Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
  • B01L3/508—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes rigid containers not provided for above
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B10/00—Other methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. instruments for taking a cell sample, for biopsy, for vaccination diagnosis; Sex determination; Ovulation-period determination; Throat striking implements
  • A61B10/0096—Casings for storing test samples
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
  • B01L2300/08—Geometry, shape and general structure
  • B01L2300/0809—Geometry, shape and general structure rectangular shaped
  • B01L2300/0822—Slides
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
  • G01N2001/002—Devices for supplying or distributing samples to an analysing apparatus
  • G01N2001/005—Packages for mailing or similar transport of samples
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
  • G01N35/00029—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides

Definitions

• the invention relates to a cover for conveying rectangular specimen slides, a so called “mailer”, comprising a rectangular bottom plate with a recess on the upper side of the bottom plate receiving the specimen slide and having substantially the same shape and size as the slide, and a rectangular lid which is articulated to the bottom plate and is substantially congruent therewith and, shut against the bottom plate, together with the bottom plate and a rim defining the recess encloses completely the specimen slide received in the recess.
• a so called “mailer” comprising a rectangular bottom plate with a recess on the upper side of the bottom plate receiving the specimen slide and having substantially the same shape and size as the slide, and a rectangular lid which is articulated to the bottom plate and is substantially congruent therewith and, shut against the bottom plate, together with the bottom plate and a rim defining the recess encloses completely the specimen slide received in the recess.
• a cover of this kind is disclosed in US-A-4 819 804.
• Such covers are used for conveying specimen slides with a sample smeared and fixed on the slide from the sampling site to a site where the sample on the specimen slide shall be examined microscopically.
• the cover shall be sufficiently sturdy in order to be able to withstand rough handling for example at mailing in order to eliminate or in any case minimize the risk of the specimen slide being crushed at the conveyance, but shall at the same time be cheap in manufacture because it is intended for one way use.
• the cover encloses completely the specimen slide so that the pieces of a crushed specimen slide will be kept together in the cover for a possible reconstruction of the slide and elimination of the risk that you cut or pick yourself on the slide pieces, which could involve risk of infection or contamination.
• the gap which exists in the rim when the lid is opened and which can extend along the major portion of one long side of the specimen slide leaves the upper surface of the specimen slide present in the recess freely available so that the sampling spatula or brush can be applied against the upper surface of the specimen slide over the total width thereof for smearing of the taken sample.
• the strip on the lidthe gap is filled out at closed lid so that the specimen slide then is completely enclosed by the cover.
• US-A-5 090 568 discloses a cover for conveying specimen slides with a recess for the slide, which is defined by a rim notches being provided in the rim in order to facilitate smearing of the sample on the specimen slide, but in this case the problem to enclose completely the specimen slide at closed lid has not been solved because slits remain between the closed lid and the bottom plate at the notches where pieces of a crossed specimen slide can fall out of the cover.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view of the upper side of a cover according to the invention in an open position
• FIG 2 is a plan view of the lower side of the cover
• FIG 3 is an end view of the cover
• FIG 4 is a side view of the cover from the left in FIG 1
• FIG 5 is a side view of the cover from the right in FIG 1
• FIG 6 is a plan view of the cover in a closed position
• FIG 7 is a side view of the closed cover from the right in FIG 6,
• FIG 8 is a plan view of a continuous web of cardboard material with punched portions of a cover, connected at the long sides,
• FIG 9 is a plan view of a continuous web of cardboard material with punched portions of a cover, connected at the short sides, and
• FIG 10 is a view similar to FIG 9 for covers with two recesses for specimen slides.
• the cover disclosed in FIGS. 1-7 for specimen slides preferably is made in its entirety of folded boxboard coated on one side thereof, the coating being provided on the side disclosed in FIG 1.
• the cover comprises a rectangular field 10 which forms the bottom plate of the cover.
• a rectangular recess 11 is defined by means of a rim 12 which is formed by a cardboard piece glued to the field 10 and having an opening which corresponds to the shape of the recess 11.
• the rim does not surround the recess 11 completely; a gap 13 is provided in the rim along one long side of the field 10.
• the recess matches a rectangular specimen slide the contour of which is indicated by dot-and-dash lines 14.
• the rim should have a thickness (height) which is slightly larger than the thickness of the specimen slide.
• the rim forms a curved notch 15 where it is possible to grasp the edge of the specimen slide with a finger when the slide shall be lifted out from the recess 11.
• a field 16 which forms the lid of the cover is articulated to the rim 12 and accordingly to the bottom plate formed by the field 10, by a groove and possibly also by perforation along a line 17 and thus is integral with the rim.
• a strip 18 of the same thickness as the rim 12 and with the same length as the gap 13 is glued to the field 16, and this strip is so located that when the field 16 is folded over the field 10 at the hinge 17 in order to close the lid the strip fits into the gap 13 so that the recess 11 when the lid is closed is surrounded by a continuous frame formed by the rim 12 and the strip 18.
• the advantage of having a gap 13 in the rim is that a tissue or secretion sample which has been taken by means of a spatula or a brush can easily be smeared on the specimen slide 14 from the spatula or the brush, respectively, over the entire width of the specimen slide along the gap because there is no rim which prevents the spatula or the brush, respectively, from being applied against the upper surface of the specimen slide.
• the advantage of the gap being filled out by the strip when the lid is closed is that the specimen slide as a consequence thereof is located in a space completely closed to the surroundings so that pieces of a possibly crushed specimen slide cannot leave the cover.
• the cover can be kept closed by means of self- adhering tape or by rubber cord but it is more practical to provide on the cover a lock in the manner disclosed in FIGS. 1-7.
• a rectangular notch 19 is provided in the edge of the field 10 and extends also through the rim 12.
• the flap 21 is formed as a parallel trapezoid the smallest width of which is at the line 22 and substantially equals the width of the recess 19.
• An advantage of manufacturing the cover according to the invention of folding boxboard coated at one side thereof is that if the coated side is turned upwards as seen in FIG. 1 the risk of particles from the board contaminating the sample on the specimen slide is minimized. However, the risk of contamination will not be greater if the field 10 is made of non-coated cardboard because the backside of the specimen slide faces this field. On the other hand it is also possible to use throughout folding boxboard coated at both sides but then the cover will be unnecessarily expensive; considering the fact that it is a one-way product it is necessary to keep the manufacturing cost low.
• the cover according to the invention can consist of for example molded plastic material, mini-type corrugated fiberboard or the like.
• the field 16, the rim 12 and the strip 18 can be punched from a continuous web of cardboard as shown in FIG 8.
• the field 16 is connected with the rim 12 along the folding line 17. It is also at a folding line 23 connected with the strip 18 which is punched from an adjacent rim 12' in order to provide the gap therein.
• the strip is folded towards the field 16 and glued to this field.
• the field 10 is produced in this case separately as a simple rectangular field and is glued to the lower side of the rim 12.
• FIG 9 shows another variant of the cover according to the invention.
• the field 10 is connected with one short side of the rim 12 at a folding line 24 while the field 16 at a folding line 25 is connected with the other short side of the rim.
• the field 16 is made integral with the strip 18 in the manner described above.
• the field 10 is folded under the rim and is glued to it, and the strip 18 is folded towards the field 16 and is glued to this field.
• the cover is closed by the field 16 as a lid is folded over the rim 12 and the recess 11 defined by the rim, at the folding line 25.
• the lock can be provided at the free short side of the field 16 and at the edge of the field 10 and the rim 12 where the folding line 24 is located.
• FIG 10 shows a blank which is folded and glued in the same manner as the blank in FIG 9 but which is intended for a cover for two specimen slides.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20413667

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (2)

Citations (5)

• 1998
  • 1998-12-16 SE SE9804335A patent/SE513275C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1999
  • 1999-12-13 AU AU30895/00A patent/AU3089500A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-12-13 EP EP99964854A patent/EP1140664A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-12-13 WO PCT/SE1999/002325 patent/WO2000039004A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (5)

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