A Do-It-Yourself Cartridge Aspirator

An aspirator is a tool used to collect small specimens through the use of suction. The specimen is then deposited in some type of collecting vessel, where it can be confined. The container can then be removed and a new one can be placed in the system. In the case of the beloved “pooter,” the specimen can be blown back out of the aspirator into a collecting container. Suction can be provided using a mechanical pump or mouth suction. Current commercially available aspirators lack the ability to maintain suction on the collecting vessel once the cap has been opened to change out the collecting vessel, which is a problem when working with highly mobile specimens that can readily escape. There are a few …