Filtering Device for Dispensing and Filtering From Samples

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a filtering device and particularly to a disposable dispensing filtering device suitable for use in filtering dissolved and undissolved materials from chemical and biological samples. Especially, the device is useful for use in conjunction with automatic testing and evaluation equipment and kits wherein the sample to be tested is automatically transferred to a test vial which is housed in a base.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the past, it has been conventional to filter specimens with filtering devices that include a barrel, a plunger slidably disposed in the barrel, and a filter removably disposed on a nipple which is attached to the discharge end of the barrel. The filters which have been conventionally used have a female member which removably engages the nipple. The barrel has usually included a flange at the entry end, that is the end opposite the end having the nipple. This flange aids the user in grasping the barrel to enable the exertion of pressure on the plunger whereby the sample can be urged thrugh the filter and the nipple. Moreover, the inner diameter of the barrel has closely approximated the diameter of the plunger over the entire length of the barrel. Additionally, the top of the nipple was usually exposed so that the filtering device could only rest on its side.

We have now found that several improvements can be made on the basic design of the filtering device of the prior art whereby it is easier to handle, and more easily used with automatic equipment. We have found that the filter can be integrally disposed at the discharge end of the barrel. A support stand is also disposed at the discharge end of the barrel whereby to provide protection for the filter, and to enable the filtering device to be stood on its end, when the support stand and the nipple are constructed with a precise relation with each other. Moreover, when the support stand is constructed with a precise relationship with the flange at the entry end, the filtering device can be more easily used with automatic equipment in that the filtering device can be made to roll in a straight line on its side. Thus, the filtering device of the present invention can be either stood on its end, or allowed to roll on its side. Additionally, we have found that if the internal diameter of the entry end of the barrel is enlarged somewhat, or if a vent is disposed in it, the insertion of the plunger is easier and drool from the discharge end of the nipple is inhibited since entrapped air is allowed to escape through the entry end rather then forcing the sample through the filter prematurely.

In addition, we have found that through the use of a nipple with a support stand of a specific configuration around it, then the sample can be easily transferred to a sample vial, and vials of many different sizes can be accomodated in a base that is used to support them.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the plunger which is used with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines II--II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the barrel of the dispenser.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the barrel.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the joint between the barrel and the support stand shown in FIG. 7 showing a groove and a ring that is used for welding the parts of the dispenser together.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a nipple used for retaining the filter in the dispenser.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view showing the plunger disposed within the barrel.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the dispenser ready to be disposed over the mouth of a sample vial that is housed in a cavity in a base.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 7, the filtering device is formed of polypropylene and includes a barrel 1 with an open end 3 and a flow discharge end 5. A support stand 7 is disposed on the bottom of the barrel 1. The support stand 7 is preferably of a diameter larger than the diameter of the barrel 1 so as to provide for a groove 9 and an internal annular ring 11 that will be used to attach a nipple 15 to the filtering device. Attachment of the nipple 15 to the ring 11 is best accomplished by ultrasonic welding in which the plastic of the ring 11 bonds with the plastic that forms the edge 15c of the nipple 15.

Such bonding occurs through a layer of filter media 15a. The filter media 15a that is selected may be made from any of the filter media conventionally used in the art.

The filter media 15a is disposed inwardly beneath a stop 17 which is molded into the flow discharge end 15 of the barrel 1. In the preferred embodiment, the stop 17 includes an annular flange 17a and a pair of intersecting members 17b, best arranged in a grid or cruciform shape.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, the open end 3 of the barrel has a vent area 1b which has a diameter that is larger than the rest of the barrel 1. While the depicted embodiment shows an enlargement of the entire diameter of the open end 3, it may be possible to use one or more slots in a barrel of uniform diameter. The function of either of these embodiments is to enable the user to insert the plunger easily into the open end 3 of the barrel 1 and enable air that becomes entrapped inside to escape easily, without forcing the fluid sample in the filtering device to ooze into the filter. Either of these types of vent ports will enable the users to initially insert the plunger into the barrel 1.

For some applications, it may be desirable further to increase the internal diameter of the barrel 1 at the open end 3 to enable a user to easily introduce the plunger 21 into the barrel 1 (not shown). In any event, whether a two-tier diameter barrel or a three-tier diameter barrel is used, a flange 19 having a predetermined diameter is disposed around the mouth M of the barrel 1. The diameter of the flange 19 is the same as the outer diameter of the support stand 7. In this way, when the filtering device is laid on its side, it will roll in a straight line, which is especially useful with some automatic equipment. For example, when a group of filtering devices is stacked in a container prior to automatic handling, they can roll on a Z-shaped ramp so that they are easily arranged and dispensed while occupying a small area.

A plunger 21 is disposed in the barrel 1 and can be urged by applying force to the top 21a. In the preferred embodiment, the body of the plunger is formed of two intersecting members 21b and 21c. A channel 21e is disposed in the lower end 21d and an O-ring 22 is seated in it. The O-ring 22 will engage the interior of the barrel 1 and prevent discharge of the sample (after the plunger is urged past the vent area 1b). The face of the lower end 21d of the plunger can engage air which engages the fluid sample. While an O-ring 22 is the preferred means to prevent discharge, it is also possible to mold one or more flexible flanges on the lower end 21d which will exert a wiping action against the inner walls of the barrel 1.

The use of an O-ring 22 or similar sealing means on the lower end 21d enables a simplification of manufacture and of sterility in the sample being tested. In many of the devices of the prior art, the sealing is accomplished with a separately attached rubber wiper. Such wipers are more expensive and they also can contaminate certain samples in that the solvents used for the samples can leach some of the constituents of the rubber.

As previously mentioned, the filter media is disposed between the nipple 15 and the stop 17. The nipple 15 can be formed of a disc with a series of radial flow channels which lead into a central port 15b. The exterior of the central port 15b of the nipple 15 can be configured to match standard Luer specification but may be adjusted as required by the task to be performed. As can be seen most clearly on FIG. 7, the end of a nipple 15 terminates at a point spaced from a planar surface defined by the support stand 7 which is normal to the axis of the barrel 1 and the direction of movement of the plunger 21, whereby the device will stand on a surface with the exhaust nipple 15 spaced from the surface. In other words, the nipple 15 is wholly enclosed within the support stand 7.

While the plunger 21 and the barrel 1 have been described as being cylindrical, it will be understood that they can assume other cross-sectional shapes as well. For example, they could be triangular, rectangular, polygonal or hexigonal. The cylindrical form is preferred because of ease of manufacture, but as long as the plunger and barrel each have the same cross-sectional configuration (the piston being smaller, of course) with their walls being parallel or symmetrical to their axis respectively.

Turning now to FIG. 8, the filtering device is shown poised over a base member 30 with the nipple (not shown) in axial alignment with a vial 31 that is held within a cavity 33. Upon downward movement of the filtering device, the nipple will enter the mouth of the vial 31 to dispense a filtered sample for testing.

The perimeter of the support stand 7 engages the insides of a centering device that can be formed of upstanding legs 32 that are equidistantly spaced from the axis of the cavity 33.

A wide variety of sample vials an be disposed within the cavity 33, and axial alignment is assured through the use of an insert 34. Insert 34 has a central cavity 34a (which can have a base not shown) to elevate the vial 31 to a predetermined height to receive the nipple 15. The space between insert 34 and centering devices 32 can be concave so as to accomodate any spills that may occur.

An array of cavities 33 with a plurality of inserts 34 in the shape of hollow sleeves can be disposed in the base 30 with similar centering devices 32 that can be disposed on the base so as to receive a plurality of vials 31.

In operation of the filtering device, a sample of fluid is poured into the barrel 1. The sample to be filtered is disposed over the filter media 15a. The filter media can be any of those well known to the art in chemical and biological processes. For example, Teflon or Nylon having a predetermined porosity of between about 0.001 to 200 microns is satisfactory for the filter media. The Teflon is available from W. L. Gore and Associates and the Nylon is available from Cuno Laboratories Inc.

After the sample is poured in, the plunger 21 is grasped and inserted into the barrel 1. Initial entry of the face 21d of the plunger does not force the fluid sample through the filter media 15a or the nipple 15 because of the vent port 1b which provides relief to the entry of the face 21d. When the O-ring 22 engages the inside of the barrel 1, the fluid will be forced into the inside of 15b of the nipple 15. The air which is entrapped after the plunger passes by the vent 1b will urge against the sample in the barrel 1 and force the sample through the filter 15. When the lower end of the plunger 21d encounters the stop 17, the air cushion will urge all remaining sample in the barrel 1 through the filter 15a and into the nipple 15.

The nipple of the filtering device is within a sample vial 31 which is held in the base 30. The bottom 7a of the support stand 7 rests upon the edges of the cavity 32 in the base 30. The sample will be fully filtered and dispensed when the face 21d of the plunger engages the stop 17. When the plunger is fully depressed, the sample will be fully eliminated from the barrel and passed into the test vial 31.

It is apparent that modifications and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention, but it is our intention, however, only to be limited by the appended claims.