Patent ID: 7655188

Claim:
An assembly for collecting a sample of a material desired to be characterized with diagnostic equipment including a probe through which an amount of the sample is introduced to the diagnostic equipment and wherein the sample of the material introduced to the probe is vaporized as it is introduced to the probe, the assembly comprising: an elongated member having a proximal end with which the assembly is manipulated by a user, and a distal end; a collection tip which is supported upon said distal end and which can be placed into contact with the material from which the sample is desired to be taken, the collection tip including a body of chemically-inert porous material for binding the sample of the material when the tip is placed into contact with the material from which the sample is desired to be taken for subsequent introduction of an amount of the bound sample through the probe of the diagnostic equipment; an inner cup section which is connected to the elongated member so as to open axially therealong in a direction opposite the proximal end and which includes sidewalls which are positionable along the length of the elongated member and encircle the collection tip so that when the sample which is bound by the collection tip is ultimately introduced to the diagnostic equipment through the probe thereof in a vaporized condition, the inner cup section surrounds and helps to confine the vaporized sample to a region adjacent the probe, and wherein the inner cup section has an interior, and the sidewalls of the inner cup section define a plurality of vent openings which accommodate a venting of the interior of the inner cup section; and an outer cup section having sidewalls which are positioned about the inner cup section and which is connected to the inner cup section to accommodate movement of the outer cup section relative to the inner cup section between one condition and another condition, and the sidewalls of the outer cup section include a plurality of openings therearound so that by moving the outer cup section relative to the inner cup section between the one and the another conditions, the outer cup section is moved between a condition at which the sidewall openings of the outer cup section are disposed in registry with the vent openings of the inner cup section and another condition at which the vent openings of the inner cup section are completely covered by the sidewall of the outer cup section to thereby effect maximum vapor retention by the inner cup section.