GB2071057A - Containers for medical use - Google Patents

Abstract

A container 10 for storing surgically clean materials has a lid 11 carrying on its inner surface a bellows-type syringe 12 for a medicament such as medical jelly. Gloves and gauze for use during a medical examination may be stored in the container and after use may be replaced in the container which is then disposed of. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Containers The invention relates to containers.

The invention relates to containers primarily for use in medical examination procedures. At present, for medical examinations various medicaments and surgically clean materials are prepared on a tray or flat packa#ge for use by a doctor. As such, it is possible that some of the materials are misplaced or forgotten and further the open flat presentation usually requires bulky stacking or packaging in readiness for an examination. Disposal of used and soiled materials may also present difficulties including contamination of the trays or working surfaces.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container comprising an enclosure for storing surgically clean materials and a lid secured to and detachable from the container which has fixed on the inner surface thereof a bellows-type syringe for a medicament.

Preferably, the container is formed of relatively cheap and disposable materials.

A Acontainer according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the enclosed diagrammatic drawing.

The container comprises a cylindrical enclosure 10 and a lid 11, which clips securely onto the enclosure 10. The enclosure 10 and the lid 11 are formed of semi-rigid plastics material. A bellows-type syringe 12 is bonded to the underside of the lid 11. The syringe contains a medicament and the enclosure 10 contains surgically clean materials for use during a medical examination procedure.

A particular procedure may be examination of anal or vaginal passages in which case the medicament is medical jelly and the surgical materials comprise a pair of gloves and gauze. For such an examination, the doctor takes off the lid 11 and places it on a working surface so that the syringe 12 is supported out of contact with the working surface. The gloves are then removed and fitted. The cap of the syringe is removed and jelly applied to the area for inspection by squeezing the syringe. The lid 11 is replaced on the working surface keeping the syringe out of contact with the working surface. After inspection, the gauze is taken from the enclosure 10 to remove the jelly and then replaced in the enclosure 10. The gloves are then peeled off and placed in the enclosure 10 and the lid 11 resecured onto the enclosure 10. The container can then be removed for disposal.

In the case of a general practitioner for example, carrying out an examination at a patients home, the container with its used materials inside may be safely, securely and conveniently carried back to the surgery for incineration.

The invention enables containers to provide 'kits' to be made-up in bulk, if required, with various combinations of medicaments and surgically clean materials for different examination procedures.

There is much less risk than hitherto that some of the materials are irritatingly found unavailable at the very moment of examination. Further, containers of the invention are compact so that storage and cartage of these medical examination kits is greatly eased and during which the materials are always maintained in a surgically clean condition. Further, as described above, these kits after use can be transported and taken for disposal with little or no risk of contamination because the contaminated materials are securely stored within the enclosure 10.

The enclosure 10 may be non-cylindrical as may be required in some applications. For large scale packaging it may be advantageous to have square or triangular enclosures.

The syringe may be screwed to the lid 11. This may be useful where different medicaments are supplied in threaded syringes so that kits for different examination procedures can be readily made up or syringes swapped using a common container design. The lid, where the enclosure is cylindrical, may be screwed onto the top of the enclosure.

As the container 10 provides a surgical clean enclosure, it is possible to store surgical instruments within the container, included as part of "the surgical clean materials", which might be useful for or required during a medical examination. Further, the doctor may require to clean his hands after the examination and soap or sterilising cleanser may also be stored within the container.

It will be appreciated that the bottom of the container may comprise a second lid generally similar to the lid 11. Further the second lid may have attached thereto, by bonding or screwing as desired, a bellows-type syringe containing further or different medicament or a liquid cleansing agent for use during orafterthe examination.

Claims (5)

1. A container comprising an enclosure for storing surgically clean materials and a lid secured to and detachable from the container which has fixed on the inner surface thereof a bellows-type syringe for a medicament.

2. A container according to Claim 1, in which said lid is secured to the enclosure by mechanical gripping.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or 2, in which said enclosure is cylindrical.

4. A container according to any of Claims 1 to 3, in which said syringe is screwed onto the lid.

5. A container substantially as herein described with reference to the drawing.