Protective Box for Surgery

Abstract

The present invention is directed to providing a sterile container protecting various surgical grafts, implants and devices from incidental contamination and damage during operative procedures. The design includes an inner box to contain the items, and an outer box to protect the exterior of the inner box from contamination in the event of fall or other contamination, such as from airborne particles or liquids, fall from the sterile field, or by non-sterile handling. In the event of fall or contamination of the outer box, the surgical staff will be able to recover the inner box and its contents in sterile and unspoiled condition without difficulty.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 287,668, filed on May 27, 2014, which in turn claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 827,508 filed May 24, 2013, entitled “Protective Box for Surgery” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 836,806, filed Jun. 19, 2013, entitled “Protective Box for Surgery,” the contents of which all applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to improved methods, systems, tools and protective enclosures used in various applications to prevent the contamination of specimens, products and components. More specifically, the invention relates to improved tools used in the field of surgery to transport, store, prepare and prevent the contamination of biologic specimens.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The current practice of surgery often requires the use of implantable mate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is the creation of a protective enclosure for surgical materials to prevent contamination and damage. The enclosure is designed to be readily available for the surgeon to use, but to protect the material from inadvertent contamination and damage from various potential causes. The enclosure can isolate expensive and often irreplaceable surgical materials from contamination and damage during a surgical procedure. It can be used in various applications, such as laboratory specimens, forensic evidence, and biologic materials for implantation. The enclosure features a nested design to protect the sterility of the materials even in the event of contamination and damage to the outer box. The sterile “box within a box” can be brought into the sterile field of the operating room and opened without risking contamination. The inner box can be removed from the outer enclosure and placed into a new sterile enclosure for further protection. This invention addresses a significant problem of contamination, damage, and potential loss of surgical materials during a surgical procedure.

Problems solved by technology

In various embodiments, the protective box can isolate expensive and often irreplaceable surgical materials from contamination and / or damage during the period between harvesting or opening and implantation.

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