A process and apparatus for procuring and processing cellular material, particularly for use in disease detection from body cavities in which a self-contained pipette structure is used for irrigating the body cavity with a solution, re-aspirating the solution with the samples to be collected; shipping the thus-obtained samples of cellular material to a laboratory and recovering at the laboratory by means of the pipette structure specimens of cellular material for purposes of analysis.
The present application is a continuation application of my application Ser. No. 199,373, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Disease Diagnosis," filed in the United States Patent Office on June 1, 1962, now abandoned.
A flexible unit dispensing device for a fluid comprising a squeezable hollow bulb portion and a cylindrical nozzle. The internal diameter of the nozzle is no smaller than 0.120 inches and the length of nozzle being such as to reach to the area of the rectal columns when the device is inserted in the anal canal.
A pre-filled disposable pipette (10) consisting of a hollow bulb (12) dimensioned to enclose a medicinal product. From a lower end (16) of the bulb (12) is attached sequentially a medicinal transfer tube (24) and a medication fill tube (32), from where the medicinal product is applied. Between a lower end (28) of the tube (24) and an upper end (34) of the tube (32) is formed a break-away notch (40). When the tube (24) or the tube (32) is rotated, the notch (40) is twisted and breaks-off, thus allowing the medicinal product to flow from the bulb (12) and be released from the tube (24). The pipette (10) includes a primary grasping tab (46) attached to an upper end (14) of the bulb (12); a secondary grasping tab (54) attached to each side of the tube (24); and a support tab (70) attached to each side of the tube (32). The invention also discloses several methods for sealing the lower tip (36) of the medication fill tube (32).
A lavage for obtaining a fluid specimen from a body cavity, has an elongated, flexible, narrow first tube insertable into a body cavity. A compressible bellows contains a saline solution communicating with the tube for ejecting the solution into the body cavity. A second tube surrounds the first tube and is insertable therewith into the body cavity to receive the solution expelled from the body. A third tube, attached to the first tube, communicates with the second tube to pass the expelled solution thereto. A removable cap on the third tube carries the second tube and serves as a stop member to limit insertion of the first and second tubes into the body cavity.
An improved pre-filled disposable pipette (10) consisting of a hollow tube (12) dimensioned to enclose a medicinal product and having attached a medication transfer tube (22) from where the pipette is filled and the medicinal product released. The improvement consists in having a primary grasping tab (32) attached to an upper end (14) of the bulb (12); a secondary grasping tab (38) attached to each side of the tube (22); and a support tab (52) also attached to each side of the tube (22) near the lower end (26) of the tube (22). The primary and secondary grasping tabs (32, 38) allow the pipette (10) to be conveniently and easily handled without having to grasp the sensitive bulb (12) or to directly grasp the tube (22). The support tab (52) functions to allow the pipette (10) to be placed on a conveyor rack apparatus (88) from where the pipette (10) can be automatically filled and sealed by a cap (72) or heat applied foil (82).
