Device for trapping an initial flow of blood

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe a diversion device that traps an initial flow of blood in a diversion chamber of the diversion device. The diversion chamber may be defined, in part, by a housing shell, a housing base, and a filter. The filter may be a porous material that allows air, but not blood, to flow through it. After the diversion chamber is filled, a subsequent flow of blood may be directed into a collection vessel through an internal conduit of the diversion device.

1 . A diversion device comprising:
 a housing having:
 an inlet conduit, 
 an outlet conduit, 
 a first chamber, and 
 a second chamber, 
   wherein the housing is configured to receive an initial flow of blood into the first chamber and, upon at least partially filling the first chamber, direct a subsequent flow of blood into the second chamber, and   wherein the housing is configured to allow the subsequent flow of blood to exit the diversion device through the second chamber through the outlet conduit; and   a filter positioned within the housing adjacent to the outlet conduit, wherein the filter comprises a material that allows air, but not blood, to pass through it.   
     
     
         2 . The diversion device of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the housing comprises a hydrophilic material. 
     
     
         3 . The diversion device of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the housing comprising the hydrophilic material first receives the initial flow of blood. 
     
     
         4 . The diversion device of  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the housing comprising the hydrophilic material includes part of the first chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The diversion device of  claim 2 , wherein at least a part of the second chamber comprises a hydrophobic material. 
     
     
         6 . The diversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the first chamber at least partially surrounds the second chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The diversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a filter receptacle, and the filter is positioned within the filter receptacle. 
     
     
         8 . The diversion device of  claim 7 , wherein the filter comprises a hydrophilic material. 
     
     
         9 . The diversion device of  claim 8 , wherein the hydrophilic material is carboxymethylcellulose (“CMC”). 
     
     
         10 . The diversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to allow an initial flow of air to pass through the outlet conduit. 
     
     
         11 . A blood collection kit comprising the diversion device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The blood collection kit of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 instructions to assemble a blood collection pathway from a patient to a collection vessel,   wherein the blood collection pathway comprises a first needle piercing a skin of the patient and the diversion device of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         13 . The blood collection kit of  claim 12 , wherein the blood collection pathway is a closed system that prevents an initial flow of air through the diversion device of  claim 1  from being vented into the atmosphere. 
     
     
         14 . The blood collection kit of  claim 12 , wherein the collection vessel has a sub-atmospheric internal pressure that draws (a) the initial flow of blood from the patient through the first needle and into the diversion device and (b) the subsequent flow of blood through the first needle and the diversion device, respectively, and into the collection vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The blood collection kit of  claim 12 , wherein the blood collection pathway further comprises a holder having a second needle piercing a cap of the collection vessel. 
     
     
         16 . A blood collection method comprising:
 assembling a blood collection pathway from a patient to a collection vessel,   wherein the blood collection pathway comprises a first needle piercing a skin of the patient and a diversion device, and   wherein the diversion device comprises:
 a housing having an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit, a first chamber, and a second chamber, wherein the housing is configured to receive an initial flow of blood into the first chamber and, upon at least partially filling the first chamber, direct a subsequent flow of blood into the second chamber that is at least partially surrounded by the first chamber, and wherein the housing is configured to allow the subsequent flow of blood to exit the diversion device through the second chamber through the outlet conduit; and 
 a filter positioned within the housing adjacent to the outlet conduit, wherein the filter comprises a material that allows air, but not blood, to pass through it. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the diversion device is configured to allow an initial flow of air to pass through the outlet conduit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the blood collection pathway is a closed system that prevents the initial flow of air through the diversion device from being vented into the atmosphere. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the collection vessel has a sub-atmospheric internal pressure that draws (a) the initial flow of blood from the patient through the first needle and into the diversion device and (b) the subsequent flow of blood through the first needle and the diversion device, respectively, and into the collection vessel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the blood collection pathway further comprises a holder having a second needle piercing a cap of the collection vessel.