AN ANALYTICAL SAMPLE COLLECTOR

Abstract

An analytical sample collector for collecting animal urine includes a container for containing urine and a collection device for collecting urine. The collection device includes a receiver for receiving urine and a channelling element for channelling urine to the container. An attractant composition emits an odor that attracts animals to urinate on the receiver. Kits and methods obtain an analytical sample of animal urine, and collect and analyze an analytical sample of urine from an animal.

Claims

1. An analytical sample collector for collecting animal urine, comprising: a container for containing urine; a collection device for collecting urine, the collection device including a receiver for receiving urine and a channelling element for channelling urine to the container; and an attractant composition that emits an odour which attracts animals to urinate on the receiver.

2. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the attractant composition is present on or in the receiver.

3. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collection device is a self- supporting, three-dimensional article.

4. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collector is disposable and for single use.

5. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collector is portable and weighs 1 kg or less.

6. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collection device is constructed of paperboard.

7. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collection device is constructed of interlocking panels.

8. The analytical sample collector of claim 1 wherein the collection device is an elongate member, a portion of which is a channelling member configured to be placed within the container and a further portion of which is a receiver configured to protrude from the container.

9. The analytical sample collector of claim 8 wherein the elongate member is a compressible resilient member.

10. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the collection device further comprises a mounting element for mounting the collection device relative to the container such that the channelling element is positioned above the container in use.

11. The analytical sample collector of claim 10, wherein the mounting element comprises three or more legs which, in use, straddle the container such that the channelling element and the receiver are supported over the container.

12. The analytical sample collector of claim 1, wherein the attractant comprises ammonia, urea or an ammonium-based caompound or a urea-based compound.

13. A kit for obtaining an analytical sample of animal urine comprising: a container for containing urine, the collection device as defined in claim 1 or parts for assembly into the collection device, and an attractant composition.

14. The kit of claim 13, further comprising a storage device for storing the sample of animal urine.

15. The kit of claim 13 wherein the attractant composition is sealed.

16. A method of collecting an analytical sample of urine from an animal, comprising the step of introducing an animal to the analytical sample collector of claim 1.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a sample of urine is collected from a single animal and the method includes the step of removing urine from the container once said single animal has urinated on the analytical sample collector.

18. A method of collecting an analytical sample of urine from an animal, comprising the step of assembling the kit of claim 13 into the analytical sample collector.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising unsealing the attractant composition.

20. The method of collecting an analytical sample of animal urine of claim 16, wherein the analytical sample collector is clean and/or previously unused.

21. A method of obtaining an analytical sample of animal urine, comprising the step of supplying the analytical sample collector of claim 1 and receiving a sample of urine that has been collected.

22. A method of analysing a sample of urine from an animal, comprising the step of analysing the composition of a urine sample, wherein the urine sample has been collected using the method of claim 16 or wherein the urine sample has been obtained by supplying the analytical sample collector and receiving a sample of urine that has been collected.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of providing results of the analysis to an interested party.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

[0035] FIGS. 2 and 3 show elements of a first embodiment of a kit of the second aspect of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] The invention will now be illustrated by way of example.

[0038] In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the apparatus of the invention comprise a collection device 1 and a container 2 for collecting urine. The collection device 1 comprises in an upper portion a receiver 3 for receiving urine, in a middle portion a channelling element 4 for channelling urine which includes flaps 5 that together form a funnelling arrangement. In a lower portion of the collection device 1 are four legs 6 which together form a mounting element. The collection device 1 is formed of two panels 7, 8, which slot together. The paper panels 7, 8 are coated with a wax such that they resist moisture and allow urine to flow off the collection device 1 rapidly without soaking into the paper. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, each panel 7, 8 is formed from two sheets of stiff paper (not shown) each with a weight of about 200 g/m.sup.2 that are adhered to one another in all areas except in the area of the flaps 5, such that a separate flap 5 is present on each face of the panels 7, 8. The attractant composition (not shown) is present between the two sheets of stiff paper (not shown) that forms the panels 7, 8. Whilst the flaps 5 may be adhered or otherwise fixed together, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the flaps 5 are folded along the fold lines 9 in such a way that the flaps 5 remain sufficiently close to one another to function to channel urine into the central opening 10.

[0039] When the apparatus is in use, an animal attracted by the odour of the attractant composition voluntarily urinates against the receiver 3 of the collection device 1. Urine flows down the wax coated surfaces of the panels 7, 8 and is funnelled by the collection device part to central opening 10. Urine then drips through central space 10 into the container 2.

[0040] FIGS. 2 and 3 show panels 7, 8, which are elements of an embodiment of a kit of the second aspect of the invention. The panels 7, 8 are each made of two sheets of stiff paper (not shown) each with a weight of about 200 g/m.sup.2 that are adhered to one another in all areas except in the area of the flaps 5. Panel 7 differs from panel 8 in that panel 7 is provided with a slot 11 in an upper portion of the panel 7, whilst panel 8 is provided with a slot 12 in a lower portion of the panel 8. As such the two panels 7, 8 may be slotted together to form the three dimensional collection device structure 1 shown in FIG. 1. Between the flaps 5 in panel 7 is a tongue portion 13 which in use projects downward below the central opening 10 to direct a flow of urine into the container 2.

[0041] In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the collection device 10 is an elongate member, such as a rod configured to be placed in a container 20 such that an upper portion 30 of the rod protrudes from the container 20, and a lower portion 40 of the rod is within the container 20. The upper portion 30 of the rod is a receiver and the lower portion 40 of the rod is a channelling element. The upper portion 30 of the rod includes a receptacle 50 which contains the attractant composition (not shown). In use, the animal is attracted to urinate on the collection device 10 by to the attractant composition. Urine that is received by the upper portion 30 of the rod flows down the rod and is channelled into the container 20 by the lower portion 40 of the rod.

[0042] In a variation of the second embodiment the elongate member that forms the collection device is a resilient member, such as a sponge or a coil. The resilient member is supplied compressed into the container and held in place by a restraining member, e.g. a lid for the jar. On assembling the apparatus, the restraining member is removed such that the resilient member is restored to its uncompressed and elongated state such that it protrudes from the jar. An upper portion of the resilient member, which protrudes from the jar in its uncompressed elongated state, constitutes the receiver and a lower portion of the resilient member, which remains in the jar in its uncompressed elongated state, constitutes the channelling element. The attractant composition is applied to the receiver part of the resilient member. In use urine received by the receiver flows down the resilient member through the channelling element and into the jar.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment, the collection device is a truncated cone made of a lightweight plastics material and the collection device is a jar. The attractant composition is in the form of a viscous gel which is supplied in a sachet. In use the truncated cone is placed inverted in the neck of the jar, with the narrow opening inserted into the neck of the jar and the wider opening facing upwards, so as to funnel urine into the collection device. A lower portion of the cone, which includes the narrower opening, constitutes the channelling element of the collection device and an upper portion of the cone, which includes the wider opening, constitutes the receiver. The attractant composition gel is applied to the receiver at an inner surface of an upper portion cone, for example, in a blob. The gel is hydrophobic and has a sufficient viscosity and adherence to the plastics material that it is not washed down into the jar when the animal urinates on the receiver. Once urine has been collected the collection device jar is sealed, e.g. with a lid.

[0044] While the invention has been described with respect to exemplified embodiments, these should not be considered as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims.