Blood specimen collecting system

Claim 2

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a vein puncturing hollow needle, a second hollow needle, elongated flexible tube means for connecting said needles and permitting substantial movement of each said needle without disturbing the other said needle, first means for rigidly holding said second needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, second means for supporting said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being closed by sealing means disposed in the end thereof, and means for sequentially penetrating said second needle through said sealing means and into each said tube, said penetrating means including indexing means for providing relative movement between said second means and said first means, said indexing means being arranged so that the sealing means of said tubes and said first means are sequentially disposed in cooperative registry, and power means for providing relative reciprocation between said first and second means to penetrate said second needle through each said sealing means and into each said tube.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 including electrically-operated means for gently oscillating said second means.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 in which said first means for rigidly holding said second needle includes chuck means.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 in which said power means is arranged to reciprocate said first means toward and away from said second means.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 in which said first means includes a chuck for releasably holding said second needle.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 including means for gently oscillating said second means to agitate the blood drawn into such tubes.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 5 including means for gently oscillating said first and second means to agitate the blood drawn into such tubes.

Claim 9

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a hollow needle, chuck means for releasably holding said hollow needle, a plurality of pre-evacuated test tubes, means for holding said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed by a sealing means, and means for sequentially penetrating said needle disposed in said chuck means through said sealing means and into each said tube, said penetrating means including indexing means for providing relative movement between said chuck means and said holding means, said indexing means being arranged so that the sealing means of said tubes and said needle are sequentially disposed in cooperative registry, power means for providing relative reciprocation between said chuck means and said holding means to penetrate said needle disposed in said chuck means through each said sealing means and into each said tube, a vein puncturing hollow needle, and a length of flexible tubing connecting said needles.

Claim 10

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a hollow needle, chuck means for releasably holding said hollow needle, a plurality of pre-evacuated test tubes, means for holding said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed by a sealing means, and means for sequentially penetrating said needle disposed in said chuck means through said sealing means and into each said tube, said penetrating means including indexing means for providing relative movement between said chuck means and said holding means, said indexing means being arranged so that the sealing means of said tubes and said needle are sequentially disposed in cooperative registry, power means for providing relative reciprocation between said chuck means and said holding means to penetrate said needle disposed in said chuck means through each said sealing means and into each said tube, a vein puncturing hollow needle, and a length of flexible tubing connecting said needles.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8 including means for gently oscillating said holding means and such tubes held thereby.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 8 in which said indexing means includes power driven means for providing such relative movement.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 8 in which said indexing means includes power driven means for moving said holding means.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 8 in which said indeXing means includes power driven means for moving said chuck means.

Claim 15

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a vein puncturing hollow needle, a second hollow needle, flexible tube means for connecting said needles, first means for rigidly holding said second needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, second means for supporting said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed with a conventional rubber-like sealing stopper, indexing means for providing relative movement between said second means and said first means, said indexing means being arranged so that said second needle is sequentially disposed in cooperative registry with the stopper of each said tube, and power means for providing relative reciprocation between said first and second means sequentially to penetrate said second needle through each said adjacent stopper and into each said tube while said vein puncturing needle is penetrated into a vein.

Claim 16

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a vein puncturing hollow needle, a second hollow needle, flexible tube means for connecting said needles, first means for rigidly holding said second needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, second means for supporting said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed with a conventional rubber-like sealing stopper, indexing means for providing relative movement between said second means and said first means, said indexing means being arranged so that said second needle is sequentially disposed in cooperative registry with the stopper of each said tube, and power means for providing relative reciprocation between said first and second means sequentially to penetrate said second needle through each said adjacent stopper and into each said tube while said vein puncturing needle is penetrated into a vein.

Claim 17

The device of claim 13 in which said indexing means is arranged to move said second means in a step-by-step manner sequentially to position each stopper adjacent said second needle.

Claim 18

The device of claim 13 in which said indexing means is arranged to move said first means in a step-by-step manner sequentially to position said second needle adjacent each stopper.

Claim 19

The device of claim 13 in which said first means includes a molded plastic block to which said second needle is rigidly connected and means for positioning said block relative to said second means.

Claim 20

The device of claim 13 in which said power means is arranged to reciprocate said second means toward and away from said first means.

Claim 21

The device of claim 13 including electrically-operated means for gently oscillating said second means while such relative reciprocation occurs to agitate the blood drawn into such tubes.

Claim 22

The device of claim 13 in which said power means is arranged to reciprocate said first means toward and away from said second means.

Claim 23

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a hollow needle, a chuck for releasably holding said hollow needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, a cartridge for holding said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed by a stopper, indexing means for moving said cartridge in a step-by-step manner relative to said chuck sequentially and momentarily to hold said stoppers adjacent said hollow needle in said chuck, power means for providing relative reciprocation between said chuck and said cartridge whereby said needle disposed in said chuck will sequentially penetrate through each said adjacent stopper and into each said tube, a vein puncturing hollow needle, and an elongated flexible tube connected between said needles to permit reciprocatory movement of the first said needle while said vein puncturing needle is penetrated into a vein.

Claim 24

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a hollow needle, a chuck for releasably holding said hollow needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, a cartridge for holding said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being sealed by a stopper, indexing means for moving said cartridge in a step-by-step manner relative to said chuck sequentially and momentarily to hold said stoppers adjacent said hollow needle in said chuck, power means for providing relative reciprocation between said chuck and said cartridge whereby said needle disposed in said chuck will sequentially penetrate through each said adjacent stopper and into each said tube, a vein puncturing hollow needle, and an elongated flexible tube connected between said needles to permit reciprocatory movement of the first said needle while said vein puncturing needle is penetrated into a vein.

Claim 25

The invention of claim 20 including means for gently oscillating said cartridge and such tubes held thereby to agitate the blood therein.

Claim 26

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a vein puncturing hollow needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, means for supporting said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being closed by sealing means disposed in the end thereof, hollow needle means, and means for penetrating said hollow needle means through said sealing means and into said tubes, said penetrating means including power means for providing relative reciprocation between said hollow needle means and said supporting means, said hollow needle means including a second hollow needle, said penetrating means including indexing means for providing relative movement between said supporting means and said second hollow needle, said indexing means being arranged sequentially to dispose the sealing means of said tubes and said second hollow needle to be penetrated thereby in cooperative registry, and an elongated flexible tube connecting said vein puncturing hollow needle to said second hollow needle, said flexible tube being effective to permit movement of said second hollow needle relative to said vein puncturing hollow needle while it is positioned in a vein.

Claim 27

A blood specimen collecting device comprising a vein puncturing hollow needle, a plurality of evacuated test tubes, means for supporting said plurality of test tubes, each said tube being closed by sealing means disposed in the end thereof, hollow needle means, and means for penetrating said hollow needle means through said sealing means and into said tubes, said penetrating means including power means for providing relative reciprocation between said hollow needle means and said supporting means, said hollow needle means including a second hollow needle, said penetrating means including indexing means for providing relative movement between said supporting means and said second hollow needle, said indexing means being arranged sequentially to dispose the sealing means of said tubes and said second hollow needle to be penetrated thereby in cooperative registry, and an elongated flexible tube connecting said vein puncturing hollow needle to said second hollow needle, said flexible tube being effective to permit movement of said second hollow needle relative to said vein puncturing hollow needle while it is positioned in a vein.