Throat Specimen Collection Devices with a Tongue Depressor for Positioning the Collection Receptacle

A method of collecting a throat specimen of a subject using a throat specimen collection device, comprising:

• i) positioning a tongue depressor of the throat specimen collection device to restrain a subject's tongue, and
• ii) collecting a throat specimen of the subject when the collection receptacle is in the collection position.

A throat specimen collection device comprising:

• i) a tongue depressor configured to restrain a subject's tongue, and
• ii) a collection receptacle holder,
• wherein the tongue depressor is in a slidable engagement with the collection receptacle holder.

A throat specimen collection device comprising:

• a collection receptacle holder and an illuminator element.

The throat specimen collection device of any one of claims 20 to 34, wherein the tongue depressor has one of the following shapes:

• popsicle shaped, a rectangular shaped, a rectangular shaped with rounded corners, and a semi-circle that matches with the contours of a subject's teeth.

A method of collecting a throat specimen of a subject using a throat specimen collection device, the method comprising:

• i) positioning a tongue depressor of the throat specimen collection device to restrain the subject's tongue,
• ii) collecting a throat specimen of the subject when the collection receptacle is in a collection position.