A contamination sample collection device has a wooden dowel with a cotton swab at one end, the cotton being covered by a nylon cloth and the wooden dowel being encapsulated by plastic tubing which is heat shrunk onto the dowel and onto a portion of the cotton swab to secure the cotton in place. Another plastic tube is heat shrunk onto the plastic that encapsulates the dowel and a portion of the nylon cloth to secure the nylon cloth in place. The device may thereafter be covered with aluminum foil protector. The device may be used for obtaining samples of contamination in clean room environments

Delgado, Felix A.

Stern, Susan M.

NASA Technical Reports Server

United States Patent [191 [111 Patent Number: 5,735,808 
Delgado et al. ~451 Date of Patent: Apr. 7,1998 
[54] CONTAMINATION SAMPLING DEVICE 
p5] Inventors: Felix A. Delgado, Moorpark Susan M. 
Stem, Chatsworth, both of Calif. 
[73] Assignee: The United states of America as 
represented by the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, Washington, D.C. 
[21] Appl. No.: 687,100 
1221 Filed Jul. 10,19% 
[51] Inti CL6 .................................................... A61M 35/00 
[52] U.S. C1. .............................. 604/1; 128/759; 606/1W, 
154210.1 
[58] Field o€ Search ............................ 6W1-3; 128/759; 
606/190; 15/209.1,210.1,214 
[561 Re€emces Cited 
U.S. P N ” T  DOCUMENTS 
3,586,380 6/1971 AZiteckoff .................................. 604/1 
3,591,885 7/1971 Fitzen, Jr. ............................. 15D10.1 
3,712,2% 1/1973 Gradone .................................. 128/759 
4,283,809 8/1981 Prost ........................................... 604f1 
Primary Examiner-John G. Weiss 
Assistant EXmnmr-Dennis Ruhl 
Attomex Agent, or Firm-Robert L. Broad, Jr. 
1571 ABSTRACT 
A contamination sample collection device has a wooden 
dowel with a cotton swab at one end, the cotton being 
covered by a nylon cloth and the wooden dowel being 
encapsulated by plastic tubing which is heat shrunk onto the 
dowel and onto a portion of the cotton swab to secure the 
cotton in place. Another plastic tube is heat shrunk onto the 
plastic that encapsulates the dowel and a portion of the nylon 
cloth to secure the nylon cloth in place. The device may 
thereafter be covered with aluminum foil protector. The 
device may be used for obtaining samples of contamination 
in  “clean” room environments. 
2,668,974 U1954 Jaeger .................................... 15l210.1 9 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080004594 2019-08-30T02:43:41+00:00Z
US.  Patent Ape 7,1998 5,735,808 
5,735,808 
1 2 
CONTAMINATION SAMPLING DEVICE 
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION 
This invention was made with government support under 
contract NAS 8-40000 awarded by the National Aeronautics 
rights in t h i s  invention. 
problems heretofore described for collecting contamination 
samples in a clean room environment. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Cons WuentlY, it is a P m  object of the Present k e n -  
tiOn t0 provide a Sampling Collection device for gathering 
small amounts of contaminants from surfaces without itself 
introducing contamination so that the sample may be evalu- 
ated at a remote facility with consistent results. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a 
contamination sampling device constructed from readily 
compatible with fluids used for analysis, 
nylon covered cotton swab mounted on a wooden dowel, 15 reach and 
heat shrink tubing acting to secure the nylon in place and to without itself introducing 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a secure the cotton to the dowel and to cover the handle 
contamination sampling device having a wooden handle portion of the dowel. 
In a clean room environment such as in certain with a tip wherein the wood and cotton fibers are 
laboratories, production facilities and operating rooms, 2o isolated from contact with the slrrfaces to be sampled and 
where sterile conditions are required, contamination by from the environment of a clean room. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a contamina- organic or inorganic substances must be avoided. It is 
nation for removal from that environment and analysis of the a wooden dowel with a cotton swab at one end, the cotton sample at a remote site. A collection &vice which is 
25 being covered by a nylon cloth and the wooden dowel being precision cleaned and easy to use to obtain such samples encapsulated by plastic tubing or sleeving which is heat 
without damaging the '-ling surface is therefore a s h r u n k  onto the dowel and a portion of the cotton to secure 
device to Obtain samples in hard to leach Or onto the handle and a portion of the nylon cloth to secure the 
contamination must be able to be removed without intro- handle podon of the swab to be bent more than it otherwise duction of additional contaminants which would provide could without breaking and makes it more and 
the nylon cloth may be readily cleaned. An aluminum foil inaccurate or inconsistent results. The sample to be analyzed and evaluated has to be transported from the clean room ar covering may protect the sampling device before and after field site to the faciliq where the sample is to be analyzed. 35 
In order for such a sample collecting device to be practical, 
it must be compatible with the fluids used for analysis and BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
should be constructed from readily available materials so 
that the cost of sampling is not excessive. The particular features and advantages of the invention as 
Many of the requirements for such a co'ection device well as other objects will become apparent from the follow- 
swab having a cotton tip on a wooden stem, for example, 
may readily be used fa ob-g such samples under 
n o d  cjrcumtances. However, cotton and wood have 
fibers which may be released to provide contamination on 45 CiPles Of the Present invention; and 
the precision cleaned surfaces to be sampled which may be 
overlooked or removed with great difticulty. 
and space Administration. The Government has C& 
10 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a sampling device for collecting 
contaminants from surfaces, and more P ~ c ~ ~ l Y  to a the &vice being capable of obtaining samples in hard to 
without damage to the sampling 
therefore necessq to Obtain sqles Of suspeded tion sample device in the form of a swab having 
required for such AdditiondY, the co'ection the cotton, another plastic tube ar sleeve being heat shrunk 
-lesa The 30 nylon ~10th in place. The tubing permits the dowel fo-g 
be 
tight areas and Obtain small 
creates a number of problem. A common small, hand-held ing taken in connection with the accoqan@g 
in which: 
mG. 1 is a perspective view of a contamination sample 
collection device constructed in accordance with the pnh- 
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view partly broken 
away to illustrate the details of the &vice illustrated in FIG. 
1. 2. Description of Related Art 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED Numerous attempts to overcome such difficulties and 
EMBODIMENT devise a swab which provides a satisfactory solution has 50 been proposed in the prior art. For example, in the U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,586,380 the cotton swab was enclosed by a thin Referring to the drawings, a sampling device 10 for 
cellulose sheath sponge. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,821 an collecting contaminants constructed in accordance with the 
absorbent tip of a tubular knit fabric, which may be present invention comprises a wooden dowel 12 of approxi- 
monofilament polyester, nylon or polypropylene was 55 mately six inches in length and slightly less than ?h of an 
mounted on the handle by a blind end helical wrapping. U.S. inch in diameter having a cotton mass or swab 14 wrapped 
Pat. No. 3,228,398 shows a vaginal cleansing instrument about the tip 16 and a small portion adjacent thereto at the 
comprising a polyurethane foam sponge on a plastic handle, leading or warking end of the dowel. No glue or similar 
the handle being covered by surgical tape and glued to the adhesive is utilized to apply the cotton to the dowel. The 
sponge. U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,300 discloses a swab of absor- 60 cotton is, however. additionally secured to the dowel by a 
bent material impregnated with alcohol mounted on a stick sheath formed from a length of synthetic plastic tubing 18 
and enclosed in a sealed package of foil or plastic to prevent which is positioned about and receives the dowel 12 and a 
evaporation of the alcohol. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,635,488; 5,246, s m a l l  end portion of the cotton swabrearwardly of the tip 16. 
856 and 4,848,167 show specimen sampling devices used in The tubing 18 is shrinkable plastic tubing which meets the 
the medical art. Although there are other swabs manufac- 65 specifications of MIL-1-23053, and in a prototype the tubing 
tured which may be used for contamination sampling, none was YE inch inside diameter hollow tubing of approximately 
of the known prior art provides a satisfactory solution to the 5% inches long. The tubing is then heated so that it shrinks 
5,735,808 
3 4 
tightly about the dowel and the s m a l l  portion of the cotton from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included 
wrap to secure the cotton swab to the dowel. At the tail end within the scope of the appended claims. 
20 of the dowel. i.e., the remote end from the tip, the tubing Having thus set forth the name of the invention, what is 
18 is reduced in diameter substantially by heat and effec- claimed herein is: 
tively closes the end of the dowel. The tubing 18 thus forms 5 sampling device for gathering con- the handle portion of the device as a sheath over the dowel. taminants an elongated handle having a con- 
Disposed about the entire cotton s ~ &  l4 and Over the figuration including an exterior surface and two ends, a mass 
leading end of the tubing 18 is a piece of fabric 22 fOrmed of cotton positioned about and covering the surface at one 
from synthetic fiber such as nylon tricot of 40 denier, the end of said handle and overlaying paa of said surface 
lo adjacent to said one end, a synthetic plastic sheath disposed 
eter Prior to being positioned about the cotton and tubing 1%. tightly about substantially the remainder of said surface and 
The fabric 22 is centered over the cotton swab and is secured having a leading end disposed about a podion of fie exterior 
within the end of a Piece of synthetic Plastic tubing 24 j  surface of said cotton spaced from said one end, a sheet of 
which in the prototype was a piece of 3/16 inch inside fabric cloth formed from synthetic fiber a b u t  the 
diameter tubing a F o m e l Y  3/4 inch long+ the tubing 24 l5 remainder of the surface of said cotton and disposed on a 
having the same specifications as the tubing "he tubing leading end portion of said plastic sheath. and a synthetic 
24 is received over the tubing 18 from the tail end of the plastic tube and secured to at least p& of said 
sampling device and the end of the fabric which extends sheath and disposed tightly on the fabric spaced from said 
A 
fabric being a~ox ima te ly  inches in 
Over the tubing 18 is Slid into the tubing 24. The tubing 24 
is then heated t0 Shrink it Over the tubing 18 and the nylon 2o 
one end, whereby said fabric at said one end may 
said device is held by said sheath 
faMc to Secure the fabric over the cotton and to the handle from said one end. 
of the device. The device is thereafter cleansed to remove device as recited in claim 1, 
hydrocarbons to a leve1 of less than o s 1  mg total wherein said sheath comprises heat shrinkable plastic tub- 
hydrocabons per 10 sampling devices which would other- ing. 
wise interfere with subsequent use. An aluminum foil wrap 25 3. A 1, 
may then be applied around the nylon cloth and a portion of wherein said synthetic fiber comprises nylon. 
the shaft to cover approximately two inches of the device 4. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ a m i ~ ~ t i ~ ~  sampling device as claim 1, 
from the tip of the leading or working end. wherein said tube comprises heat shrinkable plastic. 
21 use. the sampling device is removed from the prokc- 5. A contamination sampling device as recited in claim 1, 
tive aluminum foil and then rubbed upon the suspected 30 wherein said handle comprises wood. 
contamination. Following contamination removal, the 6. A contamination sampling device as recited in claim 5, 
device is rewrapped i n  the original foil for transport to the wherein said synthetic fiber comprises nylon. 
laboratory for analysis. The suspected contamination m y  7. A contamination sampling device as recited in claim 6, 
then be extracted and analyzed. wherein said sheath comprises heat shrinkable plastic tub- 
of the cotton encloses items that n-y are not admissible 8. A contamination sampling device as recited in claim 7, 
in a clean room from the environment therein. "he tubing 
covering the wooden dowel it to be bent into an 9. A contamination sampling device for gathering con- 
overstressed condition so that the device may be used to 4o taminants comprising, an elongated wooden cylindn.cd 
samples in hard to reach relatively inaccessible s m a l l  dowel having two ends, a swab of cotton covering one end 
areas.  Additionally, h e  tubing provides a non-slip finish and extending toward said second end, a first tube of heat 
a easy to hold ergonomic h a &  even when held by "clean" shrinkable plastic disposed on said dowel and shrunk onto a 
gloves which m y  be required dlrnhg the sampling proce- portion of said cotton to secure said cotton in place, a piece 
of nylon cloth covering said cotton and a portion of said first h e .  
N~~~~ alterations of the structure herein disclosed tube of plastic, and a second tube of heat shrinkable plastic 
it is to be unkstood that the present disclosure relates to the portion of said cloth to secure said cloth to said cotton and 
preferred embodm * ent of the invention which is for purposes to said first tube- 
of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of 
2. A contarnination 
sampling device as recited in 
The encapsulation of the wooden dowel and the covering 35 ing. 
wherein said tube comprises heat shrinkable plastic. 
45 
will suggest themelves to those s m e d  in the art. However, disposed over said first tube of Plastic and Onto a 
the invention. All such modifications which do not depart * * * * *  


Contamination sampling device

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