Device for use in the collection and transportation of medical specimens

Claim 1

A device for use in the collection and transportation of medical specimens comprising: a receptacle in the form of an elongate transparent tube having a closed and an open end; a swab comprising an elongate element having an absorbent pad at an outer end thereof, and a cap at its opposite end, the cap being adapted to be fitted to said tube so as to close said open end and the element being arranged to extend outwardly from the cap into the tube when the cap is in place on the tube; a body of media material disposed in said tube adjacent the closed end thereof; and, a penetrable septum positioned in the tube at a spacing from said closed end selected so that said media material substantially fills the space between the septum and said closed end, the swab being dimensioned so that its said outer end will penetrate the septum when the cap is in its said position closing the open end of the tube, whereby the absorbent pad with the specimen thereon will become immersed in the media material; said septum comprising a sleeve retained inside said tube and defining an internal passageway and a diaphragm normally closing said passageway, said passageway being dimensioned to permit the swab to pass therethrough when the cap is moved to said position closing the open end of the tube, and said diaphragm being received in an internal annular recess in side sleeve defined at the side of the diaphragm remote from the media material by an annular lip adapted to prevent dislodgement of the diaphragm in a direction away from the media material, and at the opposite side of the diaphragm by portions of the sleeve adapted to permit the diaphragm to be displaced from said recess by said swab in penetrating the septum.

Claim 2

A device for use in the collection and transportation of medical specimens comprising: a receptacle in the form of an elongate transparent tube having a closed and an open end; a swab comprising an elongate element having an absorbent pad at an outer end thereof, and a cap at its opposite end, the cap being adapted to be fitted to said tube so as to close said open end and the element being arranged to extend outwardly from the cap into the tube when the cap is in place on the tube; a body of media material disposed in said tube adjacent the closed end thereof; and, a penetrable septum positioned in the tube at a spacing from said closed end selected so that said media material substantially fills the space between the septum and said closed end, the swab being dimensioned so that its said outer end will penetrate the septum when the cap is in its said position closing the open end of the tube, whereby the absorbent pad with the specimen thereon will become immersed in the media material; said septum comprising a sleeve retained inside said tube and defining an internal passageway and a diaphragm normally closing said passageway, said passageway being dimensioned to permit the swab to pass therethrough when the cap is moved to said position closing the open end of the tube, and said diaphragm being received in an internal annular recess in side sleeve defined at the side of the diaphragm remote from the media material by an annular lip adapted to prevent dislodgement of the diaphragm in a direction away from the media material, and at the opposite side of the diaphragm by portions of the sleeve adapted to permit the diaphragm to be displaced from said recess by said swab in penetrating the septum.