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US 6,672,036 B2Granted
Method and packaging system for packaging a sterilized item
OwnerPercival C. Banksinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, packaging system and packaging element for packaging a sterilizable item for aseptic presentation onto a sterile field wherein the vertical orientation of the sterilizable item does not need to be reversed during packaging, sterilization, unpackaging or presentation and instructions for handling are printed on the packaging element so that they are exposed when the packaging element is folded according to the packaging system and method.
Claims20
A method for packaging a sterilizable item for aseptic presentation, comprising:
- (a) into a sterilizable pouch having a closed end, an open end, an inside surface and an outside surface, place the item to be sterilized so that the item contacts a portion of the inside surface proximate the closed end;
- (b) form a border portion which surrounds and overlays the outside surface of the pouch, a first edge of said border portion defining an opening in said pouch which terminates m spaced-apart first edge corners and a second opposing edge of the border portion being spaced apart from the first edge by a length of the border portion;
- (c) reduce the size of the first edge by between approximately 50 to 80% by folding the corners inward onto the border portion;
- (d) fold the border portion over the corners along an upper fold line between the first edge and the second edge so that the reduced open end extends toward the second edge and the upper fold line separates a folded-over portion of the border portion from an unfolded-over portion of the border portion;
- and
- (e) fold the folded-over border portion onto itself along a lower fold line so the reduced first edge is positioned between the lower fold line and the upper fold line without tracking any portion of the folded-over portion under the second edge.
3 more elements
The method of claim one including the further step of:
- securing the folded border portion to the outside surface of the pouch.
A packaging element for containing an item to be sterilized, comprising in combination:
- a front panel having an inside surface and an outside surface;
- a back panel having an inside surface and an outside surface attached to said front panel, with the inside surfaces of said front and back panels in facing relationship to form a pouch having a bottom, two sides and a top wherein said pouch is closed along its bottom and at least one side and open at its top;
- instructional information printed onto the inside surface of said front panel at locations thereon which are exposed when said pouch is folded as follows:
- (a) form a border portion which surrounds and overlays the outside surfaces of said front and back panels, a first edge of said border portion defining an opening in said pouch and having a width between two spaced-apart first edge corners and a second opposing edge of the border portion having a width between two second edge corners and being spaced apart from the first edge by the length of the border portion;
- (b) reduce the size of the first edge by between approximately 50 to 80% by folding the first edge corners inward onto the border portion;
- (c) fold the border portion over the first edge corners along an upper fold line between said first edge of said border portion and said second edge of said border portion so that the reduced first edge extends toward the second edge whereby the upper fold line separates a folded-over portion of the border portion from an unfolded-over portion of the border portion;
- and
- (d) fold the folded-over border portion onto itself along a lower fold line so the reduced first edge is positioned between the lower fold line and the upper fold line and between the folded-over portion of the border portion and the unfolded-over portion of the border portion without tucking any portion of the folded-over portion under the second edge.
5 more elements
A packaging element for containing an item to be sterilized, comprising in combination;
- a front panel of transparent material having an inside surface and an outside surface;
- a back panel of transparent material having an inside surface and an outside surface attached to said front panel with the inside surfaces of said front and back panels in facing relationship to form a pouch having a bottom, two sides and a top wherein said pouch is closed along its bottom and at least one side and open at its top;
- instructional information printed onto the outside surface of said front panel along the sides of said pouch which is exposed when said pouch is folded as follows:
- (a) form a border portion which surrounds and overlays the outside surfaces of said front and back panels, a first edge of said border portion defining an opening in said pouch and having a width between two spaced-apart first edge corners and a second opposing edge of the border portion having a width between two second edge corners and being spaced apart from the first edge by a length of the border portion;
- (b) reduce the size of the first edge by between approximately 50 to 80% by folding the first edge corners inward onto the border portion;
- (c) fold the border portion and pouch-forming front and back panels over the corners toward said front panel so that the reduced first edge extends beyond the second edge;
- and
- (d) fold the folded border portion onto itself along a lower fold line so the reduced first edge is positioned between the lower fold line and the upper fold line so that no part of the folded border portion is tucked under the second edge of the border portion, whereby the instructional information appears adjacent the exposed portions of the second opposing edge of the border portion and under said areas of said border portion immediately above said exposed second opposing edge portions.
5 more elements
A packaging element for containing an item to be sterilized, comprising in combination:
- a front panel having an inside surface and an outside surface;
- a back panel having an inside surface and an outside surface attached to said front panel, with the inside surfaces of said front and back panels in facing relationship to form a pouch having a bottom, two sides and a top wherein said pouch is closed along its bottom and at least one side and open at its top;
- instructional information printed onto the inside surface of said front panel at locations thereon which are exposed when said pouch is folded as follows:
- (a) form a border portion which surrounds and overlays the outside surfaces of said front and back panels, a first edge of said border portion defining an opening in said pouch and having a width between two spaced-apart first edge corners and a second opposing edge of the border portion having a width between two second edge corners and being spaced apart from the first edge by a width of the border portion;
- (b) reduce the size of the first edge by between approximately 50 to 80 percent by folding the corners inward onto the border portion;
- and
- (c) fold the border portion and pouch-forming front and back panels over the corners onto said front panel, and;
- (d) secure said folded-over border portion and pouch-forming front and back panels in their folded-over position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.