Fluid collection bottle and improvements therein

Abstract

The present invention comprises a vacuum-operated, fluid-collection bottle having advantageous, canted sealing surfaces between cover and container as well as other improvements including a perforate vacuum fitting, spherical top and bottom, .[.both convex and concave; float valve means incorporated in the vacuum port construction;.]. snap-lock engagement between the cover and container; graduation means for measuring small volumes of collected fluid, and so forth.

We claim: 
     
       1. A vacuum operated fluid collection bottle for recovering body fluids and comprising a container and a centrally concave cover .Iadd.removably .Iaddend.secured thereto, said concave cover being essentially rigid and having an inwardly convex interior surface and an outwardly concave exterior surface, said concave cover being essentially rigidly constructed in such configuration, prior to vacuum application, whereby to insure against cover collapse when a vacuum is applied, said .[.bottle.]. .Iadd.cover .Iaddend.being provided with a fluid admittance port and a vacuum port, both of said ports communicating with the interior of said bottle. 
     
     
       2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said container includes an upper annular lip, said cover includes annular flange overlapping and sealingly engaging said lip. 
     
     
       3. A vacuum-operated fluid collection bottle including, in combination, a container having an upper lip, and a cover sealingly .Iadd.and removably .Iaddend.secured to said container, said cover having plural, exteriorly connectable, bottle interior communication ports, said cover including a concave central portion and an annular portion integral with said central portion and encompassing said container lip, said central portion having a concave surface facing outwardly and a convex surface facing inwardly .Iadd.said cover being so constructed, prior to vacuum application.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       4. A vacuum-operated body fluid collection bottle having cross-sectionally arcuate, inwardly concave, essentially rigid opposite, concavo-convex end walls, constructed so prior to vacuum application, one of said end walls being provided with a fluid admittance port and a vacuum port, both of said ports communicating with the interior of said bottle, one of said end walls comprising a cover having a depending annular flange encompassing said bottle. 
     
     
       5. In a vacuum operated fluid collection bottle comprising the combination of a container and an independent cover releasably secured over said container, said container and said cover having inter-cooperating means whereby said container and cover can be releasably retained together in a sealing engagement, said combination being provided with fluid inlet port means and vacuum port means mutually spaced apart; and improvements wherein said cover has an essentially rigid concave construction, prior to and after vacuum application, protruding in a direction toward the interior of said container, whereby, when a vacuum is applied via said vacuum port means, said concave construction will preserve bottle integrity against container and cover collapse, said cover thereby having an inwardly convex interior surface and a concave outer surface facing outwardly. 
     
     
       6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said cover is provided with said fluid inlet port means and said vacuum port means.