Cutlery – Handles and blade connections
Reexamination Certificate
1995-03-27
2001-05-01
Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Handles and blade connections
C030S232000, C030S341000, C606S167000, C606S205000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223440
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to autoclavable medical instruments. More specifically, it relates to making autoclavable medical instruments readily identifiable.
2. Prior Art
Autoclavable medical instruments have typically been manufactured entirely from stainless steel or another metal substantially non-degradable in body fluids. As such, all instruments of a particular type look exactly the same. Thus, it has not been possible to effectively segregate the instruments by department, or even by medical facility. Further, it is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish personally-owned medical instruments belonging to various staff workers in any given medical facility from those owned by the facility or any other staff member.
This difficulty leads to increased loss and theft which escalate medical costs since cost of theft and loss is inherently absorbed into the overhead of any medical facility. More importantly, inability to segregate by ward increases a risk of transmission of infectious diseases because instruments may inadvertently be moved from an infectious ward to a non-infectious ward and through error, adequate sterilization procedures may not have been performed. If the instruments were, at a glance, identifiable with a specific ward or facility, the incidence of loss, theft, and infectious disease transmission could be easily reduced.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a way to make such medical instruments readily recognizable while retaining their autoclavable nature. Further, the instrument must remain substantially non-degradable under the normal conditions in which the instrument is used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a way to make autoclavable medical instruments readily identifiable. By manufacturing medical instruments with synthetic colored handles, the instruments thereby become more easily identifiable. It is, thus, possible to segregate instruments by color, and therefore, by ward or medical facility. One benefit of this segregation is reduced risk of transmission of infectious diseases as instruments move between hospital wards. As the instruments are more readily identifiable, they will be less disposed to theft and loss. By selecting a synthetic material with a sufficiently high continuous heat resistance and which is non-degradable in natural body fluids, integrity and autoclavability of the instruments are assured.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1984839 (1934-12-01), Murray
patent: 3537967 (1970-11-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 3740779 (1973-06-01), Rubricuis
patent: 3750282 (1973-08-01), Eaton et al.
patent: 4671916 (1987-06-01), Hamas
patent: 4798000 (1989-01-01), Bedner et al.
patent: 4882867 (1989-11-01), Linden
patent: 5573529 (1996-11-01), Haak et al.
Blakely & Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman
Watts Douglas D.
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