Patent ID: 8158412

Claim:
A disposable inoculation loop assembly comprising: a test tube; a tube stopper having first and second ends and adapted to fit into a free end of said test tube such that said first end faces into the interior of said test tube, and so as to substantially hermetically seal the interior of said test tube from the ambient, said stopper having a predetermined cannula insertion location for the insertion therethrough of a liquid sampling cannula; and an inoculation loop fixed to said tube stopper so as to extend into the interior of said test tube to a predetermined distance when said tube stopper is positioned in said free end of said test tube, wherein a portion of said inoculation loop has a liquid conducting portion, bounded by a liquid inlet, and by a liquid outlet, said outlet formed so as to face generally outwards toward an adjacent test tube wall portion, and wherein said predetermined cannula insertion location is positioned in registration with said liquid inlet, such that liquid is dispensed from the cannula into said liquid inlet, whereafter the liquid flows along said liquid conducting portion so as to be delivered into said test tube via said liquid outlet so as not to impinge upon said inoculation loop, and wherein said assembly when assembled is sterilized and pre-evacuated to a predetermined vacuum sufficient to draw a volume of a bodily liquid to be sampled into said test tube, said volume being of such an amount so that the liquid level in said test tube substantially just covers a predetermined portion of said inoculation loop.