The IUCA consisted of a small, conical piece of
high-absorbency filter paper that could be placed in urine collection funnels, which themselves were attached to the Shuttle waste collection system. The IUCA was a conical, 75 cm
2 filter that fit into the urine-collection funnel. The filter material could absorb 20.4 gm of water per 100 cm2, and weighed approximately 20 gm empty and 35 gm full. This assembly could be used by men and women, and could be used on the Shuttle middeck.
Theoretically, as the crew member voided, the vortex action created by the Shuttle's vacuum system would allow urine to saturate the IUCA.
When the void was complete, the IUCA could be
removed, placed in a double-ziplock bag, and stored in an absorber containment bag for return. This technology could be used only for experiments that did not require void volume
to be measured.
By comparison, the urine-collection device (UCD)
assembly, which could be used only by men, weighed 65 gm empty and 300-400 gm when full.