Patent ID: 7943381

Claim:
A method of testing a specimen, wherein the testing is conducted at a service site using a testing device, the method comprising: enabling entry of donor and client information into a database accessible by a host computer; enabling a site attendant to access at least one of said donor and client information at a local computer remote from said host computer, wherein said local computer is located at the service site; providing a specimen container that carries machine readable identification information; enabling testing of a specimen at the service site using the testing device, wherein the specimen was deposited by a donor into the specimen container and at the service site; associating the machine readable identification information carried by the specimen container with an electronic chain of custody form to positively associate the deposited specimen with the donor; enabling electronic communication of the machine readable identification information to the host computer, wherein the communication is conducted across a communications network; uploading from the testing device and to the host computer remote from the service site a test result associated with the test specimen and obtained from the testing device, wherein the uploading is conducted across a communications network; generating the electronic chain of custody form that controls a chain of custody procedure for the specimen; obtaining via an electronic signature pad the donor's handwritten signature applied by the donor; and receiving control instructions for the testing device from the host computer.