Claims:We claim:
1. An apparatus (10) for sample collection, the apparatus (100) comprising:
a. A squeezable extraction tube (100) comprising:
i. a first portion (101) having a uniform cylindrical body with an opening (103), wherein the first portion (101) is having a flange (104) on the outer surface;
ii. a second portion (102) extending downwards from the first portion (101), wherein the second portion (102) has a tapered conical body with a flat base (105);
b. a detachable plug (106) comprising a ring (107), a flexible extension arm (108) and a nozzle (209); and
c. a cap (110) having an inner capping portion (111) and internal threading (112).

2. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second portion (102) is enabled for carrying pre-filled solution to mix with the protein antigen, forming a buffer solution.

3. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange (104) on the first portion (101) is enabled for separating the first portion (101) into an upper half (1011) having a threaded outer surface and into a lower half (1012) having a plurality of notches on the outer surface.

4. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper half (1011) of first portion (101) is enabled for fixing the cap (110) onto it and the lower half (1012) of the first portion (101) is enabled to fix the plug by press-fitting the ring (107) between the set of notches and the flange (104).

5. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle (209) is connected with the ring (107) by the extension arm (108), wherein the movement of the ring (107) is restricted by the flange (104) and the set of notches (109), wherein the nozzle (209) is configured to fit inside the opening (103) of the upper half (1011) of the first portion (101), wherein wad sealing is applied at the opening (103), wherein aluminium foil is used for the wad sealing.

6. The apparatus (10) for as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle (109) comprising a cylindrical input end and a conical output end with a hole, wherein inner diameter of the output end is wider than that of the input end of the nozzle (209).

7. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cap (110) having an inner threaded surface is enabled for fixing onto the upper half (1011) of the first portion (101) for sealing the buffer solution inside the second portion (102).

8. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner capping portion (111) upon integrating it with the second portion (102) is enabled to form a stand for holding the base (105) of the second portion (102) for keeping the extraction tube (100) upright.

9. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the extraction tube gets broader as moved from bottom to top of the extraction tube (100), wherein the narrower second portion (102) is enabled to allow breaking of a tip of a swab carrying the protein antigen.

10. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein total volume of the extraction tube (100) and the quantity of the pre-filled solution in the extraction tube as well as radius of the inner diameter of the input end and output end of the nozzle (209) are such that the spillage of the pre-filled solution is prevented even if the extraction tube falls horizontally on the ground.
Dated this 07th Day of January 2022

Priyank Gupta
Agent for the Applicant
IN-PA-1454
, Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
AN APPARATUS FOR SAMPLE COLLECTION

APPLICANT:
MYLAB DISCOVERY SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
An Indian entity having address as:
PLOT NO 99-B, LONAVALA INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVE ESTATE LTD,
NANGARGAON, LONAVALA, PUNE – 410401
MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

The following specification describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY
The present application does not claim priority from any other patent application.

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a field of a test kit for diagnostic purposes. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to an apparatus for sample collection.

BACKGROUND
With the surge of rising viral infection cases, a dire need has emerged of huge number of testing/diagnosing facilities. The idea of making an apparatus for sample collection using which citizens can themselves perform the diagnostic tests is gaining momentum. Traditionally available testing kits are complex. Assembling can be difficult as each kit contains a number of components such as vials, swabs, conjugate release pads, test lines, control lines, and adhesive backing. Also, there is limitation on speed of production of these number of components required for a single kit. Also, in the traditionally available testing kits, there are no means to control the number of drops of solution containing the antigen for performing the test.
Thus, there is a long-standing need of an apparatus for sample collection for diagnosis which solves above mentioned problems.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce the concepts related to an apparatus for sample collection for diagnosis and the concepts are further described in the detail description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor it is intended to use in determining or limiting the scope of claimed subject matter.

In one implementation, the apparatus for sample collection is disclosed. Further, the apparatus for sample collection comprises an extraction tube, a cap and a plug. The extraction tube comprises of a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is enabled with a uniform cylindrical body with an opening, and a flange on the outer surface to divide the first portion into an upper half and a lower half. The first portion is enabled to hold the cap and the plug onto it. Further, the second portion having a tapered conical body with a flat base extends downwards from the first portion. Further, the second portion is enabled for carrying a pre-filled solution. In an embodiment, the pre-filled solution may be a solution such as but not limited to a viral transport medium, a lysate, a saliva sample, a test sample, a medium, a swab sample, or a buffer solution. The pre-filled solution is mixed with a protein antigen from a test sample collected using a swab, thereby forming a buffer solution. Further, the plug is fixed on the first portion by press-fitting the ring between a set of notches and the flange. The cap is enabled for sealing the buffer solution inside the extraction tube when fixed on the upper half of the first portion. Further the cap is enabled with an inner capping portion for holding the base of the extraction tube. Further, the plug comprises a nozzle, a ring and an extension arm. The nozzle is connected with the ring via the extension arm. The nozzle is structured such that an output end of the nozzle is enabled with a wider inner diameter and an input end of the nozzle is enabled with a narrower inner diameter to enable a sloping angle towards the output end of the nozzle, thereby enabling the nozzle to drop out the pre-filled solution upon pressing the second portion of the extraction tube after installation of the nozzle at on the extraction tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the Figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the Figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer like features and components.

Figure 1a illustrates front view of an extraction tube (100) of an apparatus (10) for sample collection, in accordance with an embodiment of a present subject matter;
Figure 1b illustrates side view of the extraction tube (100), in accordance with an embodiment of a present subject matter;
Figure 2 illustrates top and bottom view of a plug (106) of the apparatus (10), in accordance with an embodiment of a present subject matter; and
Figure 3 illustrates top and bottom view of a cap (110) of the apparatus (10), in accordance with an embodiment of a present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment” in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus (10) for sample collection for self-diagnosis of viral infection. In one embodiment, referring to figure 1, the apparatus (10) may comprise a squeezable extraction tube (100). The squeezable extraction tube (100) further comprises a first portion (101) and a second portion (102). The first portion (101) is having a uniform cylindrical body with an opening (103). Further the first portion (101) may have a flange (104) on the outer surface. The squeezable extraction tube (100) may further comprise a second portion (102) extending downwards from the first portion (101). The second portion (102) may have a tapered conical body with a flat base (105). Further, the second portion (102) of the extraction tube may be enabled for carrying a pre-filled solution. The flange (104) on the first portion (101) may be enabled for separating the first portion (101) into an upper half (1011) having a threaded outer surface and into a lower half (1012) having a plurality of notches on the outer surface.
Furthermore, the upper half (1011) of first portion (101) may be enabled for fixing the cap (110) onto it and the lower half (1012) of the first portion (101) may be enabled to fix the plug by press-fitting the ring (107) between the set of notches and the flange (104).

Furthermore, the shape of the extraction tube (100) may get broader moved from bottom to top of the extraction tube (100). Here, the narrower second portion (102) may be enabled to allow breaking of the tip of a swab inside the extraction tube (100).

Now referring to figure 2, a detachable plug (106) of the apparatus for sample collection (10) for diagnosis is illustrated, in accordance with the embodiment of the present subject matter. In another embodiment of the apparatus for sample collection (10) for diagnosis the apparatus may comprise a plug (106) further comprising a ring (107), a flexible extension arm (108) and a nozzle (209). The extension arm (108) may connect the nozzle (209) with the ring (107). It must be noted that once the ring (107) is installed on the extraction tube (100), the upward movement of the ring (107) is restricted by the flange (104) and the downward movement of the ring (107) is restricted by the set of notches (109). The nozzle (209) may be configured to fit inside the opening (103) of the upper half (1011) of the first portion (101). In one embodiment, the opening (103) may be wad sealing. The wad sealing may be in the form of aluminium foil or plastic material sealed on top of the opening (103).
Further, the nozzle (209) comprising a cylindrical input end and a conical output end with a hole for dropping out the pre-filled solution from the output end. The output end is enabled with a wider inner diameter as compared to the inner diameter of the input end of the nozzle (209). The difference in inner diameter of the input end and output end causes dropping out pre-filled solution.

Now referring to figure 3, a cap (110) of the apparatus for sample collection (10) for diagnosis is illustrated, in accordance with the embodiment of the present subject matter. The apparatus (10) for sample collection in another embodiment may comprise of a cap (110) having an inner capping portion (111) and internal threading (112). Further, the internal threading (112) is enabled for fixing onto the upper half (1011) of the first portion (101) for sealing the pre-filled solution inside the second portion (102). Further, the inner capping portion (111) is enabled with a gasket/ O-ring on its periphery. The gasket/ O-ring may be enabled to tighten the cap (110) onto the threaded upper half (1011) of the first portion (101), thereby preventing spillage of the pre-filled solution.
The inner capping portion (111) may be enabled to form a stand for holding the base (105) of the second portion (102) for keeping the extraction tube upright, in another embodiment.
The embodiments illustrated above, especially related to the apparatus (10) for sample provide following advantages:
• The apparatus (10) for sample collection for a diagnosis requires less time for conducting the test and yielding a result.
• Further, the apparatus (10) for sample collection for a diagnosis is capable to conduct only one test using one extraction tube that reduces the risk of mixing up of the results.
• The total volume of the extraction tube and the quantity of the pre-filled solution in the extraction tube as well as radius of the inner diameter of the input end and output end of the nozzle are such that the spillage of the pre-filled solution is prevented even if the extraction tube falls horizontally on the ground.

Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure.

The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs or the description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.