in its first position, whereafter the remaining
major part of the fluid volume is expelled from the fluid
chamber and returned to the body cavity via the first path
which includes the filtering means.
The sample receptacle may be of any suitable type and may,
for example, be in the form of a hose or a tube section which
may be closed at opposite ends. When a sample has been
collected in the receptacle its opposite ends may be closed
for example by means of clamps, whereafter the sample
containing receptacle may be removed from the sampling
device.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention the valve
device, the cell-filtering means, and the fluid sample
receptacle are arranged in a common housing, a free end
portion of the sampling tube extending outwardly from said
housing. A syringe defining the fluid chamber may be rigidly
mounted on the housing so as to obtain a unitary sampling
aevlce.
According to another aspect the present invention relates to
a method for operating the sampling device described above,
said method comprising positioning the valve device in one of
said first and second positions, drawing a volume of body
fluid into the fluid chamber from a human or an animal body
via the sampling tube, positioning the valve device in its
third position, expelling a first part of the fluid volume
from the fluid chamber so as to at least partly fill the
sample receptacle with liquid fluid, positioning the valve
device in the other of said first and second positions, and
expelling a second part of the fluid volume from the fluid
chamber so as to return filtered fluid to sa-d body.

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The invention will now be further described with reference to
the drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the
sampling device according to the invention,
Fig. 2 is a longit~ n~lly sectional view of part of the
valve device shown in Fig. 1 in an enlarged scale,
Fig. 3 is a top plane view of part of the sampling device
shown in Fig. 1, an upper housing part having been removed,
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the valve and the
surrounding housing,
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cell filtering
device, and
Figs. 6-8 diagrammatically illustrate the function of the
sampling device.
The sampling device shown in the drawings comprises a syringe
barrel or cylinder 10 having its one end mounted to a housing
comprising an upper shell 11 and a lower shell 12. A piston
13 is displaceably arranged within the cylinder 10. A three-
way valve or cock 14 comprising a valve housing 15 and a
valve member or valve plug 16 rotatably mounted in the valve
housing is arranged within the housing defined by the upper
and lower shells 11 and 12. The sampling device further
comprises a cell retaining or filtering device 17 and a vent
filter 28 positioned within the housing defined by the shells
11 and 12.
The valve housing 15 has a number of radially extending tube
stubs defining liquid inlet and outlet passages. Thus, the
syringe chamber defined within the cylinder 10 communicates
with a valve passage 18 as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6-8. A
valve passage 19 communicates with a flexible tube or hose 30
(Figs. 6-8) extending outwardly from the housing 11, 12
though a tubular exit 20, and the free outer end of the tube
or hose may be connected to a hollow needle or cannula 29
(Figs. 6-8). A valve passage 21 is connected to a filter
outlet end 22 via a hose (not shown) and a valve passage 23
is connected to a filter inlet end 24 via a hose 25 (Figs. 1
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and 6-8). Finally, a valve passage 26 is connected to a fluid
sample receptacle 27, which is indicated in Figs. 6-8, but
not shown in the other Figures. The fluid sample receptacle
27 is vented through the filter 28.
The operation of a sampling device will now be described with
reference to Figs. 6-8. When the valve member 16 is placed in
the position indicated in Fig. 6 the hollow needle or cannula
29, which is connected to the free end of the hose 30 may
penetrate the wall of a body cavity, such as an amniotic
cavity. The piston 13 may then be withdrawn so as to suck a
volume of liquid body fluid into the cylinder 10. Now, the
valve member 16 is turned to the position indicated in Fig.
7, and a small part of the liquid fluid is expelled from the
cylinder 10. The fluid expelled passes though the filter 17
and into the sample receptacle 27 while air is vented through
the filter 28. The valve member 16 may now be rotated to the
position indicated in Fig. 8, and the remaining part of the
liquid fluid may be expelled from the cylinder 10. The fluid
expelled passes the filter 17 retaining cells therein, and
the filtered fluid is returned to the body cavity via the
hose 30 and the cannula 29.

Representative Drawing