Claims
- 1. A specimen collection device, comprising:
a) a chamber, wherein said chamber is capable of collecting a specimen; b) a reservoir, wherein said reservoir is capable of receiving a portion of said specimen from said chamber; further wherein said reservoir is capable of receiving a test device; c) a valve comprising:
i) a valve body; ii) a valve plunger positioned within said valve body; d) a detachable valve handle able to engage said valve plunger; wherein said valve is functionally interposed between said chamber and said reservoir is capable of transferring at least a portion of said specimen from said chamber to said reservoir such that said chamber and said reservoir are not in direct fluid communication.
- 2. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a seal.
- 3. The specimen collection device of claim 2, wherein said seal is a tamper resistant seal or tamper evident seal.
- 4. The specimen collection device of claim 2, wherein said seal is a screw-lid or a snap-lid.
- 5. The specimen collection device of claim 2, wherein said seal is leak resistant.
- 6. The specimen collection device of claim 2, wherein said seal comprises at least one O-ring.
- 7. The specimen collection device of claim 2, wherein said seal is leak resistant to at least about 0 PSI to at least about 50 PSI internal pressure.
- 8. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber can hold a specimen between about 0.05 milliliter and about 1,000 milliliters.
- 9. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber further comprises a temperature sensing device.
- 10. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises at least one label on surface on which to record data pertaining to said specimen.
- 11. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises metal, silicon, glass; ceramic, plastic or a polymer.
- 12. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber is tapered.
- 13. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a half elliptical side wall and a substantially rectangular test card wall.
- 14. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber is triangular.
- 15. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said reservoir comprises metal, silicon, glass, ceramic, plastic or a polymer.
- 16. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said reservoir snugly engages said test device.
- 17. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said specimen is a liquid specimen.
- 18. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said specimen is a biological specimen.
- 19. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said specimen has a volume between about 0.05 milliliter and about 1,000 milliliters.
- 20. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said specimen is urine, blood or serum.
- 21. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve is substantially cylindrical.
- 22. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve is unidirectional.
- 23. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve cannot be actuated more than once.
- 24. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve comprises a seal.
- 25. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve comprises at least one O-ring.
- 26. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve is leak resistant between said chamber and said reservoir.
- 27. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve is leak resistant between said chamber and said reservoir to at least about 0 PSI to at least about 50 PSI pressure on said chamber.
- 28. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said valve comprises metal, silicon, glass, ceramic, plastic or a polymer.
- 29. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber and said reservoir comprises a single unit.
- 30. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber and said reservoir comprises separate units.
- 31. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein, said reservoir is attached to said chamber.
- 32. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said reservoir is removable from said chamber.
- 33. The specimen collection device of claim 1, further comprising at least one test device.
- 34. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said test device comprises at least one test strip.
- 35. The specimen collection device of claim 34, wherein said test strip is capable of performing at least one specific binding reaction.
- 36. The specimen collection device of claim 35, wherein said specific binding reaction comprises an immunoassay.
- 37. The specimen collection device of claim 34, wherein said test strip is capable of performing an enzymatic reaction.
- 38. The specimen collection device of claim 34, wherein said test strip is capable of performing a chemical reaction.
- 39. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said test device is capable of detecting at least one analyte of interest.
- 40. The specimen collection device of claim 39, wherein said analyte of interest is selected from the group consisting of a drug, a drug of abuse, a hormone, a protein, a nucleic acid molecule, an etiological agent and a specific binding member.
- 41. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said test device further comprises a wick.
- 42. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said test device can be separate from said specimen collection device.
- 43. The specimen collection device of claim 1, wherein said chamber, said valve, said reservoir or said test device comprises an adulteration determination device.
- 44. The specimen collection device of claim 1 further comprising a test card housing able to engage said test device.
- 45. The specimen collection device of claim 44 wherein said test card housing is permanently affixed to said specimen collection device.
- 46. The specimen collection device of claim 44 wherein said test card housing is detachable from said specimen collection device.
- 47. A method of detecting an analyte of interest in a specimen, comprising:
1. providing the specimen collection device of claim 1;2. providing a specimen into said chamber; 3. actuating said valve to transfer at least a portion of said specimen from said chamber to said reservoir; and 4. contacting the transferred portion of said specimen with a test device, wherein said specimen is optionally within said reservoir
- 48. The method of claim 47, wherein said specimen is a biological specimen.
- 49. The method of claim 47, wherein said specimen is provided directly or indirectly from a test subject into said chamber.
- 50. The method of claim 47, wherein after providing said specimen into said chamber, said chamber is sealed with a tamper resistant or tamper evident seal.
- 51. The method of claim 47, wherein after the step of providing a specimen into said chamber a temperature sensing device can be examined.
- 52. The method of claim 47, wherein said portion of said specimen enters into said valve.
- 53. The method of claim 47, wherein said portion of said specimen is at least about one milliliter.
- 54. The method of claim 47, wherein said valve is actuated such that said portion of said specimen is transferred away from said chamber and delivered into said reservoir
- 55. The method of claim 54, wherein actuation of said valve is unidirectional.
- 56. The method of claim 54, wherein said transfer of said portion of said specimen into said reservoir is irreversible.
- 57. The method of claim 54, wherein said chamber and said reservoir are not in direct fluid communication.
- 58. The method of claim 47, wherein said test device is an immunoassay test device.
- 59. The method of claim 58, wherein said immunoassay test device comprises one or more lateral flow test strips.
- 60. The method of claim 47, wherein after the step of providing a specimen to said collection device an adulterant determination device can be examined.
- 61. The method of claim 47, wherein after said chamber containing said specimen has been sealed, the sealed chamber can be transported to a laboratory facility for confirmation of test results provided by said test device.
- 62. The method of claim 47, wherein after said chamber containing said specimen has been sealed, the sealed chamber can be transported to a laboratory facility for at least one additional test.
CROSS REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 09/915,494 filed Jul. 25, 2001 entitled “SPECIMEN COLLECTION CONTAINER”, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09915494 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10211199 |
Aug 2002 |
US |