GB2131384A

GB2131384A - Packaging for surgical apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2131384A
Application number: GB08332167A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Reginald Duckworth; Michael Edwin Pope
Original assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Current assignee: Smiths Group PLC
Priority date: 1982-12-03
Filing date: 1983-12-01
Publication date: 1984-06-20
Also published as: GB2131384B; GB8332167D0

Abstract

Packaging for e.g. a catheter (1) or a cannula comprises an outer envelope which has one face of a transparent plastics and the other face of a gas-permeable paper, enclosing an elongate inner envelope (4) containing the catheter (1). The inner envelope (4) is formed of transparent plastics and has either an elongate opening which extends along substantially the entire length of the envelope, or a longitudinal weld or line of perforations which can be ruptured to provide an elongate opening. In the former instance the longitudinal edges defining the opening may overlap, abut or be spaced from one another. The inner envelope may be closed at one or both ends by heat sealing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Medico-surgical apparatus packaging This invention relates to packaging for medicosurgical apparatus.

This invention is more especially concerned with packaging for apparatus made of plastics material, such as, for example, catheters and cannulae.

Catheters, cannulae and other medico-surgical apparatus are commonly packed in a semi-rigid container having a blow-moulded plastics front that is closed by a sheet of gas-permeable paper.

With an elongate item, such a catheter, the paper sheet will usually extend along the length of the pack forming its back wall. The paper sheet enables the sealed pack and its contents to be sterilised by using a conventional sterilising gas.

The blow-moulded plastics front is generally transparent to enable the contents to be viewed by the user, the paper back being printed with details of the contents, the manufacturer and so on.

In some cases, it is desirable to use an inner pack within the outer pack. The inner pack is separable from the outer pack so as to enable the contents to be handled without contamination after opening the outer pack.

Typically, the inner pack of such double packs is an envelope of low-density polythene which has the advantage of being transparent and of low cost. Previous envelopes are sealed along their length, being open at one end to enable the contents to be removed and to enable penetration of the sterilising gas. Alternatively, the envelope is perforated on a transverse line, midway along its length, so that the sterilizing gas can enter the envelope through the perforations, and so that the envelope can be opened by pulling both ends to tear it along the perforated line.

This packaging, however, has the disadvantage that, after prolonged storage, the inner envelope can stick to its contents. With conventional inner envelopes, in which the contents are pulled out along their length, it will be appreciated that the adhesion of the envelope can make it difficult to extract the contents. This problem is aggravated in critical operations where the Duty Nurse has to tip the contents onto an operating trolley without touching the product. In some cases this is impossible and the bag has to be cut.

Alternative materials have been used to provide an inner envelope of the same configuration but which will not stick to its contents to the same extent. These, however, have various disadvantages such as, of being more expensive or not being sufficiently transparent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide packaging that can be used to alleviate the above mentioned difficulties.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided packaging for medicosurgical apparatus comprising an outer container at least one face of which is of a transparent plastics material, the apparatus being contained within an elongate inner envelope within the outer container, the inner envelope being of a transparent plastics material and being closed at least at one end, the inner envelope being formed with an elongate opening that extends along substantially the entire length of the envelope.

The opening may be formed by overlapping longitudinal edges of the envelope and, in this respect, the edges may overlap by an amount that is substantially 30% of the width of the envelope.

The envelope may be of low-density polythene and may be closed at both ends. The envelope may be formed from a single sheet of material and may be closed at its end or ends by heat sealing. The other face of the outer container may be of gas-permeable paper material.

Packaging for a catheter, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the packaging and the catheter; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the packaging and the catheter; Figure 3 shows a part of the packaging; and Figure 4 shows a part of alternative packaging.

With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a catheter 1 of standard form within a double pack 2. The pack 2 comprises an outer rectangular container or pouch 3 and an envelope 4, within the pouch, which in turn encloses the catheter 1.

The pouch 3 is of conventional construction, having a transparent, flexible front face 30 of plastics, and a gas-permeable paper back face 31 which allows permeation of a sterilising gas to the interior of the pouch but prevents ingress of dirt and bacteria. The front face 30 and back face 31 are sealed together around their edge, one end 32 of the two faces extending beyond the seal to provide an opening tab, allowing the two faces of the pouch to be peeled apart.

The envelope 4, which is also shown in Figure 3, is of rectangular shape and is made from a single sheet of transparent low-density polythene.

One end 40 of the envelope 4 is closed whilst the other end 41 is open. The envelope 4 also has an opening 42 which extends along its length from the open end 41 to the closed end 40. The opening 42 is formed by longitudinal edges 43 and 44 of the envelope 4 which overlap one another along their length, the overlap being about 30% of the width of the envelope.

Manufacture of envelopes 4 of the kind shown may be readily carried out by folding opposite edges of a strip of polythene in on themselves to overlap one another. The folded strip is then heat sealed across its width at intervals and cut laterally on one side of the seal to form the open and closed ends of the envelopes.

In use, the envelope 4 of the present invention has the same tendency as previous envelopes to stick to the enclosed catheter 1, but the construction of the present envelope makes removal of the tube considerably easier. This is because the envelope can be opened along its length, in the manner shown in Figure 3, by separating the edges 43 and 44. In this way, a large portion of the tube is initially exposed through the opening 42 enabling ready access to the tube. Any adhesion of the catheter 1 to the underlying portion of the envelope 4 is easily overcome by peeling the envelope away from the catheter.

It will be appreciated that considerably less force will be required to peel the envelope 4 away from the catheter 1, in the manner possible with envelopes of the present construction, than is required to pull a catheter, or other apparatus out of an envelope along its length. In the present invention, only the adhesion of the catheter with the envelope at a single point need be overcome, the point being displaced along the catheter as the envelope is progressively peeled away: by contrast, in previous arrangements, the adhesion between the envelope and the entire length of the catheter has to be overcome at the same time.

Various modifications to the envelope are possible within the scope of the present invention For example, the envelope could be closed at both ends; this can be useful where, for example, an adaptor or connector 50 is included in the pouch, since closing both ends of the envelope will help prevent the adaptor falling out of the envelope during transport, as shown in Figure 4. The longitudinal opening need not be formed by overlapping edges, the edges could instead abut, or be separated by a longitudinal gap. The edges could be joined to one another by rupturable welds or elements that are easily broken by the user.

Alternatively, the opening along the length of the envelope could be provided by longitudinal perforations that enable the envelope to be pulled apart along its length. Also, the closed end of the envelope need not be a gas-tight seal, it is only necessary that it be closed in such a way as to keep the contents in the envelope.

The material used for the inner envelope may alternatively be a high-density polythene or polypropylene.

Claims

1. Packaging for medico-surgical apparatus comprising an outer container at least one face of which is of a transparent plastics material, the apparatus being contained within an elongate inner envelope within the outer container, the inner envelope being of a transparent plastics material and being closed at least at one end, wherein the said inner envelope is formed with an elongate opening that extends along substantially the entire length of the envelope.

2. Packaging according to Claim 1, wherein said opening is formed by overlapping longitudinal edges of the envelope.

3. Packaging according to Claim 2, wherein the edges of the envelope overlap by an amount that is substantially 30% of the width of the envelope.

4. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope is of a low-density polythene.

5. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope is closed at both ends.

6. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope is formed from a single sheet of material.

7. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope is closed at its end or ends by heat sealing.

8. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the other face of the outer container is of a gas-permeable paper material.

9. Packaging substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

10. Packaging substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

1 1. Any novel feature or combination of features as hereinbefore described.