Container closure cap with self-sealing slot

• US 20040099628A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healgen Scientific, LLC (Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: American Bio Medica Corporation
• Inventors: Casterlin, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 6,915,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 215/247
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing

Abstract

A container for retaining a liquid sample to be tested is closed by a removable closure cap having a slot therein to receive a flat rectangular panel test card member inserted through the slot into the container. A flexible resilient member is mounted adjoining to the closure cap slot and has a slit therein with abutting edges through which the test card is passed. After the test card has been withdrawn, the abutting edges contract to their normally closed position to prevent the leakage of any liquid through the slot when the container is being handled. During withdrawal of the test card through the slot the abutting edges wipe excess liquid sample from the test card.

Claims

1. A closure cap positionable over the open top of a container for retaining a liquid sample to be tested by a test card inserted into the container, said closure cap having an elongated slot therein to accommodate a thin flat rectangular panel test card member inserted therethrough into the container to contact the liquid sample to be tested, means mounted on said cap and adjoining said slot for defining a self-sealing slit having abutting edges and disposed substantially centrally of said slot, said slit abutting edges being normally closed but expansible responsive to pressure exerted by a panel test card inserted therethrough and maintaining contact with said test card so as to wipe the faces and edges of said test card to form a seal with the card when the card is within said slot.

2. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a sheet of resilient material disposed on the underside of the closure cap.

3. A closure cap as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sheet comprises a disc attached on the underside of said closure cap.

4. A closure cap as claimed in claim 3 wherein said disk comprises a polyester foam material.

5. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a resilient membrane extending between the edges of said slot.

6. A closure cap as claimed in claim 5 wherein said resilient membrane is molded onto the edges of said slot.

7. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 made of a relatively inelastic material.

8. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container has a circular cross section, said slot in the cap has a length substantially equal to the inner diameter of said container.

9. A closure cap as claimed in claim 6 wherein said membrane comprises an elastomer material which is penetrated by an edge of the panel member test card to form the slit which is self-sealing.

10. A closure cap as claimed in claim 6 wherein said membrane has a central portion capable of being penetrated by the edge of a said test card to define a self-sealing slit.

11. A closure cap as claimed in claim 6 wherein said membrane comprises a central portion having a thin slit therein to receive an edge of a panel member test card.

12. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container has an inner diameter substantially equal to the width of said test card so as to accommodate the test card therein.

13. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slit abutting edges are contractible to the normally closed position when said test card panel member has been withdrawn from the container to be self-sealing against leakage of sample liquid.

14. A closure cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for defining a self-sealing slit comprises an elongated member having top and bottom faces and a central elongated slit therethrough to closely accommodate a panel test card and further having a peripheral groove in a plane parallel to said top and bottom faces, said groove receiving therein the edges of said cap slot such that top and bottom portions of said elongated member contact the top and bottom faces of the closure cap surrounding said slot.

15. A closure cap as claimed in claim 14 wherein said elongated member has a thin elastomer resilient membrane extending across said elongated slit, said membrane being penetrable by an edge of the panel test card to form a slit therein which is self-sealing.

16. A closure cap as claimed in claim 14 wherein said elongated member has a thin elastomer resilient membrane extending across said elongated slit, said membrane having a slit therethrough the edges of which will wipe the faces and edges of a test card being passed therethrough.

17. A process for forming a self-sealing slot in a container closure cap comprising the steps of depositing a thermoplastic elastomer material on the edges of a pre-existing slot in the closure cap in such a manner as to define beads on the upper and lower surfaces of the edges of the slot and a thin resilient membrane extending from the beads over the slot, and forming in the thin membrane a slit of such a width that the edges of the slit are abutting to sealingly close the slit.

18. A process for forming a self-sealing slot in a container closure cap comprising the steps of depositing a thermoplastic elastomer material on the edges of a pre-existing slot in a closure cap in such a manner as to define beads on the upper and lower surfaces of the edges of the slot and a thin resilient membrane extending from the beads over the slot, the resilient membrane being of such a thickness as to permit penetration thereof by an edge of a thin flat rectangular panel member to define an elongated slit the edges of which are sufficiently resilient and near to each other to sealingly close the slit after removal of the panel member from the slit.

19. A closure cap positionable over the open top of a container for retaining a liquid sample to be tested by a test card inserted into the container, said closure cap having an elongated slot therein to accommodate a thin flat rectangular panel test card member inserted therethrough into the container to contact the liquid sample to be tested, said cap being made of a resilient elastomer material such that the edges of said slot maintain contact with the faces and edges of a test card inserted therethrough to form a seal with the card when the card is within the slot.

20. A closure cap as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising a thin membrane of elastomer material extending within said slot and having a self-sealing slit therein with abutting edges, the edges of said slit maintain contact with the faces and edges of a test card inserted the therethrough to form a seal with the card when the card is within the slot.

21. A closure cap as claimed in claim 20 wherein said slit edges are contractible to the normally closed position when a said test card panel member has been withdrawn from the container to be self-sealing-against leakage of sample liquid.