Patent ID: 7277167

Claim:
An apparatus for acquisition of a liquid sample, the apparatus comprising: a first body having openings at opposite ends of said first body; a second body having openings at opposite ends of said second body; a third body having openings at opposite ends of said third body; each of said first body, second body, and third body having a respective passageway connecting the openings at opposite ends thereof; at least a portion of a surface of said second body being at least partially transparent to predetermined electromagnetic radiation; said first body being operatively connected to said second body and said second body being operatively connected to said third body to permit flow of a liquid through the respective passageways thereof; at least a portion of said third body being adapted to enable acquisition of the liquid sample from a sample container; at least one of at least a portion of said passageway of said third body and at least a portion of said passageway of said second body being dimensioned to enable holding the liquid sample after retracting the apparatus from the sample container.