Urine collection device

This invention relates to a device for collecting a liquid such as a urine specimen and to a kit including such a device.

Specimens of urine are frequently required from patients to establish the presence-or absence of substances affecting the health of the patients. A small cylindrical container or bottle of standard size is generally employed to hold the specimen. Conventionally the filling of such a container with such a specimen has been somewhat haphazard and unhygienic and various proposals have been made for improving the operation.

In one such proposal a disposable paper funnel is provided at its lower, narrower end with an adhesive label whereby it can be affixed to the outer rim of a said standard or 'universal' container. In a second proposal a disposable paper funnel is affixed to a screw cap having an axial passage therethrough which cap may be screwed on to the container. After the container has been fitted the screw cap may be removed and a conventional screw cap used to seal the container. Both of these prior art proposals still present problems since it is not easy for the user to gauge when the container is full nor to dispose of any surplus urine in the funnel without at the same time emptying the container.

Yet another proposal provides a test tube having a plastics plug. The plug has a lid therefor connected to it by a flexible integral web and is provided with a central aperture for receiving urine and a bleed tube. An embodiment of this proposal is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. Whilst this proposal constitutes an at least partial solution to the problems of the previous prior art proposals it is much more expensive and complex to manufacture.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for collecting a specimen of urine which device comprises a hollow container portion and integrally formed therewith a plug portion adapted to fit into the neck of a urine specimen bottle, said plug portion having a bore therethrough through which urine may pass from the container portion into a said specimen bottle.

Although the hollow container portion may be of any suitable shape, e.g. frusto-conical, it is preferred that it be shaped to have a generally anatomical fit to the human body. The device is preferably sterilizable e.g. by heat or by irradiation and may be made to be disposable after use or to be re-usable.

In a preferred embodiment means are pravided whereby air within a said specimen bottle or container may escape as the said bottle or container fills with urine. Such means preferably constitutes an axially extending groove in the said plug portion, the dimensions of such groove being selected so that surface tension effects will substantially prevent any leakage of urine, therethrough. The slot or groove is preferably located about the periphery of the plug portion at such a position that it is blocked by urine before a said bottle or container is filled with urine.

The device is preferably of such a composition and the bore through the plug portion preferably of such a diameter that the volume of urine which can be contained in the specimen or bottle is not heavy enough to counter surface tension effects at the aperture whereby a said volume can be retained within a said specimen bottle or container even when it is upside down, so that excess urine in the container portion may be disposed of.

Suitable materials are transparent or translucent materials, e.g. glass, or plastics, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

The present invention also provides a kit comprising a device as defined hereinbefore and a said specimen bottle or container.

An embodiment of the device of the present invention will now be described by reference to Figs.2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Fig. 2 is a plan view of a said device;
• Fig. 3 is a cross-section side elevation of the device of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a section through the plug portion of the device of Figs. 2 and 3, and
• Fig. 5 is a section along the line A-A of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 5 of the drawings a polyethylene urine collection device 1 comprises a hollow container portion 2 adapted to encompass the uro-genital area of the human female anatomy and taking the form of a hemi-pear-shaped trough.

A plug portion 3 is integrally moulded onto the exterior of the container portion adjacent a deepest point of the container portion and communicates with the interior of the container portion via an aperture 4. The external diameter of the plug portion is selected to render the plug portion a push fit into a specimen bottle which may conveniently be a so-called "standard" or "universal" specimen bottle and may be, for example, 21.9 mm. The diameter of the aperture is so selected in conjunction with the specimen bottle with which the device is to be employed as to impede any flow of mine from the bottle through the aperture, by surface tension effects. A suitable diameter is 4.?mm.

An axial groove 5 for allowing air to escape from a said specimen bottle is formed in the outer cylindrical wall of plug portion 3 of 1.5 mm radius. This radius is such that in use surface tension effects will cause the groove to become sealed by urine as the urine reaches the lower rim 6 of the plug portion 3. The groove is located in the lower part of the cylindrical wall so that in use urine in the bottle will contact the bottom of the groove and seal it to prevent further egress of air from the specimen bottle thus preventing further filling of the specimen bottle.

Excess urine can be emptied from the container portion 2 without urine in the specimen bottle leaving the bottle through the aperture 4 (because of the selected diameter of the aperture 4) whereafter the collection device can be unplugged from the bottle and replaced by a conventional bottle cap or plug.

The device of the present invention can provide a hygienic and convenient way of filling a specimen bottle with urine without spillage or overfilling.

It is to be noted that the device will have a general applicability to the filling of containers with liquids other than urine. For example where toxic or caustic liquids are involved, much the same desiderata are pertinent and the device according to the present invention may be modified as necessary for use with any desired liquid.