Special receptacle or package – For a tool – Razor blade
Patent
1998-07-21
2000-05-23
Foster, Jim
Special receptacle or package
For a tool
Razor blade
206363, 206380, B65D 8524, A61B 1706, A61B 1902
Patent
active
060655968
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to containers.
The invention has particular but not exclusive application to containers such as trays for use in surgical procedures for holding a sharp instrument having a cutting portion.
As used herein the expression "sharp instrument" includes equipment which can cut, puncture or otherwise be invasive such as scalpels, needles and other sharp or pointed surgical instruments. The expression "cutting portion" is to be taken to include any surface, edge or point which cuts, punctures or is otherwise invasive and includes a scalpel blade and a needle point.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
During an operation, a scalpel is transferred between surgeon and scrub nurse or other assistant either directly from hand to hand, or more frequently by one person placing it in a tray for the other to pick up. The tray currently used for this purpose is an open topped kidney shaped dish which provides users with no protection against accidental injury from the scalpel blade. Many other instruments such as suture needles and Veress needles are passed directly between the surgeon and scrub nurse or other assistant.
The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known containers, systems and methods for the handling of sharp instruments during surgical procedures.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention is one aspect resides broadly in a container for holding a sharp instrument having a handle portion and a cutting portion, the sharp instrument being held within the container to be easily accessible during surgical procedures, the container including: sharp instrument, and to the instrument recess; instrument recess is positioned therein to be easily accessible for re-use during surgical procedures and such that the cutting portion thereof is not directed towards the opening of the instrument recess whereby a user's fingers are substantially prevented from contacting the cutting portion.
The guide means may converge toward the instrument recess and in a preferred embodiment the container includes inclined walls converging to the opening, the inclined walls constituting the guide means.
In one embodiment the instrument recess is elongated and closed at each end, is adapted to receive a scalpel and along two opposite lengths thereof has a cross sectional configuration of width slightly greater than the major cross-sectional dimension of a scalpel and depth slightly greater than the minor cross-sectional dimension of a scalpel, the length of the instrument recess being such that the scalpel blade is located within one of the opposite lengths irrespective of the position of the scalpel in the instrument recess.
It is preferred that the instrument recess has sidewalls and a base, the junctions thereof being radiussed such that a scalpel is disposed to rest in the recess with its major cross-sectional dimension parallel to the base.
The container may include access means for providing a user with access to the scalpel handle for removing the scalpel from the instrument recess.
The access means could be a pivoting lever arrangement adapted to elevate the scalpel handle portion or alternatively a portion of the container sidewall can pivot to achieve this effect. However the access means is preferably a finger access recess, the cross sectional configuration of the finger access recess being such as to allow a user's fingers to contact the scalpel handle for removing the scalpel from the instrument recess, the position of the finger access recess being such that the scalpel blade is not located within the finger access recess irrespective to eh position of the scalpel in the instrument recess.
The container may include barrier means for preventing a user's fingers entering the instrument recess. The barrier means may constitute the opening to the instrument recess, the width of the opening being such as to allow a scalpel to enter the recess but to prevent a user's fingers entering the recess.
In one preferred embodiment the container may include handle means whereby a user can hold the c
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Allen & Hamburys Catalogue 1957 edition (Allen & Hamburys, London), p. 588, reference No. 49100.
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