Special receptacle or package – For body treatment article or material – Ligatures
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-05-29
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For body treatment article or material
Ligatures
C206S449000, C229S122100, C229S242000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237757
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of art to which this invention pertains is packaging, in particular, packaging for surgical needles and sutures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Packages for surgical sutures and surgical needles are well known in the art. Typically, the sutures and needles are packaged in conventional unitary packages such as folder packages, or molded plastic trays. Such a package may contain multiple needles and sutures. These packages are then placed into outer wrap packages which are then sterilized. The sterilized packages are then placed into dispenser boxes. Dispenser boxes are boxes that are used to package multiple unitary suture packages. The boxes have features such that when the dispenser box is placed into a special holding rack, it is possible for the health care provider to easily remove the unit packages of sutures from the dispenser box as needed.
Although the existing dispenser boxes that are known in the art are useful for their intended purpose, there are also some disadvantages associated with their use. In particular, one disadvantage is that once unitary packages of sutures are removed from the box, and if they are not utilized during a procedure, it is often difficult to reinsert them into the dispenser box. In addition, in many conventional dispenser boxes it is not possible to have access to the unit suture packages from both the bottom of the dispenser box as well as the top of the dispenser box.
Accordingly, there is a need in this art for novel, improved dispenser boxes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel suture package dispenser box which provides both bottom dispensing and top dispensing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispenser box which allows unitary suture packages to be easily reinserted into the dispenser box after removal.
Therefore, a dispenser box is disclosed. The dispenser box has a bottom panel, having opposed first and second major sides, and opposed first and second minor sides. A dispenser port closure panel having first and second opposed major sides and first and second opposed minor sides is foldably attached along the first major side to the second minor side of the bottom panel. A score line is located between the bottom panel and the dispenser port closure panel, said score line extending into the bottom panel to create semi-circular removal tabs. This score lines allows the closure panel to be separated from the bottom panel. A side panel having opposed first and second major sides and first and second minor sides is foldably connected along its second minor side to the first major side of the bottom panel. A dust flap panel is foldably connected to the first minor side of the side panel. A locking slot is located in the side panel, adjacent to the second minor side. A top panel having opposed first and second major sides and opposed first and second minor sides is provided. The top panel is foldably connected along a second minor side to a first major side of the side panel. A top access panel having opposed first and second major sides and opposed first and second minor sides is provided, wherein the top access panel is detachably connected along the first major side to the second major side of the top panel, and wherein the top access panel is detachably connected along the second minor side to the first major side of the side panel. A back panel is provided having opposed first and second major sides and opposed first and second minor sides, wherein the back panel is foldably connected along the second major side to the first major side of the top panel. A tuck flap having opposed first and second major sides is provided, wherein the tuck flap is foldably connected along its first major side to the first major side of the back panel. A front panel having opposed first and second major sides and opposed first and second minor sides is detachably connected by a score line along its first major side to the second major side of the top access panel, said score line forming at least one tab foldably connected to said first major side. The front base panel has opposed ends and tuck flap members foldably connected to each end. A second side panel having opposed first and second major sides and first and second minor sides is foldably connected along the first major side to the first minor side of the top panel and detachably connected to the first minor side of the top access panel. A dust flap is foldably connected to the second side panel along the first minor side of the panel. A locking slot is provided in the second side panel adjacent to the second minor side of the second side panel. A glue flap panel having opposed first and second major sides and first and second minor sides, is foldably connected along a first major side to the second major side of the second side panel, said glue flap panel has a cutout adjacent to the first minor end. A partition panel having first and second opposed major sides and first and second opposed minor sides is foldably connected along a first major side to the second major side of the glue flap panel. A glue flap is foldably connected along the second major side of the partition panel.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.
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Alpern Marvin
Pohle Michael
Ethicon Inc.
Luong Shian
Sewell Paul T.
Skula Emil Richard
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