Holder for medical specimen slide

• US 5,292,000 A
• Filed: 11/13/1992
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abner Levy
• Original Assignee: Abner Levy
• Inventors: Levy, Abner
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE, WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US07/975,878
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 206/456, 206/45.31
• US Class Current: 206/456
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0096 Casings for storing test samples A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/02; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0056 about a lateral axis in the lid plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/54 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/162 the container, the lid and the hinge being made of one piece B65D43/161 takes precedence

Abstract

A holder for packaging a biological specimen slide is heat formed from a single sheet of plastic, with tray and cover portions foldable to a closed condition along a hinge line. A window opening in the cover portion allows viewing of identification markings on a slide in the closed holder. The window is initially closed by an integrally formed push-out panel which is removed upon use of the holder as a flag of previous usage of the holder to prevent its unintentional reuse.

Claims

1. A holder for a specimen slide of substantially rectangular shape and having a top surface including an identification bearing portion and a specimen bearing portion of said top surface, said holder comprising:

a tray portion defining a slide receiving recess having a tray bottom surface and a cover portion having a cover top surface;

said cover portion configured and dimensioned to retentively engage said tray portion in a closed condition of said holder; and

a window defined in at least one of said tray bottom and cover top for exposing to view said identification bearing portion of a said slide in said closed condition;

said window being closed in an original condition of said holder by a panel attached to said least one of said tray bottom and cover top by supporting means, said supporting means being preferentially rupturable under manual force applied to said panel for removing said panel and opening said window.

2. The holder of claim 1 further comprising spacer means on both said portions for supporting the slide in spaced relationship with said tray bottom and cover top.

3. The holder of claim 2 wherein said spacer means comprise partition means on said least one of said portions adapted to bear against the slide and thereby limit exposure of said specimen bearing portion of the slide to said window opening.

4. The holder of claim 2 wherein said tray and cover portions, said spacer means, said panel and said supporting means are unitarily formed by vacuum molding of a single sheet of thermoplastic material, said tray and cover portions being joined along a hinge line in said single sheet.

5. A unitary holder for a medical specimen slide comprised of a single thin sheet molded into a three dimensional structure wherein said sheet retains a substantially uniform thickness throughout said holder, said sheet divided along a hinge line into a tray portion and a cover portion and having a peripheral flange defining a base plane in an open condition of said holder:

a male ridge structure rising above said plane on said tray portion, said ridge structure defining a tray recess including a tray bottom dimensioned to receive the specimen slide;

a concave shell including a cover top formed below said plane in said cover portion, said shell adapted to retentively engage said ridge in a folded condition of said holder for enclosing said slide;

spacer means integral with said sheet for supporting said slide in spaced relationship away from contact with said tray bottom and said cover top; and

a window defined in one of said cover top and tray bottom, said window being closed in an original condition of said holder by a panel attached to said least one of said cover top and tray bottom by supporting means, said supporting means being preferentially rupturable under manual force applied to said panel for releasing said panel to open said window.

6. The holder of claim 5 wherein said spacer means comprise small bumps integral with said tray bottom and positioned to contact marginal areas of the slide.

7. The holder of claim 5 wherein said spacer means comprise a partition extending between opposite side walls and across said cover top in said cavity, and side notches in said ridge structure for receiving said partition in a closed condition of said holder, said partition dividing said cavity into a first portion and a second portion, said partition cooperating with spacer elements on said tray bottom for holding said slide in said spaced relationship.

8. The holder of claim 5 wherein said spacer means include corner block elements formed at two corners of said cavity and corner notches in said ridge structure configured to receive said corner block elements in said folded condition of said holder, said corner blocks opposing spacer elements on said tray bottom for holding said slide therebetween in said spaced relationship.

9. The holder of claim 5 wherein said peripheral flange includes tab means on opposite edges of said sheet to provide a finger hold and facilitate manual separation of said cover and tray portions when opening said holder.

10. A unitary holder for a medical specimen slide formed from a single originally planar thin sheet of moldable material into a three dimensional structure wherein said sheet retains a substantially uniform thickness throughout said holder, said sheet divided along a hinge line into a tray portion and a cover portion;

a hollow male ridge structure on said tray portion defining a tray recess dimensioned to receive the specimen slide, said ridge structure including an end cove for admitting a finger into contact with and edge of said slide;

a concave shell formed in said cover portion defining a cavity including a cover top and adapted to mate onto said ridge structure in a folded condition of said holder for enclosing said slide;

a partition extending between opposite side walls and across said cover top in said cavity, and side notches in said ridge structure for receiving said partition in a closed condition of said holder, said partition dividing said cavity into a first portion and a second portion, said partition cooperating with spacer elements on said tray bottom for holding said slide in said spaced relationship; and

a window defined in said cover top in said second portion in overlying relationship with said identification bearing portion of a said slide placed in said tray recess, said partition also protecting said specimen bearing portion of a said slide from exposure to said window;

said window being closed in an original condition of said holder by a panel attached to said cover top by supporting means, said supporting means being preferentially rupturable under manual force applied to said panel for releasing said pane to open said window.