GB1585127A

GB1585127A - Specimen test slide

Info

Publication number: GB1585127A
Application number: GB17563/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SmithKline Corp
Current assignee: GlaxoSmithKline LLC
Priority date: 1976-04-28
Filing date: 1977-04-27
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: AT360174B; SE7704665L; JPS52132579A; ATA238177A; ES458182A1; AU502691B2; NO771428L; BR7702658A; CA1071911A; CH616236A5; MX144487A; AU2451177A; IT1115516B; FI771274A

Abstract

This sample-test carrier permits comparative testing side by side with the same test reagent or with different test reagents. The carrier has a front plate (4) and a rear plate (6), the front plate (4) possessing several openings (22, 24) under which test strips (26) lie. The test strip section under the openings (22, 24) is impregnated with a test reagent. Furthermore, the test strips (26) possess a cover flap (8) which covers at least part of the front plate (4) and the openings therein. Further flaps (14) are connected in articulated fashion to the rear plate (6) opposite the openings in such a way that the underside of the strips (26) is exposed when the flaps are folded over. The sample-test carrier can be advantageously used for analysing biological substances, e.g. blood, urine and the like. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) SPECIMEN TEST SLIDE (71) We, SMITHKLINE CORPORA TION, of 1500 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101, United States of America, a corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement This invention relates to specimen. test slides.

I(nown specimen test slides have an absorbent sheet for receiving the specimen sandwiched between a front and rear panel.

The front and rear panels each have an opening so that one portion of the sheet is accessible from opposite sides.

Typically, the sheet is impregnated with a test reagent. A specimen to be tested can be applied to the opposite side of the sheet through the opening in the rear of the panel.

For example when used to test for occult blood in faeces, the sheet is impregnated with guaiac or o-tolidine and the developing solution is a peroxide solution.

Frequently it is desirable to have two or more specimens placed side by side for close comparison. For example when testing for occult blood it is desirable to compare samples from different stools. At times it is desirable to subject a specimen to more than one test, for example it may be necessary to subject a faecal sample to the guaiac and o-tolidine test simultaneously.

According to the present invention there is provided a specimen test slide comprising a front panel having a plurality of openings, means for covering the openings, an absorbent sheet a portion of which underlies each opening and a rear panel underlying the sheet which allows access from the rear to the portions of sheet opposite each opening.

Preferably the front panel has two adjacent openings.

Generally the slide has a cover for closing all the openings in the front panel. This cover can be hinged at one edge, to one edge of the rear panel so as to swing closed over the openings, and has a free edge remote from the hinged edge carrying a tongue which fits into a co-operating slot in the front panel to lock the cover.

The rear panel allows access from the rear to the sheet opposite each opening, i.e. from the side opposite that which is accessible through the opening in the front panel.

For example the rear panel may have a tab which can be pulled away exposing the portions of the sheet opposite the openings.

Preferably the panel has one tab opposite each opening. Preferably such tabs are not completely detachable but are hinged along one edge to the rear panel.

Preferably the panels and the cover consist of a sheet of foldable material folded into a middle section and two lateral flaps such that the middle section forms the lower panel, one flap folds over the middle to form the upper panel, and the other flap folds over the upper panel to form the cover.

Preferably the sheet is impregnated (e.g.

by printing) with a test reagent which reacts with an applied specimen. Preferably either all the portions of the sheet are impregnated with a single reagent so that the same reagent underlies each opening, or each portion of the sheet is impregnated with a different reagent so that a different reagent underlies each opening.

Preferably adjacent portions of the sheet are separated by a barrier which prevents the diffusion of liquid between them.

A slide according to the invention can be made up from a sheet of foldable material which has been creased so as to form a middle portion and two side flaps. The middle portion forms the base and has pullaway tabs. One flap which will form the front panel, has openings each covered by a sheet and preferably a slot for the cover tongue and the other flap which will form the cover preferably terminates at one edge, having a tongue to fit into the co-operating slot on the front panel.

Two embodiments of slides in accordance with this invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for making a slide according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective front view of a slide made from the blank of Figure 1 with its cover open; Figure 3 is a rear view of the slide of Figure 2; with the cover closed.

Figure 4 is a partial plan view of a modified blank.

With reference to the accompanying drawings a slide according to the invention comprises a front panel 4, a rear panel 6 and cover 8.

The slide is made up from a blank 2 of foldable material for example a sheet of paper or cardboard creased along the lines 10 and 12 to form a middle portion or rear panel 6, one lateral flap or front panel 4, and another lateral flap or cover 8. The crease along 12 forms a hinge joining the cover to the rear panel. Cover 8 terminates in a free edge remote from the hinged edge and this free edge has a tongue 14 which fits into co-operating crescent-shaped slots 16 and 18 in the front and rear panels respectively to lock the cover.

Front panel 4 has a pair of adjacent openings 22 and 24. A sheet of absorbent paper 26, for example, filter paper covers (as viewed in Figure 1) openings 22 and 24.

In this embodiment sheet 26 is impregnated with a reagent such as guaiac. A barrier 28 in the central portion of sheet 26 prevents diffusion of liquid between the two halves of sheet 26. Barrier 28 may be any material which impregnates paper 26 and which will prevent diffusion. For example it may be glue, a wax or a synthetic resin such as an epoxy, phenolic, polyester or silicone resin commonly used in paper-resin laminates.

As illustrated, barrier 28 is glue which is also deposited on the front panel 24 as indicated at 32 and on rear panel 6 and indicated at 34 in order to adhere sheet 26 to both panels 4 and 6.

Panels 4 and 6 are glued together indicated at 35.

The rear panel 6 has tabs 38 and 40 opposite openings 22 and 24, respectively.

Perforations 42 permit the tabs 38 and 40 to be pulled away from sheet 26 hinging about crease lines 44 and 46 respectively.

To form the completed slide 50 shown in Figure 2 blank 2 is folded along crease line 10 to bring panels 4 and 6 together and hold them together principally by the glue at 35.

Cover 8 is now hinged about crease 12 and secured to panel 4 by a spot of glue 52.

As shown in Figure 4, blank 2 has secured thereto instead of sheet 26 a sheet of paper 62 which has a central glue barrier 64.

Sheet 62 differs from sheet 26 in that rather than being impregnated throughout with one reagent, it has printed thereon opposite opening 22 one reagent 66 and it has printed thereon opposite opening 24 a second different reagent 68. Reagent 66 may be, for example, guaiac and reagent 68 may be, for example, o-tolidine. In use the reagents 66 and 68 may be developed with a peroxide or an organic peroxide solution.

To use the slide the patient opens the cover 8 and applies a thin smear from one stool to sheet 26 through opening 22. He then applies a specimen from another stool in a thin smear on sheet 26 through opening 24. He then closes the cover locking tongue 14 in slots 16 and 18 and returns the slide to his physician. On receiving the slide, the physician pulls open tabs 38 and 40. The physician applies a reagent for example peroxide solution through the opening thus made, to the guaiac impregnated sheet 26 opposite each of the openings 22 and 24 and observes the test results, e.g., in the occult blood test the degree to which the colour blue is developed. This provides a good side-by-side comparison of test results from two different stool portions.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A specimen test slide comprising a front panel having a plurality of openings, means for covering the openings, an absorbent sheet a portion of which underlies each opening and a rear panel underlying the sheet which allows access from the rear to the portions of the sheet opposite each opening.

2. A slide as claimed in claim 1 having a cover which covers all of the openings.

3. A slide as claimed in claim 2 where the cover is hinged at one edge, to one edge of the rear panel to swing closed.

4. A slide as claimed in claim 3 where the cover has a free edge remote from the hinged edge and the free edge carries a tongue which fits into a co-operating slot in the front panel to lock the cover.

5. A slide as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 where the rear panel has a tab opposite the openings which can be pulled away from the panel to allow access to the portions of the sheet opposite each opening.

6. A slide as claimed in claim 5 where the rear panel has one tab opposite each opening.

7. A slide as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 where the tab is hinged along one edge to the rear panel.

8. A slide as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7 where the panels and the cover consist of a sheet of foldable material folded into a middle section and two lateral flaps, such that the middle section forms the lower panel, one flap folds over the middle section to form the upper panel and the other flap folds over the upper panel to form the cover.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for making a slide according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective front view of a slide made from the blank of Figure 1 with its cover open; Figure 3 is a rear view of the slide of Figure 2; with the cover closed. Figure 4 is a partial plan view of a modified blank. With reference to the accompanying drawings a slide according to the invention comprises a front panel 4, a rear panel 6 and cover 8. The slide is made up from a blank 2 of foldable material for example a sheet of paper or cardboard creased along the lines 10 and 12 to form a middle portion or rear panel 6, one lateral flap or front panel 4, and another lateral flap or cover 8. The crease along 12 forms a hinge joining the cover to the rear panel. Cover 8 terminates in a free edge remote from the hinged edge and this free edge has a tongue 14 which fits into co-operating crescent-shaped slots 16 and 18 in the front and rear panels respectively to lock the cover. Front panel 4 has a pair of adjacent openings 22 and 24. A sheet of absorbent paper 26, for example, filter paper covers (as viewed in Figure 1) openings 22 and 24. In this embodiment sheet 26 is impregnated with a reagent such as guaiac. A barrier 28 in the central portion of sheet 26 prevents diffusion of liquid between the two halves of sheet 26. Barrier 28 may be any material which impregnates paper 26 and which will prevent diffusion. For example it may be glue, a wax or a synthetic resin such as an epoxy, phenolic, polyester or silicone resin commonly used in paper-resin laminates. As illustrated, barrier 28 is glue which is also deposited on the front panel 24 as indicated at 32 and on rear panel 6 and indicated at 34 in order to adhere sheet 26 to both panels 4 and 6. Panels 4 and 6 are glued together indicated at 35. The rear panel 6 has tabs 38 and 40 opposite openings 22 and 24, respectively. Perforations 42 permit the tabs 38 and 40 to be pulled away from sheet 26 hinging about crease lines 44 and 46 respectively. To form the completed slide 50 shown in Figure 2 blank 2 is folded along crease line 10 to bring panels 4 and 6 together and hold them together principally by the glue at 35. Cover 8 is now hinged about crease 12 and secured to panel 4 by a spot of glue 52. As shown in Figure 4, blank 2 has secured thereto instead of sheet 26 a sheet of paper 62 which has a central glue barrier 64. Sheet 62 differs from sheet 26 in that rather than being impregnated throughout with one reagent, it has printed thereon opposite opening 22 one reagent 66 and it has printed thereon opposite opening 24 a second different reagent 68. Reagent 66 may be, for example, guaiac and reagent 68 may be, for example, o-tolidine. In use the reagents 66 and 68 may be developed with a peroxide or an organic peroxide solution. To use the slide the patient opens the cover 8 and applies a thin smear from one stool to sheet 26 through opening 22. He then applies a specimen from another stool in a thin smear on sheet 26 through opening 24. He then closes the cover locking tongue 14 in slots 16 and 18 and returns the slide to his physician. On receiving the slide, the physician pulls open tabs 38 and 40. The physician applies a reagent for example peroxide solution through the opening thus made, to the guaiac impregnated sheet 26 opposite each of the openings 22 and 24 and observes the test results, e.g., in the occult blood test the degree to which the colour blue is developed. This provides a good side-by-side comparison of test results from two different stool portions. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. A specimen test slide comprising a front panel having a plurality of openings, means for covering the openings, an absorbent sheet a portion of which underlies each opening and a rear panel underlying the sheet which allows access from the rear to the portions of the sheet opposite each opening.

9. A slide as claimed in any one of

claims 1 to 8 where adjacent portions of the sheet are separated by a barrier which prevents diffusion of liquid.

10. A slide as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 where the sheet is impregnated with a single test reagent so that the same reagent underlies each opening.

11. A slide as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 where each portion of the sheet is impregnated with a different test reagent so that a different reagent underlies each opening.

12. A slide as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 having two adjacent openings.

13. A slide substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the drawings.

14. A blank for making up into a slide as claimed in claim 7 comprising a sheet of foldable material creased so as to form a middle section and two lateral flaps.

15. A blank substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.