A specimen preview and inspection system is disclosed. The system beneficially includes a preview stage, which provides a set of biasing-information for preview by a technician before the technician formally screens the specimen. The preview stage enables the technician to conveniently review information pertinent to the specimen at issue. The preview stage may thereby bias, or channel, the technician's attention during screening toward diagnostically significant aspects of the specimen. The inv...

A feed screw is provided in a specimen-exchanging chamber connecting with a specimen chamber valve and a removable element is removed in the axial direction of the feed screw by rotation of the feed screw. The removal of the removable element makes it possible to remove a specimen holder between the specimen chamber and the specimen-exchanging chamber. It is possible to load and unload the specimen holder with the removable element. Thus, while leaving the specimen holder in the specimen chamber...

A urine specimen maintenance formulation is provided which, when the urine specimen is added, maintains the specimen in the desired unaltered form for subsequent testing, without the need for refrigeration or other preservation measures, while simultaneously preventing any additional bacterial growth in the specimen. The formula of the invention includes distilled water, mannitol, boric acid and sodium borate. Additionally, the formula may include a buffer, such as sodium acetate, glutamine or o...

A mat for surgical specimens and the like. The mat is comprised of an upper and lower layer. The upper layer is comprised of flexible absorbent material upon which a grid is imprinted in order that specimens may be photographed with spatial and size orientation. The absorbent nature of the upper layer provides for absorption of blood or other body fluids. The bottom layer is comprised of a flexible non-porous material to prevent staining of a work surface supporting the mat. The two layers are s...

The specimen (P) can be turned about each of three axes (A, B and C) by rtion of the input shaft (10). The apparatus exhibits three brackets (H1, H2, H3) mounted on each other in the manner of a cardan joint and supported by the frame (GR). The first bracket (H1) is fixed on the frame (GR) via a clutch coupling (K1). Additional couplings (K2 and K3) connect the second bracket (H2) to the first bracket (H1) and the third bracket (H3) to the second bracket (H2). Of the three couplings, only one is...

An improvement in specimen kits that reduces significantly the possibility of contamination of the specimen by either user or container; of the patient by the swab used to obtain the specimen; and of a subsequent handler of the container by the specimen. It permits the collected specimen to be transported to the diagnostic processing laboratory in common, widely used medical specimen mailing containers, while permitting the use of swab lengths that are appropriate to the type of specimen desired...

A specimen holder clamp for a microtome comprising a fixed jaw which is fixed relative to a guide member and a movable jaw which is movable along a path defined by the guide member. The clamp is provided with a first infinitely adjustable rack, and the movable jaw carries a second complementary incrementally adjustable rack for coupling engagement so that when the second complementary incrementally adjustable rack engages with the first infinitely adjustable rack, fine adjustment of the clamp ca...

A specimen collection and test unit has a fibrous swab tip at one end of an elongated hollow shank for use in collecting a biological specimen. The shank is carried by an elongated base of a resilient plastic material and containing one or more reagents which can be pumped through the shank to the swab tip by applying manual pressure to the base. An elongated cap removably fits onto the base over the swab shank and tip, with the cap including an additional reagent and a well into which the addit...

A specimen gathering method and apparatus having a piston operated ejectable scoop member. Preferably, the specimen gathering device inserts into a container and releasably seals the container. The apparatus is useful for gathering and transporting stool and other biological specimens.

An assembly for identifying the results of a specimen analysis wherein such specimen analysis occurs in an array of discrete cells. The assembly includes a housing having top, bottom, end walls, and sidewalls. An array receiving recess is provided on the top wall for receiving and holding in a fixed position the array of the discrete cells. An ultrasonic signal producing stylus is provided for selectively producing an ultrasonic signal adjacent a cell in the array in which the results of the ana...