Culture specimen collection and transport package

Abstract

A culture specimen collection and transport package for collection of a specimen and for transport thereof to a test facility. The culture specimen collection and transport package comprises an elongated stem having a swab on one end, and first and second tubular members. The first tubular member is for sterilizingly housing the swab prior to collection of a specimen, while the second tubular member contains a culture medium therein for insertion of the swab thereinto after collection of the specimen for maintaining the specimen in a viable condition during transport to the test facility. A sealing cap member is slidably mounted on the elongated stem for sealingly closing the first tubular member when the swab is disposed in the first tubular member and for sealingly closing the second tubular member when the swab is disposed in the second tubular member. The sealing cap member is slidably movable to a first position to provide a relatively long effective distance between the swab and the cap member for specimen collection purposes and is slidably movable to a second position to provide a relatively short effective distance between the swab and the cap member when the swab is inserted into the second tubular member. In this way, the length of the second tubular member for sealingly housing the swab after a specimen has been collected may be substantially shorter than the relatively long effective distance between the swab and the cap member for specimen collecting purposes, thereby reducing the possibility of contamination of the transport package and/or lab personnel, as well as reducing the loss of the specimen on the side walls of the second tubular member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.