GB2177677A

GB2177677A - A bag and method of sealing it

Info

Publication number: GB2177677A
Application number: GB08517614A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry Sinclair Holloway
Original assignee: Davidson & Hardy
Current assignee: Davidson & Hardy
Priority date: 1985-07-12
Filing date: 1985-07-12
Publication date: 1987-01-28
Also published as: GB2177677B; GB8517614D0

Abstract

A bag 1 for, for example, blood samples and made of synthetic plastics material such as clear polythene, has a slit 4 in one face thereof which stops short of opposite edges so that a sealing strips applied to the slit 4 produces a sealed area all the way round the slit. A heavier gauge synthetic plastics material may be applied to the bag across the slit to prevent or inhibit wrinkling of the bag. This additional material will be slitted in similar manner to the slit in strip 5.

Description

SPECIFICATiON A bag and method of sealing it The present invention relates to a bag particularly, but not exclusively for the transportation of fluids such as for example, blood samples, and particularly but not exclusively made of synthetic plastics mate- rial.

At the present time, samples which maybeblood prother body fluids or tissues, are sent to laboratories in screw capped bottles. The sample is always accompanied by a form giving details of the patient and test required.

Because of health and safety reasons it is now common practiceto putthesampletubein a polythene or other synthetic plastics material bag before it is sent to the laboratory. The purpose behind this is that in theeventofthesampletubeleaking,theieakagewill be contained within the plastics bag and so will not contaminate the surrounds. At the present time none ofthe available plastics bags can be made watertight other than by hermetically sealing.

Hermetically sealing the bags is not a practical possibility.

The plastics bags presently available make use of four methods of sealing.

1. The bag is open atthetop. Flap with a self adhesivestripwhich hasa backing isattachedtothe top ofthe bag. In orderto seal the bag the backing strip is peeled offandtheflapfolded overthetopof the bag.

2. A variation of'1'above is a plastic bag which has a slit cut across from edgeto edge. It is sealed by means of a self adhesive strip which is fastened across the slit.

3. A knot is tied in the top ofthe bag.

4. The bag is sealed by means of a press fastening as in the commonly available mini-grip plastics bags.

None of the above methods produces a plastic bag which iswatertight.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bag made of a flexible material and having an opening in one face of the bag which does not extend from edgeto edge ofthatface and a sealing strip for application to the bag which produces a sealed area all theway around the slit.

Accordingtoanotheraspectofthepreseentinv tion, there is provided a method of producing a sealed enclosure including the steps of producing a slit in a face of a bag of a flexible material, such thatthe slit does notextendfrom edgeto edge ofthe bag and applying a sealing strip to cover the bag so that a sealed area extends all the way around the slit.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag is made from a length of clear polythene tube heat sealed at opposite axial ends. The strip forms a label or a separate self-adhesive label is attached to the bag. A reinforcing strip of a heavier gauge polythene than that of the bag may be applied to the bag to preventor inhibitwrinkling ofthe material aroundthe slit. The slit in the bag is aligned with a slit in the reinforcing strip. Two bags may be attached backto back, a sample requestform being disposed in one bag and a sample in the other. A label may be used to seal off the slit in the bag carrying the sample request form.

In orderthatthe invention may be more clearly understood,twoembodimentsthereofwill nowbe described byway of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of bag according tithe present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of another form of bag according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the bag 1 is made from a length of tubular form transparent polythene welded along opposite axial edges 2 and 3 to form a watertight enclosure. The polythene is slit at 4 to enable a sample, for example, to be introduced into the bag.

This slit4 does not extend from edge to edge ofthe bag, but stops short of both edges. After introduction ofthe sample, the bag is sealed in watertight manner by means of a self-adhesive strip 5 which is applied to the bag, so asto covertheslitwith a sealed area extending all theway around the slit. The bag 1 may be suppliedwiththe sealing strip 5 attachedtothe bag or separate from it. The strip may be synthetic plastics material or paper. It may be plain or itself form a label.An additional self adhesive strip 6 may be attachedtothe bag for attaching a sample request form. This strip 6 can be attached in the position shown or in any suitable alternative position. The bag may be attached backto backto another polythene or other synthetic plastics material bag that has one end open,the purpose ofthis being to place a request form in the open ended bag and the sample in the other bag.

Wrinkling can occur around the slit 4, especially when a light gauge synthetic plastics material is used in the manufacture ofthe bag. To overcome this problem an additional heavier gauge strip of synthetic plastics material can be atached overthe slit. This additional strip will have a slit corresponding in length to the slit in the bag. Such an alterantiveform is shown in the exploded view in Figure 2. The heavier gauge synthetic plastics material strip is referenced 7, the other parts and featu res of the bag beari ng the same references asthose ofthe bag of Figure 1.

itwill be appreciated thatthe above described embodiments have been described by way of example only and that many variations are possibiewith- out departing from the scope ofthe invention. For example, on accasionsthe plastic bag may besup- plied already attached to a request form. In this case it may be that the bag will have been manufactured with a slit in both sides. One side ofthe slit can then be sealed during the process of attaching the bag to the request form by applying the part of the bag with the slitto a self-adhesive strip on the request form . Any suitable gauge of synthetic plastics material may be employed forthe bag. The bags may be any appropriate size.

1. A bag made of a flexible material and having an opening in one face of the bag which does not extend from edgeto edge ofthatface and a sealing stripfor application to the bag which produces a sealed area

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATiON A bag and method of sealing it The present invention relates to a bag particularly, but not exclusively for the transportation of fluids such as for example, blood samples, and particularly but not exclusively made of synthetic plastics mate- rial. At the present time, samples which maybeblood prother body fluids or tissues, are sent to laboratories in screw capped bottles. The sample is always accompanied by a form giving details of the patient and test required. Because of health and safety reasons it is now common practiceto putthesampletubein a polythene or other synthetic plastics material bag before it is sent to the laboratory. The purpose behind this is that in theeventofthesampletubeleaking,theieakagewill be contained within the plastics bag and so will not contaminate the surrounds. At the present time none ofthe available plastics bags can be made watertight other than by hermetically sealing. Hermetically sealing the bags is not a practical possibility. The plastics bags presently available make use of four methods of sealing. 1. The bag is open atthetop. Flap with a self adhesivestripwhich hasa backing isattachedtothe top ofthe bag. In orderto seal the bag the backing strip is peeled offandtheflapfolded overthetopof the bag. 2. A variation of'1'above is a plastic bag which has a slit cut across from edgeto edge. It is sealed by means of a self adhesive strip which is fastened across the slit. 3. A knot is tied in the top ofthe bag. 4. The bag is sealed by means of a press fastening as in the commonly available mini-grip plastics bags. None of the above methods produces a plastic bag which iswatertight. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bag made of a flexible material and having an opening in one face of the bag which does not extend from edgeto edge ofthatface and a sealing strip for application to the bag which produces a sealed area all theway around the slit. Accordingtoanotheraspectofthepreseentinv tion, there is provided a method of producing a sealed enclosure including the steps of producing a slit in a face of a bag of a flexible material, such thatthe slit does notextendfrom edgeto edge ofthe bag and applying a sealing strip to cover the bag so that a sealed area extends all the way around the slit. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag is made from a length of clear polythene tube heat sealed at opposite axial ends. The strip forms a label or a separate self-adhesive label is attached to the bag. A reinforcing strip of a heavier gauge polythene than that of the bag may be applied to the bag to preventor inhibitwrinkling ofthe material aroundthe slit. The slit in the bag is aligned with a slit in the reinforcing strip. Two bags may be attached backto back, a sample requestform being disposed in one bag and a sample in the other. A label may be used to seal off the slit in the bag carrying the sample request form. In orderthatthe invention may be more clearly understood,twoembodimentsthereofwill nowbe described byway of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of bag according tithe present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of another form of bag according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, the bag 1 is made from a length of tubular form transparent polythene welded along opposite axial edges 2 and 3 to form a watertight enclosure. The polythene is slit at 4 to enable a sample, for example, to be introduced into the bag. This slit4 does not extend from edge to edge ofthe bag, but stops short of both edges. After introduction ofthe sample, the bag is sealed in watertight manner by means of a self-adhesive strip 5 which is applied to the bag, so asto covertheslitwith a sealed area extending all theway around the slit. The bag 1 may be suppliedwiththe sealing strip 5 attachedtothe bag or separate from it. The strip may be synthetic plastics material or paper. It may be plain or itself form a label.An additional self adhesive strip 6 may be attachedtothe bag for attaching a sample request form. This strip 6 can be attached in the position shown or in any suitable alternative position. The bag may be attached backto backto another polythene or other synthetic plastics material bag that has one end open,the purpose ofthis being to place a request form in the open ended bag and the sample in the other bag. Wrinkling can occur around the slit 4, especially when a light gauge synthetic plastics material is used in the manufacture ofthe bag. To overcome this problem an additional heavier gauge strip of synthetic plastics material can be atached overthe slit. This additional strip will have a slit corresponding in length to the slit in the bag. Such an alterantiveform is shown in the exploded view in Figure 2. The heavier gauge synthetic plastics material strip is referenced 7, the other parts and featu res of the bag beari ng the same references asthose ofthe bag of Figure 1. itwill be appreciated thatthe above described embodiments have been described by way of example only and that many variations are possibiewith- out departing from the scope ofthe invention. For example, on accasionsthe plastic bag may besup- plied already attached to a request form. In this case it may be that the bag will have been manufactured with a slit in both sides. One side ofthe slit can then be sealed during the process of attaching the bag to the request form by applying the part of the bag with the slitto a self-adhesive strip on the request form . Any suitable gauge of synthetic plastics material may be employed forthe bag. The bags may be any appropriate size. CLAIMS

1. A bag made of a flexible material and having an opening in one face of the bag which does not extend from edgeto edge ofthatface and a sealing stripfor application to the bag which produces a sealed area all the way around the slit.

2. A bag as claimed in claim 1, made from a length of clear polythene tube heat sealed at opposite axial ends.

3. A bag as claimed in claim 1 or2, in which the strip forms a label.

4. A bag as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a separate self-adhesive label is attached to the bag.

5. A bag as claimed in any preceding claim in which a reinforcing strip of a heavier gauge polythene than thatofthe bag is applied to the bag to inhibit wrinkling of the material around the slit

6. A bag as claimed in claim 5, in which a slit in the reinforcing strip is aligned with a slit in the bag.

7. A bag as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a similar bag is attached back to backtherewith the similar bag being provided for the request form.

8. A bag as claimed in claim 7, inwhichthe slitin the similar bag is closed offwith a label.

9. A bag substantially as hereibefore described with referenceto Figure 1 or Figu re 2 of the accom- panying drawings.

10. A method of producing a sealed enclosure inciuding the steps of producing a slit in a face of a bag of a flexible material, such that the slit does not extend from edgeto edge ofthe bag and applying a sealing strip to coverthe bag to that a sealed area extends all the way around the slit.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which a similar bag is attached back to back with the first bag.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which a requestform isinsertedinthesimilarbag.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or 12 in which the slit of the similar bag is sealed with a label .

14. A method of producing a sealed enclosure substantially as herein before described with refer enceto Figure 1 orFigure2oftheaccompanying drawings.