To those of you IRB Administrators and Chairs at biomedical institutions:

 In the OPRR IRB Guidebook received in August 1993, the term
"existing specimens" was interpreted to mean those in existence at the time
that the investigator received approval for his/her study.

Question #1:  Is any institution preparing a consent form releasing
specimens collected from an inpatient or outpatient, so that the specimen
can then be used for research purposes, no matter the time of collection?
(or have any institutions included the use of specimens for research
purposes in their standard surgical or autopsy consents?)

Question #2:  If there is a consent form, does the patient waive all rights
to any remuneration if the research produces a commercially useful product?

Please advise.

Margo Hinkle, Associate Director of Research
Kathleen Meenaghan, R.N., IRB Administrator
Evanston Hospital Corporation
xxxxxx@merle.acns.nwu.edu