Abstract
A packaging device including a receiving compartment for medical products to be sterilized or having been sterilized, the receiving compartment being sealable in a sterile manner; a carrier for hanging and/or guiding and/or handling the packaging device, wherein the carrier extends into the interior of the receiving compartment and includes at least one accurately fitting mount for a section of a medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized. Also, secondary packaging for accommodating a plurality of such packaging devices.
Claims
1.- 10. (canceled)
11. A packaging device comprising: a receiving compartment for medical products to be sterilized or having been sterilized, the receiving compartment sealable in a sterile manner; and a carrier configured to at least one of hang, guide, or handle the packaging device, the carrier extending into the interior of the receiving compartment and comprising at least one fitting mount for a section of a medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized.
12. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the carrier further comprises: an outer guiding section configured to at least one of hang, guide, or handle the packaging device; and an inner receiving section configured to receive the medical products to be sterilized or having been sterilized in an accurately fitting manner; wherein the outer guiding section is arranged outside the receiving compartment and the inner receiving section is arranged inside the receiving compartment.
13. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the receiving compartment is formed by a film package and wherein at an interface where the carrier passes into the interior of the film package, a bonded connection is formed between the carrier and the film package.
14. The packaging device according to claim 13, wherein the film package is a film bag having a tab for closing the film bag.
15. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the carrier includes an evacuating means by which at least a partial vacuum can be produced in the receiving compartment.
16. The packaging device according to claim 15, wherein the evacuating means is a vacuum channel.
17. The packaging device according to claim 12, wherein the outer guiding section is configured as a guide hook for at least one of orienting, handling, or guiding the packaging device.
18. The packaging device according to claim 17, wherein the guide hook is a hanger hook or T-shaped including two lateral recesses.
19. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one mount for the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized includes a connector configured to receive, orient, and fix the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized in the receiving compartment, wherein the connector comprises a U-shaped recess for form-fittingly securing, clipping, or engaging the medical products to be sterilized or having been sterilized.
20. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one mount for the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized includes a marking.
21. The packaging device according to claim 20, wherein the at least one mount for the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized is adapted as to its shape and/or configuration to the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized which is accommodated in said mount.
22. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one mount for the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized is adapted as to its shape and/or configuration to the section of the medical product to be sterilized or having been sterilized which is accommodated in said mount.
23. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein in the interior of the receiving compartment the carrier further includes at least two stacking sections spanning the receiving compartment for at least one of stacking or guiding the packaging device.
24. The packaging device according to claim 11, wherein the carrier is U-shaped in the interior of the receiving compartment for laterally protecting the medical products to be sterilized or having been sterilized which are accommodated in the receiving compartment.
25. A secondary packaging for accommodating a plurality of packaging devices according to claim 11, wherein the secondary packaging includes a receptacle and a guide rail on which the carriers of the packaging devices can be arranged.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Included in the drawings are the following figures:
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of the packaging device according to aspects of the invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a carrier of the first embodiment of the packaging device according to aspects of the invention including medical tubes received thereon;
[0035] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a film bag according to aspects of the invention—forming a receiving compartment;
[0036] FIG. 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of the packaging device according to aspects of the invention;
[0037] FIG. 5 shows a front view of a carrier of the second embodiment of the packaging device according to aspects of the invention including medical tubes received thereon;
[0038] FIG. 6 shows a front view of a possible constructional design of the carrier of the first embodiment;
[0039] FIG. 7 shows a top view of the carrier of FIG. 6 including the film bag;
[0040] FIG. 8 shows a front view of a possible constructional design of the carrier of the second embodiment;
[0041] FIG. 9 shows a top view of the carrier of FIG. 8 including the film bag;
[0042] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a connector portion according to aspects of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a stacking portion according to aspects of the invention;
[0044] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a stacking portion according to aspects of the invention;
[0045] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a secondary package according to aspects of the invention comprising packaging devices according to aspects of the invention accommodated therein; and
[0046] FIG. 14 shows a top view onto a secondary package according to aspects of the invention comprising packaging devices according to aspects of the invention accommodated therein.
[0047] The Figures are merely schematic and merely serve for the comprehension of the invention. Like elements are provided with like reference numerals. The features of the individual embodiments may be exchanged for each other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0048] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of the sterile package/ packaging 1 according to aspects of the invention. The sterile package 1 includes a carrier 2 and a film bag 3. Inside the film bag 3, i.e. in a package interior 4, two wound medical tubes 5 are located. The carrier is formed outside the film bag 3 as a T-shaped guide hook 6 and extends into the package interior 4. In the package interior 4 the carrier 2 includes a receiving section 7 having four mounts/ seatings 8, wherein a starting connector plug 9 (having a Luer lock) and an end connector plug 10 (having a Luer lock) of the first medical tube 5 (blood tube system for hemodialysis) as well as a starting connector plug 9 and an end connector plug 10 (each equally having a Luer lock) of the second medical tube 5 are clipped in said mounts. The mounts 8 differ from each other and are formed to be accurately fitting to the starting connector plug 9 and, respectively, the end connector plug 10. The receiving section 7 is arranged at an upper portion of the film bag 3. The winding of the medical tubes 5 and the clipping of the starting connector plugs 9 and the end connector plugs 10 of the tubes 5 into the mounts 8 ensure safe fixation of the two tubes 5. The carrier 2 further includes a vacuum channel 11 which extends from outside into the package interior 4. The film bag 3 is closed by a tab (not shown). At an interface 12 the carrier 2 and the film bag 3 are bonded/adhesively connected to each other.
[0049] In FIG. 2 a front view of the carrier 2 of the first embodiment of the sterile package 1 according to aspects of the invention comprising medical tubes 5 received thereon is shown. The tubes 5 are wound and the starting connector plugs 9 as well as the end connector plugs 10 of the tubes 5 are clipped into the four mounts 8. Clipping can be performed freely from the top, from the front, from the bottom or from the side. The receiving section 7 of the carrier 2 in the package interior 4 is approximately rectangular in the front view, but has respective bevels/chambers 13 at the two upper corners in FIG. 2 which coincide with corners of the film bag 3. The bevels 13 prevent the film bag 3 from being damaged by pointed corners. The length of the receiving section 7 approximately corresponds to the length of the upper edge of the film bag 3 in the front view. The width of the receiving section 7 is small as compared to the length. The T-shaped guide hook 6 extends outwards and, respectively, upwards away from a center of the receiving section 7. The guide hook 6 comprises a neck portion 14 which is arranged perpendicularly to the receiving section 7 and two guide rail receiving sections 15 which are formed by lateral recesses 16 in the guide hook 6. The neck portion 14 and the guide rail receiving portions 15 together form the T-shape of the guide hook 6. The guide hook 6 of FIG. 2 may be clipped merely on one side to a guide rail (not shown) or may be guided on both sides, or may be clipped on one side and guided on the other side. The vacuum channel 9 extends centrally through the guide hook 6 and the receiving section 7 and is formed in tube shape in the carrier 2.
[0050] In FIG. 3 a front view of the pliable film bag 3- forming the package interior 4—according to aspects of the invention is shown. The film bag 3 of FIG. 3 is printed.
[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a second embodiment of the sterile package 1 according to aspects of the invention. The sterile package 1 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment merely by the design of the carrier 2 so that hereinafter only the differences of the second embodiment from the first embodiment shall be discussed. The carrier 2 of the second embodiment is shown without a film bag 3 in FIG. 5. Although the carrier 2 of the second embodiment has no vacuum channel 11, according to aspects of the invention it is also provided to integrate such vacuum channel into the carrier 2 of the second embodiment. The guide hook 6 of the second embodiment is designed like a hanger hook and has two circular recesses 17. The circular recesses 17 take a circular shape, but they are not intended to be limited to a circular shape and may also be triangular, quadrangular, trapezoidal, oval etc. Thus, analogously to a clothes hanger, the carrier 2 of the second embodiment can be arranged and, respectively, hung/suspended on a guide rail (not shown) via the guide hook 6. In addition or as an alternative, the carrier 2 may also be guided via at least one of the circular recesses 17 provided in the guide hook 6. The guide hook 6 extends perpendicularly outwardly from the receiving section 7 and is centrally arranged. The receiving section 7 is U-shaped so that the receiving section 7 extends in U-shape along the upper edge as well as along the lateral edges of the film bag 3. In this way, the medical tubes 5 accommodated in the package interior 4 are laterally protected.
[0052] FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a possible constructional design of the carrier 2 of the first embodiment. Here, at the receiving section 7 the carrier 2 includes six connector clips 18 forming the mounts 8 according to aspects of the invention as well as two stacking clips 19. The stacking clips 19 serve for stacking and guiding the entire sterile package 1, each being arranged on the outside of the receiving section 7. In other words, the length of the receiving section 7 approximately corresponds to the distance of the stacking clips 19. FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the carrier 2 of FIG. 6 including the film bag 3. It is evident that the connector clips 18 are U-shaped/horseshoe-shaped in the top view. The stacking clips 19 span the package interior 4, i.e. the stacking clips 19 form the maximum extension of the receiving section 7 in the depth direction and the film bag 3 is arranged to be, closely adjacent to the stacking clips 19. Applying the film bag 3 to the stacking clips 19 can be even intensified by drawing partial vacuum or vacuum over the vacuum channel 11. Apart from the stacking clips 19, the depth or, respectively, thickness of the receiving section 7 and of the entire carrier 2 is small so that the mass of the sterile package according to aspects of the invention is not unnecessarily increased.
[0053] In FIG. 8 a front view of a possible constructional design of the carrier 2 of the second embodiment is shown. The receiving section 7 of the carrier 2 in this case comprises four connector clips 18 as well as four stacking clips 19. The stacking clips 19 are provided at corner or end points 20 of the U-shaped receiving section 7 so that the stacking clips 19 are evenly distributed over the sterile package 1 and are arranged at each of the corners of the sterile package 1. By providing four stacking clips 19 in this embodiment stacking and guiding of the entire sterile package 1 may be largely improved as compared to the first embodiment, as now four instead of two stacking points or stacking areas are provided so that a static redundant dimensioning is given. FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of the carrier 2 of FIG. 8 including the film bag 3. In this embodiment, too, the stacking clips 19 span the package interior 4. The film bag 3 also in this case is thus arranged to be closely adjacent to the stacking clips 19.
[0054] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a connector clip 18 according to aspects of the invention. The connector clip 18 is U-shaped so that a section of a medical tube 5 can be arranged thereon by form fit. In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 perspective views of stacking clips 19 according to aspects of the invention are shown. Each of the stacking clips 19 extends in both directions away from the plane of the receiving section 7 and includes two stacking areas 21 disposed in parallel to the receiving section 7. The stacking areas 21 are arranged to be directed outwardly in FIG. 12 and to be directed inwardly in FIG. 11.
[0055] FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of a receptacle 22 according to aspects of the invention which is capable of receiving a plurality of sterile packages 1. The receptacle 22 has a bottom and four side faces. On one side face a guide rail 23 is provided to which the carriers 2 of the sterile package 1 can be attached. The sterile packages 1 are thus arranged/secured/fixed to the guide rail 23 of the receptacle 22 via the carrier 2 thereof. As is evident from FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the outer dimensions of the receptacle 22 are chosen such that a width and a height of the receptacle 22 are selected in accordance with the outer dimensions of the sterile package 1. In this way, the sterile packages 1 are achieved to be arranged strung together within the receptacle 22. Thus, on the one hand, the packaging volume of the receptacle is kept small and, on the other hand, it is always immediately visible to a user from outside how many sterile packages 1 are present in the receptacle 22.
