U.S. patent number RE33,686 [Application Number 07/423,787] was granted by the patent office on 1991-09-10 for urine specimen collectors and method of detecting spurious urine specimens.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Medical Implements, Inc.. Invention is credited to James M. Parrish.
United States Patent |
RE33,686 |
Parrish |
September 10, 1991 |
Urine specimen collectors and method of detecting spurious urine
specimens
Abstract
Urine specimen containers combined with a temperature sensitive
member which is capable of signalling a spurious urine specimen
when placed in a sufficiently close heat exchange relationship with
a urine specimen. The temperature sensitive member contains
portions which change color irreversibly at preselected
temperatures when placed in sufficiently close heat exchange
relationship with a urine specimen. The temperatures at which the
irreversible color changes are made are selected slightly below
normal body temperature and slightly in excess of normal body
temperature such as from about 90.degree. F. to about 100.degree.
F. The urine specimen collector itself includes a bowl-shaped
member with an integral handle. The bowl-shaped member is contoured
to fit to close proximity to the body of the user. A cover member
is pivotally attached to the handle and functions as a splash guard
for the user. The cover member also has a raised boss terminating
in an open top to permit urination through the cover member. The
opening of the raised boss in the cover member is substantially in
line with a threaded connection for a collection container which is
screwed onto the bottom of the bowl-shaped member. The cover member
has a portion thereof spaced from a frontal portion of the
bowl-shaped member to provide an overflow from the bowl-shaped
member.
Inventors: |
Parrish; James M. (Midlothian,
VA) |
Assignee: |
Medical Implements, Inc.
(Richmond, VA)
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Family
ID: |
26746190 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/423,787 |
Filed: |
October 18, 1989 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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65933 |
Jun 24, 1987 |
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Reissue of: |
140254 |
Dec 31, 1987 |
04832046 |
May 23, 1989 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
600/584; 600/549;
604/318 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01K
13/02 (20130101); A61B 10/007 (20130101); G01K
11/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
10/00 (20060101); G01K 13/00 (20060101); G01K
11/12 (20060101); G01K 11/00 (20060101); G01K
13/02 (20060101); A61B 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/760,761,771,736
;604/317,318 ;4/110 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
"Measurement of Urine Temp . . . . Treatment Program", Judson et
al., Am. J. Drug Alcohol Abuse, 6/1979..
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Primary Examiner: Hindenburg; Max
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Staas & Halsey
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 65,933,
filed June 24, 1987, now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a urine specimen collector for detecting spurious,
fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current urine specimens, the
combination which comprises:
a. a bowl-shaped member generally oval in crosssection having a
relatively shallow portion at one end and a steeper portion at an
opposite end,
i. handle means connected to said bowl-shaped member at said
steeper portion,
ii. said bowl-shaped member having a bottom opening to permit
drainage to a collection container,
b. a cover member providing a splash guard for said bowl-shaped
member when urine is being deposited in said bowl-shaped
member,
i. said cover member being secured to said handle means,
ii. said cover member being pivotally movable under the influence
of gravity away from said bowl-shaped member when said bowl-shaped
member is held vertically beneath said handle means in which
position any excess urine flows out of said shallow portion into a
toilet, urinal or other vessel for disposing of said excess
urine,
c. and a temperature sensitive member secured externally of said
collection container.
2. In a urine specimen collector as defined in claim 1 wherein said
temperature sensitive member includes at least one portion which
will indicate a temperature for the specimen that is slightly less
than normal body temperature and at least one other portion which
will indicate a temperature for the specimen that is slightly in
excess of the normal body temperature.
3. In a urine specimen collector for detecting spurious,
fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current urine specimens, the
combination which comprises:
a. a funnel-shaped member having a bowl portion generally oval in
cross-section and a bottom drainage port for directing a urine
specimen into a collection container,
i. said funnel-shaped member having an open top, a relatively
shallow portions at one end and a steeper portion at an opposite
end,
ii. a handle secured to said steeper portion whereby said
funnel-shaped member may be held by said handle in an uppermost
position permitting any excess urine to flow out of said shallow
portion into a toilet, urinal or other vessel for disposing of said
excess urine,
b. a urine specimen collection container secured to said bottom
drainage port,
c. and a temperature sensitive member secured externally of said
urine specimen collection container at a height below the level of
a urine specimen within said collection container with said
temperature sensitive member being capable of signalling a spurious
urine specimen by heat conduction through said urine specimen
collection container.
4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein said temperature
sensitive member contains portions which change color irreversibly
at preselected temperatures.
5. A method of detecting a spurious, fraudulent, non-authentic or
non-current urine specimen which comprises:
a. attaching a temperature sensitive member to the exterior of a
urine specimen receptacle below the height of urine specimen to be
deposited within said receptacle,
b. securing to said urine specimen receptacle a funnel-shaped
member having a bowl portion and a bottom drainage port for
directing a urine specimen into said urine specimen receptacle,
c. and presenting said urine specimen receptacle to the person
whose urine is to be tested, said temperature sensitive member
including at least one portion which will will indicate a
temperature for the specimen slightly less than normal body
temperature and at least one other portion which will indicate a
temperature for the specimen slightly in excess of normal body
temperature. .Iadd.
6. In a single use urine specimen collector container for detecting
spurious, fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current urine specimens,
the combination which comprises:
a. a urine specimen collection container,
b. and a temperature sensitive member which includes at least one
portion which will indicate a temperature for the specimen that is
slightly less than normal body temperature and at least one portion
which will indicate a temperature for the specimen that is slightly
in excess of the normal body temperature secured externally of said
urine specimen collection container at a height below the level of
a urine specimen to be deposited within said collection container
with said temperature sensitive member being capable of signalling
a spurious urine specimen by heat conduction through said urine
specimen collection container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. A method of
detecting a spurious, fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current
urine specimen which comprises:
presenting a urine specimen collection container to the person
whose urine is to be tested;
collecting a urine sample; and
determining whether said urine sample is spurious, fraudulent,
non-authentic or non-current by reading a temperature sensitive
member secured in thermal relationship to the exterior of said
container at a height below the level of the urine sample which
temperature member will indicate at one portion a temperature that
is slightly less than normal body temperature and at another
portion a temperature that is slightly in excess of the normal body
temperature. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to urine specimen collectors combined with a
method of detecting spurious urine specimens and, more
particularly, to a collector having an integral splash guard and
the use of a temperature sensitive member attached externally of or
within the urine container to verify the genuineness of the
specimen.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore it has been known to utilize funnel-shaped introductory
members for use in combination with collection containers for
sanitary specimen collectors. U.S. design Pat. No. 227,413 Sherin,
issued June 19, 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,871 Sherin, issued Jan.
23, 1973; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,136 Whitney et al, issued May 21,
1974 are three examples of specimen collectors using funnel-shaped
introductory members. All of these devices suffer from a common
defect in that urine is easily splashed back onto the person
providing the urine specimen. Another shortcoming of these devices
is that they do not possess satisfactory overflow means. In
addition to adjunctive use of a funnel-shaped introductory member,
there is a growing need in drug screening applications to be able
to ascertain that the uring specimen obtained is not spurious,
fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned
limitations and shortcomings of the known prior art are effectively
overcome. In particular, a urine specimen collector is provided
which incorporates a bowl-shaped introductory member to a sanitary
collection container. The bowl-shaped member has a threaded bottom
opening which allows drainage into an attachment of a collection
container. A cover member provides a splash guard for the
bowl-shaped member and is pivotally secured to a handle means. The
cover member has a raised boss which terminates in an open top that
permits urination through the cover member. For rapid and efficient
filling of the collector container, the latter is secured to the
bowl-shaped member at its threaded opening which is substantially
in line with the opening in the raised boss of the cover member.
The cover member is recessed from a lowered frontal portion of the
bowl-shaped member to provide an overflow therefrom.
In addition, a temperature sensitive member is placed either
exteriorly of or within the collector container which is capable of
signalling a spurious urine specimen by heat transfer through the
collector container or by direct contact with the urine specimen
itself. This temperature sensitive member contains portions or
discrete areas which change color irreversibly at pre-selected
temperatures when placed in close heat exchange relationship with a
urine specimen. In order to detect urine specimens which are
spurious, fraudulent, non-authentic or non-current in point of
time, the temperature sensitive member includes at least one
portion or discrete area which will indicate a temperature for the
specimen which is slightly less than the normal body temperature
and at least one other portion or discrete area which will indicate
a specimen temperature slightly in excess of the normal body
temperature of 98.6.degree. F. For example, in a preferred form of
the invention, a series of temperature sensitive letters or discs
are attached to a suitable backing member that is adhesively
secured exteriorly of the collector container below the level of
urine within the container or to the inside bottom of the collector
container. Three sets of letters or disks are employed which are
present in their manufacture to change color at about 90.degree.
F., 95.degree. F., and 100.degree. F. For a normal urine specimen,
the letter sets or discs are manufactured by American Thermometer
Co., Inc. of Dayton, Ohio or by Tempil, a division of Big Three
Industries, Inc., of South Plainfield, New Jersey.
The inherent advantages and improvements of the present invention
will become more readily apparent upon reference to the following
detailed description of the invention and by reference to the
accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a urine specimen collector device
made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the device of FIG. 3 taken in
vertical cross section along line 7--7 which a fragmentary
illustration of a collection container added thereto;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified introductory collector
secured to a collection container with portions broken away to
illustrate a temperature sensing member;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the
temperature sensing member of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, exploded view of a collection container
and cap therefor.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the introductory collector and
collection container of FIG. 8 with an alternative positioning for
and modified form of a temperature sensing member; and
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the modified form of temperature
sensing member shown in FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a
urine specimen introductory collector indicated generally at 10.
Included in this urine specimen introductory collector 10 is a
bowl-shaped member 12 which is substantially open at its top. A
cover member 14 substantially completely closes the open top of the
bowl-shaped member 12. Cover member 14 also functions as a splash
guard when the urine specimen introductory collector 10 is used in
combination with a collection container.
The bowl-shaped member 12 is shown to have an integral handle
portion 16 at its rearmost and most elevated portion as can be seen
in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7. Cover member 14 also has an integral handle
portion 18 which overlies the integral handle portion 16 and is
secured thereto. In the drawings there is illustrated mating holes
or apertures 22 passing through the handle portions 16, 18 through
which a fastening member, not shown, may pass. However, in the
preferred form of the invention, these two integral handle portions
16 and 18 are heat sealed together providing a pivotal mounting for
the cover member 14.
Cover member 14 is further provided with a raised generally
cylindrical boss 24 which terminates in a substantially planar open
end 26. Substantially directly opposite this opening 26 in the
raised cylindrical boss 24 is a tubular outlet stem 28 in the
bottom of the bowl-shaped member 12 which is provided with a
threaded inner portion 30. A collection container 32 is illustrated
in FIG. 7 threadedly secured to the bowl-shaped member 12. For
purposes of this invention, the collection container 32 may be of
any desired size and shape.
The bowl-shaped member 12 has a substantially teardrop shape in
plan view as can be seen best in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. This
substantially teardrop configuration terminates in a substantially
pointed frontal portion 34 which is spaced from a foreshortened end
36 of cover member 14, thereby providing an opening through which
an overflow from the urine specimen introductory collector 10 may
be had. The rearward portion 38 of the bowl-shaped member 12 is
substantially higher than the frontal portion 34 as can readily be
seen in FIGS. 2 and 7. With the aid of handle portions 16, 18, the
user, most customarily of the female gender, can hold the urine
specimen introductory collector 10 and attached collection
container 32 in close proximity to her body with the handle portion
being uppermost and the frontal portion 34 of the bowl-shaped
member 12 at the bottom, in order to urinate through opening 26 of
the raised cylindrical boss 24, directly into the collection
container 32. The substantial in-line registry of the opening 26
with the opening in collection container 32 is best seen in FIGS.
3, 4 and 7. With the urine specimen introductory collector 10 and
attached collection container 32 held in its operative position
with the handle portions 16 and 18 at the top, the opening between
the foreshortened end 36 of cover 14 with the pointed forward
portion of the bowl-shaped member 12, permits overflow urine to
pass into a conventional toilet. Because the sides of bowl-shaped
member 12 taper inwardly as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the
sides are engaged by the marginal edges of cover member 14 to limit
the depth to which the cover member 14 can penetrate the
bowl-shaped member 12 as is illustrated in FIG. 1. When the rear
prtion 38 of the bowl-shaped member 12 is rotated 90.degree.
clockwise from its FIG. 7 position to its position of use, the
pivotally mounted cover member 14 pivots away from the bottom of
the bowl-shaped member 12 under the influence of gravity, thus
aiding in the ability of the device to handle overflow urine should
that occur. The material used for the urine specimen introductory
collector 10 is preferably plastic materials such as styrofoam or
polypropylene.
Referring now to FIG. 8 of the drawings, there is illustrated a
modified urine specimen collector, indicated generaly at 40, which
is devoid of a splash guard protector. However, urine specimen
collector 40 has a bowl-shaped portion 12a, integral handle 18a and
a tubular outlet stem 28a. Collector 40 is illustrated to be
threadedly connected to collection container 32a.
An irreversible temperature sensitive member, indicated generally
by numeral 42, is adhesively secured to the inside bottom 44 of
collection container 32a. The temperature sensitive member 42 has
temperature sensitive disks 46, 48, 50 mounted on a suitable
backing member 52. A pressure sensitive adhesive is provided on the
underside of backing member 52 protected by a peel off adhesive
cover member 54. In practice, the adhesive cover member 54 is
removed from the pressure sensitive adhesive on backing member 52
and applied to the inside bottom 44 of collection container 32a
with the aid of tweezers or any other suitable instrument.
Disks 46, 48 and 50 are each preset in their manufacture to change
color at a predetermined temperature. While some tolerances in the
preset temperature can be tolerated, it is essential that at least
one disk be preset on each side of the normal body temperature of
98.6.degree. F. For example, disk 46 may be preset to change color
at about 90.degree. F., disk 48 may be preset to change color to
about 95.degree. F. and disk 50 may be preset to change color at
about 100.degree. F. With this arrangement, disks 46 and 48 would
change color when a normal urine specimen is tested.
FIG. 10 illustrates that the collection container 32a is initially
provided with a tamperproof closure member 56. The invention will
perform satisfactorily with any tamperproof closure member and this
forms no part of the present invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a modified form and placement are
shown for the temperature sensitive member, designated generally at
42a in these figures. The specimen collector 40 with its
bowl-shaped portion 12a and integral handle 18a are the same as
shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, the tubular outlet stem 28a leading to
collection container 32a are the same as in FIG. 8.
The temperature sensitive member 42a is attached to the exterior of
collection container 32a after a peel off adhesive cover member 54
has been removed. The temperature sensitive member 42a is then
adhesively secured to the exterior of collection container 32a at a
height below the level of urine that has already been deposited in
collection container by the person whose urine is to be tested. In
this manner a sufficiently close heat transfer is established by
heat conduction through collection container 32a.
In place of discs 46, 48 and 50, the temperature sensitive member
42a has a letter or groups of letters and symbols 46a, 48a and 50a.
For example, the letters UR may be preset to change color at about
90.degree. F., the letter and symbol -N may be preset to change
color at about 95.degree. F.; and the symbol and letters -SUR may
be preset to change color at 100.degree. F. with the letters and
symbols corresponding to 46a, 48a and 50a respectively. Once again
the temperature sensitive member 42a is preferably irreversible so
that a spurious urine sample may easily be detected. In this
embodiment, the temperature of the urine is obtained by heat
conduction through the collection container 32a. A sufficiently
close heat transfer would not be established if the temperature
sensitive member were attached to collector container 32a above the
level of urine specimen within the collector container.
While invention has been illustrated and described with respect to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized that the
invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within
the scope of the claims which follow.
* * * * *