Combination needle cover and venipuncture device tray and method of using same

A method of accessing a venipuncture device from a package, the package having a preformed blister cover and a closure strip peelably joined to the blister cover, said blister cover being formed so as to define a needle portion, a handle portion and a handle restraining portion disposed between the needle portion and the handle portion, said handle restraining portion having a generally parabolic cross-sectional shape of smaller transverse and longitudinal dimensions than said needle and handle portions, said parabolically shaped handle restraining portion also defining a communicating passageway between said needle and handle portions, the needle and handle portion also each having a sloped surface that joins the parabolically cross-sectional shaped handle restraining portion and that converges at the base of the handle restraining portion, thereby defining a bending location at said handle restraining portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• peeling said closure strip away from said handle and handle restraining portions so as to expose essentially only the handle of the venipuncture device;
• bending said package at the bending location defined on said package so as to expose essentially the entire handle of said device to finger access without exposing the needle of said device, thereby also forming a device tray which is self-supporting in an upright position;
• placing the bent package in an upright position upon an essentially level surface;
• and
• removing the venipuncture device from the package.

A sterile package for venipuncture devices, said package being constructed in part of ductile material so that it can be angularly deformed when opened and comprising:

• a top blister cover made of ductile, transparent plastic, the blister cover having a single raised portion that covers the entire venipuncture device, said raised portion having a cross-sectional size which will permit the device to be withdrawn from the blister cover with one hand without having to apply any significant force to remove the cover when opened, said blister cover also having a peripheral flange formed so as to circumscribe the base of the raised portion, said flange having a fold line scribed thereon to facilitate bending of said peripheral flange at the fold line, said flange also defining front and rear surface-engaging ends that support the package on a flat surface after it has been angularly deformed, said blister cover also having a plurality of score lines scribed across the surface of the raised portion of the blister cover so as to facilitate breaking said raised portion open along said score lines when the blister cover is angularly deformed, said score lines converging at said fold line and defining a detachable section of said raised portion of blister cover, said detachable section being located on the raised portion of the blister cover so as to permit essentially only the handle of said venipuncture device to be fully exposed when the package is angularly deformed;
• a flat cover joined to the peripheral flange of said blister cover, said flat cover enclosing the venipuncture device within the blister cover;
• and
• means disposed between the blister cover and the flat cover for adhesively joining the flat cover to the blister cover.

A method of opening a package which encloses a venipuncture device, the package having a raised blister cover and a closure strip joined to the blister cover and enclosing the device therewithin, said blister cover having a peripheral flange with a fold line scribed thereon, and said blister cover further having a plurality of score lines scribed on the blister cover so as to converge with said fold line, thereby defining a detachable section of said blister cover, the method comprising the steps of:

• breaking said blister cover open along a first score line in the vicinity of the handle;
• bending said closure strip and said peripheral flange of said blister cover at said fold line into an angular configuration;
• breaking the blister cover open along a second score line so as to permit removal of said detachable section of blister cover;
• placing said package in an upright position upon an essentially level surface;
• and
• removing the venipuncture device from said package.