Breather pouch for surgical suture packages
AssigneeUnited States Surgical Corporation
InventorsDavid L. Brown, Stanley J. Malinowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A breather package for surgical elements such as sutures or suture-needle assemblies having a layer of fibrous material and a layer of plastic material forming a pocket therebetween. Longitudinal heat seals and transverse top and bottom seals are provided which form the package. The layer of fibrous material is provided with longitudinal strips of release agent material through which the longitudinal heat seals are formed. An apparatus for forming such a package is also disclosed.
Claims27
A package for surgical elements comprising:
- a sheet of fibrous material having longitudinal side edges and top and bottom transverse edges,
- a sheet of plastic material having longitudinal side edges and top and bottom transverse edges, said plastic overlaying and corresponding substantially in size and shape to said fibrous sheet, and
- a release agent material positioned between said sheets along each longitudinal side edge of said sheets,
- wherein said plastic sheet is heat sealed to said fibrous sheet along said top and bottom edges, and is further heat sealed to said fibrous sheet along said longitudinal side edges at said release agent.
A package for surgical suture-needle assemblies, said package comprising:
- a sheet of fibrous material having top and bottom transverse edges, and longitudinal side edges;
- a sheet of plastic material corresponding in size and shape to said fibrous sheet, said plastic material having a top and bottom transverse edge, and longitudinal side edges;
- and
- a strip of release agent material positioned between said sheets at each of said longitudinal side edges of said sheets;
- wherein said plastic sheet is adhered to said fibrous sheet along said side edges at said strips of release agent material, along said bottom edge, and parallel to but spaced a distance from said top edge to define a gripping tab to facilitate separation of said plastic sheet from said fibrous sheet, said suture assemblies being secured in a pocket formed between said fibrous sheet and said plastic sheet.
A breather pouch for a surgical elements, comprising:
- a sheet of fibrous material having top and bottom transverse edges, and longitudinal side edges;
- a sheet of plastic material having top and bottom transverse edges and longitudinal side edges, said plastic sheet corresponding substantially in size and shape to said fibrous sheet;
- and
- a release agent material being positioned between said sheets at each of said longitudinal edges of said sheets;
- wherein said surgical elements are sealed between said fibrous sheet and said plastic sheet by a transverse heat seal along said bottom edges between said plastic and fibrous sheets, a transverse heat seal adjacent said top edges between said plastic and fibrous sheets, and longitudinal heat seals along said side edges which seal said plastic sheet to said fibrous sheet at said release agent.
A method of opening a breather pouch having surgical elements packaged therein, said breather much including a sheet of fibrous material having top and bottom transverse edges, and longitudinal side edges;
- a sheet of plastic material having top and bottom transverse edges and longitudinal side edges, said plastic sheet corresponding substantially in size and shape to said fibrous sheet;
- a release agent material being positioned between said sheets at each of said longitudinal edges of said sheets;
- said surgical elements being sealed between said fibrous sheet and said plastic sheet by a transverse heat seal along said bottom edges directly between said plastic and fibrous sheets, a transverse heat seal parallel to and spaced from said top edges to form a fibrous and a plastic gripping tab, said transverse heat seal being directly between said plastic and fibrous sheets, and longitudinal heat seals along said side edges which seal said plastic sheet to said fibrous sheet at said release agent;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- grasping said fibrous sheet with one hand at said fibrous gripping tab;
- grasping said plastic sheet with another hand at said plastic gripping tab;
- applying a first pull force sufficient to overcome said top transverse heat seal to separate said fibrous sheet from said plastic sheet;
- applying a second pull force sufficient to overcome said longitudinal side heat seals to continue separation of said fibrous sheet from said plastic sheet;
- and
- removing said surgical element from said breather pouch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.