SAMPLE TRACKING CARD

Abstract

A sample tracking card for attachment to a container containing a biological sample that has been obtained for testing is described. The card comprises an aperture for receiving an end of a sample collection container and a tab for engaging with another end of the sample collection container to attach the container to the card. The card allows the result of testing on the sample to be reliably matched with the subject without revealing the subject's identity on the container. Kits comprising the card and the container are also described.

Claims

1. A sample tracking card, which comprises an aperture for receiving an end of a sample collection container and a tab for engaging with another end of the sample collection container to attach the container to the card.

2. A card according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is defined within a hinged flap of the card.

3. A card according to claim 2, wherein the hinged flap is defined by cuts through the card.

4. A card according to claim 3, wherein the hinged flap is hinged to the card along a fold line in the card.

5. A card according to claim 4, wherein the fold line is defined by perforations through the card along the fold line.

6. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab engages with a recess in a lid of the container.

7. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab is defined by a cut-out from the card.

8. A card according to claim 7, wherein the cut-out also defines an edge of the hinged flap.

9. A card according to claim 8, wherein the edge of the hinged flap defined by the cut-out is opposite a hinged edge of the flap.

10. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is a tube, and the aperture is a circular aperture.

11. A card according to any preceding claim, which further comprises a removable sticker for sticking to a sample collection container for attachment to the card.

12. A card according to any preceding claim, which is labelled with an identification code.

13. A card according to any preceding claim, which is labelled with a machine-readable identification code.

14. A card according to claim 13, wherein the machine-readable identification code comprises a barcode, preferably a matrix barcode, such as a quick response (QR) code.

15. A card according to any preceding claim, which comprises a zone for labelling the card with a subject (or patient) identification code.

16. A card according to any preceding claim attached to a sample collection container.

17. A kit comprising a sample tracking card according to any of claims 1 to 15, and a sample collection container for attachment to the card.

18. A kit according to claim 17, wherein the kit further comprises any of the following components: a lancet for obtaining a whole blood sample by finger prick or heel prick; an alcohol swab; a capillary blood collection tube; a glove.

Description

[0026] Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which;

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a sample tracking card, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the sample tracking card shown in FIG. 1 with its flap folded along a fold line out of the plane of the card;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows the sample tracking card shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a sample collection tube attached to the card;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows the sample collection tube of FIG. 3; and

[0031] FIG. 5 shows the sample collection tube of FIGS. 4 and 5 with a capillary blood collection tube inserted.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sample tracking card 10 comprises a flap 12 on the right hand side of the card, which defines an aperture 14 through the card for receiving an end of a sample collection tube. A cut-out 16 from the card defines a tab 18 for engaging with a recess in a capped end of the sample collection tube. The cut-out 16 also defines an upper edge 20 of the flap. Cuts 22, 24 through the card define side edges of the flap. The flap is hinged to the card along a fold line 26 opposite the upper edge of the flap so that the flap can be moved about the hinge out of the plane of the card. The fold line is defined by perforations 28 through the card along the fold line.

[0033] The sample tracking card 10 is labelled with an identification code 30, and a machine-readable code in the form a matrix barcode 32 (a quick response, QR, code). The card 10 also includes two removable stickers 34, 36, adjacent the flap. Each sticker is labelled with the sample tracking card identification code. A labelling zone 38 of the left hand side of the card 10 contains areas for recordal by hand of the sample collection date, subject (or patient) identification code, sample identification code, and the age and sex of the subject.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, a sample collection tube 40 has a narrower, closed end 42, a wider, open end 44. The tube 40 is circular in cross-section. A side wall 46 of the tube is stepped outwardly from the narrower, closed end 42 to the wider, open end 44. A push-fit cap 48 is attached to a retaining ring 50, which is retained by a collar 52 of wider diameter than an internal diameter of the retaining ring 50 at the open end 44 of the tube 40. An outer end wall of the push-fit cap 48 comprises a circular recess (not shown) for engagement by the tab 18 when the push-fit cap is pushed in place in the open end of the sample collection tube. The aperture 14 in the card is sufficiently large in diameter to receive the narrow end of the tube, but smaller in diameter than the wider end of the tube so that the tube cannot pass though the aperture.

[0035] The sample tracking card is provided in a pack with a lancet (not shown) for obtaining a whole blood sample from a subject by finger prick, an alcohol swab (not shown) for sterilising an area of the subject's finger immediately prior to obtaining the whole blood sample using the lancet, a pair of powder-free examination gloves (not shown) for use by a person collecting the blood sample, and a capillary blood collection tube for collecting the whole blood sample and directing this into the sample collection tube. The capillary blood collection tube 54 (shown in FIG. 5) is held by a friction fit through an aperture in a circular insert 56. A side wall of the insert forms a push-fit with the open end 44 of the sample collection tube 40 to retain the capillary blood collection tube in place in the sample collection tube when collecting a blood sample from a subject. Once the sample has been collected in the sample collection tube, the insert containing the capillary blood collection tube is removed from the open end of the sample collection tube, and the tube is sealed with the push-fit cap.

[0036] Before a sample has been collected, the flap 12 is in line with the card so that the card is flat for storage (as shown in FIG. 1). A person collecting a biological sample from a subject records the sample collection date, the subject's (or patient's) ID code and/or the sample ID code, and the age and sex of the subject, on the sample tracking card. A scanning device (not shown) may be used to scan the matrix barcode for uploading the code to a database.

[0037] Once a biological sample has been collected in the sample collection tube, one of the stickers is removed from the card and attached to the tube. The narrow end of the tube is then engaged with the aperture in the flap, and the upper end of the tube is moved towards the tab, causing the flap to move about its hinged edge, until the tab engages with the recess in the capped end of the tube (FIG. 2 shows the flap in a folded position out of the plane of the card). The stepping in the side wall of the tube prevents the tube from passing through the aperture in the card so that the tube is held in place by the flap and the tab (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0038] The sample tracking card and the attached sample collection tube can then be sent to a testing facility for analysis. The remaining sticker on the sample tracking card can be removed at the testing facility and attached to a paper record kept by the testing facility. This avoids any risk of transcription errors in recording the sample tracking card ID code at the testing facility. Once a test result has been obtained for the biological sample, the sample tracking card ID code associated with the sample is matched to the sample tracking card, and the subject (or patient) ID code and/or the sample ID code from the sample tracking card can be linked to the subject, who can then be informed of the test result without the tester knowing the identity of the subject.