CN113347941A

CN113347941A - Adhesive closure

Info

Publication number: CN113347941A
Application number: CN201980090282.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 艾米·利达姆; 肖恩·余
Original assignee: Madison Medical Products Private Ltd
Current assignee: Madison Medical Products Private Ltd; Multigate Medical Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-26
Filing date: 2019-11-26
Publication date: 2021-09-03
Also published as: EP3886752A1; EP3886752A4; AU2018101825A4; AU2019388263A1; WO2020107054A1

Abstract

An adhesive closure for holding a wrap in a closed position, the adhesive closure comprising: a first region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the first region of the closure to the wrapper; a second region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the second region of the closure to the wrapper; and an intermediate region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein, in use, when the wrapper is in the closed position, the intermediate region is prevented/limited from adhering to the wrapper.

Description

Adhesive closure

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an adhesive closure. In particular, the present invention relates to an adhesive closure for medical use, such as for medical wraps and the like.

Background

The following references to and descriptions of previous proposals or products are not intended to, and should not be construed as, declaring or acknowledging common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by those skilled in the art, but is instead helpful in understanding the inventive concepts of the present invention, wherein the identification of related prior art proposals is only a part of the present invention.

Currently, in medical environments, such as in hospital operating rooms, clinics, and the like, surgical and medical packaging containing dressings or other surgical or medical items is provided to users wrapped in sterile wraps. Thus, wraps are used to package surgical and medical instruments and equipment and maintain them sterile until they are ready for use. Once opened, the wrap typically provides a sterile field on which the medical item is placed and accessed by a medical professional.

It is important that when the wrapper is opened, the procedure is followed so that the contents therein remain sterile (aseptic) or sterile (sterile). The wrap is typically closed by folding or clipping the open corners into the folded wrap. Thus, it is often difficult to open the wrapper in a manner that remains sterile.

The present invention seeks to provide an adhesive closure which may ameliorate the above disadvantages and disadvantages or which will at least provide a useful alternative.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided herein an adhesive closure for holding a wrap in a closed position.

In one example, the adhesive closure comprises: (a) a first region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the first region of the closure to the wrapper; (b) a second region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the second region of the closure to the wrapper; and (c) an intermediate region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein, in use, the intermediate region does not adhere to the wrapper or prevents/limits adhesion of the intermediate region to the wrapper when the wrapper is in the closed position.

Thus, in one example, the non-adhesion of the intermediate region to the wrapper allows the adhesive closure to be torn away from the wrapper in an easier manner, thereby assisting in opening the wrapper.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the non-adhesion of the intermediate region to the wrapper may provide a larger area of weakness around the means for assisting tearing (such as lines of perforations or the like) which will reduce the amount of tension placed on the adhesive region of the sticker when the wrapper is opened, thereby preventing or limiting the tearing of the wrapper. That is, in one example, if the intermediate region were to be adhered to the wrapper as the first and second regions, this may sometimes result in the sterile zone tearing and thus no longer providing sterility. Furthermore, the non-adhesion of the intermediate region may also contribute to a more reliable and more secure application of the adhesive closure in the first position, allowing the wrapper to be opened in a more efficient manner.

Thus, according to one example, the intermediate zone is prevented from adhering to the wrapper by any one of the following: (a) the intermediate region has no adhesive features; or (b) the intermediate region has an intervening device disposed substantially between the intermediate region and the wrapper, thereby preventing the intermediate region from adhering to the wrapper.

According to a specific example, when the intermediate region does not have any adhesive features, and when an adhesive closure is not used, the adhesive closure may comprise a release paper (or any other form of cover that is releasable or peelable from the first and second regions) to substantially cover the first and second regions. However, in this example, the intermediate region need not be covered by any form of covering, as the intermediate region does not have any adhesive properties, or the adhesiveness of the intermediate region is limited. Thus, in this example, the covering is limited to only the first area and the second area.

According to another example, the intermediate region has means for assisting tearing of the adhesive closure when the wrapper is opened.

In yet another example, the apparatus comprises any one or combination of: (a) a weakened region provided in the intermediate region; (b) a reduced height in the intermediate region compared to the heights of the first and second regions; and, (c) a notch in one or more edges of the intermediate region to guide tearing of the adhesive closure.

According to a more specific aspect, the weakened area may be perforated and still further, the weakened area may be a perforation line arranged along the height of the intermediate zone. According to another embodiment, when the device comprises a weakened area provided in the intermediate area, the weakened area is a perforation line.

According to yet another example, when the device comprises a notch in one or more edges of the middle region, the notch is V-shaped. However, it will be appreciated that the notch may be of any shape, and in one example, the notch further assists in tearing the adhesive closure, thereby assisting in opening the wrapper.

In yet another example, the device may comprise a notch on either or both of the top-facing edge and the bottom-facing edge of the intermediate region, wherein the device further comprises a perforation line extending between the notches on the top-facing edge and the bottom-facing edge.

In another example, when applying the adhesive closure to the wrapper, in order to keep the wrapper in the closed position, the first area is adhered to the first folded side of the wrapper and the second area is adhered to the second folded side of the wrapper such that the device is aligned with the opening of the wrapper, wherein the opening is formed between the first and second folded sides. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that placing the adhesive means such that the tearing means (or portion) is substantially aligned with the opening of the wrapper may allow the wrapper to be opened in a manner that may maintain the sterility of the items therein. Thus, in this example, the device may be aligned with the opening of the wrapper in use.

According to yet another example, the wrap is a sterile medical wrap for wrapping/holding the medical device/product. In yet another example, the wrap is used to wrap the medical tool/item, and the wrap may be sterile. It will also be appreciated that the adhesive closure may also be sterile, at least prior to opening.

In further examples, the adhesive closure is generally oblong in shape or has rounded edges in the first region and/or the second region.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that any combination of features described herein is included within the scope of the present description.

Drawings

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

fig. 1 is a top view of an example of an adhesive closure;

fig. 2A and 2B are top views of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a curved notch in the middle region, and in particular, fig. 2A shows an adhesive closure having an oblong shape, while fig. 2B shows an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 3A and 3B are top views of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a curved notch in the middle region, one side of the curved notch having a greater gradient than the other side, and in particular, fig. 3A shows an adhesive closure having an oblong shape, while fig. 3B shows an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 4A and 4B are top views of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein a V-shaped notch is present in the middle region, in particular, fig. 4A shows an adhesive closure having an oblong shape, while fig. 4B shows an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 5A is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein a trapezoidal shaped recess is present in the middle region, in particular, fig. 5A shows an adhesive closure having an oblong shape;

fig. 5B is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a rectangular shaped notch in the middle region, and in particular, fig. 5B shows an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 6A is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a trapezoidal shaped notch in the middle region that is wider than the notch of fig. 5A;

fig. 6B is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a rectangular shaped notch in the middle region that is wider than the notch of fig. 5B;

fig. 7A and 7B are top views of another example of an adhesive closure, wherein there is a V-shaped notch on one side of the middle region, and in particular, fig. 7A shows an adhesive closure having an oblong shape, while fig. 7B shows an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 8A is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure having an oblong shape;

fig. 8B is a top view of another example of an adhesive closure having a rectangular shape;

fig. 9 is a top view of an example of an adhesive closure for use with a wrap;

fig. 10 is a top view of an example of an adhesive closure for use with a wrap, the adhesive closure being pulled to open the wrap;

fig. 11 is a top view of an example of an adhesive closure for use with a wrapper, the adhesive closure being torn in a middle region to open the wrapper; and the number of the first and second groups,

fig. 12 is a top view of an example of a user opening the wrapper.

Detailed Description

Examples of adhesive closures 10 are shown in fig. 1-8B, and additional examples of adhesive closures 10 for use with a wrap 65 are shown in fig. 9-12.

According to a specific example, as shown in fig. 1, the adhesive closure 10 includes a first region 15, a second region 20, and an intermediate region 25.

In the example shown in the figures, the first and

second regions

15, 20 have adhesive features configured to adhere the first and

second regions

15, 20 of the closure to the wrapper.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the adhering feature may comprise any form of adhesive or the like disposed or pre-disposed on the first and

second regions

15, 20. Alternatively, the adhesion characteristics of the first and

second regions

15, 20 may be created by the material from which the closure 10 is made.

The intermediate region 25 is generally disposed between the first region 15 and the second region 20, and is formed such that the intermediate region 25 does not adhere to the wrapper (or prevent/limit adhesion) when the adhesive closure 10 is in use.

Thus, the adhesive closure 10 may be used to hold the wrap in a closed position. According to one particular example, the wrap is a medical wrap that may be used to wrap a medical tool (such as a surgical tool, etc.) and opened only prior to a surgical procedure or medical procedure.

According to one example, the non-adhesion of the intermediate region 25 to the wrapper allows the adhesive closure 10 to be torn from the wrapper in an easier manner, thereby assisting in opening the wrapper.

Thus, in one example, the intermediate area 25 is prevented from adhering to the wrapper by the intermediate area 25 having no adhesive features. Thus, for example, the intermediate region 25 may not have any adhesive or the like disposed on the surface, as opposed to the first and

second regions

15, 20 having adhesive disposed on the first and

second regions

15, 20.

In an alternative example, the intermediate region 25 may have intervening means arranged substantially between the intermediate region 25 and the wrapper, thereby preventing the intermediate region 25 from adhering to the wrapper. Thus, if, for example, an adhesive or the like is arranged along the entire adhesive closure 10, the intermediate region 25 may be restricted from adhering to the wrapper by having an intervening device (such as a cover or the like) arranged thereon, thereby not exposing the intermediate region 25 to the wrapper.

In an alternative example, the adhesive closure 10 may comprise a release paper (or any other form of covering that is releasable or peelable from the first and second regions) to substantially cover the first and

second regions

15, 20 when the adhesive closure 10 is not in use. However, in examples where intermediate region 25 does not have any adhesive properties or where the adhesion of intermediate region 25 is limited, then intermediate region 25 need not be covered by any form of covering. Thus, in this example, the covering is limited to only the first area 10 and the second area 15.

According to another example, the intermediate region 25 has means 30 for assisting tearing (which may alternatively be referred to as a tearing mechanism or tearing means) which can assist in tearing the adhesive closure 10 when the wrapper is opened.

The means 30 for facilitating tearing may be, for example, a weakened area provided in the intermediate area 25, such as a perforation line 35 or the like, as shown in fig. 1. In the example shown in fig. 1, the perforation line 35 is arranged along the height 40 of the adhesive closure 10.

In further examples, the means for assisting tearing 30 may comprise a reduced height 45 in the intermediate region 25 compared to the height 40 of the first and

second regions

15, 20.

The means for tearing 30 may further comprise one or more notches 50 in one or more edges 55 of the adhesive closure 10.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any form of means for assisting tearing 30, whether perforation line 35, reduced height 45, or one or more notches 50 (or a combination of these) may guide the user to tear the adhesive closure 10 in the intermediate region 25, thereby assisting in opening the wrapper. In one example, the adhesive closure 10 may comprise a notch on either or both of the top-facing edge and the bottom-facing edge of the intermediate region, wherein the device further comprises a perforation line extending between the notches on the top-facing edge and the bottom-facing edge.

It will be further appreciated that many different shapes of the recess 50 may be possible. Examples of different shapes are shown in fig. 2A to 8B, in which:

figures 2A to 3B show that the notches 50 slope inwardly from the edge 55 with a different gradient than the edge 55;

figures 4A and 4B and figures 7A and 7B show a V-shaped notch 50;

figures 5A and 6A show a notch 50 that is trapezoidal in shape; and the number of the first and second groups,

fig. 5B and 6B show a recess 50 that is rectangular in shape.

Fig. 2A-8B also show that the adhesive closure 10 itself can have any shape. In particular, fig. 8A shows the adhesive closure as being oblong in shape with the sides 60 being circular, while fig. 8B shows the adhesive closure 10 as being rectangular in shape. Further, fig. 8A and 8B illustrate that the notches 50 can be in one or more edges 55 of the adhesive closure 10.

According to another example, the means for tearing 30 may be aligned with the opening of the wrapper in use.

It will be understood that in one example, the adhesive closure 10 may be used to wrap a wrap of a medical tool/device, where the wrap provides a sterile packaging environment for the tool/device.

An example of an adhesive closure 10 for use with a wrap 65 is shown in fig. 9-12.

Fig. 9 shows an adhesive closure 10 for holding a wrapper 65 in a closed position. In this example, the first area 15 is adhered to the first folded side 70 of the wrapper 65 and the second area 20 is adhered to the second folded side 75 of the wrapper 65 such that the edge 80 of the first folded side 70 is within the intermediate area 25. Thus, in this example, the means for facilitating tearing 30 of the intermediate region 25 is substantially aligned with the edge 80.

As can be seen in fig. 10 and 11, as the first folded side 70 is pulled away from the second folded side 75 to thereby move the wrapper from the closed position to the open position, the first region is pulled away from the second region 20 of the adhesive closure 10. Thus, since the intermediate region 25 is not adhered to the wrapper 65, and in this example, the intermediate region 25 has means 30 for assisting tearing, the first region 15 is effectively torn from the second region 20 (this is shown in fig. 11), which thereby allows the user to fully open the wrapper 65.

An example of a user opening the wrapper 65 is further illustrated in fig. 12. In this example, the user uses a first hand to push the second region 20 downward while the other hand lifts the first folded side 70 away from the second folded side 75, tearing the adhesive closure 10 along the means for facilitating tearing 30.

Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the adhesive closure and methods for opening a wrapper described herein may provide an easy and efficient way by which a wrapper may be opened while maintaining sterility of the medical supply within the wrapper.

It will be understood that any form of the words "comprising", "including", "comprises", and the like as used herein, is used in an inclusive sense and is not used in an exclusive or limiting sense.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

1. An adhesive closure for holding a wrap in a closed position, the adhesive closure comprising:

a. a first region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the first region of the closure to the wrapper;

b. a second region having an adhesion feature configured to adhere the second region of the closure to the wrapper; and

c. an intermediate region disposed between the first region and the second region,

wherein, in use, when the wrapper is in the closed position, the intermediate region is prevented/limited from adhering to the wrapper.

2. The adhesive closure of claim 1 wherein the intermediate zone is prevented from adhering to the wrap by any one of:

a. the intermediate region has no adhesive features; or

b. The intermediate region has an intervening device disposed substantially between the intermediate region and the wrapper, thereby preventing the intermediate region from adhering to the wrapper.

3. The adhesive closure of claim 1 or 2 wherein the intermediate region has means for assisting tearing of the adhesive closure when the wrapper is opened.

4. The adhesive closure of claim 3 wherein the device comprises any one or combination of:

a. a weakened region disposed in the intermediate region;

b. a reduced height in the intermediate region as compared to the height of the first region and the height of the second region; and the number of the first and second groups,

c. a notch in one or more edges of the middle region to guide tearing of the adhesive closure.

5. The adhesive closure of any one of claims 3 or 4 wherein the device is aligned with an opening of the wrap in use.

6. The adhesive closure of claim 4 wherein when the device comprises a weakened area disposed in the intermediate region, the weakened area is a perforation line.

7. The adhesive closure of claim 6 wherein the perforation line is disposed along the height of the intermediate region.

8. The adhesive closure of claim 4 wherein when the device comprises a notch in one or more edges of the middle region, the notch is V-shaped.

9. The adhesive closure of claim 5, wherein to hold the wrap in the closed position when the adhesive closure is applied to the wrap, the first area is adhered to a first folded side of the wrap and the second area is adhered to a second folded side of the wrap such that the device is aligned with an opening of the wrap, wherein the opening is formed between the first and second folded sides.

10. The adhesive closure of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wrap is a sterile medical wrap for wrapping/holding a medical device/product.

11. The adhesive closure of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the adhesive closure is sterile.

12. The adhesive closure of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the adhesive closure is generally oblong in shape or has rounded edges in the first and/or second regions.