DEVICES FOR COLLECTION AND STABILIZATION OF BIOMARKERS IN LIQUID SAMPLES
Device for collection and stabilization of biomarkers in liquid samples. In at least one embodiment of a fluid collection device, the device comprises a housing having a top end, a bottom end, and a tubular compartment therethrough, a swab connected to bottom end of the housing and in fluid communication with the tubular compartment, the swab designed to collect a body fluid, and a stabilizing agent contained within the fluid collection device, the stabilizing agent capable of completely or substantially preventing the degradation or inactivation of a diagnostic agent in a bodily fluid upon receipt of the bodily fluid into the fluid collection device. Optionally, the stabilizing agent may be coupled to the swab, and/or contained within the tubular compartment of the housing.
1 . A fluid collection device comprising:
a housing having a top end, a bottom end, and a tubular compartment therethrough;
a swab connected to bottom end of the housing and in fluid communication with the tubular compartment, the swab designed to collect a body fluid; and
a stabilizing agent contained within the fluid collection device, the stabilizing agent capable of completely or substantially preventing the degradation or inactivation of a diagnostic agent in a bodily fluid upon receipt of the bodily fluid into the fluid collection device.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent is coupled to the swab.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent is contained within the tubular compartment of the housing.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the tubular compartment comprises a stabilizer compartment containing the stabilizing agent and a sample compartment capable of receiving a body fluid from the swab.
5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the stabilizer compartment and sample compartment are connected by a channel having a barrier preventing fluid movement between the stabilizer compartment and the sample compartment.
6 . The device of claim 5 , further comprising a release mechanism capable of disrupting the barrier and allowing fluid movement between the stabilizer compartment and sample compartment.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a sealing mechanism capable of fluidly sealing the tubular compartment.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent is selected from the group consisting of Fixanal® Buffer 6.0 (Sigma-Aldrich Co.), acetic acid, aluminum hydroxide bentonite, aluminum sulfate hydrate, aluminum potassium sulfate dodecahydrate, benzoic acid, caffeine, and 3-tert-butyl-hydroxyanisole, or a combination thereof.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent comprises a plurality of stabilizing agents each present in approximately the same concentration.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent is selected from the group consisting of a protease inhibitor, a DNase inhibitor, and a RNase inhibitor.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic marker is selected from the group consisting of a protein, a glycoprotein, a nucleic acid, an enzyme, an enzyme inhibitor, and a metabolite.
12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent is useful to completely or substantially inactivate an enzyme selected from the group consisting of an amylase, a lysozyme, a peroxidase, a glycosidase, an esterase, a protease, and a peptidase.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of saliva, a mucous secretion, tears, sweat, semen, urine, a vaginal secretion, exhalate, blood, serum, and an anal secretion.