Fecal examination device

Claim 2

A fecal examining process for detecting the presence of ova in feces, comprising providing cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, providing a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, placing a sample of the feces to be examined in said cup means, fitting said tube to said cup means, pouring liquid diluent into said tube to mix with the feces sample in said cup means, and permitting ova to float upward in said tube, through liquid diluent of higher density than said ova, to a collecting surface while keeping fecal material from floating upwardly to interfere with examination of said surface.

Claim 3

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said device including strainer means constructed and arranged to be placed in the tube through said other end to retain fecal material in the lower portion of the tube while permitting diluent liquid and ova present in the feces to pass through said strainer means.

Claim 4

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said device including strainer means constructed and arranged to be placed in the tube through said other end to retain fecal material in the lower portion of the tube while permitting diluent liquid and ova present in the feces to pass through said strainer means.

Claim 5

A fecal examining device as in claim 2 said cup means comprising a well having an interior volume of about one half to 5 cc for receiving and retaining a corresponding volume of feces and a width of about 0.5 to 5 cm, the ratio of the interior volume of the tuBe to the interior volume of said well being about 5:1 to 20:1, said tube and well being formed of molded plastic, said tube being adapted to be press fitted over the outside walls of the well.

Claim 6

A device as in claim 2, wherein said strainer means includes a perforated cup movable as a piston in the tube, the cup having an upstanding rod for assisting in its movement in the tube.

Claim 7

A device as in claim 4 in which said rod is long enough so that said perforated cup can be moved downwardly manually thereby in said tube to force fecal material in said liquid diluent to the lower portion of said tube to a position where the top of said rod is below the top of said tube, whereby a microscope slide can be placed on the top of said tube without interference from said rod.

Claim 8

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said cup means having a cover for positioning thereon to provide a closed container for transporting said feces samples, said container having a paddle or scoop detachably connected thereto by a frangible connection whereby said paddle or scoop can be broken away from said container for use in taking up a feces sample and placing it in said cup means.

Claim 9

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said cup means having a cover for positioning thereon to provide a closed container for transporting said feces samples, said container having a paddle or scoop detachably connected thereto by a frangible connection whereby said paddle or scoop can be broken away from said container for use in taking up a feces sample and placing it in said cup means.

Claim 10

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said other end of the tube being constructed and arranged to support an ova-collecting slide whereby said slide receives and collects ova floating upwards through the liquid diluent from the fecal material, means for keeping fecal material from floating upwardly in said tube while permitting said upward floating of said ova, said cup means including an upstanding well having outer walls conforming to the size and shape of the inside of one end of said tube and adapted to extend into said end with a tight fit, said cup means also having an integral flat-bottomed extension constructed and arranged to serve as a base to stably support said tube vertically when so fitted on said well.

Claim 11

A fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, said other end of the tube being constructed and arranged to support an ova-collecting slide whereby said slide receives and collects ova floating upwards through the liquid diluent from the fecal material, means for keeping fecal material from floating upwardly in said tube while permitting said upward floating of said ova, said cup means including an upstanding well having outer walls conforming to the size and shape of the inside of one end of said tube and adapted to extend into said end with a tight fit, said cup means also having an integral flat-bottomed extension constructed and arranged to serve as a base to stably support said tube vertically when so fitted on said well.

Claim 12

A device as in claim 7 in which said extension has a rim for defining a tray to catch and hold liquid overflowing from the top of said tube.

Claim 13

Process for analysis of an individual body of feces for the presence of ova, which comprises mixing a sample of the particular body of the feces to be analyzed with a liquid diluent having a specific gravity higher than that of ova in the feces, permitting ova to float upward to a surface of said diluent where said ova are collected while preventing such upward floating of the feces by positioning an apertured strainer between the feces and the collection surface, said ova floating through the apertures of said strainer, and thereby collecting on said surface only ova from said sample.

Claim 14

Process for analysis of an individual body of feces for the presence of ova, which comprises mixing a sample of the particular body of the feces to be analyzed with a liquid diluent having a specific gravity higher than that of ova in the feces, permitting ova to float upward to a surface of said diluent where said ova are collected while preventing such upward floating of the feces by positioning an apertured strainer between the feces and the collection surface, said ova floating through the apertures of said strainer, and thereby collecting on said surface only ova from said sample.

Claim 15

Process as in claim 9 in which said sample is placed in a container, and a solid collecting surface is positioned above said sample, and above said strainer to receive said upwardly floating ova, said mixing including the steps of adding liquid diluent to mix with said sample in said container, to a diluent level below the level of said solid collecting surface and then adding additional liquid diluent to raise the diluent level to that of said solid collecting surface.

Claim 16

Process as in claim 9 iN which the feces are mixed with a liquid diluent in a tubular vessel, a piston-like strainer whose outside dimensions conform to the shape and size of the tubular vessel is placed in said vessel and moved downward therein to force fecal material downward while permitting liquid diluent containing ova to pass through said strainer, a meniscus is formed by adding liquid diluent to said vessel until the liquid level is at the top of the vessel and a collecting surface is placed on said meniscus to receive upwardly floating ova.

Claim 17

Process as in claim 9 in which said strainer has apertures about 1mm in diameter.

Claim 18

Process as in claim 9 and including the steps of placing a body of feces from said sample in a cup, covering said cup for transport of the feces therein, then removing the covering from said cup and fitting to said cup a vertical tube whereby said tube and cup form a container with said cup as the base, and introducing said diluent through the top of said tube to mix with the body of feces.

Claim 19

A fecal examining device for the detection of ova in feces, said device comprising a tube open at both ends, one of said ends being adapted to be fitted to a base carrying a sample of feces whereby to form with said base an upstanding container, having said sample at the bottom, for receiving diluent liquid for admixture with said feces, the upper end of said tube being constructed and arranged to support a microscope slide horizontally thereon, and a strainer, of a size and shape to be slidable in said tube with its edges close to the inner walls of said tube, for retaining feces in the lower portion of said tube while permitting ova and diluent liquid to pass upwards through said strainer.

Claim 20

A fecal examining device for the detection of ova in feces, said device comprising a tube open at both ends, one of said ends being adapted to be fitted to a base carrying a sample of feces whereby to form with said base an upstanding container, having said sample at the bottom, for receiving diluent liquid for admixture with said feces, the upper end of said tube being constructed and arranged to support a microscope slide horizontally thereon, and a strainer, of a size and shape to be slidable in said tube with its edges close to the inner walls of said tube, for retaining feces in the lower portion of said tube while permitting ova and diluent liquid to pass upwards through said strainer.

Claim 21

A device as in claim 14 in which said strainer has an upstanding rod for manipulation of said strainer, said rod being shorter than said tube whereby said strainer and rod can be manipulated downward to a position in which the top of the rod is below the top of the tube thereby permitting the placement of said microscope slide atop said tube.

Claim 22

A device as in claim 14 in which said strainer has apertures about 1mm in diameter.

Claim 23

A kit for a fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, means for keeping fecal material from floating upwardly in said tube while permitting upward floating of ova present in said feces sample and a cover for positioning on said cup means to provide a closed container for transporting said feces samples when said tube is not fitted to said cup means.

Claim 24

A kit for a fecal examining device comprising cup means for receiving and transporting a sample of feces to be examined, and a tube, open at both its ends, constructed and arranged to be tightly fitted to said cup means so that when so fitted the cup means closes one end of said tube and serves as a base for said tube whereby liquid diluent can then be poured into the other end of the tube to mix with the feces and be retained in the tube by the presence of said cup means, means for keeping fecal material from floating upwardly in said tube while permitting upward floating of ova present in said feces sample and a cover for positioning on said cup means to provide a closed container for transporting said feces samples when said tube is not fitted to said cup means.