Prenatal specimen collection method

Claim 1

The method of using a syringe to remove an amniotic fluid specimen from a pregnant patient preparatory to the laboratory analysis thereof comprising the steps of inserting the distal end of a syringe having a first passage and a second passage for moving fluid through said syringe into the patient amniotic fluid source, withdrawing amniotic fluid from said patient amniotic fluid source through said syringe first passage, maintaining said inserted position of said syringe and said first and second passages thereof so as to continue providing fluid communication between said syringe and said patient amniotic fluid source, returning said amniotic fluid through said syringe second passage to said patient amniotic fluid source incident to the operation of said syringe, filtering said amniotic fluid during the aforesaid return thereof using a removable filter in said maintained second fluid communication passage, selectively repeating the syringe removal and return through said filter of said amniotic fluid, and removing for laboratory analysis said filter with any content of said amniotic fluid repeatedly filtered therethrough, whereby there is provided an adequate amniotic fluid specimen for said laboratory analysis even during an early gestation period of the patient's pregnancy.

Claim 2

The method of using a syringe to remove an amniotic fluid specimen from a pregnant patient preparatory to the laboratory analysis thereof comprising the steps of inserting the distal end of a syringe having a first passage and a second passage for moving fluid through said syringe into the patient amniotic fluid source, withdrawing amniotic fluid from said patient amniotic fluid source through said syringe first passage, maintaining said inserted position of said syringe and said first and second passages thereof so as to continue providing fluid communication between said syringe and said patient amniotic fluid source, returning said amniotic fluid through said syringe second passage to said patient amniotic fluid source incident to the operation of said syringe, filtering said amniotic fluid during the aforesaid return thereof using a removable filter in said maintained second fluid communication passage, selectively repeating the syringe removal and return through said filter of said amniotic fluid, and removing for laboratory analysis said filter with any content of said amniotic fluid repeatedly filtered therethrough, whereby there is provided an adequate amniotic fluid specimen for said laboratory analysis even during an early gestation period of the patient's pregnancy.