CLINICAL SAMPLE CONTAINER

• US 3,640,267 A
• Filed: 12/15/1969
• Issued: 02/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amin J. Khoury, Andres Ferrari, Carl R. Hurtig
• Original Assignee: Amin J. Khoury, Andres Ferrari, Carl R. Hurtig
• Inventors: Hurtig, Carl R., Khoury, Amin J., Ferrari, Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Medbery, Aldrich F.
• Application Number:
  US04/884,924
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2,216,231,232,233,276,278,DIG.5 73/425.6
• US Class Current: 600/578
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150229 Pumps for assisting the blood sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150251 Collection chamber divided into at least two compartments, e.g. for division of samples injection syringes having more than one chamber A61M5/19; syringes for injection of two or more media A61M5/2448, A61M5/284; sample preparation for further analysis A61B5/150755
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150274 Manufacture or production processes or steps for blood sampling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150343 Collection vessels for collecting blood samples from the skin surface, e.g. test tubes, cuvettes sampling from within body cavities A61B5/150015, A61B5/150045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150786 Optical identification systems, e.g. bar codes, colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150946 Means for varying, regulating, indicating or limiting the speed or time of blood collection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/154 Devices using pre-evacuated means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

A container for the collection, storage and processing of a sample of body fluid has a graduated receiving tube for collecting the sample and which feeds a chamber that is resiliently collapsible to aspirate the sample into the tube and thence into the chamber. Initially, a frangible seal closes the tube-chamber junction to maintain a sample-treating reagent within the chamber. The tube and chamber are in a unitary, selfsupporting structure which also has a panel or the like for carrying indicia identifying the sample.

Claims

1. In clinical sample collection and storage apparatus having a chamber resiliently maintaining a normal uncollapsed shaped and being resiliently collapsible to diminish the volume therein, and having a collection tube with a sample inlet end and feeding at the other end into said chamber, the improvement comprising A. a manually holdable frame mounting said tube and chamber, said frame including a planar cardlike casing joined to the walls of said tube along the tube length and joined to the walls of said chamber along a path encircling the chamber, B. at least one wall of said chamber bulging outwardly from said planar casing when in the normal uncollapsed shape and deflecting inward toward said casing to collapse said chamber, and C. said sample inlet end of said collection tube protruding from said casing frame to dispose said inlet end openly accessible relative thereto.

2. connected with said outlet end of said passage to provide fluid communication from the interior of said chamber through said passage to said inlet end thereof, and

3. In apparatus as defined in claim 1 the further improvement comprising A. frangible fluidtight seal means for closing the fluid path of said tube between said ends thereof, said seal means being disposed adjacent said end of said tube feeding into said chamber, and B. manually manipulatable means for opening said seal to provide fluid communication between said chamber and said tube.

4. having said opposed walls resiliently collapsible to diminish the chamber volume and resiliently resuming a normal uncollapsed position where they bulge outwardly from said casing along the direction of the casing thickness.

5. In apparatus as defined in claim 4, the further improvement wherein said frame casing has a third section disposed side-by-side and coplanar with said first section and joined thereto, and forming an indicia-supporting panel.

6. In apparatus as defined in claim 5, the further improvement wherein said frame casing is severable along the juncture between said first and second sections for removing said second section with the tube length mounted thereon from the rest of said apparatus.

7. A container for the collection of a sample of a liquid and the storage thereof, said container comprising A. a generally rectangular flat casing having a small thickness relative to the length and width thereof and including at least first and second side-by-side and conjoined sections, B. means forming a serpentine-configured tubular passage on said casing second section with passage walls bulging from said casing along the direction of the casing thickness and having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a storage length therebetween with said inlet end protruding nozzlelike beyond the rectangular configuration of said casing, and C. means forming a pouchlike chamber

8. A surgical container for the collection of a sample of animal body liquid and for the storage thereof, said container comprising A. a manually holdable flat cardlike body casing, B. sample collection means forming a tubular passage carried by said casing with an openly accessible inlet end extending outwardly from said casing, an outlet end, and a storage length therebetween, C. a volume-indicating scale carried by said casing having graduations arranged along said passage from said inlet end for indicating the volume of liquid in said passage measuring from said inlet end, D. means forming a pouchlike chamber

9. A container as defined in claim 8 in which said casing is arranged with first and second sections, said first section carrying said inlet end and said storage length of said passage and said scale associated therewith, said second section adjoining said first section along a first junction and carrying said chamber and said record panel, said casing sections being so arranged that severing said casing along said first junction separates said sections and severs said passage adjacent said outlet end thereof.

10. A container as defined in claim 8 further comprising A. means forming a frangible seal closing said passage along said outlet end thereof, thereby to seal said chamber closed, and B. seal-opening means carried on said casing and manually manipulatable for opening said seal, thereby to provide fluid communication between said chamber and said passage, said seal and said opening means being so arranged that said passage and chamber are fluidtight, except for the opening at said passage inlet end, when said seal is open.

11. A container as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that said casing has a peripheral edge that forms the peripheral edge of said container, except at said passage inlet end.