Patent Application
20210229887
The present disclosure relates to packaging products for surgical instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a foldable card and package for surgical instruments.
Wrap-around storage containers are well-known. When fabricating a storage container from a paperboard blank, opposite sides of the blank are often attached to each other by glue or by mechanical locks to form the bottom panel of the storage container. In the case of a wrap-around storage container, flaps located on the sides of the blank typically are overlapped and engaged with one another by mechanical locks formed in the flaps to form the bottom panel of the storage container.
Surgical instruments have been known to be packaged in a similar configuration called a “blister.” Blister packages, which are also called “blister packs,” are known in a wide variety of embodiments. In the previously known blister packages, a product which is also intended as an insert or accessory part is usually packaged visibly. To this end, the previously known blister packages have a plastic film molded part which is manufactured from transparent plastic film and supports the product to be packaged in a molded cavity which is made in the plastic film. Blister packages of this type allow the customer, purchaser, or user to see the packaged article. The product is presented in front of a cardboard wall and is fixed with the plastic film molded part. The plastic film may also act as a sterile barrier between the surgical instrument within the package, and the ambient environment.
Certain surgical procedures require using several types of surgical instruments. Accordingly, it may be helpful to provide product packaging that is configured to house several surgical instruments. Additionally, it would be helpful for the product packaging to minimize or prevent the surgical instruments from unintended movement during shipping and handling, which would also help prevent damage to the packaging itself including any sterile barrier included with the packaging.
The present disclosure relates to a foldable card for retaining a plurality of surgical instruments. The foldable card includes a first panel, a second panel hingedly connected to the first panel, a third panel hingedly connected to the second panel, a fourth panel hingedly connected to the third panel, a fifth panel hingedly connected to the fourth panel, and a sixth panel hingedly connected to the fifth panel. The first panel defines a first opening configured to allow a portion of a first surgical instrument to pass therethrough, and a second opening configured to allow a portion of a second surgical instrument to pass therethrough. The third panel defines a first opening configured to allow a portion of the first surgical instrument to pass therethrough, and a second opening configured to allow a portion of the second surgical instrument to pass therethrough.
The foldable card may include a seventh panel hingedly connected to the sixth panel.
It is further disclosed that the first panel and the third panel may define the same length, the first panel and the fifth panel may define the same length, the first panel and the second panel may define the same length, and/or the first panel and the seventh panel may define the same length.
The foldable card may be made from at least one of cardboard, laminated paperboard, or plastic.
Additionally, it is disclosed that the first panel may define a third opening configured to allow a portion of a third surgical instrument to pass therethrough, the third panel may define a third opening configured to allow a portion of the third surgical instrument to pass therethrough.
The first opening of the first panel may define a non-circular shape.
The present disclosure also relates to a kit comprising a pouch, a first surgical instrument disposed within the pouch, a second surgical instrument disposed within the pouch, and a foldable card disposed within the pouch. The foldable card includes a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel. The first panel defines a first opening first opening configured to allow a portion of the first surgical instrument to pass therethrough, and a second opening configured to allow a portion of the second surgical instrument to pass therethrough. The second panel is hingedly connected to the first panel, and the third panel is hingedly connected to the second panel. The third panel defines a first opening configured to allow a portion of the first surgical instrument to pass therethrough, and a second opening configured to allow a portion of the second surgical instrument to pass therethrough.
The pouch may be made of high density polyethylene fibers.
It is further disclosed that the first surgical instrument may be a cannula, the second surgical instrument may be an obturator, and the third surgical instrument may be a syringe.
The kit may also include a third surgical instrument disposed within the pouch. The first panel of the foldable card may define a third opening configured to allow a portion of the third surgical instrument to pass therethrough, and the third panel of the foldable card may define a third opening configured to allow a portion of the third surgical instrument to pass therethrough.
Additionally, it is disclosed that the first opening of the third panel of the foldable card may define a non-circular shape. It is further disclosed that the third panel of the foldable card may extend from the fourth panel of the foldable card at a non-perpendicular angle when the first surgical instrument passes through the first opening of the first panel of the foldable card and through the first opening of the third panel of the foldable card.
In aspects, the foldable card may also include a fourth panel hingedly connected to the third panel, a fifth panel hingedly connected to the fourth panel, and a sixth panel hingedly connected to the fifth panel.
Various aspects and features of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and together with a general description of the disclosure given above and the detailed description below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure, wherein:
Particular aspects of the present disclosure are described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. Well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Like reference numerals refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the figures.
Reference will now be made in detail to aspects of the present disclosure. While certain aspects of the present disclosure will be described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. To the contrary, reference to various aspects of the present disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
The foldable card 100 defines a first end 102, a second end 104, a first lateral side 106, and a second lateral side 108. The foldable card 100 includes a first panel 110, a second panel 120, a third panel 130, a fourth panel 140, a fifth panel 150, a sixth panel 160, and a seventh panel 170. Additionally, a first fold line 210 hingedly interconnects the first panel 110 and the second panel 120, a second fold line 220 hingedly interconnects the second panel 120 and the third panel 130, a third fold line 230 hingedly interconnects the third panel 130 and the fourth panel 140, a fourth fold line 240 hingedly interconnects the fourth panel 140 and the fifth panel 150, a fifth fold line 250 hingedly interconnects the fifth panel 150 and the sixth panel 160, and a sixth fold line 260 hingedly interconnects the sixth panel 160 and the seventh panel 170.
With continued reference to
With particular reference to
In
Additionally, in the illustrated aspect, the sixth panel 160 includes a pair of tabs 162. The tabs 162 are spaced from lateral edges of the sixth panel 160 and each tab 162 is configured to engage a side of the second panel 120 after the foldable card 100 has been folded into the orientation shown in
While the specification and figures describe and may depict a particular order of folding the various panels of the foldable card 100, the foldable card 100 is able to be folded in any order without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
As shown in
In disclosed aspects, the fifth panel 150 also includes at least one opening extending therethrough. Here, a distal portion of a surgical instrument that does not require protection (e.g. a blunt tip) can pass through. Instruments having a sharp tip would not extend through an opening in the fifth panel 150, for instance.
Referring now to
While each of the first panel 110 and the third panel 130 are shown with three openings 112, 132, respectively, it is envisioned that the first panel 110 and the third panel 130 define more or fewer than three openings to accommodate a corresponding number of surgical instruments 500. Additionally, while openings 112 and 132 of various shapes and sizes are shown, the present disclosure also includes aspects of the foldable card 100 having openings 112, 132 of sizes and shapes other than those shown, and in a different order than shown. For instance, the openings 112, 132 may be round (e.g., circular, non-circular, oval, elliptical, etc.), non-round (e.g., including straight lines and/or corners), or a combination thereof (e.g., eyelid-shaped), depending, for example, on the shape (e.g., cross-section) of relevant portions of a surgical instrument designed to be inserted therethrough. It is envisioned that non-circular openings 112, 132 may help secure circular portions (cross-sections) of surgical instruments that are inserted therethrough, especially, for instance, when the third panel 130 is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle with regard to the fourth panel 140 (see
In various aspects, the fourth panel 140 of the foldable card 100 includes at least one viewing window, allowing portions of the surgical instruments 500 behind the fourth panel 140 to be seen by a user. For instance, such a viewing window may allow a user to view the shaft and/or distal tip of the surgical instrument 500 when the foldable card 100 and surgical instruments 500 are within the package 400.
In the example illustrated in
It is envisioned that the package 400 is made at least in part from a transparent or translucent material, such as high density polyethylene fibers (e.g., Tyvek®, sold by DuPont) to allow users to see the surgical instruments 500 within the package 400. Additionally, the package 400 creates a sterile barrier therein to help keep the surgical instruments 500 in a sterile environment during shipping and storage, for instance. Further, use of the foldable card 100 within the package 400 helps prevent the surgical instruments 500 from becoming loose during shipping, which thus helps prevent damaging the surgical instruments 500 and damaging the package 400.
The foldable card 100 may be made from cardboard, laminated paperboard, plastic (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate glycol (“PTEG”, polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), polyethylene (“PE”), or other suitable materials.
Accordingly, the foldable card 100 is relatively low cost, fast and easy to assembly (i.e., folding the foldable card 100 along six fold lines), fast and easy to insert surgical instruments 500 through the openings 112, 132. The package 400 and foldable card 100 provides a convenient, secure, and sterile solution for shipping, handling and storing surgical instruments 500.
The present disclosure also includes a kit 600 (
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances. The aspects described with reference to the attached drawing figures are presented only to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the particular examples and aspects set forth herein are non-limiting, and modifications to structure, dimensions, materials, and methodologies may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other elements, steps, methods and techniques that are insubstantially different from those described above and/or in the appended claims are also intended to be within the scope of the disclosure.
