US3466145A - Urine screening device - Google Patents

Description

p 9, 1.959 c. M. VAI Q DUYNE 3,466,145

URINE SCREENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTO/Q. Cmaazs M. [61v Day/v5 United States Patent 3,466,145 URINE SCREENING DEVICE Charles M. Van Duyne, 4655 Via Huerto, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93105 Filed Aug. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 483,683 Int. Cl. G01n 33/16 US. Cl. 23--253 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A unitary device for receiving a urine specimen for analysis having a single point of contact on the rim of a toilet bowl, and including means for channeling a urine specimen for collection or visual screening. Said device may be formed from a blank of relatively rigid material and may be disposed of after a single use.

This invention relates to a device for screening or testing specimens of urine and more particularly to a device to be used in urinalysis which is simple, sanitary and convenient to use.

In certain diseases and conditions of the human body it has been found that the screening and/or testing of urine specimens, generally called urinalysis, has proved to be very accurate and important in diagnosing such diseases and conditions. Also the screening of urine specimens of diabetics is an important function in the treatment of this body condition. It is customary that a diabetic of necessity screen his urine several times each day to check the sugar content of his body. During pregnacy the adult female is also required to screen her urine for protein, glucose, blood and acid or pH content.

With the advent of chemically impregnated commercially obtainable strip material this screening may be achieved visually without in most cases the necessity of laboratory analysis. However, apparatus is necessary to achieve the screening with the least amount of inconvenience and yet still remain sanitary and compact.

Prior art devices have been lacking and the physical dipping of the strips into the specimen has been customary.

An object of this invention is to provide a urine screening or testing device of simple construction which includes means to attach the device to the front rim of a toilet bowl so that a section of the structure carrying a visual urine indicator is disposed within the toilet bowl, and with means for the collection of a specimen if desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a urine screening or testing device adapted to be supported within a toilet bowl so as to hold both a replaceable visual urine indicator and a container in such a manner that urine wets the indicator and may be collected in the container for more detailed analysis.

A further object of this invention is to provide a urine screening or testing device adapted to be supported within a toilet bowl wherein the device is made from a sheet of pliable material bent into form along specified score lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a screening device of pliable material which is disposable.

A further object of this invention is to provide a screening device which is constructed of material which may be sterilized so that the device may be reused.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a urine screening or testing device especially suitable for female users which is convenient to use and simple in construction and in which splash shields are provided on each side of a visual urine indicator.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational sectional view of a urine screening device in accordance with this invention wherein said device is supported within a toilet bowl;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of a urine screening device;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan, partly in section of a urine screening device taken on line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the urine screening device shown in FIGURES 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of a urine screening device;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another modified form of a urine screening device;

FIGURE 7 is a blank of bendable material which is perforated along predetermined lines forming a plurality of individual blanks that can be separated and shaped into a further modified form of urine screening device by bending along designated score lines;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are perspective views of an individual blank of the sheet material in FIGURE 7 progressively bent along score lines to form a urine screening device;

FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view of the urine screening device shown in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 supported within a toilet bowl; and

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of still another form of the urine screening device of FIGURE 7 illustrating a modified visual indicator portion of the device.

Referring to the drawings a urine screening or testing device, generally designated 10, is comprised of an elongated sheet structure embodying a central holder section 12 and a tongue or upper support section 14 which is bent at substantially right angles to the holder section 12. The structure is preferably made of plastic, waxed cardboard, plastic impregnated paper or some other inexpensive expendable material. Projecting outwardly from the upper part of holder section 12 in a direction opposite from which support tongue or section 14 extends are a pair of wings or splash shields 16a and 16b which are obliquely angled downwardly so as to converge toward each other at their lower ends. Splash shields 16a and 16b may be connected to each other by an intermediate base section which defines a generally trapezoidal space between the splash shields and is secured by gluing or other suitable means to holder section 12, as in FIG- URES 1 through 6. However, the splash shields can be connected directly to holder section 12 or be an integral part of the device as in the embodiments shown in FIG- URES 8 through 11.

Between splash shields 16a and 16b is a visual indicating means in the form of an indicator strip 18 made of chemically impregnated paper wherein individual portions thereof change color when wetted to show different ingredients and characteristics of the urine specimen such as protein, glucose, blood and pH content. Examples of chemically impregnated strips of paper suitable for use in this device are manufactured by The Ames Company and are called Uristix and Hema Combi Stix. The upper end of the chemically impregnated indicator strip 18 is secured in a transverse slot 20 disposed in holder section 12 near the upper part of the generally trapezoidal space defined by base 160 so that strip 18 can be bent and hangs down between splash shields 16a and 16b against base 160.

A longitudinal groove 16d formed in base 160 extending vertically directly below slot 20 serves as a guide in which indicator strip 18 is disposed in the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 through 6. Other types of visual indicators could be used so long as they are disposed in the stream of urine specimen directed on the device.

Chemicals which individually change color in response to different characteristics of urine could be impregnated directly into the urine screening device if it is made of a suitably porous material, such as cardboard, instead of attaching a separate indicator strip to the device. Such a modification will be seen in FIGURE 11.

A lower container support or platform section 22 extending at right angles from the bottom of central holder section 12 in the opposite direction from tongue or support section 14 can take the form of a platform 22a in FIGURES 1 through 4, a platform 22b embodying an integral receptacle 220 in FIGURE or a ring 22d in FIGURE 6. Thus, a container 24 can be placed on or be held by the support section below indicator strip 18 so that when the urine screening device is held within a toilet bowl 26 by engagement of upper tongue or support section 14 on the forward rim 28 of toilet bowl 26 as in FIGURE 1 the specimen can flow over the indicator strip 18 and then be collected in container 24 for further testing and laboratory analysis if necessary. The lower container support section 22 should hold container 24 above the level of water 29 within toilet bowl 26. If merely the visual inspection of the indicator strip is desired, of course container 24 is unnecessary.

It can thus be seen that this device 10 does provide a convenient means for both visually screening urine content by the chemically responsive means and for collecting a specimen of the urine at the same time. The device is particularly useful for frequent testing of the urine content of pregnant or diabetic women who may find it inconvenient or impossible to go to a medical laboratory for testing as often as may be desirable.

When the structure illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 6 is constructed of a hard plastic material that will withstand relatively high temperatures the device may be sterilized and reused. This would be particularly useful in doctors offices and laboratories.

The embodiment of the urine screening device shown in FIGURES 8 through 10 is formed from a bendable piece of sheet material such as blank 30. A large sheet of relatively rigid cardboard 31 containing a plurality of individual testing device blanks 30 is shown in FIG- URE 7.

In order to form such the urine screening device from a large sheet of material 31 as shown in FIGURE 7 a blank 30 is separated therefrom by tearing along one or more of the perforated lines 32 which defines at least one of the lateral marginal edges of blank 30. Then the separated blank 30 is bent along a transverse anterior tongue score line 34 until the tongue or upper support section 14' is at substantially right angles to the remainder of blank 30, as shown in FIGURE 8. A central holder section 12' extending below score lines 34 includes transversely aligned upper peripheral slots 36a and 3617 extending toward each other from the lateral marginal edges of blank 30 near score line 34 and lower peripheral slots 38a and 38b, also transversely aligned, extending toward each other from the lateral marginal edges of blank 30 remote from transverse score line 34. Slots 38a and 38b extend inwardly toward each other farther than slots 36a and 36b though none of the slots join. Thus, wing or splash shield score line 40a extending between the inner ends of slot 36a and 38a, and wing or splash shield score line 40b extending between the inner ends of slots 36b and 38b are obliquely angled so as to converge toward each other at the bottom and define space 16c on holder section 12' between them.

By bending blank 30 along score lines 40a and 40b in the opposite direction from which upper support section 14 is bent, the outwardly projecting splash shields 16a and 16b are formed as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, to channel and funnel the specimen.

Near the upper portion of space 16c defined on central body section 12' between splash shields 16a and 16b is a transverse slot adapted to hold the u per end of 4 an indicator strip 18 so that the remainder of the strip can be bent to hang down between splash shields 16a and 16b as in the previous embodiment.

By bending blank 30 along the tail score line 42 extending transversely across the lower portion of blank 30, a tail or float section 44 is formed. The location of tail score line 42 can be longitudinally changed in order that it may be adjusted to the particular depth of water in the toilet bowl since tail section 44 preferably floats on the surface of water 29 in toilet bowl 26, as shown in FIGURE 10, so as to give the device angle adjustment to fit most toilets. Also, as shown in FIGURE 10, upper support section 14 can be bent to hook around rim 28 of toilet bowl 26.

An optional configuration of the device is illustrated in FIGURE 11 wherein the tail section 44 can be extended to provide a platform to receive a specimen container 24, and additionally the indicator strip 18 is an integral part of the blank 30.

Thus it can be seen that the blanks 30 are disposable after use and because of their fiat preformed condition are convenient to carry and relatively easy to assemble for use.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are pratcical and preferred examples of the same and that changes may be resorted to within the scope of my invention, which is not limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace all equivalent structures.

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary device for screening urine specimens adapted to be seated within a toilet bowl, comprising an upper tab portion forming a single point of support on the rim of said toilet bowl, a main body portion generally normal to said upper tab portion and depending therefrom, a pair of spaced apart splash plates projecting from said main body portion, said splash plates extending opposite the direction of said upper tab portion and adapted to channel a specimen therebetween, means associated with said main body portion to receive said specimen for analysis, and said upper tab portion and said main body portion being coaxial.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said means associated with said main body portion to receive said specimen includes a slot in said body portion whereby a portion of a disposable visual indicator may be inserted and the remainder of said indicator may depend downwardly between said splash plates to be contacted by said specimen.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said means associated with said main body portion to receive said specimen includes a lower platform which extends from said main body portion and normal thereto opposite to said upper tab portion, and adapted to hold a specimen collector.

4. A one piece blank adapted to be folded to form a disposable unitary urine specimen screening device, comprising an elongated sheet of relatively rigid material having generally parallel lateral marginal edges and end edges, a transverse fold line spaced inwardly from one of said end edges and extending between said marginal edges and adapted to be creased whereby an upper tab portion is formed between said fold line and said end edge forming a single point of support for said screening device on the rim of a toilet bowl, the remaining portion of said blank forming a main body portion, an upper pair of coaxial cuts in said main body portion extending inwardly from each of said marginal edges but terminating in spaced relation from each other, a lower pair of coaxial cuts in said main body portion extending inwardly from each of said marginal edges but terminating in spaced relation from each other, a fold line extending respectively between the upper and lower cuts adapted to be folded along said fold lines forming tabs normal to said main body portion and opposite the direction of said upper tab portion forming splash plates to channel a urine specimen between, and means in said blank between said splash plates adapted to receive a visual indicator to be contacted by said urine specimen for screening.

5. A blank as defined in claim 4, including a lower transverse fold line spaced inwardly from said other end edge and extending between said marginal edges and adapted to be creased and folded normal to said main body portion in the direction of said splash plates forming a lower tab portion adapted to hold a urine specimen collector.

6. A blank as defined in claim 4, wherein said means in said blank between said splash plates is integral with said blank and impregnated with chemicals for visually screening ingredients and characteristics of said specimen.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1957 Mercer 4-l 5/1961 Adams.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner ELLIOTT A. KATZ, Assistant Examiner

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