JP2025015506A - Urine collection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a urine collection device that enables a new urine collection method.
SOLUTION
The collection part includes a concave collection part 11 for temporarily storing urine, and a first band part 12 and a second band part 13 for fixing the toilet seat, which extend outward from the outer periphery of the upper end of the collection part, and the collection part can also have a pyramidal inner surface with a tapered lower end. The collection part is configured to include a collection part base material 21 made of a plurality of laminated sheets of water-disintegrable paper, a permeability reducing material 28 disposed in the upper region of the inner surface of the collection part of the collection base material, and the bottom side of the collection part is configured to expose the collection part base material. The water constituting the urine stored in the collection part is discharged to the outside through the exposed bottom side of the collection part base material, and the cells of a specific infectious disease contained in the urine are configured to adhere to the surface without being permeated. This allows the infectious disease cells to be collected and tested.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act filed. Samples of urine collection devices were displayed and exhibited at the SME Corporation Tohoku Headquarters (publication date: January 2024). Samples of urine collection devices were distributed and exhibited at 4918 Shobutsu-cho, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture (publication date: January 2024). Samples of urine collection devices were distributed and exhibited at TBA Co., Ltd. (publication date: July 5, 2024).

The present invention relates to a urine collection device that is useful for collecting urine in various locations, such as at home, in medical institutions, and elsewhere.

For example, when collecting urine for a urinalysis 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 the hand so that the urine collects in the urination cup. The urine collection cup is generally a paper 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.

Registered Utility Model No. 3088494

Conventionally, urine collection devices that are commonly used 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 urine collection device to a specified position when it is time to urinate so that urine collects in the cup part, which can lead to urine accidentally getting on hands or clothes, creating hygiene problems.

Conventional urine collection devices come in a variety of shapes and materials, but all have a cup-shaped storage section for collecting urine. As the voided urine remains in the storage section, some of the collected 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, into the toilet. The task of disposing of this remaining urine into the toilet is complicated, and there is a risk that the urine may splash on fingers or palms during the disposal process.

At medical institutions and testing facilities, the urine is taken from the container and various tests are performed using a designated testing device, etc. However, the concentration is not constant depending on the user's physical condition, the time since the last urination, the amount of water held in the body, etc., so pre-processing is performed at the time of testing or concentrated urine is produced, and there is a demand to simplify such processing.

Furthermore, one urine-based test is one that detects bacteria contained in urine and identifies the type of bacterial infection. For example, such a test can be performed using a genetic analysis technique called STH (Single-stranded Tag Hybridization) method. Specifically, a test sample (filled in a test container) generated based on urine is mixed with a specified reagent and set in a PCR amplifier (actually, a test container is set) to amplify by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). After adding a specified 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 visually visible line appears at a specified position on the PAS. There is also a demand for easily obtaining samples for such tests.

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

Furthermore, if the user is suffering from 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.

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.

(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 the infectious disease cells contained in the urine. In this way, the moisture of the urine temporarily stored in the collection can be removed and the 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 the infectious disease cells contained in the urine can be directly collected, tests based on the collected urine can be easily performed. The function of not allowing the infectious disease cells to pass through is sufficient to at least not allow the infectious disease cells to pass through, and does not have to selectively allow the infectious disease cells to pass through when, for example, non-infectious disease cells and infectious disease cells are mixed. For example, if the outer dimensions of the cells are 20 to 50 μm, it is sufficient that the membrane is designed to be impermeable to cells of that size. For example, if there is a mixture of non-infectious cells and infectious cells, as exemplified above, the cells may remain in the collection area in a mixed state. Infectious cells are, for example, cells that contain or have been invaded by infectious bacteria.

(2) The collection section may be provided with a member formed by laminating multiple mesh sheets, and a permeability reducing material may be disposed in the upper region of the inner surface of the collection section, with the bottom side of the collection section being configured so that the material is exposed. 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.

The sheet may be a nonwoven fabric or water-dissolvable paper. Water-dissolvable paper is particularly useful because it can be disposed of in the toilet after collection.

(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 section, and the residue is concentrated in that narrow area, making collection easy.

(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 the upper region of the inner surface of the collection section, the bottom of the sheet material may be open, and the bottom side of the collection section may be configured so that the member is exposed.

(5) The device comprises a concave collection section for temporarily storing urine, a handle extending outward from the periphery of the collection section, and a protruding piece-like portion 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 that constitutes the temporarily stored urine and allowing infectious disease cells contained in the urine to adhere to the surface without being permeable, the collection section being a member formed by laminating multiple mesh-like sheets, and a sheet material that is impermeable to water or urine moisture is placed on the upper region of the inner surface of the collection section and on the upper surface of the protruding piece-like portion, the bottom of the sheet material being open, and the member being exposed on the bottom side of the collection section.

(6) The collection section may have an inner surface in the shape of a pyramid, a cone, or an elliptical cone. In this way, the bottom end of the collection section is tapered, and once the urine has accumulated, the urine and the specific cells contained therein are guided toward the bottom, and most of the water is discharged from the bottom side to the outside, allowing the cells to accumulate at the bottom side.

(7) The lower end of the collection section may be formed into a curved surface that is convex downward. In this way, infectious disease cells and debris, for example, are collected in the curved, narrow area, making it easier to collect infectious disease cells.

(8) It is preferable to provide the collection section with a mark indicating the position for cutting the bottom side. In this way, when cutting the bottom side of the collection section using scissors or the like, the cutting position can be easily understood and the cut can be made without excess or deficiency.

(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 the appropriate position without using scissors or the like, and the bottom side can be cut off without excess or deficiency.

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

(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 section 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.

The configurations shown in (1) to (11) above can be combined as appropriate, and based on such combined configurations, the components described in the embodiments and drawings can be combined.

The present invention can achieve at least one of the following effects. It is possible to remove the water from the urinated urine that is temporarily collected in the collection, and collect infectious disease cells and the like contained in the urine. In addition, it is possible to collect concentrated urine by leaving some of the water in the urine.

FIG. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of a urine collector according to the present invention, where (a) shows a plan view of the urine collector and (b) shows a cross-sectional view thereof. FIG. 2 is a bottom view. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state of use. FIG. 4 shows a usable state of a preferred second embodiment of the urine collection device of the present invention, in which (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 c-c in (a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line d-d in (b). FIG. 5 shows a urine collector according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in an unused state, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the state of use. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention. 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. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing a urine collector according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention in an unused state, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. 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 thereof. FIG. 11 shows various modifications based on the preferred third embodiment of the urine collecting device of the present invention. 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. FIG. 13 shows a urine collecting device according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention in an unused state, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 12, and is an enlarged view in the thickness direction. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the third embodiment.

The following describes in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not to be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment, and various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

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

The collection section 11 has a concave portion recessed downward from the outer periphery, and the shape of the concave portion is a generally 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 that slopes toward the center at the bottom end. The inner periphery of the upper opening of the concave portion is generally rectangular with four corners chamfered at R, and accordingly, the boundaries between the left and right side wall portions 11b and the front wall portion 11a and the rear wall portion 11c are also chamfered at R. The lower end of the collection section 11 is a narrow curved surface tapered at the bottom. As described later, the urine collection device 10 is molded by hot pressing by sandwiching multiple sheets stacked between male and female molds from above and below. The specified curved surface is then formed for removal after molding.

The first band portion 12 and the second band portion 13 further include an adhesive layer 15 formed on the underside of the tip side (the side away from the sampling portion 11) of each of the band portion 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.

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

In addition, the second band part 13 is formed with an appropriate number of linear parts 18 extending in the left-right direction and exerting a high pressure force on the front and back. These linear parts 18 function like ribs and prevent the second band part 13 from twisting, while by bending along these linear parts 18, the tip of the second band part 13 can be raised slightly above the collection part 11, for example.

In the urine collection device 10 in Figures 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 section 11, first band section 12, and second band section 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.

When manufacturing the urine collection device 10 of this embodiment, the integrated collection section base material 21 and band section 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 advisable to impregnate (impregnate) the urine collection device 10 with at least one of a disinfectant, deodorant, odor remover, and fragrance in the process before, during, or after the hot pressing.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the external shape of the urine collection device 10 may be based on a specific character motif, and in particular on a character that is likely to interest children, such as an animal. In this embodiment, the shape imitates 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 sections 12 arranged on the left and right correspond to the elephant's ears, the second band section 13 corresponds to the elephant's trunk, and the protruding piece-like section 14 located at the rear corresponds to the elephant's head. The outer periphery of the first band section 12 is appropriately curved to imitate an ear, and a large hole 12a is provided in the center to imitate an ear hole.

The inner periphery of the hole 12a is appropriately curved to fit the ear canal. Furthermore, due to the fact that elephants have large ears, the outer shape of the first band portion 12 can be made large and the tip frame portion 12b can be extended relatively long in the front-rear direction. The adhesive layer 15 is formed on the underside of the tip frame portion 12b, so that the adhesive layer 15 can be elongated, and as described below, when attaching the first band portion 12 to the toilet seat 32, the adhesive can be attached over a long section while ensuring an adhesive area, and the sampling portion 11 can be supported in a stable position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first band portion 12 has a large hole 12a, which reduces the total amount of paper and makes the structure less likely to cause paper jams. And since the hole 12a is modeled after the ear canal, it can be made large without feeling strange.

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 edge of the protruding piece 14 is gently curved to resemble a head. If we use the face 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 of the urine collection device 10. Furthermore, by providing the protruding piece 14 that corresponds to the head, it can be understood that the second band portion 13 is the front by comparison with it.

In this embodiment, the collection section base material 21 constituting the collection section 11 and the band section base material 22 constituting the first band section 12 and the second band section 13 are made of laminated paper in which multiple sheets of paper are stacked together, and the collection section base material 21 and the band section base material are formed from a continuous (i.e., the same sheet) laminated paper raw material. The paper may be water-disintegrable paper that dissolves 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.

The collection base material 21, which is constructed by stacking layers of water-disintegrable paper, is stacked in a number of layers that will maintain its shape for a predetermined time, for example, 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 collection part 11 may cause the lower end of the collection part 11, particularly the concave part, to decompose or dissolve, causing the shape to be lost and making collection impossible. On the other hand, if the number of layers is large, collection can be ensured, but if, for example, it takes time for the paper to decompose or dissolve when discarded in the toilet after use, there is a risk of clogging the toilet pipes, and the increased use of paper is also costly, which is undesirable. Therefore, it is preferable to use a number of layers that will not cause such a situation.

Furthermore, each sheet of paper that constitutes 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, the urine discharged from the user contains certain cells that the bacteria of that infectious disease possess. The size of those 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. Such a configuration may be formed, for example, by the size of the mesh holes or the number of layers, and may be configured to not allow substances of 20 μm or more to pass through. Also, to ensure that 20 μm cells are not allowed to pass through, it may be configured to not allow substances of 10 μm or more to pass through.

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 waste products. This can be achieved, for example, by changing the size of the mesh or the number of layers.

Because the collection part base material 21 is made of a material that allows water to pass through, for example, when urine is dropped on the surface part of the collection part base material 21 where the front and back are exposed, i.e., on the inside part of the concave part, the water that constitutes 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 part. 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 over time and is discharged to the outside of the collection part 11, 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 part of the collection part base material 21. In other words, the collection part base material 21 filters the urine.

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

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 section 11 by a user hits the area where the water-permeability reducing material 28 is provided, it does not pass through the water-permeability reducing material 28 and reach the collection section 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 section 11. Since the water-permeability reducing material 28 is not provided at the lower end of the collection section 11 and the collection section base material 21 is exposed, when the urine that has moved downward reaches the area where the collection section base material 21 is exposed, the water in the urine that comes into contact with the collection section base material 21 flows out of the collection section 11. Cells of a specific infectious disease adhere to the area of the collection section 11 where the collection section base material 21 is exposed at the bottom and remain as residue. Therefore, infectious disease cells contained in urine tend to concentrate and adhere to the narrow inner surface of the bottom of the tapered collection section 11, remaining as residue and making collection easy.

The recovery process can be carried out, for example, by using scissors to cut the lower side of the collection section 11 and then cutting off the bottom side from the main body. This leaves the surface of the cut-out sheet piece with infectious disease cells attached to it. The sheet piece with the bottom of the collection section 11 cut off can then be placed in a testing container, or transported to a testing institution sealed in a transport bag or container and placed in a testing container there. It can then be set in a PCR amplifier while immersed in a specified solution, and subsequently tested for the presence or absence of bacteria based on the STH method. For this STH method test, a product provided by, for example, TBA Co., Ltd. can be used.

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 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 dashed lines that continue in the circumferential direction along the cutting position as shown in FIG. 10. In addition, 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. In addition, the above-mentioned mark is preferably 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 is preferable to print it on the inside, or to print it on a sheet present inside and make it visible from the outside. These configurations may be similarly applied to the various embodiments and modified examples shown below.

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 transferring it is troublesome, so 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 better to collect them in the form of a sheet piece with the bottom cut off.

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 section base material 21 is exposed over the entire surface of the concave portion of the collection section 11. For example, when urinated urine hits any of the slopes of the collection section 11 midway up or down, it moves downward along the slope toward the bottom side, but some of it penetrates the collection section base material 21 at the point where it hits or on its way downward, and the moisture is discharged to the outside. In addition, the residue (cells) also adheres to the side of the collection section base material 21 (above the bottom). 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 section 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.

Even if the permeability reducing material 28 is not provided, most of the urine will collect at the bottom of the collection section 11, and the water will also flow out from the bottom side, so many infectious disease cells will adhere as residue to the surface of the permeability reducing material 28 near the bottom. Therefore, as mentioned above, it is possible to collect a certain amount of urine by concentrating on rubbing the area near the bottom without necessarily rubbing the entire area with a medicine spoon.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable to position the bottom end of the water-permeability reducing material 28 below the top surface 61 of the urine 60 that is temporarily stored in the collection section 11. In this way, the water in the temporarily stored urine 60 is not discharged to the outside from the sides, but is instead concentrated and discharged from the bottom.

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 directly in the toilet and flushed with water. This can minimize the occurrence of situations where 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 directly 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.

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 addition, 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 portion 13 is inclined upward from the collection portion 11 toward the tip, resembling an elephant's trunk being raised, and the first band portion 12 is inclined upward from the collection portion 11 toward the tip. Furthermore, the dimensions and shape of each band portion and collection portion 11 are set so that when the urine collection device 10 is attached to a predetermined position on the toilet seat 32, the center of the collection portion 11 is located forward of the center of the toilet seat 32 in the front-to-rear direction.

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 section 11. In other words, because the collection section 11 has a relatively large upper opening, most of the voided urine reaches the inside of the collection section 11. And because the collection section 11 has a generally pyramidal shape tapering at the bottom, the urine ultimately accumulates at the bottom of the collection section 11.

Furthermore, if the force of urination is strong or if the urination direction 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 collection portion 11. Therefore, the urination can be reliably collected in the collection portion 11.

The length of the second band portion 13 is preferably such that when the adhesive layer 15 at its tip is attached to the upper surface of the front side of the toilet seat 32 and the collection portion 11 is positioned slightly lower and the first band portion 12 is attached to the toilet seat 32, 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 conducted directly to the collection portion 11 or through the second band portion 13 into the collection portion 11, where it is collected.

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

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 as residue on the surface of the collection section base material 21. 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 off 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 will adhere to the cut sheet piece, so it is recommended to cut it to a certain size. In addition, when cutting, it is recommended 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 medium, such as a flask, and immersed in the culture medium. This allows the cells to be cultured and the specified test to be performed.

You can also use a medicine spoon or the like to collect residues (cells) filtered from the urine adhering to the surface of the collection section base material 21. If urine remains in the collection section 11, the remaining concentrated urine can be collected using a dropper or the like.

After collection, the adhesive layer 15 of the first band portion 12 and the second band portion 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.

The first band portion 12 and the second band portion 13 may be composed of only the band portion base material 22, but it is preferable to provide a water-permeability reducing material 28 on its surface. In particular, since the second band portion 13 is positioned 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 portion 13. If the water-permeability reducing material 28 is provided in such a case, the urine that gets on the second band portion 13 can be smoothly guided to the collection portion 11 side, and the time required for the second band portion 13 to dissolve in water or the like can be reduced, allowing the second band portion 13 to remain fixed to the toilet seat 32 for a relatively long period of time.

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. For example, it may be provided with only the first band portion 12 and fixed to the toilet seat with two band portions extending to the left and right. In addition, the external shape does not necessarily have to be based on a character.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the urine collection device according to the present invention in a usable state, and Figure 5 shows 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 specified position. The specific configuration is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 4, the urine collection device 40 comprises a collection section 41 having a roughly triangular pyramid-shaped concave portion, protruding pieces 42 that protrude outward like eaves provided on two sides of the upper edge of the collection section 41, and a handle section 43 that extends outward on one side of the collection section 41 where the protruding piece 42 is not provided. As described below, the collection section 41, the protruding piece 42, and the handle section 43 are manufactured and integrated by molding a single sheet-like material in a heated state. The urine collection device 40 is also composed of a laminate of paper that is hydrolyzable or dissolves in water.

The upper opening of the collection section 41 has two sides on which the protruding portions 42 are provided and one side on which the protruding portions 42 are not provided, forming a roughly isosceles triangle shape with the one side serving as the base. The collection section 41 is formed in a roughly triangular pyramid-like concave shape by one first side wall 41b consisting of a slope from the one side toward the apex of the bottom 41a, and two second side wall parts 41c consisting of slopes from the two sides on which the protruding portions 42 are provided toward the apex of the bottom 41a. The bottom 41a is formed from a narrow curved surface that allows it to be cut out.

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. The left and right second side wall portions 41c formed so as to connect to the two oblique sides that do not face the handle portion 43 are connected at the apex side facing the bottom side. The left and right side edges of the first side wall portion 41b are each connected to the second side wall portion 41c. The first side wall portion 41b 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 an approximately triangular pyramid shape as described above.

The protruding portion 42 is disposed continuously with the upper edges of the two second side wall portions 41c. The protruding portion 42 is formed to extend in the horizontal direction. The protruding portion 42 acts as a kind of rib, reinforcing the second side wall portion 41c, preventing it from bending, and maintaining the state of the inclined surface.

The handle portion 43 is configured by folding up and down the long sides of a plurality of (four in this embodiment) band-shaped portions 43a, each having a long side connected to each other, and overlapping them (see FIG. 4(d) and the like). By folding up and down and overlapping them in this manner, the handle portion 43 is secured to have a constant thickness in the left-right direction, and the strength in the thickness direction (left-right direction) is increased, which enhances the effect of suppressing the handle portion 43 from bending left and right. In addition, since the band-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 relative 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 band-shaped portion 43a may be deformed by the force of the user gripping that portion, but as described above, by overlapping multiple sheets, the strength is increased, and even if the handle portion 43 is gripped, it does not deform excessively and can maintain its band-shaped state.

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 so as to rise 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 and positioned below the user's body.

Therefore, for example, by positioning the collection part 41 in an appropriate position below the body before starting to urinate, it is possible to reliably collect the urine immediately after starting, which is necessary for testing. In addition, once a certain amount of urination has been performed, 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 sitting on the toilet and holding the handle part 43 away from the collection part, thereby minimizing the risk of urine getting on the hands, etc.

The handle portion 43 is formed by bending the long sides of a rectangular portion in which multiple band-shaped portions 43a are connected to each other, but one of the long sides of the multiple band-shaped portions 43a located at both the left and right ends is not connected to another band-shaped portion 43a. Therefore, in this embodiment, a rectangular fixing portion 47 is provided continuously to the unconnected long side of one of the band-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 band-shaped portion 43a that constitutes the handle portion 43, and the position of the tip side away from the collection portion 41 is aligned with the tip of the handle portion 43.

The fixing portion 47 further has an adhesive layer 48 at a predetermined position on its underside. 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 portion 43a (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width w in the left-right direction of the fixing portion 47 is approximately twice the length of the short side of the strip portion 43a.

As a result, one long side of the fixing portion 47 is connected to the right edge of the handle portion 43, and when the multiple strip-shaped portions 43a are folded and wrapped around the left side of the handle portion 43 that is not connected, the free long side of the fixing portion 47 on which the adhesive layer 48 is provided goes around the handle portion 43 and covers the right side of the handle portion 43. At this time, the adhesive layer 48 faces the right side of the handle portion 43, so the fixing portion 47 and the handle portion 43 are bonded and fixed via the adhesive layer 48, and as shown in FIG. 4(d), the fixing portion 47 covers almost the entire circumference of the handle portion 43, preventing the four strip-shaped portions 43a that make up the handle portion 43 from spreading, and increasing its strength.

The adhesive layer 48 does not necessarily have to be provided, and the fixing portion 47 may simply be wrapped around it. Even in this way, the strength of the handle portion 43 is maintained, and by holding the fixing portion 47 in the wrapped state with the hand, the wrapping state of the fixing portion 47 is maintained, and the handle portion 43 maintains the specified posture.

As shown in FIG. 4(c), in this embodiment, the collection section 41 is configured such that the permeability reducing material 28 is disposed in the upper portion of the inner surface of the paper base material 51, and the base material 51 is exposed at the bottom of the collection section 41 without the permeability reducing material 28. The paper base material 51 is formed from a laminated paper base material in which multiple sheets of paper are stacked together. The paper may be water-dissolvable paper that dissolves in water or water-soluble paper that dissolves in water, and in this embodiment, water-dissolvable paper is used. In addition, the water-dissolvable paper has a mesh-like structure, which allows the water that constitutes urine to pass through but prevents certain cells and the like from passing through, thereby filtering the urine.

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

The water-permeability reducing material 28 is a material that does not dissolve immediately in water 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, for example.

By using the 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 if the amount of urine stored in the collection portion 41 increases and the water level rises to reach the upper region, the water does not leak out in the region where the permeability reducing material 28 is present, and the water of the urine leaks out from the bottom of the collection portion 41 where the base material 51 is exposed. As a result, 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 infectious disease cells contained in the urine are concentrated and adhere to the inner surface of the narrow bottom of the tapered collection portion 41 and remain as residue. Then, since the residue adheres to the surface of the base material 51 on the bottom side, it is recommended 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. The residue may also be collected using a medicine spoon or the like. The rest of the process should be the same as in the first embodiment described above.

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

The collection section 41 is embossed to form a roughly triangular pyramid-shaped recess in advance. That is, when manufacturing the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment, a sheet of a specific material such as water-soluble paper and/or water-disintegrable paper is appropriately layered, and a specific paint that forms the water-permeability reducing material 28 is applied to a specific portion of the inner surface of the collection section 11. The sheet is then punched into the desired shape and molded by hot pressing to form the recessed collection section 41 and each of the sections in the expanded state, as shown in FIG. 5. And because the handle section 43' is in the expanded state, it has a shape that is wider than the width of the collection section 41 in use.

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

Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not shown, a border is formed along the outer periphery of the collection section 41, the protruding piece portion 42, the handle portion 43, and the fixing portion 47, in which linear portions with high pressure appear as dashed lines. By alternately forming such linear portions with high pressure and portions without pressure, the urine collection device manufactured by stacking becomes less likely to peel off, and the strength of the collection section 41, the protruding piece portion 42, the handle portion 43, the fixing portion 47, etc. during use can be adjusted. Furthermore, such linear portions 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.

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, by increasing or decreasing the number of perforations and adjusting the thickness and pitch of the dashed lines, the speed at which the urine collection device dissolves in water can be adjusted. The perforations that run through the thickness direction should be formed in the handle portion 43, and should not be provided in the collection portion 41.

In addition, the valley fold line portion 55 and the mountain fold line portion 56 may be marked, for example by printing, 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 pressure described above appear as dashed lines, the linear portions will have a crease, which is advantageous because it makes it easier to fold along the arrangement direction of the linear portions.

In the embodiment described above, the protruding portion 42, the handle portion 43, and the fixing portion 47 are formed from the base material 51 without the permeability reducing material 28, but it is preferable to apply the permeability reducing material 28 to part or all of the protruding portion 42, the handle portion 43, and the fixing portion 47.

In the above embodiment, the width of the fixing portion 47 is about twice the length of the short side of the band-shaped portion 43a, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be more than twice as long, or may be about the length of the short side of the band-shaped portion 43a, as shown in FIG. 7(a). When it is about the length of the short side, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the fixing portion 47 is wrapped around the band-shaped portion 43a on the non-connected side and fixed using an adhesive layer 48. In this case, the two central band-shaped portions 43a facing each other after being folded in a valley are free and not in contact with each other. They may be left free as in the illustrated example, or the band-shaped portions 43a may be bonded together with an adhesive layer or the like.

In addition, as in the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a fixing portion 47 that is wrapped around the handle portion 43, and the multiple belt-shaped portions 43a may be folded back and left overlapping. In this case, it is preferable to adhesively fix the belt-shaped portions 43a to each other, which increases the strength of the handle portion 43.

The adhesive fixation may be performed by attaching double-sided adhesive tape so as to extend in the long side direction of the band-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 band-shaped portion 43a. By forming the adhesive layer 48 so as to extend in the short side direction in this way, multiple band-shaped portions 43a can be adhered with one adhesive layer 48.

In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the adhesive layer 48 may not be provided.

Figure 8 shows a third embodiment of the urine collection device according to the present invention in a usable state, and Figure 9 shows the unused state after it is distributed to a user. Like the second embodiment described above, the urine collection device of this embodiment also has a handle 43, and is of a type that is convenient for women, for example.

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. This makes the collection section 41 an elliptical truncated cone. 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 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.

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 will reach 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 specified infectious disease will 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 specified portion with scissors or the like to collect the cells may be performed in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Also, as shown in FIG. 11(a), a specified 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.

In addition, in this embodiment, the collection section 41 has an elliptical shape in plan view, so that when the width is the same as, for example, the triangle of the second embodiment, the volume can be made larger than that of the second embodiment. This makes it possible to prevent urine stored in the collection section 41 from overflowing from the top end, even if, for example, the amount of urine excreted per unit time becomes greater than the amount that passes through the bottom 41a and is discharged to the outside.

In addition, a protruding piece 42 is provided around almost the entire upper edge of the collection section 41, providing strength and maintaining the shape of the elliptical opening.

As shown in FIG. 9, the handle portion 43 has a generally rectangular handle portion 43' that extends along the outer periphery of the protruding portion 42 in the unfolded state before use, and is folded in half at the center in the width direction to form a shape that is wider in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9, the handle portion 43' has linear portions 49 with high pressure and non-pressurized portions that 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 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.

In this way, the desired strength can be achieved without multiple folds 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.

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 does not have an adhesive layer or the like, but one may be provided as in the above-mentioned embodiments. 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 better not to provide a fixing portion as in this embodiment.

In addition, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, it is advisable to apply various test drugs or reagents for pregnancy tests or urine tests to a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the collection section 11, 41, such as the bottom portion or other 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 their health. In addition, the predetermined portion is not limited to the bottom portion, and may be the 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.

Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the predetermined cell is recovered by cutting a predetermined position of the collection section using scissors or the like, but for example, a perforation 58 for cutting can be provided along the circumferential direction at a predetermined position of the collection section (see FIG. 11(b)). By providing the perforation 58, for example, the bottom side and the upper part side can be held by pinching the perforation 58, and the bottom can be separated and recovered by cutting along the 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.

Figure 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the urine collection device according to the present invention in a usable state, and Figure 13 shows the unused state after it is distributed to a user. Like the second and third embodiments described above, the urine collection device of this embodiment also has a handle 43, and is of a type that is convenient for women, for example.

In the urine collection device 40 of this embodiment, the collection section 41 is formed based on a circular shape, as in the third embodiment. 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. This gives the collection section 41 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.

The collection section 41 is configured such that a sheet material 52 is placed on the upper portion of the inner surface of a paper base material 51, and the base material 51 is exposed without the sheet material 52 on 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 stacked together. The paper may be water-dissolvable paper that dissolves in water or water-soluble paper that dissolves in water, and in this embodiment, water-dissolvable paper is used. The water-dissolvable paper has a mesh-like structure that allows the water that constitutes urine to pass through but does not allow certain cells to pass through, thereby filtering the urine.

On the other hand, the 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 specific paper material (for example, the surface that does not face the base material 51). If a coating agent that repels water, such as a water repellent, is used, urine that hits the sheet material 52 is repelled and moves smoothly downward, reaching the bottom 41a of the collection section 41 where the sheet material 52 is not present.

The sheet material 52 used in this embodiment does not require water-dissolvability 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 down to the bottom 41a. Furthermore, 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.

The sheet material 52 is also placed over the protruding portion 42 and the surface of 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 of the base material 51 other than the bottom 41a and leaking out, and the water in the urine is discharged to the outside from the bottom 41a where the sheet material 52 is not present. Therefore, the cells contained in the urine once received by the collection section 41 can be reliably retained at the bottom 41a.

The base material 51 and the sheet material 52 may be fused together, for example, by 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 stacked and sandwiched between male and female dies from above and below, 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 an approximately elliptical cone shape to form the collection section 41, and the periphery is cut to form the shape shown in FIG. 13.

The sheet that constitutes 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 that corresponds to the bottom 41a. In this way, by forming it by hot pressing, the sheet material 52 is not present at the bottom 41a, and the base material 51 is exposed on the inner side. The opening may be circular or elliptical, for example, with a diameter of about 30 to 40 mm.

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. In addition, the inner surface of the base material 51 that is 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.

In addition, in the embodiment with the handle portion 43 described above, the user is a woman, but the user of the present invention may be a man. For example, in the case of the second and third embodiments, when the urine collection device 40 is disposed of directly in the toilet and flushed with water, 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.

In addition, in this embodiment, as with the previously described type of urine collection device 10 that is attached to the toilet seat 32, some of the water in the urine that has accumulated in the collection section 41 may be drained and the concentrated urine may be collected. In such a case, the urine that has accumulated in the collection section 41 may be collected with a dropper or the like, but in this embodiment, the following configuration is used to easily transfer the urine to a container.

In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the collection section base material or base material is made of paper that dissolves in water, such as water-dissolvable paper, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a sheet that does not dissolve in water, such as nonwoven fabric, may be used. In this case, too, it is recommended to provide a water-permeability reducing material 28 in the upper part of the collection section. In this way, the residue can be obtained easily and efficiently.

A urine collection device with a handle, as in the second to fourth embodiments, can have a variety of configurations, for example, as follows:

(1) a concave collection section 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.

In this case, the paper base material may be made of water-dissolvable or water-soluble paper.

(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.

(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 portion via the adhesive layer.

In addition, whether the device is of the type that is fixed to the toilet seat with a band like the first embodiment described above, or of the type that is of the type that is held by the user with a handle like the second, third, and fourth 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, for example, the 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 their health. The predetermined portion may be the bottom or side wall. It is also preferable to apply the test drug or reagent to the surface of the water-permeability reducing material, rather than to the bottom where the collection portion base material 21 or base material 51 is exposed.

Furthermore, the bottom 41a may have a pointed tip as shown in FIG. 14. In the illustrated example, the collection section 41 is shown as a modified type of the collection section 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 the other embodiments.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modifications, 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 the understanding of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. Although the configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby reiterated that configurations disclosed in this specification that are not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future.

10: Urine collection device 11: Collection section 12: First band section 13: Second band section 21: Collection section base material 28: Water permeability reducing material 31: Toilet bowl 32: Toilet seat 40: Urine collection device 40': Urine collection device 41: Collection section 43: Handle section 43': Handle section 51: Base material

Claims (11)

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. 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. The urine collection device according to claim 2, in which the lower end of the water-permeability reducing material is lower than the expected water level when urine is stored. 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. 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. The urine collection device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the collection section has an inner peripheral surface that is pyramidal, conical, or elliptical conical. The urine collection device according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the collection section is formed into a downwardly convex curved surface. A urine collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the collection section is provided with a mark indicating the position where the bottom side is to be cut off. A urine collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a cuttable perforation extending in the circumferential direction at the position where the bottom side of the collection section is cut off. A urine collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which a drug or reagent for testing can be applied to the inner surface of the collection section. The urine collection device according to claim 2 or 3, in which a test drug or reagent can be applied to the surface of the water-permeability reducing material.

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