For years, the medical testing industry has been using a swab device with glass ampoules containing reagents. After a sample had been collected, the medical technician broke the glass ampoule to release the reagent. There are many problems with this tech- nology, including the possibility of glass shards cutting the technician, clogging the dropper tube or entering the reagent and affecting the variability in the volume dispensed. Addressing these safety issues also became more important with the advent of AIDS.

Therefore, the company decided to produce a swab package that would make collection and transportation easier and safer. It invented Snap Swab, a Dacron swab tip on a polystyrene shaft encased in a polyethylene tube. Snapping the swab shaft releases the reagent, making the swab ready for use. However, to maintain the low cost and ensure dependability, the swab had to be reliably bonded to the in- side of the tube. The interface of the swab shaft, the protective tubing and the reagent bulb had to be leak-proof.