Blood sample collection apparatus

Claim 1

A blood collection apparatus, comprising a blood collection tube having open and closed ends, a plug adapted to fit within and seal the open end of the blood collection tube, a vacuum tube extended through said plug for evacuating air from the blood collection tube, said vacuum tube having a lower end, a pickup tube protruding outwardly from said plug for drawing blood from a puncture site, a drop tube extending downwardly from said plug and having a lower end positioned within the blood collection tube and spaced substantially below the lower end of the vacuum tube, conduit means within said plug for connecting said pickup tube and drop tube so that blood drawn into said pickup tube is deposited into the blood collection tube through the lower end of the drop tube, a first filter on said plug and operatively interposed between the lower end of the vacuum tube and the air within said blood collection tube, said first filter being operative to allow gas flow therethrough but to block liquid flow therethrough, thus filtering the air drawn through said vacuum tube, a portable hand-held vacuum source including an inlet port and means for connecting said inlet port to said vacuum tube; said first filter comprising a ring having an exterior surface engaging the interior periphery of the blood collection tube of the same diameter, said exterior surface having a plurality of grooves formed therein and extending from an upper edge to a lower edge thereof for filtering air directed through those grooves between said ring and interior periphery, the material of said ring being impervious to fluid flow therethrough but for through said exterior grooves, and the exterior diameter of said ring corresponding to the interior diameter of said blood collection tube such that air passing between said ring and blood collection tube is confined to said grooves.