Urine Container For Urinalysis

Abstract

A container for collecting urine for urinalysis which has generally the shape of a beaker and in whose interior a chamber is formed for releasably holding a test tube. The test-tube collects a small amount of urine for microscopical analysis, whereas the remainer of the beaker volume holds a larger volume of urine for tests requiring a comparatively large volume of urine. The container can be closed by a lid and can conveniently be made of a plastic material.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that, for collecting urine samples to be subjected to the several laboratory tests, containers of the most varied types are used at the present, such as bottles which have already been used otherwise and then washed in the way that has been deemed the best. This collection method gives rise to shortcomings of a various nature, in the first place as regards cleanliness, which, as accurate as it may have been, leaves traces of foreign bodies which could alter the analysis results.

Another defect is that of being compelled to transfuse the content of the bottles partly into a test tube for the microscopical analysis, partly into another container for the macroscopical analysis, and such a transfusion is not always convenient, due both to the narrow neck of the collection bottle and the waste of time involved in the transfusion.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to supply the user with a container which is most adapted to the collection and which does not compel the analyst to effect transfusions in order to avoid the shortcomings which have been set forth hereinabove.

The container, the subject of the invention, is characterized, in that it comprises a broad-necked container, in whose interior there is provided a housing for temporarily holding a removable test tube, with said housing being so formed and positioned that the test tube mouth lies in the interior and substantially slightly beneath the container mouth so as to facilitate the simultaneous filling of both the container and the test tube.

According to a preferred embodiment, said broad-necked container consists of a beaker made of an appropriate plastic material, along whose inner vertical wall there is formed by molding a space which tapers slightly downwards and is intended to receive and hold a test-tube slipped thereinto from above and having such a height that the test-tube mouth is disposed slightly below the beaker mouth.

Both on the container wall and the test-tube wall, small areas can be arranged which are adapted either for the direct or indirect application of scripts and labels which are deemed useful as references for the laboratory analysis.

The container, which is usually fitted with a lid having a curled edge for being snap closed, can be properly cleaned, sterilized and stored in a suitable completely closed transparent wrapper.

A preferred embodiment is shown for better clarity in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of the container according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 with the lid removed, and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III--III of FIG. 1, the view looking in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The container illustrated herein comprises a beaker 1 of plastic material and having the form of an upwardly tapering body, along the inner sidewall thereof is formed by molding, a chamber having a circular cross-section and with a slightly conical outline 2, with the chamber serving to house and hold by gently pressing the same, a plastic or glass-test-tube 3. An edge 4 of the chamber 2 is located slightly beneath the test-tube mouth to facilitate the gripping thereof by means of tongs and the withdrawal of the test-tube from the chamber.

The container 1 is closed by a lid 5, also of a plastic material, and which is provided with a curled edge for snapping closure of conventional type.

A bottom 6 of the test-tube housing chamber can be quite thin and thus easily and resiliently deformable so that a thrust impressed thereon can encourage the lifting and thus the removal of the test-tube from above.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A container for collecting urine for urinalysis, comprising a hollow container having a bottom closed end, a side wall and a mouth end opposite the closed end, the interior of the body being provided with means constituting a chamber therein, said chamber extending from the bottom end of the container towards the mouth end and having an open upper end spaced inwardly of the mouth end of the container, and an open-ended test tube temporarily received and held in said chamber, the open end of the test tube being above the upper end of the chamber and inwardly of the mouth end of the container, thereby facicitating the simultaneous filling of both the test tube and the interior of the container.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1 in which the open mouth end of the container is of a larger dimension than the closed bottom end thereof, with the side wall tapering downwardly from the open mouth end to the closed bottom end, said chamber being defined by a portion molded to the side wall, said chamber being of circular cross section tapering downwardly towards the closed bottom end for holding by a pressing action the test tube.

3. The container as claimed in claim 2 in which the open mouth end of the container is provided with an outwardly extending peripheral ring and a lid of plastic material having an inturned peripheral edge for snapping onto the ring of the container serves for closing the open mouth of the container.

4. The container as claimed in claim 2 in which the cross section of the bottom end of the container in the area of the bottom of the chamber is of such thickness that such area can be deformed by the application of pressure to thereby elevate the tube in the chamber for allowing its ready removal from the chamber.