US3829699A

US3829699A - Holder for x-ray cassettes

Info

Publication number: US3829699A
Application number: US00306562A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Anspach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-11-15
Filing date: 1972-11-15
Publication date: 1974-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-13

Abstract

A holder, capable of being sterilized, for X-ray cassettes comprises a container having an open flared top. A cap for said container has an open bottom with an outwardly extending flare to facilitate entry of the flare on said container. Said cap has an indentation located therearound near its top so it can be snapped over the flared open end of said container. A seal member is located around said container to mate with the inner side of the flared portion of said cap. The cap is attached to the container by hinge straps. Said container and cap material is semi-rigid (non-collapsible) and also transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays.

Description

[111 3,829,699 [451 Aug. 13, 1974 HOLDER FOR X-RAY CASSETTES [76] Inventor: William E. Anspach, Jr., 3896 Burns Rd., North Palm Beach, Fla. 33403 [22] Filed: Nov. 15, 1972 [211 App]. No.: 306,562

[52] US. Cl. 250/475, 250/472 [51] Int. Cl H05g l/00 [58] Field of Search 250/68, 65 R, 67, 69, 475,

250/472, 480, 481, 482; 206/632 R, 46 ST 3,567,934 3/1971 Clarke .1 250/482 Primary ExaminerJames W. Lawrence Assistant ExaminerB. C. Anderson Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lack N. McCarthy [5 7 ABSTRACT A holder, capable of being sterilized, for X-ray cassettes comprises a container having an open flared top. A cap for said container has an open bottom with an outwardly extending flare to facilitate entry of the flare on said container. Said cap has an indentation located therearound near its top so it can be snapped over the flared open end of said container. A seal member is located around said container to mate with the inner side of the flared portion of said cap. The cap is attached to the container by hinge straps. Said container and cap material is semi-rigid (noncollapsible) and also transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures HOLDER FOR X-RAY CASSE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sterilized means for holding and using X-ray cassettes in an operating room and contains improvements advancing the art.

X-rays are frequently taken during the course of surgical procedures to verify the placement of metallic implants, nails, screws, etc. The X-ray film in its cassette, must be placed directly in contact with the patient during these procedures. The patient is covered by sterile sheets during the operation and the surgeon and his assistants are clothed in sterile gowns and gloves so that bacterial contamination of the open wound is minimized. The X-ray cassette must be placed in a sterile cover before it can be allowed to come in contact with the patient or touched by the surgeon. Customarily the surgeon holds the film in place or it is supported on the patient while the X-rays are taken. Since the X-ray cassette must be reloaded after each picture is taken, a new sterile cover must be applied for each shot.

At the present time it is common practice for the surgeon to use a folded, sterile pillow case and hold it open while the unsterile X-ray cassette is dropped into it. The cassette is a rectangular, four-cornered, heavy metal object usually measuring X 12 X inches. Many disadvantages of such a system are apparent. As the dirty (unsterile) cassette slides into the opening of the flexible envelope, the edge of the envelope can easily become contaminated with bacteria. As the surgeon folds the envelope or pillow case closed, there is a good chance of contamination of his sterile gloves by inadvertently touching the portion of the envelope that came in contact with the cassette. A second disadvantage, when a cloth envelope is used, is that the sharp corners of the cassette frequently catch on the flexible cloth material and make it difflcult for the film to slide into place. Time is exceedingly important in surgical procedures, as the longer the wound is open and the longer the patient is under anesthesia, the greater are the chances of complications. A third disadvantage is that it is difficult to keep a pillow case or flexible cover closed after the cassette has been dropped into it, thus allowing further chance of contamination of the surgical wound. A fourth disadvantage is that if an opaque material is used, such as is commonwith a pillow case, the surgeon cannot tell which side of the X-ray film is facing the wound. Such knowledge is essential because if the cassette is placed with its back toward the wound, the film therein will not be exposed when the cassette is subjected to X-rays.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a holder for X-ray cassettes which can be made sterile and easily used in an operating room by a surgeon without fear of contamination of the patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for an X-ray cassette which is fonned of a semi-rigid (non-collapsible) material which is also transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; said holder being formed of a container having a flared open end so that the X-ray cassette can be dropped into it without difficulty, and a cap having a flared end so that it can be placed over the top of the container without difficulty, with means being provided within the cap for snapping over the flared open end of the con- 'tainer.

The holders are supplied pre-sterilized to the operating room in a clear, flexible package so that they can be dropped therefrom out onto the instrument table and be instantly available for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for attaching the cap to the container so that it cannot become separated therefrom and misplaced or become contaminated and can also be easily hinged to a position from which the cap can be readily applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide means on said container which will seal with the inner side of the cap to prevent any bacteria from escaping from within the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portion of the surface of the container as roughened or knurled to provide a gripping surface for the surgeon to prevent the holder from being pulled from his grip when the cassette is placed into the container. The seal member projecting around the edge of the container will also aid in this respect.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portion of the bottom surface of the container as roughened or knurled to prevent the bottom of the container from slipping on a surface when the holder has been set upright on its bottom and leaned against an object, such as a patient.

With the holder made of transparent material, the surgeon is permitted to see at a glance that the cassette is in its proper position relative to the patient for receiving X-rays. The rigidity of the holder saves time during a surgical procedure as the surgeon does not have to unfold a flexible cover, such as a pillow case and then search for the proper placement of his hands so that contamination does not ensue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the holder from one side.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the cap in position on the container.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the top edge of the container showing a rounded bead on the edge.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of a cap and the top of a container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, this cassette holder 1 is formed of two main parts a container 3 and a cap 4. The container 3 is formed having four sides 5 and a bottom 7, with the top 9 being open. Said open top or end 9 has a flared portion 11 therearound with the upper edge formed having a rounded lip or bead 13 on the inner side. The head 13 provides the upper edge with a little extra rigidity for maintaining the shape of the opening to the flared portion 11 which acts as a guide to direct the X-ray cassette into the container. This is important so that the entry of the X-ray cassette into the container is not made difficult, which would lengthen the time of the operation and increase the danger of contamination. Even if the dirty cassette contacts the inwardly extending portion of the bead, it will be sealed within the cap.

The cap 4 is formed having four sides and a top 17 with the bottom 19 being open. Said open bottom or end 19 having a flared portion 21 therearound. An indentation 23 is formed around the cap 4 near the top 17. This indentation forms an inwardly projecting portion or rib 24 around the inner part of the cap 4. The rounded lip or bead 13, after it has been guided into the cap by the flared portion 21 which forms a larger opening than flared portion 11, snaps over the inwardly projecting portion 24 formed by the indentation 23. The rounded lip or bead 13 on the upper edge of the flared portion 11, while holding the cap on, also provides a sealing action between the container 3 and the inside of the top of the cap 4. The inside dimensions of the cap at this point can be controlled to arrive at the proper sealing; if a larger flared portion 11 is used, the top of the cap could be enlarged to accommodate this. While the inwardly projecting portion 24 is shown formed by an indentation 23, it may be formed by other means, such as the bonding of an inwardly projecting portion to the interior of the cap.

The container 3 is formed having a wedge-shaped sealing member 25 extending therearound with an outer sealing surface 27. The wedge-shaped crosssection can be seen in FIG. 2. The sealing member 25 may be formed separately and bonded or fixed to the container by any known means, or it can be formed integrally with the container. As seen in FIG. 3, as the lip 13 of the container snaps over the inwardly projecting portion 24, the upper inner part of the flared portion 21 forms a seal with the surface 27 of sealing member 25.

Straps

30 and 32 connect the cap 4 to the container 3. The straps are located on one long side of the holder and are fixed at one end to the container 3 below the seal member 25 so as not to interfere with the snapping on of the cap 4 and the other end is attached to the cap along one of its long sides. The ends of the straps can be connected to the cap 4 or container 3 by plastic rivets. However, these can be bonded by other means which will prevent any bump from appearing within the holder which would interfere with either the cassette being placed in the container, or the cap ,being placed over the container.

In a design of the holder for a specific-sized cassette, the material chosen was clear vinyl of approximately 0.020 inches thickness. The cap in place covered approximately 25 percent of the upper portion of the container and the top of the container was designed to be at least 1 inch above the top of the cassette when inserted in the container, and the seal member was designed to be at least one inch below the top of the cassette when inserted in the container. This permits the bead 13 to snap in place without interference from the cassette and permits the cassette to act as a support for the wedging of the surface 27 of the seal member 26 against the inside of the flared portion 21 of the cap.

A modification of a cap 4a and container top 9a is shown in FIG. 5. The cap 4a is shown in solid lines off of the container and is shown in phantom positioned in place. The container top 9a has a flared portion 11a for guiding the X-ray cassette and the plug-type section 8a of the top of the cap 4a into the container. The sides of the plug section 8a taper inwardly at an angle of approximately 2 and this plug-type section 8a fits snugly into the opening 10a for sealing engagement. A curved edge portion 12a forms an annular groove 14a around the top of the cap 4a. This construction acts as a sterile protection lip for the container top 9a. While the sides of the curved edge portion 12a are shown extending only a short distance to an open bottom, they can extend downwardly in the same manner as the sides 15 of the cap 4 and the container can have a sealing member 25. Venting means can be provided to facilitate entry of the plug-type section 8a into the container if necessary.

Straps are connected to the cap 4a in the same manner as they are to cap 4. A strap 32a is shown in FIG. 5 and is shown bonded to the cap 4a.

I claim:

1. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising a container which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an open top; said container material being transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom of said container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to be received therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; a cap for saidcontainer; said cap having four sides and a top with an open bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cap permitting said open top of said container to be received therein; said open bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein; and a sealing projection is located around said container and spaced from the top of said container so as to engage the inner surface of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap for sealing when the cap is on the container.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edge of said open top has a bead therearound to maintain the shape of the open top.

3. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap has an inwardly projecting peripheral rib spaced from the top of said cap for holding the cap on the top of said first outwardly extending flare of said container after the top of the container has been moved past the peripheral rib.

4. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing projection has a surface extending at an angle tapering outwardly as it extends downwardly, said angle being approximately equal to the flare angle of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap so as to engage the inner surface for sealing when the cap is on the container.

5. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first outwardly extending flare flares outwardly to where the outer periphery thereof is larger than the inside dimension of said sides of said cap.

6. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second outwardly extending flare flares outwardly to where the inner periphery is larger than the outer periphery of the open top of the first outwardly extending flare.

7. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap is fixed to said container by strap means on one side so that the open bottom of the cap can be easily brought into alignment with the open top of the container for placement thereon.

8. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising a container which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an open top; said container material being transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom of said container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to be received therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; a cap for said container; said cap having four sides and a top with an open bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cap permitting said open top of said container to be received therein; said open bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein; said cap having an inwardly projecting peripheral rib spaced from the top of said cap for holding the cap on the top of said first outwardly extending flare of said container after the top of said container has been moved past the peripheral rib, a sealing projection is located around said container and spaced from the top of said container, said sealing projection having a surface extending at an angle tapering outwardly as it extends downwardly, said angle being approximately equal to the flare angle of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap so as to engage the inner surface for sealing when the cap is on the container, said sealing projection being spaced from the top of said container a distance such that as the top of the container has been moved past the peripheral rib on said cap the sealing surface of said projection is in contact with the inner surface of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap.

9. A holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bead projects inwardly of the open top to aid in preventing engagement of an unsterile X-ray cassette with the outer surface of the container when one is being inserted.

Claims

1. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising a container which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an open top; said container material being transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom of said container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to be received therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; a cap for said container; said cap having four sides and a top with an open bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cap permitting said open top of said container to be received therein; said open bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein; and a sealing projection is located around said container and spaced from the top of said container so as to engage the inner surface of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap for sealing when the cap is on the container.