METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TRAY FOR STORING ANEURYSM CLIPS, AND TRAY FOR STORING ANEURYSM CLIPS

Abstract

A method for producing a tray for storing aneurysm clips, in which a metal plate is equipped with perforations. The perforations are produced by laser cutting. The plate with the perforations is reshaped by bending to form a corrugated sheet or a sheet with trapezoidal corrugations. The sheet has at least one channel-like indentation for storing aneurysm clips. A tray for storing aneurysm clips includes a corrugated sheet or a sheet with trapezoidal corrugations equipped with laser-cut perforations. The corrugated sheet or sheet with trapezoidal corrugations has at least one channel-like indentation.

Claims

1. A method for producing a tray for storing aneurysm clips, the tray being produced from a metal plate, the method comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of perforations in the plate by laser cutting; reshaping the plate by bending to form a corrugated sheet with trapezoidal corrugations which has at least one channel indentation for storing aneurysm clips; and mounting at least one plug-in wall into the at least one channel indentation of the corrugated sheet, the at least one plug-in wall laterally delimiting or subdividing the at least one channel indentation and being dismountable from the corrugated sheet.

2. (canceled)

3. A method for producing a tray for storing aneurysm clips, the tray being produced from a metal plate, the method comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of perforations in the plate by laser cutting; and reshaping the plate by bending to form a corrugated sheet with trapezoidal corrugations which has at least one channel indentation for storing aneurysm clips, the perforations being produced by firstly subdividing interfaces which define the perforations into subareas, and by subsequently grouping the subareas of the interfaces corresponding to their orientation into at least two groups and by finally producing the at least two groups in each case en bloc by laser cutting.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plate is clamped at two opposite ends prior to producing the perforations.

5. A tray for storing aneurysm clips produced according to the method of claim 1, the tray having at least one of the following: a maximum width of the perforations that is less than 1 mm; and a maximum land width between neighboring perforations that is less than 0.8 mm.

6. The tray according to claim 5, wherein the at least one plug-in wall is adapted to be mounted to and dismounted from the corrugated sheet without using tools.

7. The tray according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the perforations has a respective contour adapted to at least one projection of the at least one plug-in wall so that the at least one plug-in wall is connectable to the corrugated sheet only by interaction of the at least one projection with said at least one of the perforations.

8. The tray according to claim 5, wherein at least some of the perforations are of equal size rectangular, and arranged in rows parallel to each other and are oriented, with their respective longitudinal axis, in parallel to a direction of extension of the rows, the rows being offset from one another in the direction of extension of the rows.

9. The tray according to claim 5, further comprising at least one holding cover connected to the corrugated sheet, the at least one holding cover being dismountable without using tools which covers, at least in portions, the at least one channel indentation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0020] Hereinafter, the present invention shall be described in detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a metal plate;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a top view onto the plate shown in FIG. 1 in which part of a first group is cut at interfaces by perforations;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the plate shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the entire first group is cut at interfaces by the perforations;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a top view onto the plate shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in which part of a second group is cut at interfaces by the perforations;

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a top view onto the plate shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in which all interfaces are cut by the perforations;

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the perforated plate illustrated in FIG. 5

[0027] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the plate illustrated in FIG. 6 which has been provided with two channel-like indentations by bending;

[0028] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the plate illustrated in FIG. 6 which has been reshaped by bending to form a trapezoidal sheet;

[0029] FIGS. 9 and 10 show perspective views of the trapezoidal sheet illustrated in FIG. 8 including plug-in walls and end walls;

[0030] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of an alternatively configured trapezoidal sheet including plug-in walls and end walls;

[0031] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the trapezoidal sheet illustrated in FIG. 11 including identification labels;

[0032] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a tray according to the invention having an open lid;

[0033] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the tray according to the invention having a closed lid;

[0034] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the tray according to the invention having a closed lid;

[0035] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of the tray according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 15 having an open lid;

[0036] FIG. 17 shows perspective views of a short identification label; and

[0037] FIG. 18 shows perspective views of a long identification label.

[0038] Like or functionally equivalent features are provided with like reference numerals in the individual figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view onto a metal plate 2 which has a substantially rectangular outline. In order to equip the plate 2 with perforations 4 (see FIG. 5), initially first edges or interfaces 6 of the perforations 4 are cut into the plate 2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) by means of a laser (not shown). A feature that is common to the first interfaces 6 is that all of them extend in a direction y. So as to cut the first interfaces 6 as efficiently as possible, laser cutting is started at a starting point 8 in one corner of the plate 2, and the individual first interfaces 6 are cut by pulsed driving of the laser when the laser scans the plate 2 in a serpentine-like manner (see arrows 10).

[0040] After having cut all of the first interfaces 6 and the laser being provided at the intermediate point 12, second edges or interfaces 14 are cut. A feature that is common to the second interfaces 14 is that all of them extend in a direction x perpendicular to the direction y. Starting from the intermediate point 12 which is equally located in a corner of the plate 2, the individual second interfaces 14 are equally cut by pulsed driving of the laser when the laser scans the plate 2 in a serpentine-like manner (see arrows 16).

[0041] Pulsed driving of the laser in this context means that the laser operates substantially with high power when it intersects a perforation line. High power means that the power is so high that the material to be cut is cut, at the respective cutting speed corresponding to the feeding speed of the laser, over the complete thickness of the material. When the laser is moved between two perforation lines, the laser is not completely turned off, but the power of the laser is merely reduced, to be specific so far that the surface of the sheet is not damaged. As the laser is not turned off completely between two cutting operations of two perforation lines, the time until it returns to high power is reduced. In this way, the cutting speed or the feeding speed of the laser can be significantly increased vis-à-vis the case in which the laser is always turned off completely between two cutting operations.

[0042] After having cut all of the second interfaces 14 and the laser is at the final point 18, the laser cutting of the perforations 4 is completed (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0043] According to the method illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, firstly all short sides of the perforations 4 each having a substantially rectangular contour are cut, before the corresponding long sides are cut. As an alternative, it is also possible that firstly all of the long sides are cut, before all of the short sides are cut.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 6, only subareas of the plate 2 may be perforated (see hatched part of the plate 2). For example, a rim may be left free from perforations.

[0045] In FIGS. 7 to 14, no perforations are shown for reasons of clarity.

[0046] After laser cutting, the plate 2 equipped with perforations 4 is repeatedly bent about edges 20 parallel to the direction y such that a channel-like indentation 22 is formed (see FIG. 7). This procedure is repeated until the whole plate 2 includes channel-like indentations 22 over its entire surface (see FIG. 8). The plate provided with the channel-like indentations 22 shall be referred to as sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24 in the following.

[0047] In order to produce defined aneurysm clip holders 26, plug-in walls 28 and 29 are inserted into the channel-like indentations 22 (see arrow 30 in FIG. 9). For larger aneurysm clips large aneurysm clip holders 34 are provided in part 32 of the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24. The plug-in walls 28 may be solid plates or may equally include perforations.

[0048] The plug-in walls 28 and 29 may be crenelated. This means that the plug-in walls 28 and, resp., 29 are designed so that subareas immerse into individual indentations 22 of the trapezoidal sheet 24 and that other subareas of the plug-in walls 28 and, resp., 29 connect the subareas immersing into different indentations 22. The plug-in walls 28 are designed to be longer than the plug-in wall 29, that means that a respective plug-in wall 28 has six crenelations and subdivides all of the six indentations 22 of the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24, whereas the short plug-in wall 29 has only three crenelations and subdivides only three out of the six indentations 22. By providing the short plug-in wall 29, the large aneurysm clip holders 34 can be formed in the indentations which are not subdivided by the plug-in wall 29.

[0049] In order to close ends of the channel-like indentations 22, end walls 38 that are disposed at the corrugated edges of the trapezoidal sheet 24 are provided (see arrows 40 in FIG. 9). Preferably, the end walls 38 are connected to the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24 by laser welding.

[0050] Instead of providing crenelated plug-in walls 28 and, resp., 29, it is also possible to manufacture the trapezoidal sheet from a slitted plate. The respectively resulting trapezoidal sheet 24′ shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 includes slits 42 into which substantially rectangular plug-in walls 28′ and, resp., 29′ can be inserted.

[0051] Also, it is possible to provide slits which merely facilitate and, resp., improve the fastening of crenelated plug-in walls 28′ and, resp., 29′ in the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24.

[0052] Identification labels 44 and, resp., 46 are provided so that the aneurysm clip holders 26 and 34 can be labeled. For mounting the identification labels 44 and 46, they are attached from above to the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24 (see arrow 48 in FIG. 12). The identification labels 46 are configured to be long, i.e., they are only suited for labeling large aneurysm clip holders 34. The identification labels 44 are configured to be short and serve for labeling normal aneurysm clip holders 26. The identification labels 44 and 46 substantially are L profiles. When the identification labels 46 and, resp., 44 are attached to a corresponding aneurysm clip holder 26 or 34, one leg of the L profile extends along a sidewall of an aneurysm clip holder and the other leg of the L profile extends in the plane of the access opening of the aneurysm clip holder 26 or 34 next to the access opening. On the upper side of a respective labeling plate, a picture (not shown) of the aneurysm clip to be stored in the respective aneurysm clip holder 26 or 34 may be provided.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24, the end walls 38, the plug-in walls 28 and, resp., 29 as well as the identification labels 44 and, resp., 46 form a tray 48 according to the invention.

[0054] As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the tray 48 can be closed with a lid 50 (see arrow 52 in FIG. 13). Preferably, the tray 48 is made from a sheet having a thickness of 0.8 mm and the lid 50 is made from a sheet having a thickness of 1 mm.

[0055] The embodiment of the tray for storing aneurysm clips according to the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 and described above constitutes merely one possible implementation of the invention.

[0056] In accordance with another advantageous embodiment shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the cut perforated sheet of FIG. 6 is cut into individual strips, and then each strip is bent into a channel-like indentation 22 with an adjacent holding surface for an identification label. A plurality of said elements configured in this way are assembled by means of laser welding to form a group. To the end faces of the channel-like indentations 22 end sheets or end walls 38′ are welded so as to form a tray 24″. The end walls 38′ have pedestals 54 and holders 56 into which projections 58 of a lid 50′ can be inserted, as well as a holder 60 for a closure member 62 that is provided at the lid 50′ and serves for detachably fastening the lid 50′ to the tray 24″ and, in so doing, covering and thus closing the channel-like indentations 22. Plug-in walls 28 can be detachably introduced transversely to the channel-like indentations 22 to form plural separate aneurysm clip holders 26 for different aneurysm clips from the channel-like indentations 22. Preferably, the holding surfaces are slitted so that the plug-in walls 28 can be inserted from the top to the bottom of the channel-like indentations 22.

[0057] In FIGS. 17 and 18, short and long identification labels 64 and, resp., 66 are shown. In order to be connectable to the corresponding sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24″ illustrated in FIG. 16, the identification labels 64 and, resp., 66 configured as L profiles include, at each of their legs, at least one projection 68 adapted to be clipped into corresponding recesses in the sheet with trapezoidal corrugations 24″.