Urine sample collection apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for collecting a urine sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a toilet bowl having a toilet seat;
a receptacle;
a flexible sealable urine collection container including a closed bottom end and an open top end opposite the closed bottom for receiving the urine sample;
an electronically activated mechanism that moves the urine collection container from the receptacle to a collection location in communication with the toilet bowl such that urine directed into the toilet bowl can be received into the open top end of the urine collection container when the urine collection container is at the collection location; and
a clamp adapted to clamp the urine collection container to seal urine from the urine sample received therein;
wherein the clamp comprises at least three pairs of sealing elements, each pair of sealing elements being adapted to cooperate to form one of at least three seals on the urine collection container above the closed bottom end; and
wherein the clamp is adapted to clamp the urine collection container to seal the urine from the urine sample received therein into at least three discrete sealed portions above the closed bottom end.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for automatically collecting urine samples from a patient are described. The apparatus includes a toilet bowel with a reservoir and a urine collection receptacle that is a flexible heat sealable plastic bag in an enclosure mounted exterior to the reservoir. The receptacle can be rotated into the toilet reservoir to collect urine and removed therefrom by rotating it back into the enclosure. The opening to the bag is then heat sealed to produce a urine sample packet. The receptacle may be automatically divided into a plurality of urine sample packets by heat sealing the bag at several locations along its length and then cutting the bag at the appropriate heat sealed locations. Each packet is then printed with patient indicia. The sample packets then pass through an opening in the enclosure for removal and subsequent analysis. An electrical activation interface is provided to control the process.
49 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for collecting a urine sample, the apparatus comprising:
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a toilet bowl having a toilet seat; a receptacle; a flexible sealable urine collection container including a closed bottom end and an open top end opposite the closed bottom for receiving the urine sample; an electronically activated mechanism that moves the urine collection container from the receptacle to a collection location in communication with the toilet bowl such that urine directed into the toilet bowl can be received into the open top end of the urine collection container when the urine collection container is at the collection location; and a clamp adapted to clamp the urine collection container to seal urine from the urine sample received therein; wherein the clamp comprises at least three pairs of sealing elements, each pair of sealing elements being adapted to cooperate to form one of at least three seals on the urine collection container above the closed bottom end; and wherein the clamp is adapted to clamp the urine collection container to seal the urine from the urine sample received therein into at least three discrete sealed portions above the closed bottom end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification