Stool Container

Quick Answer: A stool container is a small, sealable plastic specimen pot used to collect a faecal sample and carry it to the laboratory for testing. Such containers usually have a small scoop or spoon, often fixed to the cap, so the right amount can be taken without touching the sample.

Collecting a Useful Sample

A faecal sample is only as useful as its collection. The patient passes stool onto clean paper laid over the toilet or into a clean dry receptacle, not into the water, then uses the scoop to transfer a portion into the pot. Samples mixed with urine or toilet water can give misleading results, especially for parasites, so the collection step is worth explaining clearly.

Laboratories use these samples for microscopy for ova, cysts and parasites, for occult blood testing, for bacterial culture in diarrhoeal illness and for tests such as stool pH or reducing substances. Each lab sets how much it needs, how quickly the sample must arrive and whether it may be refrigerated, and those instructions should always be passed on to the patient.

For health workers and laboratory trainees the container is also a teaching item: correct labelling, closing the lid firmly, placing the pot in a sealed biohazard bag with the request form in a separate pocket, and handling every sample as potentially infectious. A revised version is listed separately as the Stool Container, New Design.

Specifications

Applications

• Routine stool examination for ova, cysts and parasites
• Faecal occult blood testing
• Stool culture during outbreaks of diarrhoea
• Practical sessions on specimen collection for nursing and laboratory technology students

Care & Handling

• Write the patient’s name and the date and time of collection on the container body, not on the lid alone.
• Fill only to the level the laboratory asks for; overfilled pots leak in transport.
• Close the lid tightly and wipe the outside before bagging.
• Treat filled containers as biohazardous and dispose of them by autoclaving or incineration after testing.

Why Choose LabEquip

Hospitals, diagnostic centres, public health programmes and medical laboratory technology colleges use these pots every day. LabEquip supplies them in the Biology Lab Products range, and bulk quantities can be arranged through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much stool should be put in the container?

Follow the laboratory’s instructions. Many labs ask for a portion about the size of a walnut for formed stool, or a few spoonfuls of liquid stool, taken with the scoop.

Can the sample be collected from the toilet bowl water?

No. Water and urine can destroy some parasites and dilute or contaminate the sample. Collect the stool on clean paper or in a clean dry container first, then transfer a portion to the pot.

How soon must the sample reach the laboratory?

As soon as possible. Some tests, such as looking for moving amoebae, need very fresh samples, while others tolerate some delay. The laboratory’s instructions on timing and storage should always be followed.

Is a stool container sterile?

They are made both sterile and clean non-sterile. Sterile containers are preferred when a culture is requested. The sterility of this listing is confirmed at enquiry.

How should filled containers be transported?

Close the lid firmly, place the container in a sealed specimen bag with absorbent material, keep the request form in the separate pocket and carry it upright. Label it as a biological specimen.

Can one sample be used for several tests?

Often yes, if the laboratory agrees and there is enough sample. Some tests need special containers with preservatives, so check with the laboratory before combining requests.

Last Updated: September 2026