Best practice for for regex and match objects

[jg]

If I need to reuse regex pattern or let non dotnet com client to reuse the
pattern to match against different strings, what is the best way?
How should I free up the resources held by regex?

Right now, I am leaning towards this way

Private Dim RegexCollection as New Microsoft.Visua lBasic.Collecti on()
Private Function makekey(ByVal strPrefx As String) As String

return strPrefx + ToString(Micros oft.VisualBasic .DateAndTime.Ti mer) +
ToString(Rnd())

End Function

Public function getRegex(strPat tern As String, ByRef strKey as String) As
Object ' leaning to use the key to deal with collection

strKey = makekey("regex" )

RegexCollection .add(New Regex(strPatter n), strKey)

return RegexCollection (strKey)

End Function

Public Function free_RegexObj(B yRef myobj As Object, ByRef mykey As
String)
Try
RegexCollection .Remove(mykey)
myobj.destroy()
mykey = Nothing
Return 0
Catch ex As Exception
Return -1
End Try
End Function

Public function getMatch(str2se arch As String, ioffset As Integer,
strRegexkey as String, byRef strRegexObj as Object,
ByRef iFoundPos as Integer. ByRef iFoundLen as integer) as integer
............... ..

' if found return 1 and....
....

' otherwise
return -1
End Function
Is there a better way?