Abstract: The present invention is a collection assembly useful for collecting small quantities of blood. The assembly comprises a container with an integral lip for facilitating collection of the blood and a cap suitable for enclosing the container. The assembly further comprises a sealing arrangement for securing the cap to the container using a protrusion on the cap and a locking ring on the container, wherein the container includes a riser below the locking ring that interacts with the protrusion on the cap to unsecure the cap from the container, when the cap is rotated on the container.

Abstract: The present invention is a collection assembly useful for collecting small quantities of blood. The assembly comprises a container with an integral lip for facilitating collection of the blood and a cap suitable for enclosing the container. The assembly further comprises a sealing arrangement for securing the cap with the container and a cam follower within the cap that interacts with the integral lip of the container to unsecure the cap from the container.

Abstract: A combination stopper and shield closure for sealing the open end of an evacuated body fluid collection tube to retain the vacuum therein. The stopper and shield are made by co-injection molding with the stopper being retained within a central aperture in the shield by means of an upper and lower flange or a plurality of plugs extending from the stopper into the shield. The upper flange has a convex surface for directing residue body fluid away from the center of the flange to reduce contamination, a gas-barrier to increase the vacuum seal and prevent contamination, cam followers in the base of the shield to interact with cams on the surface of the tube to facilitate closure twist-off, and flexible tabs around the base of the shield to prevent the tube/closure assembly from being pushed out of a needle holder during body fluid collection.

Abstract: A needle assembly having a single-handedly activatable needle barrier includes a needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therethrough connected to a needle hub having an interior cavity in fluid communication with the needle cannula. A guide element is connected to the needle hub and includes an aperture therethrough. An elongate barrier arm having a proximal end and a distal end is provided. The distal end of the barrier arm includes a barrier element having a needle passageway therethrough. The barrier arm is positioned within the aperture of the guide element and the needle cannula is positioned at least partially within the needle passageway of the barrier element.

Abstract: The present invention is a collection assembly useful for collecting small quantities of blood. The assembly comprises a container with an integral lip for facilitating collection of the blood and a cap suitable for enclosing the container. The assembly further comprises a sealing arrangement for securing the cap to the container using a protrusion on the cap and a thread on the container, wherein the protrusions on the cap travel on the thread to facilitate securing and unsecuring the cap on the container, when the cap is rotated on the container.

Abstract: The present invention is a collection assembly useful for collecting small quantities of blood. The assembly comprises a container with an integral lip for facilitating collection of the blood and a cap suitable for enclosing the container. The assembly further comprises a sealing arrangement for securing the cap with the container and a cam arrangement for unsecuring the cap from the container.

Abstract: A stopper for sealing an open end of a small internal diameter blood collection tube. The stopper includes a needle lead-in hole that guides the needle through an upper portion of the stopper to a penetration location at the bottom of the lead-in hole and to the open end of the small internal diameter tube. The stopper also includes a tube receiving chamber in its lower portion for receiving and sealing the open end of the tube. After the needle has penetrated the penetration location it passes through a resealable diaphragm section before entering the open end of the tube. The lead-in hole and tube receiving chamber both have beveled edges on their openings that aid in directing the needle and tube, respectively, into the stopper.

Abstract: A shielded needle assembly includes an elongate needle having a pointed distal end, a proximal end and a passageway therethrough. The assembly further includes a hub having an opening for receiving the needle so that said distal end of said needle projects outwardly, and has elements for releasably mounting the hub on a fluid handling device. The assembly has a shield having an open end, a closed end, a sidewall having a slot extending from the open end toward the closed end, and an arm extending radially outwardly at the open end opposite the slot. The shield has a first position at which the needle is exposed for use and a second position at which the shield substantially obstructs access to the needle. The slot provides clearance for the needle. A mounting rotatably holds the shield onto the hub. The mounting has a first pivot for pivotally attaching the shield to the mounting at the arm.

Abstract: A container for transporting and storing vessels containing hazardous liquids and a method for making such a container. The container has a cylindrical housing and a cap that screws into the mouth of the housing and is locked by a latch. When the cap is screwed into place, an elastomeric sealing ring on the cap is compressed against the housing to provide a liquid-tight seal between the housing and cap. Interlocking hook-shaped members that project from the housing and from a central location of the latch act as a fulcrum on which the latch can be pivoted. Under the bias of a serpentine tongue, a locking member that projects from an end of the latch protrudes through a bore in the housing and is adapted to be received by a hole in the cap, thus locking the cap until the other end of the lever is depressed to disengage the locking member from the hole of the cap.

Abstract: A lancet assembly having a blade designed for reduced pain that is used for piercing a patient's skin to cause capillary blood to flow for collection and testing. The blade has a shear percentage greater than conventional lancet blades to provide additional cutting action when the blade is being inserted into a puncture wound and a blade width smaller than conventional lancet blades. Reduced width and increased shear percentage result in reduced skin tear and penetration force, which therefore causes less pain to the patient during skin penetration.

Abstract: The present invention is a collection assembly useful for collecting small quantities of blood. The assembly comprises a container with an integral lip for facilitating collection of the blood and a cap suitable for enclosing the container. The assembly further comprises a sealing arrangement for securing the cap with the container and a cam arrangement for unsecuring the cap from the container.

Abstract: A method for modifying the surface of a material by:a. exposing the surface to a glow discharge plasma to activate the surface;b. exposing the surface to an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers; andc. irradiating the activated surface with gamma radiation or electron beam radiation in the presence of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer to form a graft polymerized coating thereon.

Abstract: A combination stopper and shield closure for sealing the open end of an evacuated body fluid collection tube. The stopper is headless and includes a well in its top surface with an undercut at its base. The shield includes a plurality of flexible fingers extending from its top surface, each finger including a cleat at its proximal end for engaging with the undercut in the stopper. The interaction between the cleats and the undercut serve to securely hold the stopper within the shield and eliminate compression forces being applied to the stopper by the shield. In addition, the base of the well is convex to direct any residue body fluid away from the center of the well towards the undercut and minimize residue build-up, and the bottom portion of the stopper is concave to reduce the thickness of the stopper's diaphragm and reduce penetration force.

Abstract: A container assembly is provided for collecting capillary blood from a lanced wound. The container includes an integral lip for facilitating collection from the wound with the entire length of the container from lip to curved closed end being substantially the same large diameter for rapid collection before coagulation. The container includes an annular integral skirt enclosing the rounded bottom of the container to provide an annular stable surface for maintaining the container upright on a flat surface to facilitate subsequent examination of the collected blood. A cap for the assembly includes an annular space for receiving the top edge of the container in sealing engagement. This same annular space in the cap receives the annular bottom surface of the container skirt to join the two parts together when the container is open. The cap, in turn, includes an annular skirt for holding the open assembly in stable erect position on a flat surface.

Abstract: A handle assembly, having a release handle mounted flush with a housing, is adapted for installation in a panel aperature from the outboard side of the panel. The housing is formed with a terminal flange provided with an upper omitted segment extending between a pair of handle pivot brackets. A retaining rib extends between the brackets and is offset inboard from the plane of the terminal flange backside. The handle is thus adapted to be mounted in the aperture in a rock-in manner with the terminal flange overlying the panel outer surface while the rib has an offset face abutting the panel inner surface. The housing has an inboard projecting stem supporting a one-piece retainer clip member enabling a single nut, upon being torqued down on the stem, to lock the handle assembly in the panel opening.

Abstract: A handle assembly, comprising a release handle mounted within a recess of the handle housing, is adapted for installation in a vehicle door panel aperture from the exterior thereof. The housing is formed with a terminal flange provided with an upper omitted segment extending longitudinally between a pair of upright handle support brackets. An elongated retaining rib is formed between the brackets having an outboard face offset a predetermined dimension inboard from the plane of the terminal flange backside. The housing is mounted in the panel aperture in a rocked-in manner with its terminal flange overlying the aperture recessed flanged border while the retaining rib face locates to the inboard surface of the flanged border. The housing central body has an inboard projecting stem adapted to support a clip whereby the clip, when fixed to the stem by a fastener, locks the handle assembly in the panel aperture.

Abstract: A combination closure is provided, particularly for evacuated collection tubes for body fluids such as blood, including an elastomer stopper and plastic cover combination with cooperating locking surfaces spaced around the circumference thereof. The stopper includes vertically spaced sealing rings for insertion into the open end of the tube. Also, the stopper includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions and the cover or shield cooperating circumferentially spaced indentations or ports to provide a locking force between the protrusions and indentations. As a result, the dimensions of the stopper and the plastic cover are reduced, which in turn reduces the penetration force required to insert a needle through the stopper. Moreover, the reduced dimension of the closure allows it to be locked to a bead on the tube whether plastic or glass, and the lesser overall diameter allows the closure on the tube to fit more tube holders or containers during and prior to use.

Abstract: A blood draw needle holder is modified on the outside surface of the closed end and the inside surface of the open end so that the closed end of one holder interlocks with the open end of another holder. As a result, one holder with no needle, but identical with another holder with a contaminated needle, may be locked in place over the contaminated needle. In addition, a stationery locking socket is provided for placement on a phlebotomist's tray or cart for locking a new unused holder in place, with the open end of the unused holder facing upright. Thereafter, the phlebotomist inserts the contaminated needle end with its used holder into the unused holder and locks the two together. With such an arrangement, no cumbersome telescoping shield is required on the holder being used for taking a blood sample. A conventional blood draw procedure takes place. The cost is reduced substantially since all holders, whether being used for blood draw or as a shield are identical and made from the same mold.