Disclosed herein are kits and related methods for testing the oral microbiome of an animal for presence of one or more bacteria, e.g, associated with an oral disease or disorder, such periodontal disease, good oral health, or both, in a sample collected from the animal. The kit includes a sample collection device having a handle and a head opposite the handle. The kit further includes a dry container for storing the sample collection device. The container has an open position for receiving at least a portion of the head and a closed position.

The present invention is a technology relating to a device for collecting exfoliative cells at cervix and its surrounding area for uterus examination. The present invention relates to a technology for providing good usability in collecting exfoliative cells at cervix and its surrounding area corresponding to their current state by dividing a brush for contacting the cervix and its surrounding area into an insertion brush and a tension brush and then letting the shape of the tension brush be gradually changing by user operation. The present invention has an advantage in that the separative rod may be robustly attached to the movable rod until user operation is applied to the push separation member even when the movable rod is sufficiently moved forward since the first latching hook of the movable rod and the second latching hook of the separative rod are hook-latched each other.

A device for collecting a biological sample in a subject, the device including an inflatable portion attached to a tubular member, and designed to expand from within the tubular member when inflated and to retract within the tubular member, a surface on the inflatable portion provided with varied thickness to facilitate movement of the inflatable portion between an expanded state and a retracted state, and a plurality of projections on the surface to allow collection of the biological sample when the inflatable portion is in the expanded state.

Provided herein, in some embodiments, are breakable swabs for sample collection. In some embodiments, the swabs may be used in rapid diagnostic tests to detect one or more target nucleic acid sequences (e.g., a nucleic acid sequence of one or more pathogens). In some embodiments, the pathogens are viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or protozoan pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 or an influenza virus. The swab may include a stem portion for handling and a head portion for collecting and/or holding a sample. After sample collection, the head portion may be inserted into a reaction tube or any other sample-receiving device. The stem portion of the swab may then be separated or detached from the head portion along a breakable portion.

A method for collecting a cell sample, including eosinophil white blood cells in a patient is provided. The method includes advancing to a location in an esophagus associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a device provided with a collection portion having a first axial end portion and an inflatable second axial end portion. Thereafter, axially moving the second axial end portion, relative to the first axial end portion, from a collapsed position within the first axial end portion into an expanded position out from the first axial end portion. Once the second axial end portion is in the expanded position, allowing it to engage the location associated with EoE to collect a sample of cells.

Described herein are purge swab apparatuses, purge swabs kits, and methods for collecting a sample using a purge swab. In various embodiments, a purge swab includes an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a length therebetween. The purge swab further includes a swab head having a proximal end and a distal end wherein the proximal end of the swab head is attached to the distal end of the elongated body and the swab head includes a plurality of openings. The purge swab optionally includes a lumen extending from the proximal or distal end of the elongated body into at least a portion of the swab head, and the lumen is in fluidic communication with the plurality of openings.

A biopsy device, comprising a flexible coaxial structure, comprising an obturator within a sheath, the obturator being adapted to be displaced with respect to the sheath along the coaxial axis by a force applied at a proximal end; a disruptor, at a distal end of the obturator, adapted to disrupt a tissue surface to free cells therefrom, having a first position covered within the sheath and a second position freely extending beyond the sheath; an element, having a fixed position on the sheath, configured to limit a depth of insertion of the sheath into a cervix.

A surgical instrument for removing biological tissue during a surgical procedure comprises an elongate shaft and an end effector connected to the elongate shaft, the end effector including an edge configured to remove tissue, wherein curvature of one or both of the elongate shaft and end effector is adjustable to position the edge along a tissue surface when the curvature of the one or both of the elongate shaft and end effector is adjusted. A method of incising target tissue from an anatomic wall comprises inserting a shaft of a surgical instrument into an anatomic chamber of a patient, positioning a tissue-removal device connected to the shaft proximate the target tissue, deflecting an axis of the tissue-removal device relative to a central axis of the shaft, and shaving a surface of the anatomic wall by moving the tissue-removal device in a deflected state along the target tissue.

In an embodiment of the invention, a frictional tissue sampling device with a head designed to be rotated without rotating off the designated site can be used to obtain tissue biopsy samples. A frictional tissue sampling device with a head designed to be rotated without rotating off the designated site can be used to obtain an epithelial tissue biopsy sample from lesions. The device can be otherwise used to sample specific locations. In various embodiments, the head of the device is narrow and pointed with a hybrid pear shaped diamond facet. The facet contour can be concave, convex or flat. Abrasive material can be adhered to the facet contour.