WO2011073359A2 - Storage device for an animal tissue sample - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage device used for collecting a tissue sample from an animal. According to the invention such a device (11) comprises non-return means (12), said non-return means allowing the feeding of said sample into said storage device and preventing the extraction thereof.

Description

 Device for storing a tissue sample of an animal

 1. Field of the invention

 The field of the invention is that of control and / or identification of animals.

 More specifically, the invention relates to the removal of tissue from an animal, in particular to retain cells bearing biological or biochemical characteristics of the animal, for example to subsequently identify the animal or detect diseases of the animal.

 The invention makes it possible, in particular, to take tissue from cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, birds, fish or more generally from any animal species, which can be carried out with or without the simultaneous laying of an identification mark. .

 2. Prior Art

 In order to improve livestock monitoring, improve productivity (by eliminating sick animals, or by looking for singular genetic characteristics), and to guarantee the origin of animals intended especially for consumption, for example by detecting diseases, it is necessary to more and more often one or more tissue samples were taken from the animals concerned.

 Such a sample can be made directly on the animal, during the installation of an identification mark of the animal (at birth for example). Other samples may also be taken throughout the life of the animal, for example to detect diseases or certify the identity of the animal, by comparison of DNA sequences. Once collected, the tissue sample of the animal can therefore be stored and / or transmitted to a laboratory for analysis.

 Currently used sampling techniques can take a tissue sample of the animal during the installation of an identification mark, which can be visual or electronic.

Unfortunately, these sampling techniques require an adaptation of existing brands, both in terms of their structure and used materials. These constraints can lead to brand behavior problems, such as poor brand behavior or premature aging.

 There is therefore a need for a new technique for taking tissue from an animal that does not have all of these disadvantages of the prior art.

 In the French patent application filed under the number FR-08 58453, it has been proposed a device for taking tissue from an animal comprising:

 - sampling means having at least one cutting element for cutting a tissue sample of the animal; and

 - Storage means of the sample.

 According to this approach, the sampling means also comprise a pusher element movable relative to the cutting element, for pushing the sample into the storage means after cutting the sample by the cutting element.

 This new approach of taking a tissue sample from an animal is particularly simple and fast for the user, and does not necessarily require the simultaneous installation of an identification mark. It proposes to use two distinct elements, movable relative to each other, including a cutting element for cutting the tissue sample, and a push element to push the sample in the means of storage.

 Tissue cutting and storage operations are therefore performed during sample collection.

The use of separate elements for these two operations has many advantages. For example, cutting the tissues and then pushing the sample into the storage means ensures a good cutting of the sample, and to prevent hair remaining trapped between the walls and the cap of the means of storage. These two distinct elements also make it possible to obtain a better sampling. Indeed, since the cutting element is not intended to be inserted into the storage means, it is possible to increase the size of the cutting element, that is to say the length of its cutting edge, and therefore to increase the size of the sample taken.

 According to a particular aspect, the pusher element may comprise a reservoir which may contain at least one drying agent and / or preservative, in the form of powder or granules, liquid or gel. The use of such an agent allows the preparation of the sample. This preparation is not always obligatory and may in particular depend on the type of subsequent analysis and / or the delay between sampling and analysis of the sample.

 In another aspect, the storage means comprise a sampling tube and a tube head, the tube head comprising means for securing to the pusher element.

 In particular, the tube head comprises a cap pierced with a central opening and a collar intended to bear on the rim of the sampling tube.

 According to this aspect, during laboratory treatments, the sampling tube is opened (by extraction of the tube head in which the pusher element is "jammed"), and a liquid solution is inserted into the tube to obtain a reaction, depending on the type of sample desired (virus search, DNA sampling ...).

 A disadvantage of this approach is that it is necessary to wait a longer or shorter time before the reaction takes place. In the laboratory, when very many tubes have to be processed in parallel, these waiting times are complex to manage.

A pipette must then be inserted into the sampling tube to take a portion of the liquid for analysis. It appears in some cases that the sample remains stuck to the pipette and / or other laboratory equipment. This poses, of course, a problem, since the systems are robotized, for example to allow a parallel sampling of 96 tubes, according to the SBS format (from the name of Society for Biomolecular Sciences ®, "society of biomolecular sciences" in French). The presence of a sample extracted by mistake a sampling tube can disrupt treatments, and "pollute" other samples taken simultaneously.

 Finally, for some applications, it appears that the use of a solid drying agent is not sufficiently functional to prepare the sample for long-term preservation, which is particularly necessary for DNA controls.

 3. Presentation of the invention

 The invention proposes a solution to this problem in the form of a storage device for collecting a tissue sample from an animal.

 According to the invention, such a storage device comprises antiretour means. These non-return means allow the introduction of said sample into said storage device and prevent its extraction.

 In other words, the anti-return means present in the storage device allow the passage of the sample in one direction. For example, if the storage device takes the form of a sampling tube, the non-return means allow the passage of the sample from the inlet of the tube to the bottom of this tube.

 The non-return means proposed according to the invention thus make it possible to maintain the sample in the storage device after sampling. In this way, it is no longer possible to mistakenly extract a sample from a sampling tube when a pipette and / or other laboratory equipment comes into contact with the sample. This avoids the loss of certain samples and the risk of contamination of other samples.

 These non-return means may for example be formed by a washer pierced at its center. The puck then takes the form of a crown.

 According to one variant, the washer has a plurality of flexible blades (also called claws) extending towards said center.

Such a washer, which can be fixed inside the storage device, allows the passage of said sample in one direction, and prevents its return, and thus its extraction by mistake. The fixing of the washer inside the storage device avoids its withdrawal when opening the storage device.

 Alternatively, the slats can be inclined, their free end being directed towards the bottom of the storage device (that is to say, inclined in a direction opposite to the inlet of the storage device).

 Such a configuration facilitates the passage of the sample in a single direction from the inlet to the bottom of the storage device.

 Note that the washer and / or the slats must be sufficiently flexible to allow the passage of the sample.

 Advantageously, such a storage device comprises a sampling tube and a tube head inserted at least partially into the sampling tube.

 Such a tube head comprises for example a cap pierced with a central opening and a collar intended to bear on the rim of the sampling tube.

 The use of a tube head provides many benefits. First, it can provide a support on which the cutting element can rely to properly cut the animal's tissues. It also allows the closure of the sampling tube, for example by interlocking or clipping a pusher element and / or a cutting element in the tube head. In addition, the presence of such a tube head makes it possible to automate the opening of the tubes by the analysis laboratories by decapping the tube head so that only the sample (and the non-return means) stays inside the tube.

 According to a particular characteristic, the non-return means are positioned at the end of the tube head inserted into the sampling tube.

In this way, a pusher element making it possible to push the sample into the sampling tube as described in the aforementioned French patent application FR-08 58453, can push the sample taken through the non-return washer, and close the central opening of the tube head. During the opening of the sampling tube, carried out by extracting the tube head and the pusher element secured to the tube head, it is thus ensured that the sample remains inside the sampling tube, for example thanks to the claws of the washer.

 In another aspect, such a storage device contains a preservative (such as a desiccant) and / or reagent.

 Such an agent makes it possible in particular to improve the preservation of the sample, and possibly to prepare it for further processing such as DNA analysis. It can take the form of any product that can act on a sample.

 In particular, the storage device comprises a sealing cover, isolating said agent and capable of being pierced during the insertion of said sample.

 Such a cap is for example positioned at the outlet of the non-return means, or at the outlet of the tube head, or at the inlet of the tube or the tube head. It can in particular be perforated by the pusher element, when it pushes the sample through the non-return means.

 For example, the agent can be in various forms, such as a gel, a cream, a fat, a liquid, a powder, a gas, an impregnated foam, etc.

 The seal seal makes it possible in particular to retain the agent before insertion of the sample, for example, by preventing the agent from flowing, drying out, moistening, etc., according to the form in which it is present. In a more general manner, such a cap makes it possible to preserve the specific properties of the agent.

 According to one particular characteristic, the storage device has at least two openings:

 a first opening for inserting the sample into said storage device; and

a second opening, distinct from the first opening, cooperating with removable closing means.

 The second opening can thus be used to extract the sample from the storage device.

 In this way, even though the pusher element and the sample are inserted into the storage device and at least partly obstruct the first opening, it is always possible to add a product such as a preservative or a reagent in the storage device through the second opening, without having to remove the sample.

 4. List of figures

 Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:

 FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary storage device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the storage device according to Figure 1, in which a sample is being inserted;

 Figure 3 shows the storage device according to Figure 1, the sample being placed in a preservative;

 Figure 4 is a sectional view of the storage device of Figures 1 to 3;

 Figure 5 illustrates an insertion operation of a pipette for processing a sample.

 5. Description of an embodiment of the invention

 5.1 General principle

 The general principle of the invention is based on the insertion of antiretour means in a device for storing samples of animal tissue, to ensure that the sample remains inside the storage device after sampling.

This avoids accidental withdrawal of the sample that can occur during the processing of the sample in a laboratory. An embodiment of the invention is described below, according to which the storage device is a sampling tube.

 5.1 Anti-return means

 As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention thus proposes, according to a first aspect, equipping a sampling tube 11 with non-return means of the sample, such as a flexible claw washer 12.

 In this way, during the sampling of a sample, the sample is introduced into the sampling tube 11, passing through the flexible claw washer 12, and remains in the tube 11 during subsequent analyzes.

 In a first example, the sample is pushed into the tube 11 by a cutting element, for cutting a tissue sample. When removing the cutting element from the sampling tube, the claws of the washer 12 hold the sample inside the tube 11.

 According to a second example, the sample is pushed into the tube 11 by a pusher element, as described in the aforementioned French patent application FR-08 58453. According to this example, during sampling, the entire sample passes through the washer 12, and the pusher element (or extractor) passes at least partially through the washer 12 so as to ensure that the sample taken is located between the washer 12 and the bottom of the tube 11.

 If the tube 11 is equipped with a tube head, as described in the aforementioned French patent application FR-08 58453, the pusher element then comes to seal the tube 1 1, for example by fitting into the head of tube.

Such an extractor may in particular be implemented by a double-action clamp, the first movement actuating the cutting element (punch) for cutting the ear, and the second movement actuating the extractor to push the sample cut into the tube January 1, and thus extract the cutting element, as described in the French patent application FR-08 58453 supra. In a laboratory, when opening the tube (made by extracting the tube head in which the extractor is jammed), the sample remains inside the tube 11, thanks to the claws of the washer 12. Thus, this washer allows safer laboratory operations. In particular, the sample can not remain attached to pipettes or other laboratory equipment, and therefore does not disturb the rest of the treatments.

 Other forms of the non-return means are also conceivable, such as a non-return valve, a washer pierced at its center made of flexible material, such as rubber, but not including slats, etc.

 5.2 Sealing means

 According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a sealing cover inside the tube 11, to retain a preservative and / or reactive agent inside the tube. It can especially be a liquid agent for a desired reaction for laboratory treatment. This seal, for example aluminum, is perforated at the passage of the sample and the cutting element and / or the pusher element.

 The insertion of the sample into this agent may allow, depending on the case, long-term preservation (for DNA monitoring) and / or simplified treatment in the laboratory, since:

 - It is not necessary, after opening the tube, to insert a preservative and / or reagent to obtain the reaction;

 nor is it necessary to wait for this reaction to take place.

5.3 Implementation of both means

 These two aspects, on the one hand the non-return means, for example in the form of a flexible washer, and on the other hand the sealing means, can of course be implemented independently of one of the other. They can also be implemented simultaneously, in the same tube.

In this case, according to one variant, it is possible for one and the same element to provide two functions, for example in the form of a pre-cut operculum or having zones of weakness and more resistant zones, designed so that after the operculum has been crossed by the sample and possibly the extractor, it can perform the anti-return function of the sample.

 5.4. Example of implementation of the invention

 Figures 2 to 5 illustrate an example of implementation of the invention for an animal tissue sample as described in the French patent application FR-08 58453 supra.

 It is thus considered that the storage device comprises on the one hand a sampling tube 51 comprising at least one opening, and on the other hand a tube head 52. The shape of the sampling tube 51 can be compatible with a support rack type sample tubes, comprising for example 24, 48 or 96 positions. The tube head 52 can be secured to the inlet of the sample tube by clipping or interlocking. It can be made of flexible material, especially rubber, to facilitate insertion into the neck of the tube.

 According to this example, the cutting element 21 is secured to a support 22.

The pusher element 23 is movable in translation inside the cutting element 21, along the axis of revolution of the cutting element (taking the form of a cannula for example). Such an assembly (cutting element, possible support, push element) can be delivered pre-assembled, which simplifies its use and limits the number of manipulations to be performed by the user.

 The tube 52 is equipped with a non-return washer 12 and a seal 13, for example at the outlet of the non-return washer.

 As illustrated in FIG. 2, during the sampling, the cutting element 21 is brought into contact with a flange of the tube head 51, serving as a bearing surface for correctly cutting the sample 53.

 The cut sample 53 is then inside the cutting element

21.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pusher element 23 slides in the cutting element 21, and pushes the sample 53 into the tube 52, through the non-return washer 12 and possibly the seal sealing 13. In the case where a seal is present, can be placed in advance (during the manufacture of the tube for example) a preservative and / or reactive in the tube. For example, such an agent is in liquid form, so that the sample bathes in this liquid as soon as it is inserted.

 As seen in FIG. 4, the cutting element 21 and its support 22 are then removed (for example during the opening of the sampling tongs), the pusher element 23 remaining present in the tube head 51. to close the tube 52 (thus forming plug). The pusher element 23, secured to the tube head 52 by force-fitting, for example, hermetically or almost hermetically closes the tube 51.

 According to this example, the end of the extractor 23 passes through the non-return washer 12 and, optionally, the lid 13, so as to ensure that the sample 53 is entirely housed inside the tube 52, that is to say between the non-return washer 12 and the bottom of the tube 52. The extractor 23 is thus pushed far enough into the tube 52, so that its end in contact with the sample is found beyond the non-return washer 12 towards the bottom of the tube, for example on 1 mm.

 In Figure 5, the tube head 51 was removed in the laboratory, to allow the various laboratory operations including pipetting.

 In this FIG. 5, there is a particular form of the non-return washer 12, having a star-shaped central cut-out, giving off a central access zone sufficient for pipetting. The slats of this washer 12 are configured to prevent the exit of the sample 53, even when it is hooked, for example due to suction, to a pipette 54.

 The material used is therefore flexible enough to allow the introduction of the sample, and to prevent its exit. It is of course possible to provide specific forms or freedoms of movement to facilitate the introduction while preventing the exit.

On the other hand, the presence of a preservative and / or reagent from the beginning makes it possible to keep the sample 53 long enough, including for DNA analysis deferred for several years, without the need to extract the sample for storage in another container.

 The preservative may also comprise one or more reagents, so that the laboratory treatment is simplified and accelerated: it is then enough, in fact, to open the tube 52 and to carry out the sampling (without it being necessary after opening, introducing a reagent, for example in liquid form, then waiting for the reaction to take place before sampling).

 The outer shape of the tube, and in particular its base 521 and / or its collar 522, are advantageously chosen to allow batch processing, and is for example adapted to the SBS format.

 According to one variant, such a tube may be equipped with two openings:

 a first opening allowing insertion of the sample; and a second opening cooperating with removable closure means (allowing for example the extraction of the sample).

 Thus, the base 521 of the tube 52 can be removable, or equipped with a removable cap, for pipetting, the neck 522 then remaining closed for example by the extractor, after sampling.

Claims

 A storage device (11) for collecting a tissue sample from an animal, characterized in that it comprises non-return means (12), said non-return means for introducing said sample into said storage device (11) and preventing its extraction.  2. Storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that said non-return means (12) are formed by a washer pierced at its center. 3. Storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that said washer has a plurality of flexible lamellae extending towards said center. 4. Storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a sampling tube (52) and a tube head (51) at least partially inserted into said sampling tube.  5. Storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that said tube head comprises a cap pierced with a central opening and a flange for bearing on the rim of said sampling tube. 6. Storage device according to any one of claims 4 and 5 characterized in that said non-return means (12) are positioned at the end of said tube head inserted into said sampling tube. 7. Storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it contains a preservative and / or reactive agent. 8. Storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a sealing cap (13) isolating said agent and capable of being pierced during the insertion of said sample. 9. Storage device according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that said agent is in one of the forms belonging to the group comprising:  a gel ;  a cream ; - a fat, liquid ;  a powder;  a gas ;  an impregnated foam. 10. Storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it has at least two openings:  a first opening for inserting said sample into said storage device; and  a second opening, distinct from said first opening, cooperating with removable closure means.