The invention is particularly useful in connection with the transport of blood samples and other biological material from, for example, doctors practising in a rural district to a central laboratory for analysis.

However, the invention is not limited to the transport of blood samples but relates in principle to all biological material.

A major problem in connection with the transport that takes place today is that the samples may freeze, and this has happened on numerous occasions. This may mean a reduction. in the quality of the samples, which in turn entails the risk of an inaccurate test result and the attendant consequences for the patient.

Furthermore, the transport equipment used today barely satisfies the practical needs that the sender (the person or institution placing the order) and the recipient (the laboratory) have, and the general requirements with respect to the transport of biological material must also be taken into account.

In general, a number of requirements and needs with respect to transport systems for biological material may be set out.

The equipment must be capable of maintaining the temperature inside the transport item in such manner that the quality of the biological samples is ensured even when there are fluctuations of temperature in the ambient air. It is well known that the temperature in Norway varies from summer to winter by about 50° C, and this must be taken into account when choosing the material for the transport container.

Furthermore, it must be practical and safe to use for the laboratory, the person or institution placing the order and the carrier. Also embodied in this requirement is a need for the container to be capable of being used for the transport of other mail and equipment to and from the laboratory/the person or institution placing the order.

The transport equipment must satisfy the safety requirements set by the carrier for the transport of such material as well as the requirements set by the authorities.

The transport equipment must also be capable of being cleaned in compliance with the regulations in force.

Lastly, it is of course important that confidential information which as a general rule accompanies such samples does not end up in the hands of unauthorised persons.

The object of the present invention is to provide a transport container which satisfies the requirements outlined above, and therefore the invention in a first aspect relates to a transport container for biological material which is characterised in that it comprises a main body in the form of an open container divided into separate compartments, and a cover which in the position of use constitutes a door and in the transport position constitutes a lid.

In a preferred embodiment a leak-proof sealing accessory is provided between the container and the lid.

The lid is preferably equipped with a central depression on the external surface to permit a later fastened strap to function as a handle.

The container is preferably made of a recyclable or safely disposable material.

As mentioned above, the interior of the container is equipped with compartments for receiving different elements in connection with the transport of biological material.

Many blood samples are taken at doctors'surgeries, in institutions, by district nurses, in hospitals and so forth. However, not all of these persons or institutions have the possibility of analysing the blood (or other biological samples) themselves and therefore a large number of these samples are transported to a central laboratory for analysis.

A form, a requisition, in which certain necessary data is given must accompany the sample.

Hitherto, it has been usual to transport samples of this kind by packing each sample individually in a suitable transport package.

However, some laboratories have had a collection service and have offered their customers the option of putting several samples in a wire stand that is placed in a box.

With some of these wire stands it has been possible to place the requisition forms at the side of the stand.

However, in general there has been a danger of the samples and the requisitions becoming separated from one another during this transport process.

The use of wire stands has also resulted in extra work in connection with cleaning and return to the customer after each transport operation.

To ease and secure the transport of such material as described above and also to solve the problems just described, an accessory for the transport container described in the introduction has been developed.

Accordingly, the invention also relates to an accessory for a transport container as described above in the form of a covered box of paperboard, cardboard or the like for the transport of blood samples or the like, and this box is characterised in that internally it is equipped with a liquid-absorbent, porous lining, that externally it is equipped with a coating of a liquid-impermeable material and that it is equipped with an internal fitting in the form of a paperboard stand with star cut-outs for test and sampling tubes and sample bottles, where the box, the lining, the coating and the internal fitting are made of a safely disposable or discardable material.

The invention will be described in more detail with the aid of the attached figures wherein: Figure 1 shows a transport container that is closed and sealed with a strap and ready for transport; Figure 2 shows an opened transport container in the position of use with different types of accessory; Figure 3 indicates an alternative transport possibility; Figure 4 shows an accessory box for the transport container according to Figures 1 to 3.

The transport container in Figure 1 consists of a main body 1 and a cover 2.

The container 2 on what in the position of use is the upper surface is equipped with grooves 3 intended to receive non-illustrated ridges on the opposite (lower) surface to facilitate stacking. Of course, the grooves 3 could be on the top and the ridges on the bottom.

The reference numeral 4 indicates a depression in the cover part 2 and this depression makes it possible to grip around the strap 5, thereby forming a"handle".

As indicated in Figure 2, the interior of the container is divided into compartments, where 6 indicates an accessory box intended for one chamber which has been given dimensions so that this accessory box fits exactly inside the compartment.

The reference numerals 7 and 8 indicate other possibilities: reference numeral 7 may for example represent a box for used syringes, hazardous waste or the like, whilst the compartment 8 may hold documents, requisitions etc.

However, the invention is not limited to goods of this type for transport, and Figure 3 shows other possibilities. Other items which are frequently transported between laboratories and their customers are requisition blocks, mail from the laboratory or other departments in the hospital to the doctors'surgeries, X-ray pictures and also other equipment for blood tests (needles, test tubes, etc). The reference numerals 7', 7"and 7"'indicate such possibilities without further definition.

The reference numeral 6 in Figure shows an additional article for the invention, namely an accessory box designed for the transport of biological tests.

As mentioned above, this box and the associated compartment in the transport container are given dimensions such that the box 6 is held in place in the associated compartment.

This box must satisfy many requirements. It must be designed so that all types of tubes or bottles are well secured during transport regardless of whether the transport container is in the position of use or the position of transport.

Furthermore, the samples must be secured so that they cannot be crushed or broken if the transport container as such should be subjected to severe jolting.

The box-must also be completely closed and as mentioned above it is porous on the inside so as to be able to absorb any leaks. For additional safety, the outside in coated with a coating that is impermeable to leaks.

As indicated in Figure 4, the box can be equipped with means for the transport of requisition forms, which the prior art has hitherto not provided for.

This box is made of a material that can be safely disposed of or discarded.

One of the advantages of such a transport box is obtained even during transport to the user because it can be sent as a flat pack.

Another advantage of this box is that samples and necessary papers, for example, blood samples and requisitions, accompany one another throughout the transport cycle, which ensures that they do not become separated from each other or fall into the hands of unauthorised persons.

The securing of tubes and bottles 8 in the box 6 is preferably done by means of an inserted paperboard stand 9 in which star openings are cut out for different tubes and bottles.

This means that bottles and tubes of different sizes are held in place and are thus protected from being broken or damaged.