Special receptacle or package – For body treatment article or material – Ligatures
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-05
2003-07-29
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For body treatment article or material
Ligatures
C206S822000, C221S305000, C229S108000, C229S121000, C229S122100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598737
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a suture dispenser box for suture packages, and more specifically to a suture dispenser box that may be received in differently formatted storage racks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sutures are typically packaged in individual, sterile packages that contain one or more sutures. The individual packages are stacked in a suture dispenser box, which is configured to sequentially dispense suture packages therefrom. In an operating room setting, a plurality of suture dispenser boxes, which hold various sizes and types of sutures, are held by a common storage rack to facilitate orderly display, selection, and dispensing of the sutures.
Conventionally, suture dispenser boxes are available in two different configurations, each adapted to be received in a corresponding type of storage rack. The first type of suture dispenser box is of the vertically formatted type with a dispensing slot located at the bottom. This arrangement is favored in the North American market, which prefers the vertically formatted suture dispenser box wherein the suture packages are stacked vertically and are withdrawn horizontally from the suture dispenser box.
The second type of suture dispenser box is of the horizontally formatted type. This arrangement is favored in the European market, which prefers the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box wherein the suture packages are stacked horizontally (e.g., index card fashion), and are withdrawn vertically from the suture dispenser box.
Accordingly, there are two conventional types of storage racks, which are configured to receive the above-mentioned suture dispenser boxes. Namely, the North American market employs a vertically formatted storage rack, and the European market employs a horizontally formatted storage rack.
FIGS. 1-5
depict prior art suture dispenser boxes and storage racks.
FIGS. 1-2
show a vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
positioned in a vertically formatted storage rack
12
. The width W
1
of the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
is typically approximately 2.5 inches, the height H
1
approximately 5.6 inches, and the length L
1
approximately 5.4 inches.
The vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
has a gravity fed dispensing slot
14
located at a bottom edge
16
thereof that is configured to permit removal of suture packages
17
therefrom. Typically, opposed fingers
18
,
18
′, e.g., a thumb and an index finger, may grasp the suture packages
17
contained in the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
at the dispensing slot
14
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the length L
1
of the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
exceeds the length X of a support shelf
20
of the vertically formatted storage rack
12
, so as to permit access to the dispensing slot
14
.
FIGS. 3-4
show a horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
positioned in a horizontally formatted storage rack
24
. The width W
2
of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
is typically approximately 4.7 inches, the height H
2
approximately 2.5 inches, and the length L
2
approximately 5.6 inches. Note that the dimensions of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
approximate those of a single compartment
26
in the horizontally formatted storage rack
24
.
Thus, the dimensions of the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
are approximately 2.5×5.6×5.4 inches. If the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
is reoriented such that its dimensions most closely approximate the foregoing dimensions of the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
, the dimensions of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
can be noted to be approximately 2.5×5.6×4.7 inches.
Because the suture dispenser boxes
10
,
22
described above have different dimensions, the suture dispenser boxes
10
,
22
are not compatible for use in both types of racks
12
,
24
. That is, the physical dimensions of the vertically formatted suture dispenser box
10
(
FIGS. 1-2
) will not fit into the horizontally formatted storage rack
24
(
FIGS. 3-4
) because it is larger.
The alternative approach of inserting the smaller, horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
in the vertically formatted storage rack
12
also has drawbacks. For example, prior attempts to use a horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
in a vertically formatted storage rack
12
have included adding a dispensing slot (like the slot
16
of
FIG. 1
) to the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
and placing the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
in the vertically formatted storage rack
12
. Although the physical dimensions of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
(
FIGS. 3-4
) allow it to fit into the vertically formatted storage rack
12
,
FIG. 5
illustrates one problem associated with this approach.
FIG. 5
shows the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
reoriented and positioned in the vertically formatted storage rack
12
. Because the width W
2
of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
is less than length X of the support shelf
20
of the vertically formatted storage rack
12
, the support shelf
20
blocks access to a dispensing slot
27
that may be formed in an edge
28
of the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box
22
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,367 discloses a horizontally formatted suture dispenser box, which is placed in a sleeve with a spacer. When used in a vertically formatted storage rack, the spacer causes the horizontally formatted suture dispenser box to extend beyond the support shelf of a vertically formatted storage rack
12
to facilitate access to a dispenser slot. When used in a horizontally formatted storage rack, the sleeve and spacer assembly are discarded, generating waste.
The construction of two types of suture dispenser boxes results in increased manufacturing, distribution, and stocking costs. Accordingly, there is a need for a single novel suture dispenser box that may be compatible with at least the two differently formatted storage racks described above, and that may overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A suture dispenser box is disclosed which has a hollow therein for receiving a plurality of suture packages, and which has a generally prismatic shape. A plurality of panels cooperate so as to form the suture dispenser box. The panels are sized and shaped such that at least two panels have at least two edges intersecting at an acute angle.
Other features and aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiment, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 319322 (1885-06-01), Roberts
patent: 1007547 (1911-10-01), Durrum
patent: 1272965 (1918-07-01), Kartzmark
patent: 1875781 (1932-09-01), Turner
patent: 2980316 (1961-04-01), Buttery et al.
patent: 3450308 (1969-06-01), Schoenefeld
patent: 4382526 (1983-05-01), Stone
patent: 4405044 (1983-09-01), Flower et al.
patent: 5284293 (1994-02-01), Alpern et al.
patent: 5447253 (1995-09-01), Williams
patent: 5860517 (1999-01-01), Gemma, Jr. et al.
patent: 5957325 (1999-09-01), Montanez
patent: 5988367 (1999-11-01), Gemma, Jr. et al.
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