INTRODUCTION

The FPC® JUMBO Fecal Parasite Concentrator, like the original FPC®, is a simple, clean, and efficient device used to concentrate helminth eggs & larvae and protozoan cysts, and to recover coccidian oocysts such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Isospora belli.

Invented by Willadene S. Zierdt at the National Institutes for Health, JUMBO is manufactured by Evergreen Scientific under an exclusive licensing agreement with the National Technical Information Service of the United States government covering U.S. patent #4,181,356.

JUMBO is compatible with virtually all commercially available fecal transport kits including Evergreen's FTK and provides a practical, versatile system to collect, preserve, transport, and process fecal specimens for ova and parasite procedures.

METHODOLOGY

The methodology is a modification of the commonly accepted Ritchie formalin-ether (F-E) method. However, the JUMBO method uses a closed two-tube system. The brochure illustrates the recommended procedure with JUMBO in 16 easy-to-follow steps.

SPECIFICATIONS

JUMBO replaces funnel-gauze filtrations with two polypropylene tubes and an interconnected plastic strainer unit. The strainer has a threaded cap portion connecting it to the 50 ml tube and a flanged portion which attaches directly to the 30 ml fecal transport tubes used in the FTK and other fecal transport systems.

Ova and parasites pass through 380 ultra-precision 0.6 x 0.6 mm holes - the largest filter matrix of any commercially available fecal concentrating device - while excess fecal debris is retained.

JUMBO attaches directly to patients' sample vials and requires no intermediate preparation prior to concentration. Thus, JUMBO reduces handling and the chance for contamination. This methodology is also especially advantageous when the specimen contains only a small number of organisms. By keeping the specimen completely contained, JUMBO minimized lab personnel's exposure to and virtually eliminates the odor associated with fecal specimens.

One case of FPC® JUMBO provides materials for 120 tests. Included are preassembled centrifuge tube-strainer units, centrifuge tube caps, dispensing spoons, 20% Triton X-100, trays, applicator sticks, extra 30 ml vials, biohazard bags, and instructions.