Sterile Specimen Trap

Abstract

A sterile specimen trap for use in a system for withdrawing fluid from a patient by suction to collect and contain a fluid specimen for later analysis having a container open at one end and a closure means mounted over an opposite, open end of the container which may be operated to close and seal the interior of the container so that the container may be removed from the system while the fluid specimen it holds is maintained in a sterile condition. The closure means has two independently formed members, at least one of which is angularly movable about a central axis common to each to align or misalign correspondingly spaced openings formed in each member with a fluid conduit means and a suction conduit means to establish or eliminate communication of the interior of the container with the system, respectively.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apparatus used in withdrawal of fluids from a patient in medical and surgical procedures, and, in particular, to a trap used in a suction system to collect such fluids.

Specimen traps for use in connection with a suction aspiration system to obtain and collect respiratory, gastric and other fluid specimens from body cavities for laboratory analysis or other purposes are well known. Such specimen traps are normally cylindrical containers which are closed at their bottom ends and closed by a cap at their open top ends. The cap may threadedly engage the container or snap or friction-fit on to it and normally has openings formed through it which act as fittings to carry a suction conduit extending from vacuum source and a similar, fluid conduit extending between the specimen trap and a suction instrument or catheter disposed in the patient.

When the vacuum source is activated, suction is established within the system and fluid is aspirated out of the body cavity of the patient, through the fluid conduit means and into the larger diameter specimen trap. When a satisfactory amount of fluid has been collected, the system is disconnected from the vacuum source and the trap is disconnected from the system so that the fluid may be taken to a laboratory for analysis. Most present collection systems have used plastic, disposable containers as fluid traps in order to reduce the cost of such systems.

A serious problem is created by presently available specimen traps because of the high possibility of contamination of the fluid collected within the trap while the trap is being disconnected from the system and transported or stored prior to analysis. An attempt has been made at reducing the possibility of contamination by providing a container having a friction-fit top cover fitted with two lengths of tubing for suction and fluid connections. The tubing may be adapted to bronchoscope suction instruments or suction catheters and connected to the vacuum source, respectively. After the specimen is collected, the specimen trap may be closed by joining together the two connecting tubes. Even this type of trap still has the serious disadvantage that the tubing must be connected together to transport the specimen and therefore, the trap, while being disconnected from the system, is subject to possible contamination of its interior. Contamination may also be created by interlocking the tubing during storage. Thus, there is no presently available device which completely isolates the interior of the specimen trap from all possible contamination before, during, and after collection of the specimen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a sterile disposable specimen trap having a unique closure means which may be moved to open the interior of the container forming the trap into communication with the conduit means carrying fluid from the patient and the vacuum source and, alternately, is movable to close and seal this interior when a desired amount of fluid specimen has been obtained. In this manner, the interior of the specimen trap is never exposed to any possible source of contamination and the trap may be removed from its connection to the system without any possible adverse effect on the sterility of the specimen.

The specimen trap of this invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by a generally cylindrical container means closed at its bottom end and open at its top end but having a closure means securely mounted on it over its top end. This closure means is formed of two independent cover members, at least one of which is angularly movable relative to the other about a central axis common to both. Each member has a pair of openings formed in it which may be aligned by movement of one of the members a certain angular distance about their central axis to allow the interior of the container to communicate, through these openings, with both the fluid conduit and the suction conduit.

The second independent cover member includes a generally annular disc having a downwardly extending boss at its center, which is mounted on a first independent cover member for relative movement with respect thereto. The first cover member is also preferably annular in configuration, having a downwardly extending flange disposed about its periphery so that it may be mounted over the upper edges of the top open end of the container.

The above specimen trap assembly is preferably fit into a specimen collection system having an adapter cap similar in configuration to the second cover member, that is, having a downwardly extending peripheral flange disposed about a generally annular body portion, and carrying a fluid conduit and a suction conduit which open therethrough. This adapter cap is mounted over the closure means by inserting an inwardly protruding engaging element into bayonet-shaped slots formed on the exterior surface of the first cover member, thereby locking the adapter cap to the first cover member and the container. The adapter cap also has means disposed on its interior surface to engage the second cover member, which is sandwiched between the adapter cap and the first cover member. The second cover member will thereby be maintained in a stationary position relative to the adapter cap in which the openings formed in the second cover member are aligned with the open ends of the fluid conduit and the suction conduit carried by the adapter cap.

This unique construction allows the container and first cover member, and the adapter cap and second cover member to be moved angularly relative to one another since the interior engaging means formed on the adapter cap will be moved along and within the slots formed in the first cover member. When the engaging means are moved to the end of the slots, the openings formed in the first cover member will be automatically and properly aligned with the corresponding openings in the first cover member and the adapter cap. When the vacuum is initiated, therefore, suction will be established throughout the system and fluid specimens may be drawn from the patient through the fluid conduit means into the specimen trap.

Alternately, when a sufficient specimen has been collected, the container and first cover member, and the adapter cap and second cover member may be moved relatively in an opposite direction, the engaging means moving within the bayonet slot, until the openings are brought back to their original, misaligned positions, thereby positively sealing the interior of the specimen trap and its contents.

The present invention, therefore, overcomes the possibility of contamination of the specimen collected in the container, since the interior of the container is never opened to any external sources of contamination.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an automatically sterile specimen trap which is simple and inexpensive in construction, yet completely eliminates the possibility of contamination of the fluid specimens collected in the trap.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a sterile specimen trap which may be operated within a specimen collection system in an automatic and sterile manner.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatically sterile specimen trap having closure means movable to effectively close and seal the interior of the specimen trap from contamination and, alternately, to open the interior of the trap to fluid and suction conduits in a specimen collection system.

It is one more object of this invention to provide an automatically sterile specimen trap which is particularly adapted for use in connection with a fluid specimen conduit means and a suction conduit means carried by an adapter cap to form a system for aspirating fluid from bodily cavities.

These and other important objects of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the collection portion of a system for aspirating fluid from a patient, including the sterile specimen trap of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded fragmentary view of the fluid collection system shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the top portion of the specimen trap, the members forming the closure means and the adapter cap which carries the fluid and suction conduits;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the specimen trap of this invention taken generally along the central axis of the specimen trap of the present invention showing the construction of the closure means and its relationship to the container and adapter cap; and,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the specimen trap of this invention taken generally along line 3--3 in FIG. 3 showing, in hidden lines, the openings formed in the members of the closure means and the relative angular movement of these members.

Referring now to the drawings, and, in particular, to FIG. 1, the sterile specimen trap assembly of the present invention is shown generally at 10. This specimen trap assembly 10 includes a generally cylindrical container or trap 12 which is preferably closed at its bottom end and open at its top end, as shown in FIG. 2. A closure means 14 whose elements are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and which will be discussed in detail below, is mounted over the open top end of the container 12. The closure means 14, in turn, has an adapter or fitting cap 16 mounted over it. This adapter cap 16 carries the proximal ends of a fluid specimen conduit 18 and a suction conduit 20. Both the fluid conduit 18 and the suction conduit 20 may be formed of commonly used, clear or opaque plastic tubing and may be, in turn, fitted at their distal ends, to a conventional flexible catheter or a bronchoscope attachment (not shown) and tubing leading to the source of vacuum (not shown), respectively. This fitting may be accomplished by suitable means such as the frusto-conical fitting adapter 24 shown in FIG. 1. The suction conduit 20 may also have a suction valve 22 disposed in it to control the suction in the system.

Closure means 14 includes a first cover member 30 and a second cover member 32. First cover member 30 is preferably formed having an annular body portion 31, a downwardly extending peripheral flange portion 34 and an upwardly extending peripheral flange 35. First cover member 30 is mounted directly over the open top end of container 12 by means of interior ribs 36 shown in FIG. 4 which are received securely within corresponding exterior mounting grooves 48 disposed about the outer surface of container 12. When ribs 36 are slid into grooves 48, first cover member 30 will be held in a substantially stationary position relative to container 12. The tight fit between flange 34 and container 12 will prevent any leakage into or out of container 12.

Second cover member 32 is preferably a disc-shaped element having a downwardly extending boss 44 which is received into a boss opening 46 formed in first cover member 30. Second cover member 32 is held captive within flange 35 of first cover member 30, this construction reducing possibilities of leakage or movement between the two. First cover member 30 has a pair of spaced openings 40 formed on a chord or diameter of body portion 31, on opposite sides of boss opening 46. Second cover member 32 has a correspondingly disposed pair of openings 42 formed with an inward taper, as shown in FIG. 3, on a chord or a diameter of member 32 and on opposite sides of boss 44. Openings 40 and 42 are correspondingly located on their cover members with respect to a central axis of rotation 28 extending through boss 44 and boss opening 46. In this manner, by manipulation of first cover member 30 and second cover member 32, relative to one another, the openings 42 and 40 may be aligned with one another to form a continuous opening through closure means 14.

Adapter cap 16 has a body portion 51 which carries the proximal, open ends of fluid conduit 18 and suction conduit 20 as shown in FIG. 2. Adapter cap 16 has a downwardly extending flange 50 disposed about the periphery of this body portion 51 which is similar in configuration to the downwardly extending flange of first cover member 30.

Adapter cap 16 is mounted over closure means 14, as shown in FIG. 3, in the following manner. The downwardly extending flange 50 of adapter cap 16 has a series of inwardly extending interior engaging means in the form of protrusions or gussets 52 disposed about the interior surface of downwardly extending flange 50. These protrusions 52 are formed so that they may be received in a number of corresponding exterior engaging means 38 formed about the exterior surface of downwardly extending flange 34 of first cover member 30. These exterior engaging means are preferably in the form of L-shaped or bayonet slots having an upwardly extending leg approximately the width of the protrusion 52 to be received therein. The adapter cap 16 is thus placed over closure means 14 so that protrusions 52 are received within the upward leg of bayonet slots 38. This acts to lock adapter cap 16 in a relatively stationary lateral position with respect to container 12 and closure means 14.

Adapter cap 16 has a means for engaging second cover member 32 to prevent movement of the second cover member 32 about central axis 28 relative to adapter cap 16 which might misalign openings 42 with the open ends of the fluid and suction conduits. It is clear that such a means could be formed by corresponding dimples and depressions on adapter cap 16 and cover member 32, respectively, or by protrusions on the interior of the adapter cap 16 which would engage a vertical slot formed in the side of second cover member 32 in a fashion similar to that discussed above for the adapter cap and the first cover member. The means preferred in this invention, however, include a pair of circular lips 58 which extend downwardly from the open ends 56 of conduit means 18 and 20, respectively, and are inwardly tapered or frusto-conical in configuration and of a dimension such that they may be inserted into the similarly shaped frusto-conical openings 42 formed in second cover member 32.

The adapter cap 16 is placed over closure means 14 and container 12 with relative angular positions of the interior protrusions 52 and the engaging lips 56 being such that a protrusion 52 enters the upward leg 38a of each slot 38, and lips 58 enter the correspondingly spaced and formed openings 42 in second cover member 32. With the lips 58 inserted into openings 42 as shown in FIG. 3, first cover member 30 will be angularly movable relative to adapter cap 16 and second cover member 32 by virtue of the shape of bayonet slots 38.

Bayonet slots 38 are, as their name indicates, formed with a narrow leg or groove 38b extending peripherally along the surface of downward flange 34 of second cover member 32. This generally horizontal leg 38b is formed of a width such that it receives the height of the interior engaging means or protrusions 52, as shown in FIG. 3, to allow these engaging means 52 to be moved within and along it.

In the above manner, the adapter cap 16 and second cover member 32, which is held stationary relative to this adapter cap by the lips 58 engaging openings 42, may be unitarily and angularly moved about central axis 28 relative to first cover member 30, which is held in an angularly immovable position relative to container 12, until openings 42 and 40 are aligned and the openings 56 of conduits 18 and 20 are communicated to the interior of the container 12. This relative movement ab out central axis 28 may be accomplished by the operator either holding the container 12 stationary with one hand while twisting the adapter cap 16 to move the protrusions 52 within leg 38b of slots 38, or, alternatively, holding the adapter cap stationary while twisting the container 12 and first cover member 30 in an opposite direction.

If suction is now communicated to the system by opening valve 22, it will act to withdraw fluid through fluid conduit 18, through a rigid fluid conduit extension 60 which extends donwardly from one opening 40 in first cover member 30 and into the interior of container 12. When a desired amount of fluid specimen has been collected, the adapter cap 16 and second cover member 32 and, the first cover member 30 and container 12 may be moved angularly relative to one another, in a manner opposite that previously used, to misalign the openings of their original condition and close and seal the interior of the container.

By use of this specimen trap assembly, the interior of the container is never opened to the atmosphere, or other possible sources of contamination, from the moment of its manufacture until it is opened in a laboratory by sliding first cover member 30 off the container 12 to gain access to the fluid specimen. The closure means 14 is originally disposed on the container during manufacture with the openings 42 and 40 in misaligned position and the container 12 and closure means 14 are removed from the adapter cap 16 after the specimen has been collected with the openings once again in misaligned position.

The second cover member 32 is mounted on first cover member 30 by virtue of the boss 44 which is of such a dimension that the cover members are not freely movable relative to one another without the use of some force to overcome the friction between them. This prevents accidental alignment of the openings.

It is clear that the unique closure means 14 which prevents contamination of the interior of the container 12 is operable by means other than an adapter cap 16. For example, the conduits 18 and 24 might be snap-fitted into openings 42 and second cover member 32 held stationary while first cover member 30 and container 12 are moved. However, for reasons of sterility, a fitting carrying conduit, such as adapter cap 16, is preferred. It is further clear that cover members 30 and 32 need not be of annular configuration so long as they are rotatable about the same axis to assure alignment of the openings in each.

The materials suitable for manufacture of the specimen trap assembly of this invention include materials conventionally used in this type of medical and surgical appliances, such as steel, or stainless steel, but preferably disposable type materials such as plastics. While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various modificaions may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A sterile specimen trap particularly adapted for use in obtaining a fluid specimen and maintaining said specimen in a sterile condition for laboratory analysis comprising:

container means open at one end to receive said fluid specimen, and closure means mounted over said open end of said container means to close and seal the interior of said container means and prevent contamination of said interior of said container means, said closure means including a first annular cover member and a second annular cover member, said second cover member being mounted on said first cover member, said second cover member and said first cover member being angularly movable relative to one another about a concentric central axis, each of said cover members having a pair of correspondingly spaced openings formed in them to communicate the interior of said container means with fluid specimen conduit means and suction conduit means, respectively, when said openings are aligned, said second cover member being held in a stationary position relative to said specimen conduit means and said suction conduit means by cover retaining means, said cover retaining means comprising an adapter cap having open end portions of said fluid specimen conduit means and said suction conduit means mounted thereon and opening therethrough, said adapter cap means being mounted on said first cover member in such a manner that said second cover member is sandwiched between said adapter cap and said first cover member and said open end portions of said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means are aligned with said openings formed in said second cover member, a portion of said second cover member engaging said adapter cap to prevent movement of said second cover member relative to said adapter cap, said first cover member and said second cover member thereby being angularly movable relative to one another to align the openings formed in said first cover member with the openings formed in said second cover member to communicate said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means to the interior of said container means to trap the fluid specimen therein, said first cover member and said second cover member being alternately movable in an opposite manner relative to one another, after a desired amount of the fluid specimen has been trapped in said container means, to close said openings and eliminate communication to the interior of said container means to preserve the sterility of the specimen trapped in said container means.

2. The specimen trap set forth in claim 1 wherein said adapter cap is a generally cup-shaped cap inverted for mounting over said first cover member, said second cover member and said container means, and having a downwardly extending flange portion integrally formed with and disposed about the periphery of a disc-shaped body portion, said adapter cap having inner engaging means disposed on the interior surface of said downwardly extending flange portion to engage corresponding outer engaging means disposed about the exterior surface of a similarly-shaped downwardly extending peripheral flange integrally formed on said first cover member and engaging said container means on its interior surface, said inner engaging means and said outer engaging means cooperating to prevent relative axial movement of said adapter cap and said first cover member while allowing relative angular movement of said adapter cap and said first cover member to permit alignment and, alternately, closure of the openings formed in said first cover member and said second cover member.

3. The sterile specimen trap set forth in claim 2 wherein said inner engaging means includes a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions formed on the interior surface of said downwardly extending flange portion of said adapter cap, and said outer engaging means includes a plurality of generally L-shaped slots formed on the exterior surface of a downwardly extending portion of said first cover member, said protrusions being received in said slots to mount said adapter cap on said first cover member and said container means, and being movable within said slots to allow said first cover member, and said adapter cap and said second cover member engagingly held stationary by said adapter cap, to be moved relative to one another to align the openings in said first and second cover members, and establish communication to the interior of said container means, and, alternately, to misalign and close said openings.

4. In a system for obtaining respiratory, gastric and other fluids from a patient for laboratory analysis, including fluid conduit means in communication at one end thereof with the patient, vacuum means to establish suction in the system to withdraw the fluid from the patient, and suction conduit means in communication at one end thereof with said vacuum means, the improvement comprising a specimen trap in communication with the patient through an opposite end of said fluid conduit means and in communication with said vacuum means through an opposite end of said suction conduit means to receive and contain, in a sterile condition, fluid withdrawn from the patient through the fluid conduit means, including container means open at one end to receive said fluid, closure means mounted over said open end of said container means to close and seal the interior of said container means from contamination, said closure means having at least two independently formed members, each of said members having correspondingly spaced openings formed therethrough, at least one of said members being angularly movable about a central axis of said closure means relative to the other member, and adapter means having said open opposite ends of said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means mounted thereon and opening therethrough, said adapter means being mounted on said closure means and engaging at least one member of said closure means to allow relative angular movement of said members of said closure means such that said openings formed in said members may be aligned with one another and with said open, opposite ends of said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means to provide access to the interior of said container means and establish suction in the system for withdrawing fluid into said container means, and, alternately, so that said openings may be misaligned with one another to close the interior of said container means and maintain the fluid trapped in said container means in a sterile condition.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 wherein said closure means includes a first annular cover member and a second annular cover member, each of said cover members having a pair of correspondingly spaced openings formed in them to communicate the interior of said container means with said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means, respectively, said second cover member being mounted on said first cover member, said first cover member and said second cover member being angularly movable relative to one another about said central axis of said closure means when said second cover member is engaged by said adapter means.

6. The improvement set forth in claim 5 wherein said adapter means is an adapter cap mounted on said first cover member over said second cover member in such a manner that said second cover member is sandwiched between said adapter cap and said first cover member and said opposite open ends of said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means carried by said adapter cap are aligned with said corresponding openings formed in said second cover means, a portion of said second cover means engaging said adapter cap to prevent movement of said second cover means relative to said adapter cap, said first cover member and said second cover member being thereby angularly movable relative to one another a certain angular distance about said central axis of said closure means to align said openings in said first cover member with the correspondingly-spaced openings formed in said second cover member to communicate said fluid conduit means and said suction conduit means to establish suction in the system and withdraw fluid from the patient, said first and second cover members being alternately movable, after a desired amount of fluid has been trapped in said container means in an opposite manner relative to one another to close said openings and preserve the sterility of said specimen.

7. The improvement set forth in claim 6 wherein said adapter cap is a generally cup-shaped cap inverted for mounting over said first cover member, said second cover member and said container means, and having a downwardly extending flange portion integrally formed with and disposed about the periphery of a disc-shaped body portion, said adapter cap having inner engaging means disposed on the interior surface of said downwardly extending flange portion to engage corresponding outer engaging means disposed about the exterior surface of a similarly shaped downwardly extending peripheral flange integrally formed on said first cover member and engaging said container means on its interior surface, said inner engaging means and said outer engaging means cooperating to prevent relative axial movement of said adapter cap and said first cover member while allowing relative angular movement of said adapter cap and said first cover member to permit alignment, and, alternately, closure of the openings formed in said first cover member and said second cover member.

8. The improvement set forth in claim 7 wherein said inner engaging means includes a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions formed on the interior surface of said downwardly extending flange portion of said adapter cap, and said outer engaging means includes a plurality of generally L-shaped slots formed on the exterior surface of said downwardly extending portion of said first cover means, said protrusions being received in said slots to mount said adapter cap on said first cover member and said container means, and being movable within said slots to allow said first cover member and said second cover member engagingly held by said adapter cap to be angularly moved relative to one another about said central axis of said closure means to align said openings and establish communication to the interior of said container means, and, alternately, to misalign and close said openings.