Sanitary urine collector

141-337. AU 3A7 _Εχ

05-25-71 xr 3*579,652

E. ERICSON 3,579,6*2

SANITARY URINE COLLECTOR

Filed Nov. 12. 1868

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United States Patent Office

3,579,652

Patented May 25, 1971

3,579,652 SANITARY URINE COLLECTOR Richard E. Ericson, Keene, N.H., assignor to Elliot Laboratories, Inc., Fitzwilliam, N.H. Filed Nov. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 774,696 Int. Cl. E03d 13/00

U.S. Cl. 4—110 27 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A funnel for use in the collection of urine specimens having a side wall of flexible material and two openings at either end and a rigid member coupled about one end to hold the opening in an open position and to provide a foundation for a sealing cap.

bottom view of the collector according to

I his invention is directed to a sanitary urine collector and more paiticulaily to a urine collector or funnel suitable for use in collecting urine specimens and/or for permitting a bedridden palient to void without the help of a hospital aide.

Il is standard medical procedure to collect urine specimens for purposes of analysis. Most doctors or hospitals provide a narrow neck specimen container to the patient for such purpose. With the male, not too much difficulty is encountered in using the container, but the female has considerable difficulty.

Sometimes, the female will in voiding miss the small opening of the specimen container. Often the lip of the specimen container will become contaminated by contact with the area around the genitalia, as the female tries to insure that the urine enters the container. The contamination of the lip of the container often leads to contamination of the urine sample and may result in erroneous findings.

In view of the above there has existed for many years, a need for an improved urine collector. There was a particular need of a urine collector that could be used by a female without the resultant mess as in the pass and also one that would isolate the tip of the specimen container from the user.

This invention has provided means to meet the requirements noted above. In particular, there is provided a collector or funnel arrangement which may be connected to a container in a manner so as to isolate the tip of the container from contact with the body during usage. This invention also provides a funnel having a large target which facilitates the catching of urine in midstream at a substantial distance from the body without spillage on the hands to thereby minimize the danger of the tip of the funnel coming into contact with the body and of the urine stream coming into contact with the top of the funnel before flowing into the container.

As an added feature, the funnel of this invention is inexpensive to construct, foldable into a small package and also may because of its cost be used as a disposable item.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved urine collector.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved inexpensive and disposable urine collection system.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved urine collector which facilitates the collection of urine without contaminating the lip of the container for storing the urine.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a new and improved urine collector which provides an excellent large target for the catching of urine in midstream at a substantial distance from the body without the usual spillage on the hands and to prevent contamination of the detachable specimen container.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

The invention is shown by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the collector according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a container used with the collector of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a the invention.

fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4—4 of rKjr. 1.

_K J.^IG, ⁵, ^{is a} modified form of the invention shown in container °^W‘^{n8 coupling ,he} collector to a

R^G,' ⁶ ? ^{a b}°^{ttOm view of the} embodiment of the collector shown m FIG. 1 in a folded position.

rnnnw I ^collector according to this invention coupled by way of an attachment to one form of a bag using » Hiff^h°^Wr I ^Col?^ctor according to this invention using a different type of attachment than shown in FIG 7 for connecting the collector to a different type of a bag'

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 there is shown at 10 the .? ^con®^pt?^r according to this invention. The urine collector 10 is shown in this invention as coupled to a boX ^C°^1Iect'⁸ container shown at 11 which may be a bottle or a plastic container which can be disposed of funnel^· I ,^c.^{ollec,or 10 is in} the form of a cJflapsible nS P^re_f^feraW constructed of a substantially flexible p astic material such as polyvinylchloride or the like having some stiffness so that it does not collapse upon itself and will remain in its preset configuration having a taffeta finish on the interior walls thereof and preferably having a portion constructed of opaque material and another portion constructed of translucent material. The funnel is preferably constructed of two flat panels 14 and 15 of Plastic material one opaque, transparent or translucent (the term pellucid is used herein to include transparent or translucent) having substantially the same dimensions with the panels sealed together by the use of adhesive or by heat sealing along two of their marginal edges. One of the marginal edges is shown at 12 in FIG. 1 and the other marginal edge is shown at 13. The panels are of a shape such that a funnel will be formed preferably having a larger opening at the top thereof, shown at 16 and a smaller opening at the bottom thereof, shown at 17. The walls about the smaller opening 17 are preferably constructed such that they are stretchable, so that they will snugly fit about the container 11 to hold it in place. A strip of adhesive can also be used to insure the connection of the container 11 to the funnel 10. Preferably the maximum width of the small opening 17 in at least one direction or plane is less than the outside diameter of the container 11, such that the material will stretch over the container 11 to frictionally hold it in place. Coupled about the larger opening 16 there is provided a substantially rigid member 19 (i.e. cardboard, plastic or the like) to insure that the larger opening 16 will be held in an open position. In a preferred embodiment the rigid member 19 is coupled to the funnel walls 10 by folding a top portion of the panel walls 14 and 15 so that it passes through an opening of the rigid member, then over the top of the rigid member 19 and then down along the side of rigid member 19. It should be understood that the

3,579,652 rigid member 19 could also be sealed to the wall panels 14 and 15. It should also be understood that more than two panels could be utilized to construct the funnel 10 according to this invention or can be made from a single piece. Also the member 19 may be integral with the panel wall and be molded at the same time as the panel wall. By the use of the rigid member 19 there is provided a large opening which facilitates the collection of urine in midstream at distance from the body. In addition the rigid member provides a foundation for a sealing cap shown at 20 to insure the sterility of the urine collection device. In FIG. 2, there is shown the container 11 which is provided with a cap shown at 22 for sealing the same after the collection of a urine specimen.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the funnel construction shown in FIG. 1 and show the configuration of the funnel walls 14 and 15 with respect to the container and the rigid member. In FIG. 5 there is shown an alternate embodiment of FIG. 1 and in particular there is provided an attachment shown at 25 coupled to the walls 14 and 15 of the funnel about the smaller opening 17. The cap 25 has a central opening 26 therethrough for the passage of fluid and a threaded inner wall 27 so that the cap 25 may be screwed onto the container 11. It should also be understood that the cap may be constructed and be coupled to the container 11 frictionally.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown the funnel and container folded into a small package for shipment. Preferably the construction of the funnel and its rigid member is such that the walls 14 and 15 of the funnel may be folded and the container 11 placed between the interior confines of the rigid member 19 although the container may protrude above the rigid member in the vertical plane. The rigid member 19 may be constructed such that it can be distorted in the horizontal plane to accommodate the flexible walls of the funnel as well as the container 11. The container 11 as well as the walls 14 and 15 may also protrude slightly above or below the rigid member.

Reference should now be had to FIG. 7 which shows the use of funnel 10 according to this invention with a plastic bag such as an enema bag or a urine collection bag or the like shown at 30. The urine collection bag 30 may be of the type shown in U.S. patent 3,306,327 issued to John C. Hg. The funnel 10 is connected to the bag by way of an attachment shown at 31. This attachment 31 can be constructed of plastic or the like which is adapted to frictionally fit over the spout 32 of the bag 30. The attachment 31 may if desired also be threaded so as to be screwable onto the spout 32. The attachment 31 may be of the type which is snugly attached or connected to the funnel 10 as was the container 11 or may be secured by way of an adhesive or may be heat sealed to the walls of the funnel 10. In FIG. 8 there is shown a further embodiment wherein there is provided a bag shown at 40 which may be of the type shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 669,183 now Pat. No. 3,478,743 and filed by the same inventor as in this application. The outlet of that bag comprises a flexible tube shown at 41 which may be connected by way of an adaptor shown at 42 to the funnel 10. The connector 42 may be in the nature of connector 31, but is provided with a narrow spout portion 43 having an opening therein and which may be inserted into the interior of the tube 41. The attachment 42 is preferably connected to the funnel in the manner described with reference to the attachment 31.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described it is to be understood that changes or variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.