1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure pertains to a reclosable package or bag with a tear-away feature. More specifically, the present disclosure pertains to a specimen bag which may be used to hold a specimen container and related paperwork.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art further includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,216 entitled “Reclosable Plastic Bag with Non-Perforated Tear Zone” issued on Apr. 17, 2001 to Taheri and U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,302 entitled “Plastic Bag with Tamper-Evident Closure” issued on Nov. 21, 2000 to Taheri.
It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a reclosable package or bag for a primary specimen container for bio-hazardous material, and related paperwork wherein the bag can be disposed of in regular trash after the primary specimen container has been removed.
This and other objects are obtained by providing a reclosable package or bag, with a tear-away feature, for a primary specimen container and associated paperwork, wherein the bio-hazard symbols or markings are printed along the tear-line of the package or bag, so that alter the bag has been torn open along the tear-line, the bio-hazard symbols or markings are obliterated and the bag can be disposed of with ordinary waste.
Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements, one sees plan views of variations of the embodiment of specimen bag 10 of the present disclosure in
Specimen bag 10 includes a front panel 12 and a primary rear panel 14, typically formed from a single sheet of polymeric material with lower fold 16 therebetween and sealed at first and second edges 15, 17 thereby providing a specimen storage space 100 accessed via mouth 18. Mouth 18 is reclosably sealed by zipper 20 which includes first and second zipper profiles 22, 24 attached to front panel 12 and primary rear panel 14, respectively. Additionally, a document storage space 102 is formed immediately outward of rear panel 14 by sealing a secondary rear panel 26 upwardly adjacent from lower fold 16 along seal line 28. As shown in
Front panel 12 of specimen bag 10 includes tear zone 50, typically formed from successive sideways V-shaped or herringbone-shaped lines of weakness. Bio-hazard symbol 52 is printed in tear zone 50. Bio-hazard symbol 52 is typically printed sideways (that is, with the text parallel to first and second edges 15, 17 or perpendicular to a direction of tear zone 50, or to the direction of tearing therein). In this way, the text is more illegible when a tearing has been performed through tear zone 50 and through bio-hazard symbol 52.
Front panel 12 may optionally further include printed instructions 54 regarding the use of specimen bag 10, as well as a checklist 56 with options which the user may choose with respect to the specimen bag 10 and its specific specimen content, in order to identify proper treatment of the specimen.
To use specimen bag 10, the user places a primary specimen container (not shown) and, optionally, some absorbent material (not shown) into specimen storage space 100 and closes zipper 20 by joining first and second profiles 22, 24 together. The user then may place paper documentation (not shown) into document storage space 102. If seal 42 is an adhesive seal, the user may seal the adhesive seal 42, with subsequent access being provided by tearing upper perforated line 44. If seal 42 is a hard seal, then both initial and subsequent access is provided after tearing of the upper perforated line 44. The user may also choose to check off items on checklist 56.
Subsequently, in order to remove the primary specimen container, the user (which may be the same or different from the user who originally placed the primary specimen container into specimen bag 100) would tear the specimen bag 10 along tear zone 50, thereby making the bio-hazard symbol 52 illegible and allowing for the removal of the specimen. The specimen bag 10 could then be disposed of, if appropriate, in regular trash after removal of the primary specimen container and the documentation. Alternatively, if this user wished to keep the bio-hazard symbol 52 intact; this user could remove the primary specimen container via mouth 18 after opening zipper 20. This user could also access the documentation in documentation storage space 102 via upper perforated line 44.
Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/178,729 filed May 15, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61178729 | May 2009 | US |