Device for gastro-intestinal fluids

Claim 1

A GASTRO-INTESTINAL FLUID SAMPLING DEVICE WHICH COMPRISES A HOLLOW CAPSULE HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BORE, THE DISTAL PART OF WHICH CAPSULE TAPERS TO FORM A NOSE CAP, AND WHICH IS DETACHABLE, A MOVABLE MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY LOCATED IN SAID BORE, THE DISTAL PART OF SAID MOVABLE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO SAID CAP AND SO DIMENSIONED AS TO OCCUPY ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE BORE OF THE CAPSULE, THE PROXIMAL PART THEREOF BEING SO DIMENSIONED AS TO FORM A PISTON HAVING A SLIDABLE SEALING FIT WITHIN SAID BORE, A SPRING LOCATED IN THE DISTAL PART OF THE BORE OF THE CAPSULE AND CONTAINED THEREIN AT THE DISTAL END BY AN INWARDLY DEPENDING EXTENSION OF THE INTERNAL WALL OF THE CAPSULE AND AT THE PROXIMAL END BY SAID PISTON AND ADAPTED BY EXERTING A PRESSURE ON SAID PISTON TO RETAIN THE CAP, WHEN IN CONNECTION WITH THE MOVABLE MEMBER, IN THE CLOSED AND SEALING POSITION, SAID MOVABLE MEMBER BEING APERTURED AXIALLY, WHICH APERTURE COMMUNICATES AT THE DISTAL END THEREOF VIA A PORT WITH THE BORE OF THE CAPSULE AND AT THE PROXIMAL END THEREOF IS ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE VIA A TUBULAR LINE WITH AN EXTERNAL SOURCE OF SUCTION AND WHICH MEMBER IS ADAPTED BY CONNECTION TO SAID SOURCE TO ALLOW A REDUCTION IN THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE CAPSULE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE RETAINING SPRING PRESSURE WHEREBY THE NOSE CAP IS DISPLACED FROM THE CAPSULE AND A FLUID SAMPLE IS ADMITTED THERETO, WHEREUPON AN INCREASE IN INTERNAL PRESSURE CAUSES THE SPRING TO RETURN THE NOSE CAP TO ITS NORMAL CLOSURE AND SEALING POSITION.