Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Apparatus – Bioreactor
Patent
1991-07-24
1993-09-21
Warden, Robert J.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Apparatus
Bioreactor
435294, 435805, 422 58, 422 61, 422102, 206363, 206438, 128759, 604 1, C12M 130
Patent
active
052468569
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a specimen receptacle for use, for example, as part of a swabbing set for collection and transport of a specimen required for microbiological examination.
It is known to obtain specimens for microbiological examination by means of a swab stick which includes a swab of absorbant material which sucks up the specimen, which is located at one end of an elongate element, such as a stick or length of wire, by which the swab is handled and manipulated. The swab and absorbed specimen are transported to the laboratory where the examination is to be performed, either in a sterile, dry, closed receptacle in the form of a tube, or immersed in a sterile, watery, often partly solidified transport medium, in a similar closed tube. In the laboratory, the swab is removed from the tube, and the specimen is squeezed from the absorbant material and subjected to various procedures depending upon the specific purpose of the examination.
Although such specimen tubes are closed in an air-tight manner, there is still a tendency for the specimens contained therein to deteriorate, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved specimen tube which significantly reduces this tendency.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a swabbing set including a specimen receptacle, and a swab device including an absorbent swab receivable in the receptacle, the receptacle having a region of reduced internal cross-section, and the absorbent swab, when the swab device is inserted into the receptacle in use of the latter, being received by said region of reduced internal cross-section, characterised in that the region of reduced internal cross-section defines an elongate swab compartment which contains, closely confines, and engages the swab when the swab device is inserted fully into the receptacle, to effectively isolate the sides and tip of the swab from air in the remainder of the receptacle and thereby hinder evaporation and oxygenation of a specimen when absorbed in the swab.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a specimen receptacle for use in a swabbing set as just defined the receptacle comprising a tube having an open end, a closed opposite end, and a region of reduced internal cross-section for receiving and closely surrounding an absorbent swab of a swab device, characterised in that the region defines a longitudinally extending swab compartment disposed at or adjacent the closed end and spaced from the open end, the swab compartment being elongate in the longitudinal direction of the tube, and having an internal cross-section which is smaller than that of the longitudinally extending region of the tube between the swab compartment and the open end, so that, when a swab device is inserted fully into the receptacle in use of the latter, the swab is contained in the swab compartment, and is closely confined by, and engaged by, the swab compartment, whereby the cooperation between the swab and swab compartment effectively isolates the sides and tip of the swab from air in the receptacle so as to hinder evaporation and oxygenation of a specimen absorbed in the swab.
In one embodiment, a swab device or stick comprises a swab of absorbant material mounted at one end of a stick or other elongate element, the other end of the elongate element being connected to a stopper for the receptacle. The receptacle is in the form of a tube, for example basically similar to a test tube. The tube is provided, adjacent its lower closed end, with a longitudinally extending region having an internal diameter which is less than that of the remaining upper portion of the tube. The cross-sectional area of the lower region of the tube approximates, or is less than, that of the swab when in an unrestrained condition. The relative lengths of the swab stick and tube are such that, when the swab stick is inserted into the tube to a position in which the stopper sealingly closes the open upper end of the tube, the swab enters the reduced-diameter region,
REFERENCES:
patent: 2768736 (1956-10-01), Govoni
patent: 3776220 (1973-12-01), Monaghan
patent: 3966552 (1976-06-01), Pagano et al.
patent: 4184483 (1980-01-01), Greenspan
patent: 4528187 (1985-07-01), Truglio
Scan-Labs Ltd.
Thornton Krisanne M.
Warden Robert J.
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