Modular medical article storage container with tortuous path seal

A method of shielding an internal storage space of a medical article storage container from RF energy leakage out of and into the internal storage space, the storage container having radio-frequency (RF) shielding material arranged to attenuate the passage of RF energy out of and into the internal storage space, the method comprising:

• surrounding the internal storage space with a plurality of interconnected walls, each of the walls having a plastic substrate with an embedded electrically conductive component that is coextensive with the substrate;
• connecting together the coextensive electrically conductive components of adjacent walls at joint seams, wherein each wall has a joining edge configured to mate physically and electrically with a joining edge of another wall to form a joint seam, thereby providing electrically conducting walls located completely around the internal storage space to attenuate RF energy and shield the internal storage space from leakage of RF energy;
• and
• forming an RF tortuous path seal at each joint seam through connecting together a first component of an RF tortuous path located at a first wall at the joint seam with a second component of an RF tortuous path located at a second wall at the same joint seam as the first wall, wherein connecting together the first and second components of the RF tortuous path provides an RF tortuous path seal that attenuates RF energy;
• whereby the internal storage space is shielded against the leakage of RF energy out.

A medical article storage container having an internal storage space for use with radio-frequency (RF) energy at an operating frequency, the storage container having RF shielding material arranged to attenuate the passage of RF energy at the operating frequency out of and into the storage space, the container formed with a plurality of interconnected walls, the container comprising:

• a first wall of the plurality of interconnected walls comprising a substrate formed of an electrically non-conductive material, the first wall also comprising a joining edge configured to physically mate with another wall to form a joint seam between the two walls, the first wall also comprising an electrically conductive component that is coextensive with the first wall substrate and extends to the joining edge of the first wall at which location the electrically conductive component is exposed to electrically connect with an electrically conductive component of another wall at the joint seam, the first wall also comprising a first mating component of a tortuous path at the joining edge;
• and
• a second wall of the plurality of interconnected walls comprising a substrate that is formed of an electrically non-conductive material, the second wall also comprising a joining edge that is physically mated with the joining edge of the first wall to form a joint seam between the two walls, the second wall also comprising an electrically conductive component that is coextensive with the second wall substrate and extends to the joining edge of the second wall substrate at which location the electrically conductive component of the second wall is exposed, the electrically conductive component of the second wall being electrically connected to the electrically conductive component of the first wall at the joint seam, the second wall also comprising a second mating component of a tortuous path at the joining edge of the second wall, the second mating component mating with the first mating component of the first wall to thereby form a tortuous path seal at the joint seam to attenuate RF energy leaking out of and into the storage space;
• wherein the tortuous path seal has a size selected to attenuate RF energy used for operation in the storage space;
• wherein the first and second walls have selectable sizes relative to each other;
• the first wall is used in a first storage container of a first size and the second wall is used in a second storage container of a second size that is different from the first storage container, wherein the first and second storage containers are modular containers that are connected together at joint seams of the first walls of the first storage container being connected to the second walls of the second storage container;
• whereby the electrical connections of the first and second walls and the tortuous path seal provide further shielding from RF leakage.