This application was originally filed as provisional U.S. patent application, No. 60/491,699, with a filing date of Aug. 4, 2003. Priority is hereby claimed to this provisional patent application.
The present invention relates generally to the field of urine testing and more specifically to a sample collection cup with an integrated testing system.
Drug screen tests are well known in the personnel offices of businesses around the world. Employers commonly require tests for drugs of abuse such as cocaine and heroin and these tests have become an ordinary part of job applications. In the sports world, it is also common to test athletes for performance enhancement drugs such as certain steroids. Dipsticks that have been treated with chemicals that react to by-products of specified drugs can be dipped into a urine sample from the job applicant or athlete to provide onsite testing. Test cards are cards that have had multiple sites on the card chemically treated so that multiple drugs can be tested for simultaneously. Test cards, which are approximately the size of a business card, are used in the same manner as dip sticks, i.e., testing is traditionally conducted by dipping the card into a urine sample, waiting a specified period of time and then reading the indication sites on the card.
In a traditional drug screen test, a sample provider deposits a urine sample into a collection cup, places a lid on the cup and then places a piece of tape over the lid so that the tape extends down over the lid and onto the cup. This piece of tape is intended to insure that no other substance is added to the urine sample prior to testing. The sample provider then hands the sealed collection cup to a test administrator. In order to gain access to the urine sample, the test administrator must break the seal that secures the lid to the top of the collection cup. At this point it is possible for other substances to fall, accidentally or otherwise, into the collection cup and taint the sample. The addition of foreign substances to the sample can cause false or invalid test results.
What is needed in the field is an apparatus that provides for collection and testing of a sample all in one step so there is no need to break the security seal placed on the cup by the sample provider. An ideal apparatus would also allow for photocopying or scanning of the test results to facilitate record keeping. Photocopy machines are machines that make a reproduction of an original by taking a picture of the original and printing the reproduction on a sheet of paper. Scanners are machines the make a digital representation of an original and store the digital representation on a storage medium, such as the hard drive of a personal computer. At some later time, the digital representation of the original can be printed by a printer connected to the personal computer.
A test cup with an integrated test card and recordation system for collecting a sample of urine, immediately initiating a test on the collected sample and directly recording, by photocopying or scanning, the results of the test after administration. The integrated test cup includes a cup with a general cylindrical shape, the cup has a solid bottom, an open top, and a cylindrical wall. A testing compartment is attached to the outside of the cylindrical wall. The testing compartment has a flat front that facilitates photocopying and electronic scanning of the front of the testing compartment. The back of the testing compartment has a shape that conforms to the shape of the exterior of the cup. A channel that defines an opening between the bottom of the cup and the testing compartment is provided so that the sample is allowed to flow from the cup into the testing compartment. A test card with multiple reaction sites is located inside the testing compartment. The reaction sites visibly indicate whether or not specified chemicals are present in the sample. The reaction sites on the test card can be seen through the front of the testing compartment.
The test card may include a wick that aids in the flow of the sample to the reaction sites of the test card. A lid is also provided that can be secured to the top of the cup so that a watertight seal is created between the lid and the top of the cup. The present test cup has an associated template that includes relevant information pertaining to the test subject and the test administrator. The template includes a blank window that is filled with a reproduction of the front of the testing compartment, and thus the test results, after test administration. If a photocopying machine is used for reproduction of the test results, then a paper template is provided. If a scanner is used to document the test results, then an electronic template is provided.
The test card preferably includes indications, including abbreviations, next to each reaction site indicating what drug/chemical is being tested for at the sites. The test card may also include at least one adulteration site, the adulteration site being designed to indicate when a foreign substance has been added to the sample of urine. Instructions for using the present test cup can be provided either on the test cup or on the template, or on both. The front of the testing compartment can also include a privacy label that prevents viewing of the reaction sites on the test card. The privacy label can be peeled away later by the administrator to allow viewing of the reaction sites.
The test cup also preferably includes a security seal, such as foil tape, that can be placed over the lid and two sides of the cup, after the sample has been deposited in the cup. After the security seal has been applied, the lid cannot be removed without breaking the security seal. Thus, the security seal provides positive evidence as to whether or not the lid has previously been removed. A thermometer is also provided on the exterior of the cup, near the bottom, so the test administrator can check the temperature of the sample and insure that the temperature is within an acceptable range. The test card can be manufactured to indicate the presence of drugs of abuse including, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, meth-amphetamines, opiates/morphine, phencyclidine, benzodiazepine, barbiturates, methadone and tri-cyclic antidepressants.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for collecting and testing urine samples and an improved method for directly recording the results shown on the apparatus along with other pertinent information regarding the test, the donor and the administrator.
The invention of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, given only by way of example, in which:
The present testing system can be used to detect many different chemicals in a urine specimen. In the preferred embodiment, the test card is designed to detect whether or not the person being tested has used drugs of abuse. However, the device can also test for other medical conditions as well, such as pregnancy. In the preferred embodiment, the test card is manufactured to detect cocaine, amphetamines, THC, opiates, or PCP. In alternative embodiments, other drugs of abuse are tested for and at least one of the test pads 109 detects contaminants in the sample that interfere with the testing process.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology of terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60491699 | Aug 2003 | US |