Blood collection funnel

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.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an improved method of collecting blood of 
a newborn during delivery including a disposable, blood collection funnel 
for receiving umbilical cord blood and having multiple lower spouts for 
transferring collected blood to a plurality of blood collection tubes 
which may be used for further testing. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Immediately following the delivery of a newborn, it is essential to collect 
blood samples for laboratory analysis of the blood type, RH factor, and 
blood count of the newborn. In addition, other tests are needed to test 
blood clotting for additional cord bilirubin present, and if any 
particular medical concerns are present, blood may have to be tested for 
other specific problems as well. 
Presently cord blood is collected with a glass beaker or drawn with a 
syringe. After the umbilical cord is cut and clamped. The doctor holds the 
cord over a medicine glass and unclamps one end of the cord to collect the 
blood. Pouring the blood from the cord into the medicine glass in this 
manner can be a difficult process, especially after the doctor or staff 
has just completed the delivery of a child after a prolonged labor. 
Spillage from the process is not uncommon and the container typically will 
have blood on the outside, increasing the possibility of blood 
contamination and increasing the likelihood of exposure of the hospital 
staff to the potentially infected blood, which is of primary concern to 
medical staff. 
Another method used by doctors is to use a syringe and draw it out of a 
vein in the cord directly and plunging the blood into the medicine glass 
or appropriate container or collection tubes. One difficulty with this 
process is that the blood may become hemolyzed during this procedure. Also 
the unnecessary use of a syringe increases the possibility of accidental 
sticking a staff member with the syringe filled with blood. In addition, 
the use of a syringe for this process increases the amount of medical 
waste produced and increases the amount of time required for post birthing 
procedures thereby increasing the cost to the patient and insurers. 
After the blood has been collected and placed into the medicine glass, it 
is then passed on to a scrub nurse and set on the instrument table for the 
circulating nurse to pour into blood collecting tubes. The tubes are color 
coordinated with a red top and purple top. The red top tube is used for 
blood typing and blood counting. The tube with the purple top is used for 
cord bilirubin tests. 
All of this is occurring a very crucial time of delivery. After the 
umbilical cord has been cut, the infant is handed to the circulating curse 
to stabilize the infant. If the infant is not doing well, she is tied up 
taking care of the infant and the cord blood clots, as the blood clots 
very quickly if not handled immediately. Once the blood clots it is no 
longer satisfactory for the precise tests needed. Without the cord blood, 
then a blood specimen must to be taken after the delivery is finished from 
a vein in the placenta with a syringe. Most of the time this is not 
successful and it can be very messy and time consuming. If the specimen 
can't be obtained or a good specimen or not enough then the infant has to 
be suck for a specimen. This is of course disadvantageous for obvious 
reasons and dangers. 
Additionally, if the container is bloody and the nurse didn't have time to 
don a pair of gloves then there is a chance of blood contamination or 
exposure. When the nurse pours the blood into the blood collecting tubes 
it may spill all over the tube resulting in blood contamination and 
further exposure to the nurse. 
One such attempt to facilitate the collection of umbilical cord blood is 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,328 issued Aug. 30, 1994 to Grossman et al., which 
shows a container having an upper, closable container for receiving a 
clamped section of umbilical cord. The main chamber has an funnel portion 
for draining the blood from the unclamped cord into a tube which can be 
placed below and in communication with the chamber. 
Published International Patent Application WO 91/16086 published Oct. 31, 
1991 to Target Research Company shows a multi-compartment biological fluid 
specimen bag for collecting urine and other biological specimens for drug 
testing or other controlled substances. 
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in 
combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention minimizes the possibility of blood contamination and 
exposure of the blood to the medical staff by providing a convenient blood 
collection funnel which may be attached to a plurality of test tubes for 
the simple and convenient collection of blood. The blood collection funnel 
may have at its upper end a wide mouth for receiving the flow of blood 
from a umbilical cord or other container of blood and a plurality of lower 
spouts for directing the flow of blood into a plurality of test tubes or 
other containers. The test tubes may have chemicals, such as 
anticoagulants or other agents in various of the tubes to facilitate 
preparation and preservation of the samples for further tests. The spouts 
may all be of a similar size or may be sized to receive tubes and 
containers of different diameter openings. 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an 
improved, disposable blood collection funnel for facilitating the 
collection of blood during delivery and post-delivery procedures. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a funnel having a wide 
mouth for allowing spill-free pouring of blood from an umbilical cord into 
the inner, receiving chamber of the funnel for collection of the blood. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a blood collection 
funnel having a plurality of directing spouts attached and in 
communication with the inner, receiving chamber of the funnel for 
directing the flow of the blood out of the chamber. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of 
directing spouts on a blood collection funnel for receiving the upper ends 
of test tubes for directing flow from the funnel to a plurality of test 
tubes which can be used for transporting and testing of the blood. 
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a blood collection 
kit which includes a blood collection funnel and a plurality of test tubes 
for collecting blood, wherein the test tubes may also include chemicals 
for protecting and preserving the blood samples which are to be tested. 
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and 
arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is 
inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended 
purposes. 
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily 
apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
The present invention is to a system and method for collecting blood during 
delivery procedures using a blood collection funnel 10 and a plurality of 
test tubes 12,14. 
As best shown in FIG. 1, a blood collection funnel 10 is provided for 
collecting blood (not shown) from an umbilical cord 16 of a newborn infant 
(not shown). Immediately after birth, blood must be collected from the 
newborn to determine the blood type, RH factor and blood count of the 
newborn. In addition, other tests such as the additional bilirubin present 
in the cord must be performed. If the doctor is concerned about particular 
problems such as drug use by the parent or diseases such as AIDS which may 
affect the newborn based on the parental history of the newborn, then 
other blood tests may also have to be performed. 
In contrast to earlier practiced methods of collecting blood from newborns 
such as holding the umbilical cord over a medicine glass or using a 
syringe to draw blood from the cord or the placenta, the present method 
offers a simpler and more effective way of collecting blood. The blood 
collection funnel offers a wide mouth 18 at an upper end of a receiving 
chamber for receiving flow and a plurality of spouts 20 for directing flow 
out of the funnel. The tapered edges of the funnel direct flow from the 
mouth 18 to the spouts 20. As shown best in FIG. 2, the funnel may have a 
flat of less sloped area to the funnel near the tops of the spouts 12,14 
to help distribute the blood to the test tubes. Obviously one skilled in 
the art would recognize that the shape of the funnel could be altered to 
help proportion the flow to the funnels, or the spouts could be of 
different or the same sizes to accept test tubes of different sizes or 
similar size openings. One skilled in the art would also appreciate that 
more than two spouts could be provided to distribute blood to more than 
two test tubes. One would also appreciate that clamps or other devices 
could be used to stem the flow of blood from the funnel to the test tubes 
to prevent spillage when the test tubes are full. 
In practice, as best shown in FIGS. 1-4, in preparation for collecting 
blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn, a nurse or other medical 
personnel collects two test tubes (FIG. 4), removes the color coordinated 
caps from the tubes. The proper chemicals for preparation and preservation 
of the blood samples may be pre-poured into the tubes or chemicals can be 
added to the tubes in preparation for receiving the blood. Obviously, one 
or more of the tubes can have no chemicals in the tube to preserve the 
purity of the blood, if later tests so require. 
Once the test tubes have been prepared the upper end of the test tubes 
12,14 are inserted over the appropriate spout 20 at the lower end of the 
funnel as shown progressively in FIGS. 3 and 1. One the test tubes are 
secured in place about the lower spouts of the funnel by frictional 
interference fit or held in place by other means, the funnel and attached 
tubes are set to receive blood. 
The doctor or other personnel clamps the umbilical cord in the proper place 
using well known clamps 24 and cuts a section of the umbilical cord from 
the rest of the cord. The clamped umbilical cord is then held over the 
funnel as shown in FIG. 1 and an end of the umbilical cord is unclamped 
allowing blood to free flow into the funnel. When the proper amount of 
blood is released into the funnel, the umbilical cord is then reclamped, 
if necessary, to prevent further blood from entering the funnel. As soon 
as the blood as drained from the funnel into the blood collection tubes, 
the tubes may be removed and capped. The caps 26,28 may be color coded to 
signify blood samples which should be directed to certain lab or lab test, 
or may signify the presence or absence of added chemicals such as 
anticoagulants or other agents added to preserve or prepare the blood 
sample for further tests. This is important as it is standard practice to 
send the blood off to two separate labs, one for blood typing and 
counting, and the other for other various work ups. 
The blood collection funnel 10 can then be disposed of or sent to cleaning 
and sterilization depending on the material composition of the funnel. It 
is anticipated that a plastic material is best suited for use as a 
disposable blood collection funnel to limit the possibility of blood 
contamination and simplify use of the equipment. 
The use of the blood collection funnel decreases the likelihood of spillage 
by providing the large opening 18 at the top of the funnel 10, thus 
lowering the likelihood of blood contamination or exposure to spilled and 
uncontained blood. The directional spouts 20 allow blood to be directed 
into test tubes 12,14 which can have chemicals before the blood is 
received in the funnel, or may chemicals added prior to capping of the 
test tubes. The tubes being free from blood or other contamination can 
capped and sent directly to the appropriate lab or sent to different labs. 
Color coordinated caps on the test tubes can be used to signify the 
contents of the tube and the appropriate destination or test for the blood 
sample. 
The increased likelihood of successful receiving blood from the umbilical 
cord into the test tubes allows the blood to be sealed or mixed with 
anticoagulant agents to preserve and protect the blood samples. By 
increasing the success rate of preserving useable blood samples, the 
chances of having to collect blood by other means is lessened. Therefore, 
the probability of having to collect blood using a syringe from the cord, 
from the placenta, or from the newborn is reduced, saving money, time, and 
the possibility of exposure to potentially dangerous blood filled 
syringes. 
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the 
sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments 
within the scope of the following claims.