Abstract: A method and apparatus for reliably collecting blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn infant having a funnel having multiple spouts for simultaneously filling a plurality of test tubes. A funnel having a number of spouts on its lower end below a central, tapered receiving chamber is provided to collect blood from an umbilical cord or other blood source held over the wide mouthed funnel. A number of test tubes for transporting the blood to various labs or testing facilities are insertable over the ends of the spouts below the funnel to easily and directly pour the blood from the umbilical cord through the funnel to the test tubes. The spouts may have a tapered surface, an elastomeric surface, or appropriately sized to securely receive the test tubes.

Abstract: A syringe is disclosed having a large syringe housing which can be fitted with a large needle holder which in turn holds a large introducer needle. The introducer needle defines a passageway. A small seeker needle which is designed to fit within and through the passageway of the large introducer needle is attached by way of a small needle holder to a small syringe housing. A washer adapter attaches to the front of the small needle holder in order to have the small syringe housing move within a large syringe housing as a plunger for the large syringe housing. The small syringe housing in turn receives on one end a small syringe plunger which may define a small plunger lumen or chamber which can be used for transduction. Another embodiment has a modified needle having a port in the shaft within the syringe to allow sampling.

Abstract: A blood sampling apparatus for sampling blood from the skin of a patient for analysis. The apparatus includes a cartridge and a housing with a driver. The cartridge has a cartridge case, lancet, and a compartment associated with the cartridge case for receiving blood. The lancet is housed in the cartridge case and operatively connected thereto such that it is drivable to extend outside the cartridge case through a lancing opening for lancing the skin to yield blood. The housing has a driver for urging the lancet to extend outside the cartridge case. During lancing, the cartridge is preferably detachably held in the housing such that the cartridge can be disassociated from the driver after sampling blood.

Abstract: An arrangement for analyzing body fluids drawn from a living subject has a fluid sample station connectable to the subject for drawing fluid from the subject, a disposable cassette connectable to the fluid sample station for receiving a fluid sample to be analyzed, a sensor unit for analyzing the fluid sample, a cassette store in which a plurality of disposable cassettes are storable and a transfer system for bringing cassettes in the cassette store, one by one, into operative connection with the fluid sample station. A control unit controls the transfer system to bring the respective cassettes into connection with the fluid sample station at a programmable rate.

Abstract: A non-occlusive dermal patch for collecting vapor phase perspiration from a subject's skin and retaining an analyte such as ethanol in the perspiration is disclosed. A method of collecting vapor phase perspiration containing an analyte such as ethanol over a period up to several days and detecting the analyte to determine the wearer's consumption of the analyte during the period when the patch was worn is disclosed.

Abstract: A urine specimen container is disclosed which includes multiple urine holding chambers and further includes a cap to be secured to the container that enables extraction of a portion of the urine specimen from one chamber within the container without contaminating the urine specimen contained in an adjacent chamber of the same container.

Abstract: A blood-collecting device includes a suction device for suctioning and thereby swelling a portion of a patient's skin by decompression so that a movable paracentetic needle can be driven into the swollen skin to puncture the skin. Once the skin has been punctured, the paracentetic needle is withdrawn while suction is maintained on the swollen skin in order to draw a blood sample from the patient.

Abstract: An apparatus including a drawing element, a plurality of test tubes with airtight pierceable caps and a sucking system, suitably connected through ducts which are at least partially embodied in a disposable linking element, so that while preprogrammed volumes of air are orderly sucked out of said test tubes, programmed quantities of sample are collected into each of them. Some different construction patterns at different technological levels and an embodiment of said apparatus are outlined. A method for using it is described.

Abstract: A blood collection system for drawing multiple samples of blood from patients, while minimizing the handling of the blood samples, is provided. The system includes a vial assembly with a coupling which will connect the assembly to the blood flowing from the patient via a connection tube. The vial assembly will also include a storage valve to seal off the assembly; a holder which will have two or more vials, each vial being connected to a supply tube; and a manifold fluidly connecting the coupling to the vial supply tubes. In a particularly preferred embodiment the vial assembly will have a housing with top and bottom sections and the top section will have a cam shutoff for sealing off the vial supply tubes. The system may also include a cannulae assembly which will cover the cannulae needle while the sharp end of the needle is still in the patient.