CA2149598A1

CA2149598A1 - Medical sample collector

Info

Publication number: CA2149598A1
Application number: CA 2149598
Authority: CA
Inventors: Susan A. M. F. Mah
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-05-17
Filing date: 1995-05-17
Publication date: 1996-11-18

Abstract

A medical sample collector is used with a toilet bowl. The collector is a sheet of material impervious to the stool or urine sample to be collected. It has a concave configuration and depends into the toilet bowl when in place. Adhesive tapes at the edges of the sheet fasten the collector to the bowl. The sheet may be a biodegradable, flushable material, especially for stool samples.

Description

21g9~98 MEDICAL SAMPLE COLLECTOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the collection of medical samples.

The collection of medical samples, especially stool and urine samples is often a difficult and unpleasant task. The use of a bedpan for collecting stools is inconvenient and for some persons, especially the elderly, difficult. Urine samples are usually collected in small containers, 10 generally of insufficient size to accommodate a complete urinary flow.
While it is usually desired to collect a "mid-flow" sample, it is more likely tocollect an early flow sample with the remainder of the flow being diverted into a convenient toilet fixture.
The present invention is concerned with a solution to these 15 problems.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a medical sample collector for use with a toilet bowl, said collector comprising a sheet of material impervious to the sample to be collected, the 20 sheet having a concave configuration, and attachment means for attaching the sheet across the toilet bowl, to depend into the bowl.
The sheet may be held in place using an adhesive at the peripheral edge of the sheet.
Where the collector is used for collecting stool samples, it is 25 preferred that the sheet be made of a biodegradable, "flushable" material, for example the material used in certain disposable diaper liners. This allows ready disposal of the collector and the remaining stool once the stool sample 21~9~98 is removed to the usual sample container.
The edge of the sheet preferably has a convex contour at the front to provide a space for urination at the front of the bowl.
With a urine collector, the sheet is liquid impervious and has a 5 larger gap at the front to accommodate movement of the urinary flow from the toilet bowl to the collector and back again. An appropriate plastic film may be used for this purpose.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary 10 embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a collector as attached to a toilet bowl; and Figure 2 is a cross-section along line 2-2 of Figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a toilet bowl 10 of a conventional toilet fixture. Attached to the bowl is a collector 12 for medical samples. The collector consists of a sheet 14 contoured to depend into the bowl when stretched across the bowl and adhesive tape tabs 16 at the peripheral edge 18 of the sheet. The sheet has 20 a front edge 20 that is contoured to provide a space 22 between the front edge of the collector and the front of the toilet bowl.
In use, the sheet is stretched across the toilet bowl and attached to the bowl using the adhesive tape tabs 16. The collector will usually depend into the bowl a distance of approximately 31/2 inches, which 25 has been found to be appropriate for collection purposes. The toilet seat may then be lowered and a stool sample delivered into the collector. Urine may be passed directly into the bowl through the space 22 at the front of 21~9598 -the collector so as to avoid contaminating the collected sample. The collected stool may then be segmented using the usual stick, with a segment of the stool being deposited in a conventional stool sample container using the same separator stick. Where desired, the remaining 5 stool may be dropped into the toilet bowl by releasing adhesive tape, lifting the collector and dumping it into the bowl. Alternatively, the edges of the collector may be gathered for disposal of the collector and stool. Where the collector is a flushable, biodegradable material, it can be simply dropped into the toilet bowl and flushed with the stool.
For urine collection, it has been found convenient either to lift the back end of the collector to pour the collected urine from the collector into the sample container or to gather the edges of the collector, lift it from the bowl and then subsequently pour the urine from it into the container.
While one particular embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein. Various single and multiple kits employing collectors, containers and sample separators may be provided to users either directly or through the medical profession.
It is to be understood that the invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A medical sample collector for use with a toilet bowl, said collector comprising a sheet of material impervious to the sample to be collected, the sheet having a concave configuration, and attachment means for attaching the sheet across the toilet bowl, to depend into the bowl.

2. A collector according to claim 1 wherein the sheet comprises a biodegradable material.

3. A collector according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprises adhesive material attached to the sheet.

4. A collector according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the sheet is liquid impermeable.

5. A collector according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the sheet has a front edge that is contoured so as to leave a space between a front side of the toilet bowl and the front edge of the sheet.

6. A medical sample collection kit comprising:
a sample container; and a sample collector comprising a sheet of material impervious to the sample to be collected, the sheet having a concave configuration and attachment means for attaching the sheet across a toilet bowl, depending into the bowl.

7. A kit according to claim 6 further comprising a sample segmenting means for separating a solid and delivering a separated segment of solid from the collector to the sample container.

8. A method of collecting medical samples comprising:
stretching a sheet of material impervious to the sample across a toilet bowl, the sheet having a concave configuration;
attaching the sheet to the bowl; and delivering the sample into the sheet.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the sample is a stool.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the sample is urine.