Sealed collection device having striated cap
View Patent ↗A cap comprising a generally conical wall positioned beneath an opening in the cap and having a plurality of striations formed therein to facilitate penetration of the cap by a fluid transfer device.
1. A sealed collection device comprising a plastic cap frictionally fitted onto an open end of a fluid-holding vessel, said cap comprising:
an opening defined by a top wall; and
a downwardly tapered inner wall positioned beneath the opening and structurally interrelated to the top wall, the inner wall including a plurality of radially extending striations formed therein, wherein each of the striations has a thickness.
2. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the cap is in threaded engagement with the vessel.
3. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall depends from the top wall.
4. The cap of claim 1 further comprising a lower annular wall joining the top wall to the inner wall.
5. The cap of claim 1 further comprising an upper annular wall extending upwardly from the top wall.
6. The cap of claim 5 further comprising an absorbent wick contained within the cap.
7. The cap of claim 6 , wherein the wick is positioned substantially above the top wall.
8. The cap of claim 6 , wherein the wick is a pile fabric.
9. The cap of claim 6 further comprising a seal affixed to a top surface of the upper annular wall.
10. The cap of claim 6 , wherein the combined force needed to penetrate the wick and the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 10 pounds force.
11. The cap of claim 6 , wherein the combined force needed to penetrate the wick and the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 7 pounds force.
12. The cap of claim 6 , wherein the combined force needed to penetrate the wick and the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 4.5 pounds force.
13. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall is conically shaped and has an angle of from about 25° to about 65° relative to the longitudinal axis of the cap.
14. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall has a rounded bottom.
15. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the thickness ratio between non-striated and striated portions of the inner wall is in the range of about 10:1 to about 1.25:1.
16. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of striated portions of the inner wall is between about 0.002 inches and about 0.008 inches, and wherein the average thickness of non-striated portions of the inner wall is between about 0.01 inches and about 0.02 inches.
17. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the striations are formed in an inner surface, an outer surface or both the inner and outer surfaces of the inner wall.
18. The cap of claim 17 , wherein the inner wall has between 3 and 12 of the striations.
19. The cap of claim 1 , wherein each of the striations comprises a radially extending groove in the inner wall.
20. The cap of claim 1 further comprising one or more radially extending ribs formed on an inner surface of the inner wall, each rib being positioned between a pair of adjacent striations.
21. The cap of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the inner wall is at least partially coated with a lubricant.
22. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the force needed to penetrate the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 8 pounds force.
23. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the force needed to penetrate the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 6 pounds force.
24. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the force needed to penetrate the inner wall with a plastic pipette tip is less than about 4 pounds force.