US3855997A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sterile specimen trap
Assignee: CINCO MEDICAL HEALTH SUPPLY CO
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Filing: 1973-07-11
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Granted: 1974-12-24
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Expires: 1993-07-11
Abstract
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.
Inventors
- 👤 P Sauer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:07
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/50; B01L3/508; B01L3/5082; B01L3/50825; A; A61; A61B; A61B10/00; A61B10/0045; A61M; A61M1/00; A61M1/60; A61B50/00; A61B2050/005; A61B2050/0062; A61B2050/0063; B01L2400/00; B01L2400/06; B01L2400/0633; B01L2400/0644
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
408 words
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.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
408 words
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.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
163 words
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.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
148 words
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.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
328 words
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.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
328 words
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.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
103 words
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.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
214 words
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.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
163 words
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.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
143 words
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.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |