Medical supplies abstract
A strip of detachably connected bags for receiving and containing
medical supplies and the like includes a plurality of substantially
identical bags which are detachably connected in end-to-end relation.
Each of the bags includes a seamless tubular wall portion which
is sealed at one end thereof and open at the opposite end thereof
and has an elongated longitudinally extending slit therein, and
an access strip which is preferably made of a semipermeable material
is adhered to the exterior of the wall portion for covering the
slit. The bags are only connected along one side of the wall portions
thereof so that they can be filled while they are still connected
utilizing an automated feeding apparatus. After the bags have been
filled and the open ends thereof have been sealed, the access strips
provide quick access to articles in the bags; and when the access
strips are made of a semipermeable material, they allow sterilizing
gases to be introduced into the interiors of the bags for sterilizing
the articles contained therein.
Medical supplies claims
What is claimed is:
1. An elongated strip of connected bags for medical supplies and
the like comprising a plurality of substantially identical bags,
each of said bags comprising a substantially flattened, two-sided
seamless tubular wall portion made of a flexxible plastic material
which is sealed at one end thereof and open at the opposite end
thereof, the seal at the sealed end of each of said bags being formed
between the two sides of said wall portion thereof without other
layers of plastic material therebetween, said wall portion of each
bag having a substantially longitudinally extending slit therein
which extends along one side thereof from a point spaced from the
open end thereof to a point spaced from the sealed end thereof and
a longitudinally extending detachable strip which extends along
the exterior of said wall portion for covering said slit and which
is sealingly secured to said wall portion adjacent said slit and
adjacent the end of said slit closest to the sealed end of said
wall portion, the slits in said bags all being on the same side
of said strip of connected bags, said bags being detachably connected
in end-to-end relation so that the sealed ends of the wall portions
of said bags are detachably connected to the open ends of the wall
portons of the next bags along only the sides of the wall portons
of said bags through which said slits extend to permit access to
the interiors of said bags through the open ends thereof while said
bags are connected, said detachable strips on said bags also being
detachably connected in end-to-end relation.
2. In the strip of connected bags of claim 1, said detachable strip
on each of said bags further characterized as being breathable.
Medical supplies description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates to packaging for medical equipment
and supplies and more particularly to an elongated strip of detachably
connected bags for receiving and containing medical equipment and
supplies and the like prior to the use thereof.
Various types of packaging, such as various types of hermetically
sealable bags, have been heretofore available for receiving and
containing medical equipment and the like under sterilized conditions
prior to the use thereof. In addition, various types of packaging
have been available which have been adapted to permit the sterilization
of articles contained therein and to thereafter maintain the articles
under sterilized conditions. For example, sealable plastic bags
and other types of plastic packaging having side access openings
therein which are sealingly covered with detachable access strips
made of semipermeable or "breathable" materials have been
heretofore available. Packaging of this type has permitted the sterilization
of articles contained therein through the use of various types of
sterilizing gases which can pass through the breathable strips of
the bags after they are sealed to sterilize articles contained therein.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,369 to Schuster discloses packaging which
is generally exemplary in this regard and represents prior art which
is generally related to the instant invention. The packaging disclosed
in Schuster is, however, believed to be only of general interest,
since it is made from a flat sheet of plastic material which is
folded to a desired configuration, and, as a result, it is not really
adapted for continuous automated manufacturing and/or feeding operations.
Other types of packaging which have comprised a flexible plastic
tubular wall portion which is sealed at one end thereof and has
a longitudinally extending slit on one side thereof, and a semipermeable
strp which is sealed to the exterior of the wall portion for covering
the slit have also been heretofore available. Bags of this type
have had the advantage that they can be effectively heat sealed
along the open ends thereof after articles have been placed therein.
Further, when bags of this type are heat sealed, the seals are only
required to penetrate two layers of plastic material, and therefore
effective uniform seals can easily be formed. Individual bags of
this type, however, have the disadvantage that they also are only
adapted for unautomated individual article feeding operations.
The instant invention provides an effective continuous strip of
bags which can be used by conventional automated feeding apparatus
for filling, sealing and separating the bags of the strip in a continuous
automated operation. The strip of connected bags of the instant
invention comprises a plurality of substantially identical bags,
each comprising a seamless tubular wall portion made of a flexible
plastic material which is in a substantially flattened two-sided
configuration and has an elongated slit along one side thereof,
and is sealed at one end thereof and open at the opposite end thereof,
and a detachable strip which is received on the wall portion for
covering the slit. The slit in the wall portion extends substantially
longitudinally from a point which is spaced from the open end thereof
to a point which is spaced from the sealed end thereof, and the
detachable strip extends longitudinally along the exterior of the
wall portion so that it covers the slit, and it is heat sealed to
the wall portion adjacent the opposite edges of the slit and adjacent
the end of the slit which is closest to the sealed end of the wall
portion. The bags are detachably connected along perforate lines
in end-to-end relation so that the sealed end of the wall portion
of one bag is detachably connected to the open end of the wall portion
of the next bag. However, the bags are detachably connected along
only one side of the wall portion of open end of each bag so that
access to the interiors of the bags is provided through the open
ends thereof while the bags are connected. Further, in the preferred
embodiment of the invention, the detachable strips on the bags extend
along substantially the entire extents of the respective bags, and
the slits in the bags are provided along the sides thereof which
are connected so that the detachable strips are also disposed on
the connected sides of the bags. Further, preferably the detachable
strips are also detachably connected at the ends thereof, and the
detachable strips are preferably constructed of a breathable material,
such as paper or a spun polyolefin, for example, Tyvek (duPont.TM.).
The strip of connected bags of the instant invention is particularly
effective from a manufacturing standpoint since it can be manufactured
in an automated operation from an elongated tubular plastic strip
and an elongated strip of a spun polyolefin or paper. In particular,
the tubular plastic strip can easily be heat sealed, slit and perforated
in a continuous automated operation to form individual connected
bag wall portions, and the paper or polyolefin access strip can
easily be applied in a continuous operation so that it covers the
slits of the bags. Because of the configurations of the bags, all
of the heat seals which are applied to define the ends thereof are
relatively uniform seals which uniformly encompass only two layers
of plastic material. Further, because of the way in which the individual
bags are connected, they can be filled automatically before they
are separated, and the access strips on the bags provide easy access
to the interiors thereof after the bags have been separated and
sealed, and in the preferred embodiment, they also provide a means
for introducing sterilizing gases into the interiors of the bags
for sterilizing the articles contained therein.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to
provide an effective strip of detachably connected bags, of the
type having detachable access strips thereon, wherein the strip
can be effectively manufactured in an automated operation.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective
strip of detachably connected bags which is adapted for automated
feeding operations wherein the bags are of the type having detachable
access strips thereon.
A still further object of the instant invention is to provide an
effective strip of connected bags which is adapted for automated
feeding operations, wherein the bags are of the type which have
breathable strips thereon for sterilizing articles contained therein
utilizing sterilizing gases.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become
apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in
connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated
for carrying out the present invention:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the strip of connected bags of
the instant invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a single bag with the detachable strip
thereof partially removed;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawing, the strip of connected bags of the
instant invention is illustrated and generally indicated at 10 in
FIG. 1. The strip 10 comprises a plurality of individual bags generally
indicated at 12 in FIGS. 1 through 4 which are connected at the
ends thereof and which are adapted to be constructed in an automated
manufacturing operation and also adapted to receive articles therein
in an automated feeding operation.
Each of the bags 12 in the strip 10 comprises a seamless tubular
wall portion 14 which is preferably constructed of a flexible, transparent
plastic material, such as polyethylene, and which is preferably
folded to a substantially flattened configuration to provide first
and second sides 16 and 18, respectively, of each of the wall portions
14. Each of the wall portions 14 has a substantially transversely
extending seal 20 at one end thereof and is open at the opposite
end thereof, and a substantially longitudinally extending slit 22
is provided in the second side 18 of each of the wall portions 14.
Each of the slits 22 extends from a point which is spaced from the
seal 20 of the respective wall portion 14 to a point which is spaced
from the opposite or open end of the respective wall portion 14.
Also provided in each of the bags 12 is a detachable access strip
24 which is preferably constructed of a semipermeable or breathable
material, such as a spun polyolefin or paper. For example, a spun
polyolefin such as Tyvek (duPont.TM.) has been found to be an effective
material for the strips 24. Each of the strips 24 is detachably
sealed to the second side 18 of the respective wall portion 14 for
covering the respective slit 22. In this regard, preferably a conventional
water or lacquer based heat-seal adhesive is used for sealing the
strips 24 to the exterior sides 18 of the wall portions 14 in areas
26 which extend along the opposite sides of the slits 22 and along
the ends of the slits 22 which are closest to the seals 20 of the
respective wall portions 14. Further, in the preferred embodiment,
the portions of the areas 26 which extend along the sides of the
slits 22 are preferably spaced outwardly from the slits 22 so that
the strips 24 are sealed to the sides 18 in the peripheral side
areas of the strips 24. For reasons of convenience, the adhesive
which is used for sealing the strips 24 to the wall portions 14
is preferably applied to the entire inner surfaces of the strips
24, and thereafer the strips 24 are adhered to the sides 18 by applying
heat in the areas 26 to effect the desired heat seals. Further,
when the adhesive is applied to the entire inner surfaces of the
access strips 24, the portions of the seal areas 26 which extend
along the ends of the slits 22 adjacent the heat seals 20 can be
formed simultaneously with the seals 20 so that they actually coextend
therewith. Further, when the open ends of the bags 12 are heat sealed
after the bags 12 have been filled, heat-seals between the strips
24, and the wall portions 14 are simultaneously formed along the
previously unsealed ends of the strips 24 to completely seal around
the slits 22.
The bags 12 are detachably connected along perforate lines 27 in
end-to-end relation so that the sealed end of one bag 12 is connected
to the open end of the next bag 12 in the strip 14. In this regard,
the bags 12 are connected along only one side of the respective
wall portions 14 thereof so that exposed or unconnected edges 28
are provided on the opposite sides of the open ends of the wall
portions 40. Preferably the wall portions 14 are connected along
the ends of the second sides 18 thereof so that the strips 24 extend
along the connected sides of the wall portions 14. The strips 24
are preferably also connected along the perforate lines 27 when
the strip 10 is constructed in this manner.
The strip of connected bags 10 is particulary adapted for use in
automated feeding operations wherein individual articles are mechanically
introduced into the bags 12. In this regard, it has been found that
the strip 10 can be effectively used in a Syntron (FMC Corp..TM.)
vibratory feeding system, although the use of the strip 10 in a
variety of other automated bag feeding systems is contemplated.
The open ends of the bags 12 permit access to the interiors thereof
along the edges 28 so that components and other articles can easily
be received in the bags 12. After the appropriate components or
other supplies have been positioned in the bags 12, the open ends
of the bags 12 can be heat-sealed adjacent the edges 28 to seal
the respective sides 16 and 18 thereof together and also to seal
the adjacent ends of the strips 24 to the respective sides 18 to
effect complete seals around the slits 22 of the respective bags
12. After the components or pieces of equipment have been received
in the bags 12 and the bags 12 have been sealed in this manner,
the bags 12 can be separated from each other, and the articles contained
in the bags 12 can be sterilized by exposing the bags 12 to a sterilizing
gas which can pass through the strips 24. Thereafter the articles
contained in the bags 12 will remain sterilized until the respective
strips 24 have been removed from the bags 12 to provide access to
the respective articles contained therein. In this regard, since
the areas 26 are preferably spaced outwardly from the slits 22,
sterilized areas 30 are provided on the exteriors of the bags 12
adjacent the slits 22, and therefore inadvertent contact with the
outwardly facing areas of the sides 18 adjacent the slits 22 during
the removal of articles from the bags 12 does not normally contaminate
the articles.
It is seen, therefore, that the instant invention provides an effective
strip of connected bags of the type used for containing medical
equipment during the sterilization and storage thereof. The bags
12 of the strip 10 are adapted for automated feeding operations,
and they can easily be formed in an automated process. Accordingly,
for these reasons, as well as the other reasons hereinabove set
forth, it is seen that the instant invention represents a significant
advancement in the art which has substantial commercial merit.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure
embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in
the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying
inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular
forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by
the scope of the appended claims. |