JP2003279450A - Exhalation collecting container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an exhalation collecting container capable of easily confirming visually from the outside that the necessary and sufficient quantity of exhalation is collected in the exhalation collecting container such as a vial. <P>SOLUTION: This exhalation collecting container 10 has a container body 12 formed from a material nontransparent to the exhalation, and a lid body 13 adhering on an opening part of the container body. The container body and the lid body are equipped with a transparent or translucent see-through part at least on a part, and a needle sticking part for sticking a sample collection needle for collecting an exhalation sample in the container. The container is also equipped with a marker 14 whose property is changed by contact with an exhalation component. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exhalation collection container, and more particularly to an exhalation collection container capable of reliably collecting exhalation from a subject in an exhalation examination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of the methods for detecting an abnormality in a living body, a breath test method for measuring the substance composition in the exhaled breath or the concentration of a specific substance in the exhaled breath and their changes over time. It has been known. This breath test method
For example, after administering urea labeled with ¹³ C, which is a stable isotope of carbon, to a subject, exhaled breath is collected from the subject as a sample sample, and ¹³ C / ¹² C of carbon isotope present in carbon dioxide of exhaled breath is collected. It is a method of diagnosing functional abnormality in the body of a subject or the presence of a specific bacterial group by measuring the ratio with an analyzer.

As a container for collecting exhaled air in such an exhalation test method (exhalation collecting container), an exhalation bag made of a bag made of a plastic / aluminum foil laminated sheet or an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin film is used. A breath bag consisting of a bag has been widely used.

However, if such an exhalation bag is pressed during transportation or comes into contact with a sharp member, it may be broken and exhaled or leaked into the atmosphere. Furthermore, since the exhalation bag is difficult to maintain a certain shape and is bulky, the workability is poor when transporting a large number of exhalation collection bags, and a wide storage space is required. Further, depending on the analyzer, it is necessary to transfer the exhaled air in the bag to the vial.

On the other hand, when a vial is used as an exhalation sampling container, the outer shape of a normal vial does not change like a bag, so that it is not possible to confirm whether or not exhalation is sufficiently collected in the vial. It was In addition, JP-A-2000-
In the exhalation collection container described in Japanese Patent No. 193567, a bag is put in the container to check the collection of exhaled breath, but even if it is confirmed that some gas is contained in the bottle, It is not possible to confirm whether the gas inside is a sufficient amount of exhaled gas for analysis.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily confirm visually from the outside that a necessary and sufficient amount of exhaled air is collected in an exhaled air collecting container such as a vial bottle or a bottle similar thereto. The object is to provide a breath collection container that can be used.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the exhalation collection container of the present invention is formed of a material impermeable to exhalation in the exhalation collection container used for collecting exhalation of a subject. And a lid body attached to the opening of the container body, wherein the container body and the lid body have a transparent or semitransparent see-through portion at least in part, and an exhaled breath sample in the container. The container is provided with a needle piercing part for piercing a sample-collecting needle to be sampled, and a marker whose property is changed by contact with an exhaled breath component in the container.

Further, the exhaled breath collecting container of the present invention comprises a piece of paper, a piece of cloth or a powder or granules impregnated with a component whose color changes when contacted with the exhaled breath component, and is put into the container body. Alternatively, it is characterized in that a component that changes color by contact with an exhaled breath component is applied or attached to the inner surface of the container body.

Further, the component which changes color by contact with the exhaled breath component is a substance which reacts with carbon dioxide or water vapor in the exhaled breath, and is a composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue for carbon dioxide as main components or cobalt chloride for water vapor. It is characterized by being a composition containing as a main component.

[0010]

1 is a sectional view showing an example of a first form of an exhalation collection container according to the present invention. This exhalation collection container 11
Is formed of a bottomed cylindrical container body 12, a lid 13 attached to the opening of the container body 12, and a marker 14 inserted into the container body 12.

The container body 12 is made of a material that is impermeable to breath and is made of colorless and transparent glass or synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and has an outer shape such as a length and an outer diameter. And the volume are set corresponding to a sample container of an analyzer for analyzing the collected exhaled air, for example, a vial.

The lid 13 is airtightly attached to the container body 12 by a connecting means such as screwing or fitting, and a rubber is provided between the opening of the container body and the inner surface of the lid. An airtight packing 15 made of is provided. A through hole 17 for forming a needle piercing portion 16 is provided in a central portion of the top plate of the lid body 13. A sample collecting needle for collecting an exhaled breath sample in a container at the time of exhaled breath analysis is provided with this through hole. The container 17 can be pierced through the airtight packing 15 into the container.

The labeled body 14 contains a labeled component whose properties (physical properties) are changed by contact with the exhaled breath component when a sufficient amount of exhaled breath is blown into the container body 12 at the time of collecting exhaled breath, or contains this. As the substance, as the labeling component, a substance that changes its color when contacted with carbon dioxide, water vapor, acetone, etc., which are contained in exhaled air more than in the atmosphere, is preferable.

Further, it is also possible to use a labeling component which changes the shape of the labeled body 14, for example, one which expands, contracts or becomes sticky by contact with carbon dioxide or water vapor or reaction. Further, depending on the situation at the time of exhalation collection, a substance that causes a change in magnetic property, absorption wavelength, conductivity, electrochemical property, etc. can be used as the labeling component.

The shape of the labeling body 14 can be arbitrarily selected according to the properties of the labeling component. For example, when the labeling component is a solid, it may be used in the form of powder or granules itself, and can be molded into pellets or tablets for use, and other solid substances such as stabilizers and molding aids. It can also be used as a mixture with.

Further, when the labeling component is a liquid (including a solution in which the labeling component is dissolved), it can be used as it is, but the liquid is a suitable solid substance, for example, a piece of paper capable of holding the liquid. It is preferably used in a state of being impregnated with a cloth piece, cloth piece, powder or granules. The solid substance to be impregnated with liquid should be transparent or white or a light-colored substance that can confirm the discoloration when the discoloration of the labeled component is observed at the time of exhalation collection. Use something that does not interfere.

Whether the labeling component is solid or liquid, consideration should be given so that the labeling body 14 will not be scattered outside the container when the breath is blown into the container at the time of collecting the breath.

Representative examples of the labeling component that changes color upon contact with an exhaled breath component include a composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue as main components and a composition containing cobalt chloride as a main component. The composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue as main components changes from colorless to purple upon contact with carbon dioxide contained in a few percent of exhaled air. Further, the composition containing cobalt chloride as a main component changes from blue to pink or white upon contact with water vapor contained in the breath in a substantially saturated state.

Therefore, for example, when a composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue as main components is impregnated into a piece of paper such as filter paper as a labeling component and is put into the container body 12 as the labeling body 14, As shown in the explanatory view of FIG. 2, the container body 12 in which the subject 18 has removed the lid 13
When the straw 19 is inserted into and the exhaled breath is blown, the discoloration state of the marker 14 is visually confirmed from the outside of the exhalation collection container 11, so that a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide, that is, exhaled breath, is stored in the container body 12. It can be determined whether it has been collected. It is also possible to confirm the discoloration of the marker 14 using a device such as a spectroscope.

At this time, since the degree of discoloration of the marker 14 differs depending on the relationship between the amount of the marker component, in this case, crystal blue, and the carbon dioxide concentration, the carbon dioxide concentration in the container body 12 is measured by an analyzer, for example, When the concentration exceeds the concentration required for analysis by the mass spectrometer, for example, 0.5 vol% or more, preferably 1 vol% or more, the amount of the labeling component is adjusted in advance so that clear discoloration is observed. Just set it.

Further, since the labeling component composed of the composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue as the main components changes from purple to the original colorless when the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere decreases, the exhalation from the exhalation collection container 11 It is possible to know before the analysis that the carbon dioxide concentration has decreased due to the leakage of water and the invasion of the atmosphere. As a result, the cost required for the analysis can be reduced, and the re-collection of the exhaled breath can be quickly arranged.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the exhalation collection container of the present invention, in which the labeling component as described above is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 in the exhalation collection container formed in the same manner as described above. An example of applying or adhering the labeling body 14 containing a is shown. The same components as those of the exhalation collection container shown in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The means for applying or adhering the marker 14 to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 is arbitrary. When the marker component is solid, after applying an appropriate adhesive to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12, The labeling body 14 such as powder or granules may be attached to the surface of the adhesive. Moreover, if an adhesive having a property of allowing the breath component to pass therethrough is selected, the adhesive and the labeling component can be applied to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 in a mixed state.

When the marker component is a liquid, the marker component may be mixed with the breathable component permeable adhesive and applied to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 as described above. The impregnated paper piece, cloth piece, or the like may be attached to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12 via an appropriate adhesive.

Also in the exhalation collection container thus formed, it is possible to easily confirm that a sufficient amount of exhalation has been collected in the container by confirming the discoloration of the marker 14 at the time of exhalation collection. . Furthermore, in the case of the present embodiment example,
Even if the user breathes in strongly during exhalation collection, the marker 14 does not jump out of the container.

In both of the embodiments, an example in which the entire container body 12 is made of a colorless and transparent material is shown, but a transparent or semi-transparent see-through portion is provided in a part of the container body made of an opaque material. You may confirm the discoloration etc. of the marker 14 from this see-through part. Further, the container body 12 can be formed in any shape by using any material as long as it is a material that is impermeable to the exhaled breath, in particular, the component to be analyzed, and is limited to a hard material. not. For example, a dedicated exhalation blow-in port or a needle piercing portion may be provided separately from the lid through the check valve, and the container body may have elasticity to withstand a drop impact or the like.

[0027]

As described above, according to the exhalation sampling container of the present invention, it can be easily confirmed that a sufficient exhalation sample has been collected in the container. Therefore, even if the vial used in the analyzer is used as it is as the exhalation sampling container, reliable exhalation sampling can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a first form of an exhalation collection container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state during exhalation collection.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a second form of the exhalation collection container of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Breath collection container, 12 ... Container body, 13 ... Lid, 1
4 ... Marker, 15 ... Airtight packing, 16 ... Needle piercing part, 1
7 ... Through hole, 18 ... Subject, 19 ... Straw

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G01N 33/497 G01N 33/497 A 33/52 33/52 Z (72) Inventor Hidetoshi Yoshida Minato-ku, Tokyo Nishi-Shimbashi 1-16-7 Nihon Oxygen Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazutaka Kubota 1182 Haramachi, Shizu-shi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture F-Term (Reference) 2K045 AA25 AA28 CB22 DB01 DB22 FA18, Kyoto Institute for Organic Chemistry FB08 FB11 FB17 HA06 HA09 HA10 HA14 2G052 AA34 AB04 AB06 AD02 AD42 BA11 CA02 CA04 CA11 DA02 DA12 DA21 GA11 GA28 JA04 JA08 2G054 AA01 AA06 CA01 CA11 CE01 EA06

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An exhalation collection container used to collect exhaled breath of a subject, comprising: a container body made of a material impermeable to exhaled breath; and a lid body attached to an opening of the container body. The container body and the lid, at least a part of which is provided with a transparent or translucent see-through part, and a needle piercing part for piercing a sample-collecting needle for collecting an exhaled breath sample in the container, An exhalation collection container, characterized in that the exhalation collection container is provided with a marker whose properties change upon contact with an exhalation component. 2. The label body is a piece of paper, a piece of cloth, or a powder or granules impregnated with a component that changes color upon contact with the exhaled breath component, and is placed in the container body. The exhalation collection container according to 1. 3. The exhaled breath collection container according to claim 1, wherein the marker has a component that is discolored by contact with the exhaled breath component applied or attached to the inner surface of the container body. 4. The breath collection container according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the component that changes color by contact with the breath component is a substance that reacts with carbon dioxide or water vapor in the breath. 5. The composition which discolors upon contact with the exhaled breath component is a composition containing hydrazine and crystal blue as main components or a composition containing cobalt chloride as a main component. The breath collection container described in 3.