Urine collection tool

The urine collection tool addresses hygiene and disposal challenges by separating infectious cells from urine using a concave unit and permeable material, enabling easy collection and testing.

JP2025015506APending Publication Date: 2025-01-30TAKAHASHI KEISEI
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024115059
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-07-19
Filing Date
2024-07-18
Publication Date
2025-01-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional urine collection tools pose hygiene issues due to direct contact with urine, require complex disposal, and are not suitable for easy testing or storage of concentrated urine samples, especially in medical settings.

Method used

A urine collection tool with a concave unit, band portions for fixation to a toilet seat, and a handle, featuring a permeable lower material to separate urine from infectious cells, allowing easy collection and disposal without contamination.

Benefits of technology

The tool effectively separates infectious cells from urine, facilitating easy disposal and concentrated urine collection for testing, reducing hygiene risks and simplifying the handling of urine samples.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a urine collection tool capable of achieving a new urine collection method.SOLUTION: A urine collection tool comprises: a recessed collection part 11 for temporarily storing urine; and first and second band parts 12, 13 for fixing a toilet seat extending outward from a top end outer peripheral side of the collection part. The collection part may comprise an inner peripheral face whose lower end is tapered shape and formed into a pyramid shape, has: a collection part base material 21 in which multiple pieces of water disintegrable paper are laminated; and a water permeable reduction material 28 on an upper region on an inner surface of the collection part on the collection part base material, where a bottom side of the collection part is configured so that the collection part base material is exposed. A moisture forming urine and stored in the collection part permeates the bottom side of the collection part base material and is discharged to outside. Cells of a prescribed infection included in the urine do not permeate and adhere to the surface. Therefore, cells of the infection can be collected and inspected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a urine collection device that is useful for collecting urine in, for example, homes, medical institutions, and various other locations. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when collecting urine for a urine test or the like at a medical institution, a disposable urine collection cup or the like is used, and the user urinates while holding the urine collection cup in his / her hand so that the urine collects in the urination cup. A paper cup is generally used as the urine collection cup. Furthermore, urine tests in various medical examinations, including health checkups and medical checkups, require urine to be collected immediately after waking up in the morning, so collection is performed outside a medical institution, such as at home. As a urine collection tool used when collecting urine at home, for example, a plastic urine collection tool that can be folded flat and stored compactly when not in use, such as the foldable urine collection container disclosed in Patent Document 1, is used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3088494 DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, commonly used urine collection devices are generally unisex, such as paper urine collection cups and the urine collection container disclosed in Patent Document 1. In either case, the user holds the cup part of the urine collection device directly in their hand and moves the device to a designated position when it is time to urinate so that urine collects in the cup part. This means that urine may accidentally get on hands or clothes, posing a hygiene problem.

[0005] Conventional urine collection devices, which come in a variety of shapes and materials, have a cup-shaped storage section for storing urine. Since the voided urine remains in the storage section, a portion of the stored urine is transferred to a separate container for submission, which is then sealed with a lid and sent to a medical institution or testing institution, while the urine remaining in the storage section is disposed of, for example, in a toilet. The task of disposing of the remaining urine in a toilet is complicated, and there is a risk that the urine may splash on fingers, palms, etc. during the disposal process.

[0006] At medical institutions and testing facilities, the urine is removed from the received container and various tests are performed using specified testing equipment, etc.; however, the concentration is not constant depending on the user's physical condition, the time elapsed since the last urination, the amount of water held in the body, etc., and so pre-processing is performed before the test or concentrated urine is produced, and there is a demand to simplify such processing.

[0007] Also, one of the urine-based tests is to detect bacteria contained in urine and identify the type of bacterial infection. For example, such a test can be performed using a genetic analysis technique called STH (Single-stranded Tag Hybridization). Specifically, a test sample (filled in a test container) generated based on urine is mixed with a predetermined reagent and set in a PCR amplifier (actually, a test container is set) to amplify by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). After adding a predetermined developing solution to the amplified test sample, the lower end of a strip-shaped PAS (Printed-Array Strip) is immersed in the test sample. As a result, if the test sample contains the desired bacteria, a line that can be visually confirmed appears at a predetermined position on the PAS. There is also a demand for easily obtaining samples for such tests.

[0008] Furthermore, urine collection tools such as paper urine collection cups and plastic urine collection containers disclosed in Patent Document 1 are all flammable, so they can be disposed of as flammable materials after use. However, they need to be temporarily disposed of in a household trash can or garbage bag. The urine collected with the urine collection tool is transferred to a container for submission, and the rest is disposed of in the toilet, but some of it remains on the urine collection tool, adhering to the inner or outer walls of the urine collection tool. During the movement from use to disposal in a trash can, etc., the urine remaining after collection may drip and soil the room. Even if the used urine collection tool can be disposed of in a trash can, etc. without dripping, it will be stored indoors until it is disposed of as flammable garbage, which is unpleasant.

[0009] Furthermore, if the user has an infectious disease and the urine contains bacteria or viruses, the urine remaining in the urine collection device will be temporarily stored in a trash can or the like, which is unhygienic.

[0010] The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described, but it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. In addition, we intend to obtain rights to the configuration for solving this problem separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (1) The urine collection device according to the present invention comprises a concave collection section for temporarily storing urine, and a band section for fixing the toilet seat extending outward from the outer periphery of the upper end of the collection section, or a handle section extending outward from the periphery of the collection section, and the collection section has a tapered lower end with a bottom smaller than the upper opening, so that at least the bottom of the collection section is permeable to the moisture constituting the temporarily stored urine and can adhere to the surface without permeating infectious disease cells contained in the urine. In this way, the moisture of the urine temporarily stored in the collection can be removed and infectious disease cells contained in the urine can be collected. In addition, if the urine remaining in the collection section is collected before all the moisture is discharged to the outside, concentrated urine can be collected. Since infectious disease cells contained in urine can be directly collected, tests based on the collected urine can be easily performed. The function of not allowing infectious disease cells to pass through is sufficient if it does not at least allow infectious disease cells to pass through, and does not have to selectively allow infectious disease cells to pass through when, for example, non-infectious disease cells and infectious disease cells are mixed. For example, when the outer dimensions of the cells are 20 to 50 μm, it is sufficient that the cells of this size cannot pass through, and when, for example, non-infectious cells and infectious cells as exemplified above are mixed, the cells may remain in the collection part in a mixed state. Infectious cells are, for example, cells that contain or have been invaded by infectious bacteria.

[0012] (2) The collection section may be configured to include a member formed by laminating multiple mesh sheets, with a permeability-reducing material disposed in an upper region of the inner surface of the collection section, and with the material exposed on the bottom side of the collection section. In this way, urine can be guided to the bottom side below the collection section without moisture leaking out from the area where the permeability-reducing material is disposed.

[0013] The sheet is preferably made of nonwoven fabric or water-disintegrable paper, and water-disintegrable paper is particularly advantageous because it can be disposed of in the toilet after collection.

[0014] (3) The bottom end of the permeability reducing material should be lower than the expected water level when urine is stored. In this way, the water in the urine can be discharged from a narrow area at the bottom end of the collection part, and the residue can be concentrated in that narrow area, making collection easy.

[0015] (4) The collection section may include a member formed by stacking multiple mesh sheets, and a sheet material that is impermeable to water or urine may be disposed in an upper region of the inner surface of the collection section, the bottom of the sheet material being open, and the member may be exposed on the bottom side of the collection section.

[0016] (5) A collection section having a concave shape for temporarily storing urine, a handle extending outward from the peripheral side of the collection section, and a protruding piece-like part protruding outward like a canopy from the upper edge of the collection section, the lower end of the collection section being tapered and the bottom being smaller than the upper opening, at least the bottom of the collection section being permeable to the moisture constituting the temporarily stored urine and not permeating infectious disease cells contained in the urine so that they can adhere to the surface, the collection section being equipped with a member formed by laminating a plurality of mesh-like sheets, and a sheet material that is impermeable to water or urine moisture is placed on an upper region of the inner surface of the collection section and on an upper surface of the protruding piece-like part, the bottom of the sheet material being open and the member being exposed on the bottom side of the collection section.

[0017] (6) The collection part may have a pyramidal, conical or elliptical conical inner surface, with a tapered bottom end that guides the temporarily stored urine and the specific cells contained therein toward the bottom, while discharging most of the water from the bottom side to the outside and storing the cells at the bottom side.

[0018] (7) The lower end of the collection part is preferably formed into a curved surface that is convex downwards. In this way, for example, infectious disease cells and debris are collected in the curved, narrow area, making it easier to collect the infectious disease cells.

[0019] (8) It is preferable that the collection part is provided with a mark indicating the position for cutting the bottom side. In this way, when cutting the bottom side of the collection part with scissors or the like, the cutting position can be easily understood and the cut can be made without excess or deficiency.

[0020] (9) It is preferable to provide a cuttable perforation extending in the circumferential direction at the position where the bottom side of the collection part is to be cut off. In this way, when cutting off the bottom side of the collection part, it is possible to cut at an appropriate position without using scissors or the like, and to cut off the bottom side without excess or deficiency.

[0021] (10) It is preferable that the inner surface of the sampling portion be coated with a drug or reagent for testing. In this way, a user can perform simple tests at home or the like, and can easily manage their health.

[0022] (11) It is preferable that the surface of the permeability reducing material can be coated with a drug or reagent for testing. In this way, the user can perform simple tests at home, etc., and can easily manage their health. In addition, since the residue accumulates on the bottom side of the collection part where the permeability reducing material is not provided, there is no risk of drugs or the like being collected during the collection of infectious disease cells.

[0023] In addition, the configurations shown in (1) to (11) above can be configured in appropriate combinations, and based on such combined configurations, it is preferable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The present invention can achieve at least one of the following effects: Water from voided urine temporarily collected in a collection tank can be removed, and infectious disease cells and the like contained in the urine can be collected. In addition, concentrated urine can be collected by leaving some of the water in the collection tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of a urine collector of the present invention, where (a) shows a plan view of the urine collector and (b) shows a cross-sectional view thereof. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state of use. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a usable state of the second preferred embodiment of the urine collection device of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the urine collection device, (b) is a front view of the same, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line cc in (a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line dd in (b). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a state when the urine collecting device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is not used, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the state of use. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a usable state of the urine collector according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the urine collector and (b) is a front view thereof. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a third preferred embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention in an unused state, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a modification based on the first preferred embodiment of the urine collector of the present invention, where (a) shows a plan view of the urine collector, and (b) shows a front view of the same. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows various modified examples based on the third preferred embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows a usable state of the fourth preferred embodiment of the urine collector of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the urine collector and (b) is a front view thereof. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows a fourth preferred embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention in an unused state, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 12, and is an enlarged view in the thickness direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of a urine collection device according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, urine collection device 10 comprises a collection section 11 having a rectangular concave portion in a plan view, first band sections 12 provided on the left and right of collection section 11, and a second band section 13 provided in front of collection section 11. In addition, no band section is provided on the rear side of collection section 11, but it is provided with a protruding piece-like section 14 that protrudes outward like a visor.

[0028] The collection section 11 has a concave portion recessed downward from the outer periphery, and the shape of the concave portion is a substantially pyramidal shape tapered at the bottom end, and the front wall portion 11a, the left and right side wall portions 11b, and the rear wall portion 11c each have an inclined surface with the lower end side inclined toward the center. The inner periphery shape of the upper end opening of the concave portion is substantially rectangular with four corners chamfered with R, and accordingly, the boundary portions of the left and right side wall portions 11b, the front wall portion 11a, and the rear wall portion 11c are also chamfered with R. In addition, the lower end of the collection section 11 has a tapered narrow curved surface. As described later, this is because the urine collection device 10 is molded by hot pressing by sandwiching multiple sheets stacked between male and female molds from above and below. Then, it has a predetermined curved surface in order to be removed after molding.

[0029] The first band part 12 and the second band part 13 further include an adhesive layer 15 formed on the underside of the tip side (the side away from the sampling part 11) of each of the band part base materials 22. This adhesive layer 15 is also preferably made of a water-soluble material. The adhesive layer 15 is covered with a release paper before use.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a border DL is formed around the collection part 11, the first band part 12, and the second band part 13, in which a linear part with high pressure appears in a dashed line (the border DL is omitted in FIG. 2, but appears in the same way as in FIG. 1). Although not shown, a pattern such as a lattice in which a linear part with high pressure appears in a dashed line can be formed over the entire surface of the first band part 12 and the second band part 13. By forming such perforations, the urine collection tool manufactured by stacking becomes difficult to peel off, and the strength of the collection part and / or band member during use is adjusted. On the other hand, when pressurized with a high pressure, a part may break and become like a perforation, and such a perforation promotes the penetration of water. Therefore, the speed at which the urine collection tool dissolves in water can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the pattern of the perforations and adjusting the thickness and pitch of the dashed lines.

[0031] Furthermore, an appropriate number of linear portions 18 with high pressing force extending in the left-right direction are formed in the front and rear of the second band portion 13. These linear portions 18 function like ribs and prevent the second band portion 13 from twisting, while bending along the linear portions 18 allows the tip of the second band portion 13 to be in a position where it is lifted slightly above the sampling portion 11, for example.

[0032] 1 and 2, the water-soluble and water-decomposable paper that constitutes the urine collection device 10 is less likely to peel off due to the border DL, ensuring the strength of the collection part 11, first band part 12 and second band part 13. In addition, the speed at which it dissolves in water can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of patterns such as lattices in which linear areas with high pressure appear as dashed lines and by adjusting the thickness and pitch of the dashed lines.

[0033] In manufacturing the urine collection device 10 of this embodiment, the integrated product of the collection part base material 21 and the band part base material 22 can be manufactured by overlapping appropriate layers of water-soluble paper and / or water-disintegrable paper, punching this into the desired shape, and simultaneously molding it by hot pressing. Note that it is preferable to impregnate (impregnate) the urine collection device 10 with at least one of a disinfectant, a deodorant, a deodorant, and an aromatic agent in a process before, during, or after the hot pressing.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the external shape of the urine collector 10 may be a shape based on a specific character, and in particular, a character that is likely to interest children, such as an animal. In this embodiment, the shape is modeled after the face of an elephant, which is an example of an animal. Specifically, the collection section 11 is likened to the face of an elephant, the first band section 12 arranged on the left and right corresponds to the elephant's ears, the second band section 13 corresponds to the elephant's trunk, and the protruding piece-like section 14 located on the rear corresponds to the elephant's head. The outer periphery of the first band section 12 is appropriately curved to resemble an ear, and a large hole section 12a is provided in the center to resemble an ear hole.

[0035] The inner peripheral edge shape of the hole 12a is appropriately curved to fit the ear hole. Furthermore, the elephant's ears are large, so that the outer shape of the first band part 12 can be made large and the tip frame part 12b can be extended relatively long in the front-rear direction. Since the adhesive layer 15 is formed on the lower surface of the tip frame part 12b, the adhesive layer 15 can be elongated, and as described later, when attaching the first band part 12 to the toilet seat 32, the adhesive can be attached over a long section while securing an adhesive area, and the sampling part 11 can be supported in a stable position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first band part 12 is provided with a large hole 12a, so that the total amount of paper is reduced and a structure in which paper jams are unlikely to occur is achieved. And, since the hole 12a is modeled after the ear hole, it is preferable that it can be made large without feeling unnatural.

[0036] Also, because an elephant's trunk is thick and long, the second band portion 13 can also be made wide and of a certain length without appearing unnatural. The outer periphery of the protruding piece 14 is gently curved to resemble a head. When the face is used as a reference, the ears are located on the left and right, and the nose is in front of the face and extends forward, so it can be intuitively understood that the second band portion 13 is the front side of the urine collection device 10. Furthermore, by providing the protruding piece 14 corresponding to the head, it can be understood that the second band portion 13 is the front side in comparison with the head.

[0037] In this embodiment, the sampling part base material 21 constituting the sampling part 11 and the band part base material 22 constituting the first band part 12 and the second band part 13 are made of laminated paper in which multiple sheets of paper are stacked, and the sampling part base material 21 and the band part base material are formed from a continuous (i.e., the same sheet) laminated paper raw material. The paper may be water-disintegrable paper that is decomposed in water or water-soluble paper that dissolves in water, and may be constructed by stacking one or both of them. In this embodiment, laminated paper is used by stacking multiple sheets of water-disintegrable paper.

[0038] In addition, the number of layers of the sampling base material 21, which is formed by stacking the water-disintegrable paper, is set so that the shape is maintained for a predetermined time, for example, about 3 to 5 minutes, without being decomposed or dissolved in water. In other words, if the number of layers is small, for example, the urine stored in the sampling part 11 may decompose or dissolve the lower end side of the concave part of the sampling part 11, causing the shape to be lost and making it impossible to collect urine. On the other hand, if the number of layers is large, urine can be collected reliably, but if it is discarded in a toilet after use, it takes time to decompose or dissolve, and there is a risk of clogging the toilet pipes, etc., and the increased use of paper leads to increased costs, which is not preferable. Therefore, it is preferable to set the number of layers so that such a situation does not occur.

[0039] Furthermore, each sheet constituting the laminated paper of this embodiment has a function of permeating water, for example, in a mesh shape. For example, if a user is suffering from a certain infectious disease, urine discharged from the user contains certain cells possessed by the bacteria of the infectious disease. The size of the cells is about 20 to 50 μm. The laminated paper is configured to allow water (moisture) to pass through but not allow the cells to pass through. This configuration may be formed, for example, by the size of the mesh-like openings or the number of layers, and may be configured to prevent substances of 20 μm or more from passing through. Also, in order to ensure that 20 μm cells do not pass through, it is preferable to configure the laminated paper to prevent substances of 10 μm or more from passing through.

[0040] Urine is more than 90% water, and contains waste products such as uric acid, urea, and ammonia that are produced by protein metabolism. The laminated paper is designed to allow water (moisture) to pass through but not allow waste products to pass through. This can be achieved by, for example, changing the size of the mesh or the number of layers.

[0041] Since the collection part base material 21 is made of a material that allows water to pass through, for example, when urine is dripped onto the surface portion of the collection part base material 21 where the front and back are exposed, i.e., the inner portion of the concave portion, the water constituting the urine passes through the collection part base material 21 to the back side and is discharged to the outside. On the other hand, infectious disease cells cannot pass through the collection part base material 21 and remain on the surface portion. Therefore, when urine is stored in the collection part 11, the water in the urine stored in the collection part 11 permeates the collection part base material 21 and is discharged to the outside of the collection part 11 over time, and the concentration of the urine stored in the collection part 11 gradually increases. Then, when all the water is discharged, the predetermined infectious disease cells contained in the urine once stored in the collection part 11 are attached to the surface portion of the collection part base material 21. In other words, the collection part base material 21 filters the urine.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a permeability reducing material 28 is provided in an upper region of the surface portion located inside the concave portion of the sampling portion 11. This permeability reducing material 28 may be formed, for example, by applying a predetermined paint to the surface of the sampling portion base material 21. As the paint used for this permeability reducing material 28, for example, a paint containing polyethylene terephthalate or polyolefin may be used, or a paint mainly composed of cellulose may be used.

[0043] Since the water-permeability reducing material 28 does not dissolve or break immediately and has water repellency, for example, when urine discharged into the collection part 11 by a user hits the area where the water-permeability reducing material 28 is provided, the urine does not pass through the water-permeability reducing material 28 and does not reach the collection part base material 21 hidden by the water-permeability reducing material 28, but flows downward along the surface of the water-permeability reducing material 28 and remains in the narrow bottom area at the lower end of the collection part 11. Since the water-permeability reducing material 28 is not provided at the lower end of the collection part 11 and the collection part base material 21 is exposed, when the urine that has moved downward reaches the area where the collection part base material 21 is exposed, the water in the urine that comes into contact with the collection part base material 21 flows out of the collection part 11. Cells of a specific infectious disease adhere to the area of ​​the bottom of the collection part 11 where the collection part base material 21 is exposed and remain as residue. Therefore, infectious disease cells contained in the urine tend to concentrate and adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the narrow bottom of the tapered collecting portion 11 and remain as residue, making collection easy.

[0044] The recovery operation may be performed, for example, by cutting the lower side of the collection section 11 using scissors or the like, and cutting off the bottom side from the main body. As a result, the surface of the cut-out sheet piece will have infectious disease cells attached to it. The sheet piece from which the bottom of the collection section 11 has been cut off may be placed in, for example, a container for testing, or may be transported to a testing institution or the like in a sealed bag or container for transport and then placed in a container for testing. Then, while immersed in a specified solution, it may be set in a PCT amplifier, and thereafter, it may be subjected to testing for the presence or absence of bacteria based on the STH method. For this STH method testing, for example, a product provided by TBA Co., Ltd. may be used.

[0045] In this embodiment, the collection section 11 is not particularly printed, but a mark (indication) indicating the cutting position on the bottom side may be printed at a predetermined position on at least one of the inner surface or the outer surface of the collection section 11. The mark may be, for example, one or more stars or other marks at the cutting position, and may be, for example, a solid line 57 or various broken lines that continue in the circumferential direction along the cutting position as shown in FIG. 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, it is particularly preferable to provide the mark (solid line 57 in the illustrated example) on both surfaces, and in one case, it is preferable to provide the mark on the outer surface. Also, the above-mentioned mark may be printed on the surface side of the sheet located on the outer side of the multiple overlapping sheets, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and it may be printed on the inside or printed on a sheet present inside and made visible from the outside. These configurations may be similarly applied to various embodiments and modified examples shown below.

[0046] As another method of collection, for example, a medicine spoon, spatula, spoon, etc. may be used to rub the surface of the collection part base material 21 exposed at the bottom of the collection part 11. The collected residue may be placed in a designated container for submission, but since transferring it is troublesome, for example, the medicine spoon with the rubbed bottom surface may be stored in a container or bag, etc., and submitted to a medical institution, testing institution, etc. However, since the cells to be collected are small, 20 to 50 μm, it is preferable to collect them in the form of a sheet piece with the bottom cut off.

[0047] The permeability reducing material 28 does not necessarily have to be provided. In other words, if the permeability reducing material 28 is not provided, the collection part base material 21 is exposed over the entire surface of the concave part of the collection part 11, so that, for example, when the urinated urine hits any of the slopes of the collection part 11 midway up and down, it moves downward along the slope toward the bottom side, but some of it permeates the collection part base material 21 at the hit part or on its way downward, and the moisture is discharged to the outside, and the residue (cells) also adheres to the side of the collection part base material 21 (above the bottom), so that in order to collect more residue, it is necessary to apply the above-mentioned medicine spoon or the like to the side or cut off the collection part 11 over a wide area including the bottom, and it is necessary to widen the collection work area. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the permeability reducing material 28 in order to perform the collection work efficiently.

[0048] Even if no permeability-reducing material 28 is provided, most of the urine will collect at the bottom of collection part 11, and the water will also flow out from the bottom side, so most infectious disease cells will adhere as residue to the surface of permeability-reducing material 28 near the bottom. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to collect a certain amount of urine by concentrating the area near the bottom without necessarily scooping the entire area with a medicine spoon.

[0049] 3, it is preferable to position the bottom end of the permeability reducing material 28 below the top surface 61 of the voided urine 60 that temporarily accumulates in the collection part 11. In this way, the moisture in the temporarily accumulated urine 60 is not discharged directly to the outside from the sides, but is instead concentrated and discharged from the bottom.

[0050] Furthermore, since the permeability reducing material 28 is a material that dissolves in water, although it does not dissolve immediately in water, after collecting urine and residue, the urine collection device 10 can be disposed of as it is in the toilet and flushed with water. This can prevent as much as possible the occurrence of a situation in which urine drips and soils the surroundings while carrying the urine collection device 10 after use. Furthermore, even if the user is suffering from an infectious disease or the like and the urine contains bacteria or viruses, the urine collection device 10 can be disposed of as it is in the toilet and flushed with water, so that urine remaining in the urine collection device is not temporarily stored in a trash can or the like as in the past, which is hygienic.

[0051] The urine collection device 10 having the above-mentioned configuration is used, for example, as follows. Prior to use, the release paper of the adhesive layer 15 provided at the tip of each of the first band portion 12 and the second band portion 13 of the urine collection device 10 is peeled off, and the urine collection device 10 is attached and fixed at a predetermined position on the toilet seat 32 (see FIG. 2). That is, for example, the adhesive layer 15 at the tip of the second band portion 13 from which the release paper has been peeled off is attached to the upper surface of the front side of the toilet seat 32. In this state, the adhesive layer 15 at the tip of the first band portion 12 is attached to the left and right upper surfaces of the toilet seat 32. As a result, the collection portion 11 is suspended from the toilet seat 32 by the first band portion 12 and the second band portion 13. In this suspended state, the collection portion 11 is located at a lower position than the tips of the first band portion 12 and the second band portion 13. In other words, the second band part 13 slopes upward from the collection part 11 to the tip, like an elephant's trunk being raised, and the first band part 12 slopes upward from the collection part 11 to the tip. Furthermore, the dimensions and shape of each band part and collection part 11 are set so that when the urine collection device 10 is attached to a predetermined position on the toilet seat 32, the centre of the collection part 11 is located forward of the centre of the toilet seat 32 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0052] With the urine collection device 10 attached to the toilet seat 32 as described above, the user sits on the toilet seat 32 and urinates. The urine voided by the user then accumulates in the collection part 11. That is, because the upper opening of the collection part 11 is relatively large, most of the voided urine reaches the inside of the collection part 11. And, because the collection part 11 has a generally pyramidal shape tapering at the bottom, the urine ultimately accumulates at the bottom of the collection part 11.

[0053] Furthermore, when the force of urination is strong or the direction of urination is forward, the urine may hit the second band portion 13. In such a case, the urine moves downward along the second band portion 13 and reaches the inside of the collection portion 11. Therefore, the urination can be reliably collected in the collection portion 11.

[0054] The length of the second band portion 13 is preferably such that, when the adhesive layer 15 at the tip of the second band portion 13 is attached to the upper surface of the front side of the toilet seat 32 and the first band portion 12 is attached to the toilet seat 32 with the collection portion 11 positioned slightly lower, the front side of the collection portion 11 comes into contact with or is close to the inner peripheral edge of the front side of the toilet seat 32, and the gap S between the outer peripheral edge of the collection portion 11 and the outer peripheral edge of the second band portion 13 and the toilet seat 32 in a plan view is reduced. Similarly, the width of the second band portion 13 is preferably such that the gap S is reduced. In this way, urination is preferably conducted directly to the collection portion 11 or through the second band portion 13 into the collection portion 11, where it is accumulated.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to collect urine immediately after urination. Therefore, the user can collect urine in the collection part 11 immediately after urination by sitting on the toilet seat 32 with the urine collection device 10 set on the toilet seat 32 and urinating in that state.

[0056] As described above, urinated urine is temporarily stored in the collection section 11, but water passes through the collection section base material 21 exposed in the collection section 11 and is discharged to the outside, while the specified cells, etc. that do not pass through remain on the surface of the collection section base material 21 as residue. Therefore, after urinating, the user gets off the seat-type toilet 31 (toilet seat 32) and cuts off the bottom using a cutting tool such as scissors to collect cells, etc. together with the sheet piece. The sheet piece to be cut out may be, for example, about 2 cm square, but it may be larger. If it is too small, there is a possibility that not enough cells are attached to the cut sheet piece, so it is preferable to cut it to a certain size. In addition, when performing the cutting work, it is preferable to use a specified glove, etc. to prevent the cells from adhering to the fingers, etc. The cut sheet piece is placed in a container filled with culture solution, such as a flask, and immersed in the culture solution. This allows the cells to be cultured and a specified test to be performed.

[0057] Also, a medicine spoon or the like may be used to collect residues (cells) filtered from the urine adhering to the surface of the collection part base material 21. If urine remains in the collection part 11, the remaining concentrated urine can also be collected using a dropper or the like.

[0058] After collection, the adhesive layer 15 of the first band part 12 and the second band part 13 is removed from the toilet seat 32, and the urine collection device 10 can be discarded by, for example, dropping it directly into the toilet bowl 31 and flushing it with water. Even if it does not wash away with one flush, it can be flushed by, for example, leaving it as it is and flushing it again after a short time has passed.

[0059] Furthermore, the first band part 12 and the second band part 13 may be composed only of the band part base material 22, but it is preferable to provide a water-permeability reducing material 28 on its surface. In particular, since the second band part 13 is disposed on the front side of the toilet bowl and fixed to the toilet seat 32, there is a risk that urination may get on the second band part 13. If the water-permeability reducing material 28 is provided in such a case, the urine that gets on the second band part 13 can be smoothly guided to the sampling part 11 side, and the time required for the second band part 13 to dissolve in water or the like can be reduced, so that the state of being fixed to the toilet seat 32 can be maintained for a relatively long time.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the first band portion 12 is provided on the left and right sides of the collection portion 11, and the second band portion 13 is provided on the front side, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be provided with only the first band portion 12 and fixed to the toilet seat by two band portions extending to the left and right. In addition, the external shape does not necessarily have to be based on a character motif.

[0061] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a urine collection device according to the present invention in a usable state, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the unused state when distributed to a user. The urine collection device of this embodiment is a type that aims for convenience for women, for example. Therefore, if the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment can be held by hand and placed in a desired position, urine can be appropriately collected by moving the urine collection device 40 to a predetermined position. The specific configuration is as follows.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 4, urine collection device 40 comprises collection section 41 having a roughly triangular pyramid-shaped concave portion, protruding piece-like portions 42 that protrude outward like eaves and are provided on two sides of the upper edge of collection section 41, and handle portion 43 that extends outward and is provided on one side of collection section 41 where protruding piece-like portion 42 is not provided. As will be described later, collection section 41, protruding piece-like portion 42 and handle portion 43 are manufactured and integrated by molding a single sheet-like material in a heated state. Furthermore, urine collection device 40 is composed of a laminate of water-soluble or water-soluble paper.

[0063] The upper end opening of the collection part 41 is formed of two sides on which the protruding parts 42 are provided and one side on which the protruding parts 42 are not provided, and is shaped like an approximately isosceles triangle with the one side as the base. The collection part 41 is formed of one first side wall part 41b consisting of a slope from the one side toward the apex of the bottom part 41a, and two second side wall parts 41c consisting of slopes from the two sides on which the protruding parts 42 are provided toward the apex of the bottom part 41a, forming an approximately triangular pyramid-shaped concave shape. The bottom part 41a is formed of a narrow curved surface that can be cut out.

[0064] Then, the handle portion 43 is disposed on the first side wall portion 41b side. This handle portion 43 is connected via the first side wall portion 41b. Also, the left and right second side wall portions 41c formed so as to connect to the two oblique sides not facing the handle portion 43 are connected at the apex side facing the bottom side. Also, the left and right side edges of the first side wall portion 41b are respectively connected to the second side wall portion 41c. Also, the first side wall portion 41b is in a state in which it is generally slightly inclined toward the rear side, i.e., toward the outside, and the left and right second side wall portions 41c are inclined surfaces that are inclined toward the upper outside. As a result, the space surrounded by the bottom portion 41a, the first side wall portion 41b, and the two second side wall portions 41c becomes a concave portion of a substantially triangular pyramid shape as described above.

[0065] The protruding piece portions 42 are disposed continuously with the upper edges of the two second side wall portions 41c. The protruding piece portions 42 are formed to extend in the horizontal direction. The protruding piece portions 42 function as a kind of rib, reinforcing the second side wall portions 41c and preventing them from bending, thereby maintaining the state of the inclined surface.

[0066] The handle portion 43 is configured by folding back and forth at the long sides of a plurality of (four in this embodiment) strip-shaped portions 43a whose long sides are connected to each other, and overlapping them (see FIG. 4(d) and the like). By folding back and overlapping them in this manner, the handle portion 43 is secured to have a certain thickness in the left-right direction, and the strength in the thickness direction (left-right direction) is increased, and the effect of suppressing the handle portion 43 from bending left and right is enhanced. In addition, since the strip-shaped portion 43a stands up so as to be positioned in a substantially vertical plane in the up-down direction, the stress in the up-down direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 43 is high, suppressing bending in the up-down direction. The handle portion 43 is made of paper or the like, and for example, one strip-shaped portion 43a may be deformed by the force of the user gripping that portion, but by overlapping multiple sheets as described above, the strength is increased, and even if the handle portion 43 is gripped, it can be maintained in a strip-shaped state without excessive deformation.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the handle portion 43 is provided so as to extend rearward relative to the collection portion 41, and is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the bottom side of the bottom portion 41a of the collection portion 41 in a plan view. The handle portion 43 is arranged so as to be inclined upward toward the tip, i.e., rearward, in a vertical plane when the bottom portion 41a is taken as a horizontal plane. As a result, for example, when a user holds the tip side (the side away from the collection portion 11) of the handle portion 43 in his / her hand (pinched with the fingers), if the urine collection device 40 is oriented so that the bottom portion 41a is horizontal, the upper edge of the collection portion 41 is located at a position a predetermined distance lower than the position of the hand. Therefore, for example, when the user is sitting on the seat of a Western-style toilet, the collection portion 41 can be easily inserted into the toilet bowl from the front side of the toilet bowl and positioned below the user's body.

[0068] Therefore, for example, by positioning the collection part 41 at an appropriate position below the body before starting to urinate, it is possible to reliably collect the urine immediately after starting the test, which is necessary for the test. Also, after a certain amount of urination, it is advisable to move the position of the collection part 41 so that new urine does not accumulate. At this time, the user can adjust the position of the collection part 41 while holding the handle part 43 away from the collection part while sitting on the toilet, and the risk of urine getting on the hands, etc. can be minimized.

[0069] The handle portion 43 is formed by bending the long side portions of a rectangular portion in which multiple strip-shaped portions 43a are connected to each other, but one of the long sides of the strip-shaped portions 43a located at both the left and right ends is not connected to another strip-shaped portion 43a. Therefore, in this embodiment, a rectangular fixing portion 47 is provided continuously to the unconnected long side of one of the strip-shaped portions 43a on both the left and right sides (for example, the right side). The length of the long side of the fixing portion 47 is shorter than the long side of the strip-shaped portion 43a constituting the handle portion 43, and the position of the tip side remote from the collection portion 41 is aligned with the tip of the handle portion 43.

[0070] An adhesive layer 48 is further provided at a predetermined position on the underside of the fixing part 47. This adhesive layer 48 is also preferably made of a water-soluble material. The adhesive layer 48 is covered with a release paper before use. This adhesive layer 48 is provided at least near the side edge on the side not connected to the strip-shaped part 43a (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width w in the left-right direction of the fixing part 47 is approximately twice the length of the short side of the strip-shaped part 43a.

[0071] As a result, one long side of the fixing part 47 is connected to the right edge of the handle portion 43, and when the multiple strip-shaped parts 43a are folded and brought around the unconnected left side surface of the handle portion 43, the free long side of the fixing part 47 on which the adhesive layer 48 is provided goes around the handle portion 43 and covers the right side surface of the handle portion 43. At this time, since the adhesive layer 48 faces the right side surface of the handle portion 43, the fixing part 47 and the handle portion 43 are adhered and fixed via the adhesive layer 48, and the fixing part 47 covers substantially the entire circumference of the handle portion 43 as shown in Fig. 4(d), and the four strip-shaped parts 43a constituting the handle portion 43 are prevented from spreading, and the strength is further increased.

[0072] It is not necessary to provide the adhesive layer 48, and it is sufficient to simply wrap the fixing portion 47. Even in this case, the strength of the handle portion 43 is maintained, and by holding the wrapped portion with the hand, the wrapped state of the fixing portion 47 is maintained, and the handle portion 43 maintains a predetermined posture.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 4(c), in this embodiment, collection section 41 is configured such that permeability reducing material 28 is disposed in an upper portion of the inner surface of paper base material 51, and no permeability reducing material 28 is provided at the bottom of collection section 41, so that base material 51 is exposed. Paper base material 51 is formed from a laminated paper base material in which multiple sheets of paper are laminated together. The paper may be water-disintegrable paper that decomposes in water or water-soluble paper that dissolves in water, and in this embodiment, water-disintegrable paper is used. In addition, water-disintegrable paper has a mesh-like structure, and is configured to filter urine by allowing water constituting urine to pass through but not allowing specific cells and the like to pass through.

[0074] The permeability reducing material 28 may be formed, for example, by applying a predetermined paint to the inner surface of the base material 51. As the paint used for the permeability reducing material 28, for example, a paint containing polyethylene terephthalate or polyolefin may be used, or a paint containing cellulose as a main component may be used.

[0075] The permeability reducing material 28 is a material that does not dissolve in water immediately like paper, but dissolves in water after a certain period of time. The certain period of time can be adjusted, for example, by the amount applied, and it is preferable to configure it so that it does not dissolve for about 3 minutes.

[0076] By using the water-permeability reducing material 28, even if the urination hits the upper region of the first side wall portion 41b or the second side wall portion 41c of the collection portion 41, or the amount of urine stored in the collection portion 41 increases and the water level rises, the water of the urine leaks out from the bottom of the collection portion 41 where the base material 51 is exposed. Accordingly, the cells of the specified infectious disease adhere to the exposed part of the base material 51 at the bottom of the collection portion 41 and remain as residue. Therefore, the cells of the infectious disease contained in the urine are concentrated and adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the narrow bottom of the collection portion 41 with a tapered lower end and remain as residue. Then, since the residue adheres to the surface of the base material 51 on the bottom side, it is advisable to cut the lower side of the collection portion 41 using scissors or the like and cut off the bottom side from the main body side. In addition, the residue may be collected using a medicine spoon or the like. The subsequent operations may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above.

[0077] The urine collection device 40 in a usable state shown in Fig. 4 may be manufactured, for example, by folding an appropriate position of an unused urine collection device 40' shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the handle part 43' in an unused state is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet in an unfolded state with four band-shaped parts 43a connected side by side, and a fixing part 47' unfolded into a rectangular shape is disposed on one side of the rectangular sheet. In the unused state, the fixing part 47' is formed in the shape of a single sheet together with the four band-shaped parts 43a.

[0078] Also, the collection portion 41 is embossed to have a generally triangular pyramid-shaped recessed portion formed in advance. That is, in manufacturing the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment, a sheet of a predetermined material such as water-soluble paper and / or water-disintegrable paper is appropriately layered, and a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the collection portion 11 is coated with a predetermined paint to form the permeability-reducing material 28. The sheet is then punched into the desired shape and molded by heat pressing to form the recessed collection portion 41 and each portion in the expanded state, as shown in Fig. 5. And, because the handle portion 43' is in the expanded state, the shape is wider than the width of the collection portion 41 in the used state.

[0079] The long side portions to which the strip-shaped portions 43a are connected have a valley fold line portion 55 at the left-right center, and the long side portions located on both sides of the valley fold line portion 55 have mountain fold line portions 56. By making valley folds at the valley fold line portions 55 and mountain folds at the mountain fold line portions 56, the four strip-shaped portions 43a are folded up and down at the long side portions and overlapped as described above, and the fixing portion 47' remains in an open state (see FIG. 6(a)). Also, with this folding process, the handle portion 43 sides of the left and right second side wall portions 41c are drawn together to shorten the interval (see FIG. 6(a)), and the tip sides of the handle portion 43 stand up. Thereafter, the unfolded fixing part 47' is folded and wrapped around the handle part 43, and at an appropriate timing the release paper of the adhesive layer 48 is removed, and the fixing part 47 and the opposing surface of the handle part 43 are adhesively fixed together, completing the urine collection device 40 in a usable state.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not shown, a border in which linear areas with high pressure appear as dashed lines is formed along the outer periphery of the collection portion 41, the protruding portion 42, the handle portion 43, and the fixing portion 47. By alternately forming such linear areas with high pressure and non-pressurized areas, the urine collection device manufactured by layering becomes less likely to peel off, and the strength of the collection portion 41, the protruding portion 42, the handle portion 43, the fixing portion 47, etc. during use is adjusted. Furthermore, such linear areas with high pressure are not limited to being formed along the outer periphery, and it is preferable to form them in an appropriate position to increase strength.

[0081] On the other hand, applying high pressure may cause parts of the base material 51 to break and become perforated, which promotes water penetration. Therefore, the speed at which the urine collection tool dissolves in water can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of perforations and adjusting the thickness and pitch of the broken lines. The perforations that run through the thickness direction are preferably formed in the handle portion 43, and the perforations should not be provided in the collection portion 41.

[0082] In addition, the valley fold line portion 55 and the mountain fold line portion 56 may be marked by printing or the like so that the folding positions are clear, but it is more preferable to add a crease. Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the linear portions of the valley fold line portion 55 and the mountain fold line portion 56 are formed so that the linear portions with the high pressing force described above appear as dashed lines, the linear portions will have creases, which is preferable because it makes it easier to fold along the arrangement direction of the linear portions.

[0083] In the embodiment described above, the protrusion-like portion 42, the handle portion 43 and the fixing portion 47 are constructed from the base material 51 without the water-permeability-reducing material 28 being placed thereon, but it is preferable to apply the water-permeability-reducing material 28 to part or all of the protrusion-like portion 42, the handle portion 43 and the fixing portion 47.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the width of the fixing portion 47 is about twice the length of the short side of the strip portion 43a, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be more than twice the length, or may be about the length of the short side of the strip portion 43a, as shown in FIG. 7(a). When the width is about the length of the short side, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the fixing portion 47 is turned to the strip portion 43a on the non-connection side and fixed using an adhesive layer 48. In this case, the two strip portions 43a on the center side facing each other after being folded in a valley are in a non-contact and free state. They may be left in a free state as in this illustrated example, or the strip portions 43a may be bonded to each other with an adhesive layer or the like.

[0085] Also, unlike the embodiment described above, it is not necessarily required to provide the fixing portion 47 wound around the handle portion 43, and the multiple belt-shaped portions 43a may be left folded and overlapped. In this case, it is preferable to adhesively fix the belt-shaped portions 43a to each other, thereby increasing the strength of the handle portion 43.

[0086] The adhesive fixation may be performed by attaching a double-sided adhesive tape so as to extend in the long side direction of the belt-shaped portion 43a as in the above-mentioned embodiment, to form an adhesive layer 48, but for example, the adhesive layer 48 may be disposed so as to extend in the short side direction of the belt-shaped portion 43a. When the adhesive layer 48 is formed so as to extend in the short side direction in this manner, a single adhesive layer 48 can adhere a plurality of belt-shaped portions 43a.

[0087] In each of the above-described embodiments, the adhesive layer 48 may not be provided.

[0088] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a usable state of a third embodiment of a urine collection device according to the present invention, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an unused state after it is distributed to a user, etc. Like the second embodiment described above, the urine collection device of this embodiment also has a handle part 43, and is of a type that is convenient for women, for example.

[0089] In the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment, the collection section 41 is formed based on a circular shape. That is, the upper opening is elliptical, and has a side surface 41d that gradually tapers toward the bottom 41a. The bottom 41a is formed as a flat surface. As a result, the collection section 41 has an elliptical truncated cone shape. In this embodiment, the bottom 41a is flat, but it may be curved as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, although not shown, in this embodiment as well, a permeability reducing material is applied to the upper part of the inner circumferential surface of the collection section 41, and no permeability reducing material is applied to the bottom 41a and the lower end side of the side surface 41d adjacent to the bottom 41a, allowing moisture to pass through and be discharged to the outside.

[0090] As a result, as in the above-mentioned embodiments, if urine hits the portion of the collection section 41 on which the permeability reducing material is provided on the upper side, the urine reaches the lower portion without passing through the collection section 41. The water content of the urine once stored in the collection section 41 is discharged to the outside from the bottom side where the base material 51 is exposed, and the cells of the predetermined infectious disease adhere to the exposed portion of the collection section base material 21 at the bottom of the collection section 11 and remain as residue. Then, the work of cutting the predetermined portion with scissors or the like to recover the cells may be performed in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Also, as shown in FIG. 11(a), a predetermined mark (solid line 57 in the figure) may be formed at the cutting position. Although not shown, the same applies to the second embodiment and various other modified examples.

[0091] In addition, in this embodiment, since the shape of collection portion 41 is elliptical in plan view, when compared with, for example, the triangular shape of the second embodiment, if the width is the same, the volume can be made larger than that of the second embodiment. This makes it possible to prevent urine stored in collection portion 41 from overflowing from the upper end even if, for example, the amount of urine excreted per unit time becomes greater than the amount of urine passing through bottom portion 41a and being discharged to the outside.

[0092] A protruding piece 42 is provided around the upper edge of the collection part 41, providing strength and maintaining the shape of the elliptical opening.

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the handle portion 43 has a substantially rectangular handle portion 43' that extends along the outer periphery of the protruding piece portion 42 in the unfolded state before use, and is folded in half at the center in the width direction to have a shape that is wider in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the handle portion 43' is formed with linear portions 49 with high pressing force and portions that are not pressed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction, and multiple such linear portions are formed in parallel in the width direction. The linear portions 49 function like ribs and prevent the handle portion 43 from twisting. The linear portions 49 may be formed by applying stronger pressure to the linear portions 49 when multiple sheets of predetermined water-disintegrable paper or the like are stacked and pressed to form the predetermined outer shape and concave collection portion 41 shown in FIG. 9.

[0094] In this way, the desired strength can be achieved without multiple folding as in the second embodiment, and the user can form the urine collection device 10 by simply folding the handle portion 43' in one place when using it, making it easier to use.

[0095] Furthermore, the urine collection device 10 of this embodiment is used by simply folding the handle portion 43' in half from the center and holding it as is. The handle portion 43' of this embodiment is not provided with an adhesive layer or the like, but such an adhesive layer may be provided as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, to increase strength, a fixing portion may be provided next to the handle portion 43' in the unfolded state; however, providing a fixing portion would increase the number of portions of the urine collection device 10 that cannot be used and are discarded during press processing, so it is preferable not to provide a fixing portion as in this embodiment.

[0096] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, it is preferable to apply various test drugs or reagents for pregnancy tests or urine tests to a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the collection portion 11, 41, such as the bottom portion, which is in contact with the stored urine. In this way, the user can perform a simple test at home, etc., and can easily manage his / her health. In addition, the predetermined portion is not limited to the bottom portion, and may be a portion of the first side wall portion 41b, the second side wall portion 41c, or the side surface 41d where a water permeability reducing material is applied.

[0097] Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the predetermined cell recovery operation involves cutting a predetermined position of the collection part using scissors or the like, but for example, a perforation 58 for separation may be provided along the circumferential direction at a predetermined position of the collection part (see FIG. 11(b)). By providing perforation 58, for example, the bottom side and upper part side may be held by pinching perforation 58, and the bottom part may be separated and recovered by cutting along perforation 58. In this way, the bottom side can be recovered without using a jig or tool such as scissors. FIG. 11(b) shows a modified example based on the third embodiment, but the same applies to other embodiments and various other modified examples.

[0098] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a usable state of a fourth embodiment of a urine collection device according to the present invention, and Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an unused state after it is distributed to a user, etc. Like the second and third embodiments described above, the urine collection device of this embodiment also has a handle part 43, and is of a type that is convenient for women, for example.

[0099] In the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment, the collection portion 41 is formed based on a circular shape, as in the third embodiment. That is, the upper opening is elliptical, and has a gradually tapered side surface 41d toward the bottom 41a. The bottom 41a is formed as a flat surface. As a result, the collection portion 41 has an elliptical truncated cone shape. In this embodiment, the bottom 41a is flat, but it may be formed as a curved surface, as in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0100] The collection section 41 is configured such that a sheet material 52 is disposed in an upper portion of the inner surface of a paper base material 51, and the base material 51 is exposed without providing a sheet material 52 at the bottom of the collection section 41. The paper base material 51 is formed from a laminated paper base material in which multiple sheets of paper are laminated together. The paper may be water-disintegrable paper that decomposes in water or water-soluble paper that dissolves in water, and in this embodiment, water-disintegrable paper is used. The water-disintegrable paper has a mesh-like structure, and is configured to filter the urine while allowing the water that constitutes urine to pass through it but not allowing certain cells and the like to pass through.

[0101] On the other hand, sheet material 52 is made of a paper material that is impermeable to water and urine moisture, and may be, for example, coated on the surface of a predetermined paper material (for example, the surface that does not face base material 51). If a coating agent that repels water, such as a water repellent, is used, urine that hits sheet material 52 is repelled and moves smoothly downward, reaching bottom 41a of collection section 41 where sheet material 52 is not present.

[0102] The sheet material 52 used in this embodiment does not require water-degradability or water-solubility. In other words, the sheet material 52 is impermeable to water or moisture, and urine that hits the sheet material 52 falls directly to the bottom 41a. The sheet material 52 is not limited to a paper material, and may be formed using a resin film that does not dissolve or decompose in water.

[0103] Furthermore, this sheet material 52 is arranged so as to overlap and cover the surfaces of the protruding piece portion 42 and the handle portion 43. By covering almost the entire surface with the sheet material 52 in this way, urine that hits the surface of the urine collection device 10 is prevented from hitting any part other than the bottom portion 41a of the base material 51 and leaking out, and the water content of the urine is discharged to the outside from the bottom portion 41a where the sheet material 52 is not present. Therefore, cells contained in the urine once received by the collection portion 41 can be reliably retained at the bottom portion 41a.

[0104] The base material 51 and the sheet material 52 may be fused together by, for example, pressing while being heated. For example, the multiple nonwoven fabrics constituting the base material 51 and the sheet pieces constituting the sheet material 52 are sandwiched between male and female dies from above and below in a stacked state, and molded by heat pressing. During this heat pressing, the outer periphery of the stacked base material 51 and sheet material 52 is cut into a predetermined shape. As a result, a predetermined portion of the planar sheet is curved into a substantially elliptical cone shape to form the collection portion 41, and the periphery is cut to form the shape shown in FIG. 13.

[0105] Furthermore, the sheet constituting the sheet material 52 has a circular or elliptical opening formed in advance at a predetermined position, and the opening is positioned at a position corresponding to the bottom 41a. As a result, by forming the sheet material 52 by hot pressing, the bottom 41a can be formed into a shape in which the sheet material 52 is not present and the base material 51 is exposed on the inner side. The opening may be, for example, a circular or elliptical shape with a diameter of about 30 to 40 mm.

[0106] The urine collection device 10 of this embodiment has a sheet material 52 that does not dissolve or decompose in water, so it is discarded after use without being flushed down the toilet. At this time, the water in the urine received by the collection section 41 permeates through the base material 51 of the bottom 41a and is discharged to the outside, i.e., into the toilet. Also, the inner surface of the base material 51 exposed to the inside without the sheet material 52 has residual matter such as cells attached to it, but as described above, the bottom 41a is cut off and transferred to a container for testing such as a flask. Therefore, after the bottom 41a is cut off, no urine remains in the urine collection device 10 after use, and it can be easily discarded.

[0107] In the above-mentioned embodiment with the handle 43, the user is a woman, but the user of the present invention may be a man. For example, in the case of disposing the urine collection device 40 directly into the toilet and flushing it with water as in the second and third embodiments, it is possible to prevent infection from spreading to roommates and others. In addition, the effect of applying various reagents and the like and performing simple tests at home or the like is also favorable for men.

[0108] Also, in this embodiment, as with the previously described urine collection device 10 of the type that is attached to the toilet seat 32, some of the water in the urine that has accumulated in the collection part 41 may be drained and the concentrated urine may be collected. In such a case, the urine that has accumulated in the collection part 41 may be collected with a dropper or the like, but in this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted to make it easy to transfer the urine to a container.

[0109] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, water-decomposable paper or other water-soluble paper is used for the sampling portion base material or base material, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a water-insoluble sheet such as nonwoven fabric may be used. In this case, too, it is preferable to provide a water-permeability reducing material 28 above the sampling portion. In this way, the residue can be obtained simply and efficiently.

[0110] The urine collection device of the type having a handle portion, such as those of the second to fourth embodiments, can have various configurations, for example, as described below.

[0111] (1) a concave collection area capable of storing urine; A handle portion extending outward from the peripheral edge side of the collection portion, The handle portion is configured such that a plurality of strip-shaped portions, each having a long side connected to each other, are folded up and down at the long side portions and overlapped with each other, The collection portion and the handle portion are provided with a paper base material, and a water-permeability reducing material is applied to at least the bottom side of the collection portion, and the collection portion is configured to be flushable with water in a toilet bowl; The upper end edge of the collection part to which the handle part is not connected is provided with a protruding piece-like portion protruding like a canopy to prevent the side wall of the collection part from bending, The urine collection device wherein the collection portion, the handle portion and the protruding piece portion are integrally formed using the same base material.

[0112] In this case, the paper base material may be made of water-disintegrable or water-soluble paper.

[0113] (2) A fixing portion is formed continuously on one of the long sides of the plurality of strip-shaped portions that is not connected to the long side of the adjacent strip-shaped portion, The fixing portion is configured in a wound state with the plurality of belt-shaped portions in the overlapping state.

[0114] (3) Based on the configuration of (2), the fixing portion has an adhesive layer, and the fixing portion is adhesively fixed to the opposing strip-shaped portion via the adhesive layer.

[0115] In addition, in both the type having a band portion and fixed to the toilet seat as in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and the type having a handle portion and held by the user as in the second, third, and fourth embodiments, it is preferable to apply various test drugs or reagents for pregnancy tests and urine tests to a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the sampling portion, for example, a portion that comes into contact with the stored urine. In this way, the user can perform a simple test at home or the like, and can easily manage his / her health. In addition, it is preferable that the predetermined portion is the bottom or side wall portion. In addition, it is preferable that the test drug or reagent is applied to the surface of the water-permeability reducing material, rather than to the bottom where the sampling portion base material 21 or base material 51 is exposed.

[0116] Furthermore, the bottom 41a may have a pointed tip as shown in Fig. 14. In the illustrated example, the collection portion 41 is shown as a modified type of the collection portion 41 of the third embodiment shown in Fig. 8 onwards, which is formed based on a circular shape, but the same applies to those based on other embodiments.

[0117] Various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modified examples, but it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are provided to aid in understanding the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. Although the configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is noted for the sake of clarity that configurations disclosed in this specification may be claimed in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10: Urine collection device 11: Collection section 12: First Band 13: Second Band 21: Collection base material 28: Water permeability reducing material 31: Toilet 32: Toilet seat 40: Urine collection device 40′: Urine collection device 41: Collection section 43: Handle 43′: Handle 51: Base material

Claims

1. A concave collection section for temporarily storing urine; A band portion for fixing to a toilet seat extends outward from the upper outer peripheral edge of the collection portion, or a handle portion extends outward from the peripheral edge of the collection portion, The collection portion has a tapered lower end and a bottom smaller than an upper opening, The urine collection device is configured such that at least the bottom of the collection section is permeable to water constituting the temporarily stored urine, but is not permeable to infectious disease cells contained in the urine, so that the cells can adhere to the surface.

2. The collection section includes a member formed by laminating a plurality of mesh-like sheets, 2. The urine collection device according to claim 1, wherein a water-permeability reducing material is disposed in an upper region of the inner surface of the collection portion, and the bottom side of the collection portion is configured so that the material is exposed.

3. 3. The urine collecting device according to claim 2, wherein a lower end of the water-permeability reducing material is positioned lower than an estimated water level when urine is stored.

4. The collection section includes a member formed by laminating a plurality of mesh-like sheets, A sheet material that is impermeable to water or urine is placed in an upper region of the inner surface of the collection portion; 2. The urine collection device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the sheet material is open, and the bottom side of the collection portion is configured so that the member is exposed.

5. A concave collection section for temporarily storing urine; A handle portion extending outward from the peripheral edge side of the collection portion; A protruding piece-like portion protruding outward like a canopy is provided at the upper end edge of the collection portion, The collection portion has a tapered lower end and a bottom smaller than an upper opening, At least a bottom portion of the collection section is permeable to water constituting the temporarily stored urine, but is not permeable to infectious disease cells contained in the urine, so that the cells can adhere to the surface of the collection section; The collection section includes a member formed by laminating a plurality of mesh-like sheets, a sheet material that is impermeable to water or urine is disposed on an upper region of the inner surface of the collection portion and on an upper surface of the protruding piece; The bottom of the sheet material is open, and the bottom side of the collection section exposes the member.

6. 6. The urine collection device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the collection portion has an inner peripheral surface in the shape of a pyramid, a cone or an elliptical cone.

7. 7. The urine collection device according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the collection portion is formed into a downwardly convex curved surface.

8. The urine collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the collection section is provided with a mark indicating the position where the bottom side is to be cut off.

9. A urine collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cuttable perforation extending in a circumferential direction is provided at a position where the bottom side of the collection part is to be cut off.

10. 6. The urine collection device according to claim 1, wherein an agent or reagent for testing can be applied to the inner surface of the collection portion.

11. 4. A urine collection device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a drug or reagent for testing can be applied to the surface of the water-permeability reducing material.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • collapsible urine collection container

    JP3088494U