Abstract:
A quantitative fecal examination apparatus includes a fecal collector removably mounted on a container base, having the fecal collector provided with a suction portion for sucking a fecal specimen into the collector and then the fecal specimen is disposed into the container base for examination test or for sucking the fecal specimen for further laboratory test including microscopic inspection, and having a quantitative design in the examination apparatus for collecting the fecal sample in a pre-set quantity for more precise examination.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application is an improvement over the U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,463 entitled “Multiple-purpose Fecal Examination Apparatus” (hereinafter called as “prior art”) also issued to the same inventor of this application. 
     The prior art however has the following drawbacks:
         1. For pick-up or releasing of fecal sample, the rake member ( 120 ) formed on the handle means  1  may be used. However, there is no suction mechanism for sucking the fecal sample. It will be difficult to collect liquid or loose stool specimen.   2. No quantitative device is provided for picking up the fecal sample quantitatively.   3. The examination procedure is complex, inconvenient and may easily cause contamination to the surrounding, especially when conducting an occult blood test in the upper hollow portion ( 20 ) and extension tube ( 23 ).       

     The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the present quantitative fecal examination apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a quantitative fecal examination apparatus including a fecal collector removably mounted on a container base,having the fecal collector provided with a suction portion for sucking a fecal specimen into the collector and then the fecal specimen is disposed into the container base for examination test or for sucking the fecal specimen for further laboratory test including microscopic inspection,and having a quantitative design in the examination apparatus for collecting the fecal sample in a pre-set quantity for more precise examination. 
     The present invention provides a convenient compact and hygienic examination unit for examining fecal specimen or sample. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing the elements of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional drawing of the present invention when assembled. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional drawing of the present invention when viewed from Line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional drawing of the collector means for picking the specimen. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional drawing of the collector means when releasing the specimen. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional drawing when viewed from Line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional drawing of the collector means for sucking specimen therein. 
         FIG. 9  shows the releasing of specimen from  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is an illustration showing the agitation of the specimen when added with a test reagent therein. 
         FIG. 11  shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention with exploded elements. 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional drawing of the present invention when assembled from  FIG. 11  and filled therein with reagent and specimen. 
         FIG. 13  shows the present invention adapted for centrifugal examination following  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIGS.  1 ˜ 10 ,a quantitative fecal examination apparatus of the present invention comprises: a collector means  1  removably mounted on a container base  2 . 
     The collector means  1  includes: a hollow stem  11  having a suction (or pumping) portion  12  formed on a top of the stem  11 ,a sleeve member  13  removably secured in the container base  2  and slidably engaging with the hollow stem  11  having a cap  14  formed on top of the sleeve member  13  for covering the container base  2 ,a plunger  15  formed on a bottom of the hollow stem  11  and slidably moving in a quantitative chamber  16  formed in a lower portion  161  of the sleeve member  13  ( FIG. 5  to  FIG. 6 ). 
     The plunger  15  and the bottom of the stem  11  arte respectively formed with an aperture  151 , 110  for air inlet or outlet from the stem  11  when operating the suction portion  12 . 
     The sleeve member  13  includes a pair of slots  132  longitudinally recessed in a central hole  131  formed through the sleeve member  13  for slidably engaging a pair of positioning keys  111  diametrically formed on the hollow stem  11  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). 
     The lower portion  161  of the sleeve member  13  is formed with corrugations on an outside surface on the lower portion  161  for adhering the fecal specimen thereon for easy visual inspection. 
     As shown in FIG.  3 ,the pair of positioning keys  111  on the hollow stem  11  are rested or held on an annular seat portion  141  concentrically formed on the cap  14  around the central hole  131  in the sleeve member  13 ,whereby the plunger  15  is kept at an “upper dead point”  160  (a stopping portion  160  in the sleeve member  13 ) of the quantitative chamber  16  (FIGS.  3 , 5 ) in order to collect a quantitative fecal speciment F into the chamber  16 ; and upon a downward movement of the stem  11  to allow the plunger  15  to thrust the fecal specimen F downwardly (FIG.  6 ),for example,to be discharged into the container base  2  for examination. 
     Since the plunger  15  is reciprocated within the quantitative chamber  16  in the sleeve member  13 ,the fecal specimen as collected into the chamber  16  or released from the chamber  16  will have a volume equal to the internal volume of the chamber  16 ,thereby collecting or disposing the fecal specimen in a quantitative amount. 
     The suction portion  12  may be formed with a bulb or a pumping device fixed on the top of the hollow stem  11  for sucking (or releasing) the fecal specimen especially a liquid or loose fecal specimen as shown in FIGS.  8 , 9 . The aperture  151  provides an air inlet or outlet passage during the suction or pumping action when operating (depressing or releasing) the suction portion  12 . 
     A downward movement of the plunger  15  will be limited when the keys  111  on the stem  11  are downwardly retained by the bottom end portions of the slots  132  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The container base  2  includes: a container portion  21  which may be formed as a transparent bottle defining an interior  20  in the container portion  21  for filling the fecal specimen F and test reagent therein,and a cover  22  detachably secured on an upper portion of the container portion  21  having a holding cylindrical portion  23  protruding upwardly from the cover  22  to be engaged with the cap  14  of the collector means  1  for removably mounting the collector means  1  on the container base  2  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     The holding cylindrical portion  23  is downwardly connected with a tapered conical portion  25  which is in turn connected with a lower tube portion  26  to be disposed around the sleeve member  13  when inserting the sleeve member  13  and the hollow stem  11  into the container base  2  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     The holding cylindrical portion  23  is connected with the cover  22  with a flexible shoulder portion  24 ,allowing a universal movement such as the agitation of the collector means  1  within the container base  2  for mixing the fecal specimen F with a test reagent as shown in  FIG. 10 . The flexible shoulder portion  24  may be made as thin as possible such as made of rubber or plastic materials to provide its flexibility. The tapered conical portion  25  also serves to scrap any excess fecal sample when inserting the sleeve member  13  into the lower tube portion  26  in the container base  2 . 
     The container base  2  includes a base portion  27  formed on a bottom of the container base  2  to be stably held on a laboratory table surface. 
     A quality-control testing platform  28  is formed on the base portion  27  for checking the quality of test reagent such as provided for occult blood test as used in this invention. 
     The testing platform  28  includes a first test pool  281  wherein a positive test reagent or a high-sensitivity reagent (such as O-toluidine or tetra-methyl benzidine and hydrogen peroxide for occult blood test) may be added into the first test pool  281  ( FIG. 1 ); and a second test pool  282  wherein a negative test reagent or a low-sensitivity reagent (such as Guaiac resin or Lignumvitae resin and hydrogen peroxide for occult-blood test) is dripped into the second test pool  282  for respectively checking the quality and reliability of the two reagents. 
     As shown in FIG.  1 ,a filling port  29  is formed in the container base  2  such as in the flexible shoulder portion  24  for filling the test reagent into the container portion  21  when a fecal specimen has been collected and stirred therein such as shown in  FIG. 10 ; and a vent  291  is formed in the container base  2  for venting air outwardly to ensure a smooth filling of specimen and reagent into the container portion  21 . 
     During the transport of the examination apparatus of the present invention,a plug  292  as formed on the container base  2  may be provided for closing the filling port  29  and vent  291  for hygienic reason. 
     After a patient&#39;s fecal specimen F has been put into the container portion  21 ,a test reagent such as the above-mentioned occult blood test reagent is added by a pipette or syringe into the container portion  21 . If it reveals a blue color change,it indicates a positive occult blood with hemorrhage present in the fecal sample. 
     Accordingly,the present invention provides a compact examination unit for a hygienic,smooth and convenient fecal examination to be superior to the prior art. The fecal sample (even liquid one) can be easily collected a disposed by the suction portion  12  of the collector means  1 . The quantitative chamber  16  formed in the collector means  1  also provides a quantitative sampling of fecal sample for improving the examination reliability and precision to be superior to the prior art. 
     Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.  11 ˜ 13 ,in which the collector means  1  is the same as the aforementioned; while the container base  2  is modified to have the base  27  to be adapted for connection to a centrifugal test tube T. 
     The container base  2  includes: a container portion  21  preferably made as transparent bottle,a cover  22  detachably secured to an upper portion of the container portion  21  for removably mounting the collector means  1  in the container portion  21 ,a base portion  27  secured to a bottom portion of the container portion  21 ,having a hopper portion  275  formed in a lower portion of the base portion  27  for receiving a fecal solution F 1  (which is formed by mixing a fecal sample and a reagent) as drained from the container portion  21  and having a drain tube  276  protruding downwardly from the hopper portion  275  to be connected to a centrifugal test tube T for centrifugal examination ( FIG. 13 ). 
     A filter  273  is formed in between the container portion  21  and the hopper portion  275  of the base portion  27  for filtering any unexpected suspension matters or dirts in the fecal solution F 1 . 
     The base portion  27  includes an upper rim  272  engaged with a lower periphery  211  of the container portion  21  as sealed by a packing ring or a retainer ring  274 ,having a plurality of retaining rods  210  formed in a bottom portion of the container portion  21  to retain the filter  274  between the retaining rods  210  and the retainer ring  274  retained between the lower periphery  211  of the container portion  21  and upper rim  272  of the base portion  27 . 
     The base portion  27  further includes a plurality of supporting legs  271  to be supported on a frame or holder (not shown). 
     The container portion  21  further includes: a valve  214  movably secured in the lower periphery  211  of the container portion  21  for normally sealing a drain opening  213  formed in a bottom plate  212  of the container portion  21  provided for stirring a fecal solution F 1  in the container portion  21  ( FIG. 12 ). 
     The valve  214  includes a lever  215  protruding outwardly through a notch  214   a  cut in the lower periphery  211  of the container portion  21 ,having a clip or pin  216  formed on the container portion  21  for normally receiving the lever  215  of the valve  214 ,whereby upon a withdrawal or operation of the lever  215  of the valve  214  to open the opening  213 ,the fecal solution F 1  may be drained into the base portion  27  to be received by the test tube T connected to the base portion  27  ( FIG. 13 ) for further centrifugal examination. 
     The container portion  21  includes a filling port  29  for filling test reagent or saline solution into the container portion through the filling port,and a test port  29   a  formed in the lower periphery  211  for dripping occult blood test reagent onto the filter  273 ,and a test paper  29   b  which is laid on the filter  273  and positioned below the test port  29   a ,whereby upon dripping of the test reagent onto the test paper  29   b  on the filter  273 ,the color change (for instance from red to blue) on the test paper will indicate the test result of occult blood test. Since the fecal solution may be dispersed due to capillary effect,the fecal solution will be osmosed to the test paper  29   b  through the filter  273 ,the reagent as dripped onto the test paper will thus be reacted on the test paper to show the test result. 
     A quality-control testing platform  28  as aforementioned may also be provided on the container portion  21  such as on the lower periphery  211  as shown in FIG.  11 ,including a first test pool  281  and a second test pool  282 ,respectively formed on a rim portion of the lower periphery  211  for checking the effectiveness of the test reagents on the respective pools  281 , 282 . 
     The advantages of the present invention has been described as aforementioned. Conclusively,it provides a compact examination unit for a smooth easily-operating fecal examination apparatus, which can be provided for quantitatively collecting and disposing fecal sample by suction or pumping operation. 
     The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Although the present invention is entitled “quantitative fecal examination apparatus”,it may also be essentially defined as a “semi-quantitative” examination unit or the like,not limited in this invention. 
     The cover  22  is removably secured on the container portion  21  by means of male and female threads. However,other joining methods may also be applied in this invention.