Patent ID: 8137289

Claim:
A biological specimen sample vial, comprising: a vial container comprising a sample collection chamber for holding a fluid-based biological specimen sample; a vial cap configured to be mated with the vial container to enclose the collection chamber; an aliquot chamber; and a valve mechanism that comprises an actuator disposed on an external surface of the sample vial, and comprises or is coupled to a wall of the aliquot chamber, the valve mechanism biased to seal the aliquot chamber from the collection chamber unless actively actuated, wherein actuating the valve mechanism unseals the aliquot chamber from the collection chamber allowing an aliquot of the sample to flow from the collection chamber into the aliquot chamber while the collection chamber is isolated from an environment exterior to the vial, and wherein terminating active actuation of the valve mechanism causes the valve mechanism to automatically seal the aliquot chamber from the collection chamber to isolate the aliquot sample from a remaining portion of the sample in the collection chamber, the sample vial configured such that specimen sample fluid may be removed from the sample collection chamber while the aliquot chamber is sealed from the collection chamber.