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US 4,542,751 AGranted
Sweat-collecting device and method
AssigneeWescor, Inc.
InventorsHenry L. Webster, Wayne K. Barlow
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWescor, Inc.
InventorsHenry L. Webster, Wayne K. Barlow
Estimating the term…
A sweat-collection device formed as a solid body having a shallowly concave, sweat-collecting surface at a face thereof defining a concavity with a rim lying wholly within a common plane for firm placement over an iontophoresis-stimulated area of a person's skin to collect sweat from the skin area and pass it through a bore at the center of the concavity. The concavity is so shallow that no dead space occurs between the collecting surface and the skin and flesh bulged into the concavity when the device is applied to a patient whose sweat is to be collected for testing. Optionally, the concavity may be modified without introducing dead space thereinto, to incorporate barrier means for preventing unusually soft skin and flesh of infants and some adults from bulging into and closing the bore. A length of flexible tubing is secured to the axial bore for receiving and storing the collected sweat, and a chamber may be provided in the body of the device opposite the sweat-collecting surface for receiving and holding the tubing in flat coiled condition. A strap is provided for securing the device to a patient whose sweat is to be tested. Provision is preferably made for retaining, in and for discharging from the tubing, sweat after it has been collected.
A sweat-collection device for application to a substantially flat area of the human body, comprising a solid body having concave means defined at a face thereof by a sweat-collecting surface which gradually recedes from a rim lying wholly in a common plane to an axial bore that extends to the opposite face of said solid body, the maximum depth of said concave means being such that the skin and flesh of said flat area of a human body to which the device is applied will bulge into contact with said sweat-collecting surface over substantially the entire area thereof when said rim is placed firmly against the skin of said flat area of the human body, leaving substantially no dead space in the interface between the bulged skin and said sweat-collecting surface, whereby body secretion pressure of sweat will force said sweat through said interface to said axial bore, said bore being adapted to connect with a length of flexible, sweat collector tubing at said opposite face of the solid body, and said solid body being adapted to be fastened against the said flat area of a human body so as to maintain firm placement of said rim and sweat-collecting surface against the skin.
A sweat collection device, comprising a solid body having concave means at a face thereof defining a sweat-collecting surface which gradually recedes from a rim lying wholly in a common plane to an axial bore that extends to the opposite face of said body so said surface will substantially conform to the bulging of a person's skin and flesh, the maximum depth of said concave means being in the range of from 0.5 to 1.75 millimeters so that the bulged skin will be in contact with said surface over substantially the entire area thereof when said rim is placed firmly against said skin, leaving substantially no dead space in the interface between the bulging skin and said surface, whereby body secretion pressure of sweat will force said sweat through said interface to said axial bore;
A method of collecting sweat from a person's skin for testing, comprising the steps of inducing sweating in an area of the person's skin;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.