Multi packaging system for medical implants

Abstract

A multi packaging system for packaging of sterile implants includes a carrier plate and a plurality of packings removably attached to the carrier plate. Each of the plurality of packings contains an implant and is individually removable from the carrier plate.

Claims

1. A packaging system for medical implants, comprising: a first substantially planar carrier body having a first surface and a second surface; a first individually packaged medical implant removably attached to the first surface of the first carrier body in a fixed position relative to the first carrier body; and a second individually packaged medical implant removably attached to the first surface of the first carrier body adjacent the first medical implant, wherein the first and second medical implants are configured to prevent the second medical implant from being removed until the first medical implant is removed.

2. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the first carrier body is provided with labels configured to indicate a remaining number of medical implants as each of the medical implants is removed therefrom.

3. The packaging system of claim 1, further comprising a second carrier body having a third surface and a fourth surface and configured to removably house a third and fourth medical implant thereon, the third and fourth medical implants being different from the first and second medical implants.

4. The packaging system of claim 3, wherein the first and second carrier bodies comprise first and second bores extending therethrough, respectively, to permit attachment thereof to a mechanical paternoster conveying system configured to recognize each of the first and second carrier plates via respective bar codes printed thereon.

5. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second medical implants are attached to the first carrier body by one of a non-metallic strap, an adhesive material and hot stamping.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Several exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the multi packaging system according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a top view on an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 of the multi packaging system according to the present invention showing printed numbers underneath each of the individual packings on the carrier plate; and

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a top view on an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 of the multi packaging system according to the present invention with a printed bar code.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The present invention relates to a packaging system for medical implants. The exemplary packaging system provides a plurality of individually packaged implants that are fixed to a carrier plate, the carrier plate being configured to permit a physician or other user to remove individual implants. The carrier plate is also provided with labels indicating a number of remaining implants on the carrier plate, thus providing the physician with a quick reading of the number of implants to facilitate performing of a particular procedure, as those skilled in the art will understand.

(6) FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment including a multi packaging system 1 comprising N number of sterile individual packings 2 fixed to a carrier plate 9. Each of the individual packings 2 may contain an implant such as, for example, a bone fixation element. The multi packaging system 1 may comprise more than one carrier plate 9 such that each carrier plate 9 holds packings 2 containing implants of a particular type and/or size. For example, a first carrier plate 9 may hold packings 2 containing bone fixation screws that are 40 mm in length while a second carrier plate 9 (not shown) may hold packings 2 containing bone fixation screws that are 42 mm in length. The carrier plate 9 may be quadrangular having four straight edges 10, similar to an index card, for example. The carrier plate 9 may include a legend strip or tab 5 along one edge 10 so that the specific type and/or size of the implant may be indicated thereon. The carrier plate 9 may include at least one hole 6 through a free space of the carrier plate 9, that is not covered by any of the packings 2, for insertion in a ringed binder or other similar device. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that a quadrangular carrier plate 9 permits efficient organization of the packings 2 and ease of storage of the carrier plates 9. It will be understood by those of skill in the art, however, that the carrier plate 9 may be any of a variety of shapes so long as the carrier plate permits individual packings 2 to be affixed thereto.

(7) The individual packings 2 may be fixed to the carrier plate 9 independently of one another via a non-metallic strap 3 adjacent to an edge 10 of the carrier plate 9. The individual packings 2 may be positioned side by side on the carrier plate 9, in a longitudinal orientation such that the non-metallic strap 3 fixes a first end of each of the individual packings 2 to the carrier plate 9. The non-metallic strap 3 may be torn off to permit the packings 2 to be individually removed from the carrier plate 9 and without having to open the individual packings 2. Alternatively, the individual packings 2 may be fixed to the carrier plate 9 via any other known fixation process such as, for example, using an adhesive material (e.g. glue) or a hot stamping method. The packings 2 may include a perforated strip 4 along a portion thereof for opening the packings 2 after the packings 2 have been removed from the carrier plate 9.

(8) The carrier plate 9 may include a continuous numbering 7 printed thereon, underneath the individual packings 2 such that the numbering 7 indicates a number of packings 2 remaining on the carrier plate 9 as each of the packings 2 are removed therefrom. For example, a carrier plate 9 holding twelve packings 2 may be printed with continuous Arabic numerals 11 to 1 from left to right such that the numerals are revealed as each of the packings 2 are removed from the carrier plate 9. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, four packings 2 have been removed thus far, revealing numerals 11 to 8 and indicating that 8 packings remain. The remaining numbers 7 to 1 are printed underneath the remaining individual packings 2 on the carrier plate 9 and are revealed as each additional packing 2 is removed from the carrier plate 9. The continuous numbering 7 shown in FIG. 2 has been printed to facilitate removal of the packings 2 from left to right. It will be understood by those of skill in the art, however, that the continuous numbering 7 may also be printed for removal of the packings 2 from right to left.

(9) As shown in FIG. 3, the carrier plate 9 may also include a barcode 8 printed thereon, the barcode 8 corresponding to the particular type and/or size of the implants held on the carrier plate 9. Thus, when a limited number of packings 2 remain on the carrier plate 9, the barcode 8 may simply be scanned to order additional implants of that particular type and/or size. The barcode 8 may be printed in a desired location on the carrier plate 9 such that visibility of the barcode 8 indicates that it is time to order additional implants. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that the barcode 8 may be used in a variety of different ways to track inventory.

(10) Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention.

(11) It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations of the invention can be made without departing from the broad scope of the appended claims. Some of these have been discussed above and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art.