U.S. patent number 3,651,926 [Application Number 04/863,789] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-28 for transport package for bacteriological specimens.
Invention is credited to Royal Albert Elfast, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,651,926 |
Elfast, Jr. |
March 28, 1972 |
TRANSPORT PACKAGE FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
Abstract
The invention relates to a transport package for bacteriological
specimens comprising in combination a transparent vessel in the
form of a truncated cone and a tight-fitting twistable lid, an
elongated supporting means adapted for carrying substrate being
attached to the lid and twistable therewith, the longitudinal edges
of the supporting means being provided with wiping members for
wiping the inner wall of the vessel when the lid is twisted.
Inventors: |
Elfast, Jr.; Royal Albert
(Vastra Frolunda, SW) |
Family
ID: |
20298406 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/863,789 |
Filed: |
October 6, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 17, 1968 [SW] |
|
|
14036/68 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/456; D24/225;
215/DIG.1; 366/309; 15/250.22; 366/130; 435/307.1; 435/304.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
25/02 (20130101); Y10S 215/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
25/02 (20060101); A45c 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/250.22 ;128/2
;195/103.5,139LE
;206/1,15.2,16.5,16.6,37R,45.34,46,63.2,63.4,78R,84 ;215/100
;259/107,108 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Leclair; Joseph R.
Assistant Examiner: Lipman; Steven E.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A transport package for microbiological specimens comprising in
combination a transparent vessel in the form of a truncated cone, a
tight-fitting twistable lid and a supporting means extending
axially through the vessel towards the bottom thereof, said
supporting means consisting of an elongated frame member having
means for supporting at least one substrata of said microbiological
specimens thereon, said supporting means being attached to the
inside of the lid and twistable therewith, the longitudinal edges
of said frame being provided with at least one thin wiping member
which extends to and touches the inner wall of the vessel with a
moisture absorbing layer being placed on said bottom of said
vessel.
2. A transport package for microbiological specimens comprising in
combination a transparent vessel in the form of a truncated cone, a
tight-fitting twistable lid and a supporting means consisting of an
elongated frame member having recesses for supporting at least one
substrata of said microbiological specimens thereon, said
supporting means being attached to the inside of the lid and
twistable therewith, the longitudinal edges of said frame being
provided with at least one thin wiping member which extends to and
touches the inner wall of the vessel.
3. A transport package as claimed in claim 2 in which the
supporting means extends axially through the vessel towards the
bottom thereof with a moisture absorbing layer being placed on said
bottom.
4. A transport package as claimed in claim 2 in which the
supporting means is removably attached to the lid.
Description
In transporting specimens such as urine, sputum, phlegm, pus, milk
or water containing or suspected of containing living
micro-organisms from a patient to a physician, or from a physician
to a bacteriological laboratory, for example, it is most important
that the specimen is effectively isolated so that it cannot come in
contact with persons or objects. This is important on the one hand
to prevent the spread of possibly infectious micro-organisms from
the specimen to the environment and on the other hand to prevent
that the specimen itself becomes contaminated with irrelevant
micro-organisms which might cause a misleading or false diagnosis
or analysis. A supporting means such as a microscope slide, spoon,
paddle, rod or swab with a coating of one or more substrata, for
example nutrient agar, is usually used as a supporting means for
the specimen. This is dipped into the specimen, or a portion of the
specimen is applied to the substrata in some other way, after which
it is placed in a container, for example a test tube, which is
closed and placed in some outer protective transport package such
as a cardboard carton or mailing box.
At the next stage in the handling of the specimen it is often not
necessary, nor even desirable to conduct any detailed examination
such as a microscopic examination of the micro-organisms but it can
instead be most suitable to only note the presence of
micro-organisms of a certain sort, the degree of concentration or
frequence of colonies on the substrata or the lack of colonies, and
therefore in most cases at this stage the supporting means would
not have to be removed from the container with the inherent risk
for contamination of the environment and/or specimen, but since the
specimen contains moisture, condensation will form on the inside of
the container which will hinder visibility and makes it necessary
to open the container and draw out the supporting means with
substrata and specimen just to view it regardless of what measures
it is to be subjected to. Furthermore, the supporting means is
often such that it does not fit properly into available containers
with the risk for damage caused by knocks and shaking which
necessitates careful transport.
The present invention relates to a transport package which has the
improvement that the specimen supporting means can easily be
removed from and replaced in its container without the risk of
coming into contact with foreign objects, it is not sensitive to
knocks or shaking, and at the same time it allows direct inspection
without it being necessary to open the container.
The transport package according to the invention is characterized
in that it comprises a transparent vessel in the form of a
truncated cone and a tight-fitting twistable lid, an elongated
supporting means adapted for carrying substrata being attached to
the lid and twistable therewith, the longitudinal edges of the
supporting means extending to the inner wall of the vessel.
Wiping members are provided on the edges of the supporting means or
alternatively such wiping members can be arranged on the outside of
a transparent cylindrical member attached to the lid and extending
down into the vessel.
One embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
the accompanying drawing in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vessel and a lid with a
supporting member having wiping members before the attachment of
the lid to the vessel,
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the vessel and the
lid with the supporting means after assembly, and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view seen in the direction of the
arrows III--III of FIG. 2.
A transparent container or vessel 1 of tough crushproof material in
the form of a truncated cone is provided with a torus 2 around the
outside of the open wider end and the bottom of the vessel is
preferably flat. A lid 4 is provided with an annular groove 5 which
fits the torus 2 whereby the application of the lid 4 hermetically
seals the vessel but is at the same time twistable with the aid of
a handle 6. Holder means 7 are provided on the underside of the lid
4 for removable attachment thereto of a frame 8. The frame 8
comprises a strut 9 having means 10 for the attachment to the
holder means 7 of the lid 4, and two parallel webs 11 which are
united by means of a thin slab 12 and cross ribs 13 forming
recesses 14 for application of at least one substrate. When
inserted in the vessel 1, the frame 8 extends axially through it
and the outermost free end of the frame is preferably formed as a
tip 15 which almost but not quite touches the bottom 3 of the
vessel 1 on which bottom a moisture absorbing layer 16, for example
of paper, can be placed. On the outside of the webs 11 the frame 8
is provided with wiping edges 17 at least along the portion at the
recesses 14, said wiping edges being wedge-shaped in accordance
with the conical shape of the vessel 1 and touch the inner wall of
the vessel along their entire length.
If the vessel is to be stored a considerable length of time, the
layer 16 can be moistened so that the enclosed air is kept humid,
thereby preventing the substrata from drying out.
To prepare a specimen for processing and/or investigation, a frame
8 fixed to the lid 4 and having one or more substrata filled into
the recesses 14 is dipped into the liquid or material to be
investigated and any excess amount is allowed to run off.
Alternatively, the specimen to be investigated can be applied to
the substrata for example by means of a cotton swab. The frame is
thereafter replaced into the vessel 1 which replacement is
facilitated by the conical form of the vessel. When the lid 4 is
pressed over the torus 2, the frame becomes hermetically sealed in
the vessel 1 and any excess liquid is absorbed by the layer 16
thereby supplying a suitable humidity to the air confined in the
vessel which is necessary for the viability of any micro-organisms
present. However, moisture will be formed on the inside wall of the
vessel 1 so that visibility through the vessel is hindered. This is
easily remedied by twisting the lid 4 and thus the frame 8 causing
the wiping edges 17 to scrape away the moisture so that examination
of the substrata is allowed without removing the frame from the
vessel or even opening the lid.
Instead of the frame 8, other kinds of supporting means such as
rods, paddles or swabs can be attached to the holder means 7 on the
lid 4. The vessel 1, lid 4 and frame 8 are preferably manufactured
of hard or flexible plastics thereby giving such low manufacturing
costs that the package can be disposed of after a single use.
* * * * *