COVER FOR CONVEYING SPECIMEN SLIDES

Abstract: The invention relates to a cover for conveying rectangular specimen slides, a so called "mailer", comprising a rectangular bottom plate (10) with a recess (11) on the upper side of the bottom plate receiving the specimen slide (14) and having substantially the same shape and size as the slide, and a rectangular lid (16) which is articulated to the bottom plate and is substantially congruent therewith and which, shut against the bottom plate, together with the bottom plate and a rim (12) defining the recess (11) encloses completely the specimen slide (14) received in the recess (11).

Description: Cover for conveying specimen slides The invention relates to a cover for conveying rectangular specimen slides, a so called "mailer", comprising a rectangular bottom plate with a recess on the upper side of the bottom plate receiving the specimen slide and having substantially the same shape and size as the slide, and a rectangular lid which is articulated to the bottom plate and is substantially congruent therewith and, shut against the bottom plate, together with the bottom plate and a rim defining the recess encloses completely the specimen slide received in the recess. A cover of this kind is disclosed in US-A-4 819 804. Such covers are used for conveying specimen slides with a sample smeared and fixed on the slide from the sampling site to a site where the sample on the specimen slide shall be examined microscopically. The cover shall be sufficiently sturdy in order to be able to withstand rough handling for example at mailing in order to eliminate or in any case minimize the risk of the specimen slide being crushed at the conveyance, but shall at the same time be cheap in manufacture because it is intended for one way use. Furthermore, it is required that the cover encloses completely the specimen slide so that the pieces of a crushed specimen slide will be kept together in the cover for a possible reconstruction of the slide and elimination of the risk that you cut or pick yourself on the slide pieces, which could involve risk of infection or contamination. These requirements are satisfied by a cover according to US-A-4 819 804 while on the contrary a further requirement raised, viz. that the person taking the sample shall be able to easily smear the sample on the specimen slide when the slide is located in the recess in the cover, thus without the necessity of the sampler grasping or even touching the specimen slide, is however not satisfied because the rim forms a continuous frame around the recess and has a height which is larger than the thickness of the specimen slide in order that the lid when closed shall not press against the sample that has been smeared on the specimen slide; it follows that the frame prevents a brush or spatula from being applied against the upper surface of the specimen slide over a major portion of the width thereof when the specimen slide is located in the recess. The purpose of the invention is to provide a cover of the kind referred to above, which satisfies also this requirement as well as the other requirements mentioned above, and for this purpose the cover according to the invention has the characterizing features according to claim 1. The gap which exists in the rim when the lid is opened and which can extend along the major portion of one long side of the specimen slide leaves the upper surface of the specimen slide present in the recess freely available so that the sampling spatula or brush can be applied against the upper surface of the specimen slide over the total width thereof for smearing of the taken sample. By means of the strip on the lidthe gap is filled out at closed lid so that the specimen slide then is completely enclosed by the cover. US-A-5 090 568 discloses a cover for conveying specimen slides with a recess for the slide, which is defined by a rim notches being provided in the rim in order to facilitate smearing of the sample on the specimen slide, but in this case the problem to enclose completely the specimen slide at closed lid has not been solved because slits remain between the closed lid and the bottom plate at the notches where pieces of a crossed specimen slide can fall out of the cover. In order to explain the invention in more detail embodiments thereof will be described below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of the upper side of a cover according to the invention in an open position, FIG 2 is a plan view of the lower side of the cover, FIG 3 is an end view of the cover, FIG 4 is a side view of the cover from the left in FIG 1, FIG 5 is a side view of the cover from the right in FIG 1, FIG 6 is a plan view of the cover in a closed position, FIG 7 is a side view of the closed cover from the right in FIG 6, FIG 8 is a plan view of a continuous web of cardboard material with punched portions of a cover, connected at the long sides, FIG 9 is a plan view of a continuous web of cardboard material with punched portions of a cover, connected at the short sides, and FIG 10 is a view similar to FIG 9 for covers with two recesses for specimen slides. The cover disclosed in FIGS. 1-7 for specimen slides preferably is made in its entirety of folded boxboard coated on one side thereof, the coating being provided on the side disclosed in FIG 1. The cover comprises a rectangular field 10 which forms the bottom plate of the cover. On the upper surface thereof a rectangular recess 11 is defined by means of a rim 12 which is formed by a cardboard piece glued to the field 10 and having an opening which corresponds to the shape of the recess 11. The rim does not surround the recess 11 completely; a gap 13 is provided in the rim along one long side of the field 10. The recess matches a rectangular specimen slide the contour of which is indicated by dot-and-dash lines 14. The rim should have a thickness (height) which is slightly larger than the thickness of the specimen slide. The rim forms a curved notch 15 where it is possible to grasp the edge of the specimen slide with a finger when the slide shall be lifted out from the recess 11. A field 16 which forms the lid of the cover is articulated to the rim 12 and accordingly to the bottom plate formed by the field 10, by a groove and possibly also by perforation along a line 17 and thus is integral with the rim. A strip 18 of the same thickness as the rim 12 and with the same length as the gap 13 is glued to the field 16, and this strip is so located that when the field 16 is folded over the field 10 at the hinge 17 in order to close the lid the strip fits into the gap 13 so that the recess 11 when the lid is closed is surrounded by a continuous frame formed by the rim 12 and the strip 18. The advantage of having a gap 13 in the rim is that a tissue or secretion sample which has been taken by means of a spatula or a brush can easily be smeared on the specimen slide 14 from the spatula or the brush, respectively, over the entire width of the specimen slide along the gap because there is no rim which prevents the spatula or the brush, respectively, from being applied against the upper surface of the specimen slide. The advantage of the gap being filled out by the strip when the lid is closed is that the specimen slide as a consequence thereof is located in a space completely closed to the surroundings so that pieces of a possibly crushed specimen slide cannot leave the cover. The cover can be kept closed by means of self- adhering tape or by rubber cord but it is more practical to provide on the cover a lock in the manner disclosed in FIGS. 1-7. A rectangular notch 19 is provided in the edge of the field 10 and extends also through the rim 12. At a corresponding position in the edge of the field 16 there is punched by means of cuttings 20 a flap 21 which can be folded along a line 22 where a groove can be provided to facilitate the folding. The flap 21 is formed as a parallel trapezoid the smallest width of which is at the line 22 and substantially equals the width of the recess 19. When the cover has been closed the flap 21 is folded towards the field 10 and is pushed into the recess 19, FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein it is then maintained due to the shape thereof in order to keep the lid in the closed position. It can, however, easily be folded back when the cover is to be opened again. An advantage of manufacturing the cover according to the invention of folding boxboard coated at one side thereof is that if the coated side is turned upwards as seen in FIG. 1 the risk of particles from the board contaminating the sample on the specimen slide is minimized. However, the risk of contamination will not be greater if the field 10 is made of non-coated cardboard because the backside of the specimen slide faces this field. On the other hand it is also possible to use throughout folding boxboard coated at both sides but then the cover will be unnecessarily expensive; considering the fact that it is a one-way product it is necessary to keep the manufacturing cost low. It is also possible to manufacture the cover according to the invention of another material than cardboard; it can consist of for example molded plastic material, mini-type corrugated fiberboard or the like. The field 16, the rim 12 and the strip 18 can be punched from a continuous web of cardboard as shown in FIG 8. The field 16 is connected with the rim 12 along the folding line 17. It is also at a folding line 23 connected with the strip 18 which is punched from an adjacent rim 12' in order to provide the gap therein. The strip is folded towards the field 16 and glued to this field. The field 10 is produced in this case separately as a simple rectangular field and is glued to the lower side of the rim 12. FIG 9 shows another variant of the cover according to the invention. The field 10 is connected with one short side of the rim 12 at a folding line 24 while the field 16 at a folding line 25 is connected with the other short side of the rim. The field 16 is made integral with the strip 18 in the manner described above. The field 10 is folded under the rim and is glued to it, and the strip 18 is folded towards the field 16 and is glued to this field. The cover is closed by the field 16 as a lid is folded over the rim 12 and the recess 11 defined by the rim, at the folding line 25. In this case the lock can be provided at the free short side of the field 16 and at the edge of the field 10 and the rim 12 where the folding line 24 is located. FIG 10 shows a blank which is folded and glued in the same manner as the blank in FIG 9 but which is intended for a cover for two specimen slides.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cover for conveying rectangular specimen slides, comprising a rectangular bottom plate (10) with a recess (11) on the upper side thereof receiving the specimen slide (14) and having substantially the same shape and size as the slide, and a rectangular lid (16) which is articulated to the bottom plate and is substantially congruent therewith and, shut against the bottom plate, together with the bottom plate and a rim (12) defining the recess encloses completely the specimen slide received by the recess, characterized in that the rim along one long side of the recess forms a gap (13) and that a strip (18) on the lid is provided to fill out the gap when the lid is closed. 2. Cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in its entirety made of cardboard. 3. Cover according to claim 2 characterized in that the rim (12) comprises a cardboard piece glued to the bottom plate (10) . 4. Cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the strip (18) comprises a cardboard strip glued to the lid (16) along an edge thereof. 5. Cover according to claim 4, characterized in that the strip (18) is made integral with the lid (16) and along a folding line (23) at the edge of the lid is folded over the lid and glued to it. 6. Cover according to claim 3 , characterized in that the cardboard piece forming the rim (12) is integral with the lid (16) which is articulated at a folding line between the cardboard piece glued to the bottom plate, and the lid. 7. Cover according to claim 3, characterized in that the cardboard piece forming the rim (12) is substantially rectangular and that the lid (16) is integral with the cardboard piece at a folding line (25) along one short side of the cardboard piece, and the bottom plate (10) is integral with the cardboard piece at a folding line (24) along the other short side of the cardboard piece and is glued to said piece. 8. Cover according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized by a lock means (19, 21) for releasable locking of the lid (16) to the bottom plate (10) in the closed position of the lid. 9. Cover according to claims 2 and 8, characterized in that the lock means comprises a flap (21) on the lid (16) or the bottom plate (10) , which can be folded into a notch (19) on the bottom plate or the lid, respectively. 10. Cover according to claim 9, characterized in that the notch (19) is rectangular and that the flap (21) has parallel trapezoid shape, and that the flap at the shorter of the parallel sides has a length which corresponds to the length of the rectangular notch, and can be folded into the notch at a folding line (22) along said shorter side.

Inventors: STORMBY JOHAN, STORMBY, JOHAN
Applicants: MEDSCAND MEDICAL AB, STORMBY JOHAN, STORMBY, JOHAN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: A61B10, B01L3, G01N1, G01N35