Method for packaging sterile surgical instruments, as well as packaging for sterile surgical instruments

Abstract

Method for packaging sterile surgical tools (15) with sensitive cutting edges (14), in which the surgical tool (15) is packaged under sterile conditions in a plastic packaging (1, 2), characterized in that in a first step at least the sensitive cutting edges (14) and working surfaces of the surgical tool (15) are packaged in a (first) protective packaging (5) and a tool shaft (17) of the surgical tool (15) protrudes from the protective packaging (5) and that the protective packaging (5) together with the surgical tool (15) packaged therein is placed in a (second) blister pack (1, 2), is held there in a position-secure manner and is then closed with a sealing film (20).

Description

[0001] When packaging sterile surgical instruments, it is common practice to package them in a polybag. The disadvantage of this type of packaging is that the sterile surgical instrument, with its potentially sensitive cutting or sawing edges, can slip unprotected inside the polybag during transport and handling, causing it to come into contact with the inner surfaces of the polybag. This can cause microfine particles from the plastic packaging to undesirably enter the cutting area of ​​the surgical instrument. During surgery, there is therefore a risk that these – possibly invisible – particles will be introduced into the surgical wound, which can cause severe tissue irritation in the surgical area.

[0002] DE 87 06 916 U1 discloses a package for sterile packaging, consisting of a plastic film web into which at least two cavities are formed, the contours of the cavities being adapted to the objects to be contained. During the packaging process, the objects to be packaged are placed into the preformed cavities and sealed with a peelable paper web.

[0003] It has not yet been recognized that sterile surgical instruments should be packaged in such a way that transport and handling of the packaging - even if it falls to the ground - cannot lead to damage to the packaging.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method for packaging and a packaging for surgical instruments of the type mentioned at the outset, with which it is possible to store the surgical instruments under sterile conditions without damage or contamination and to ensure that the surgical instruments can be removed from the packaging in a sterile and injury-free manner when the packaging is opened.

[0005] To achieve the stated object, the invention is characterized by the technical teaching of claim 1 and claim 3.

[0006] An essential feature of the invention is that, in a first step, the surgical tool is packaged - at least partially - and in particular with its sensitive cutting edges and working surfaces in a (first) protective packaging and that this protective packaging, together with the surgical tool packaged therein, is placed in a (second) blister pack and is held there in a layer-secured manner and, after the layer-secured packaging, is sealed with a sealing film.

[0007] This technical teaching offers the advantage of a two-step packaging method, which provides for the surgical instrument, with its sensitive cutting edges and working edges, to be packaged in a first protective package in such a way that the sensitive parts of the surgical instrument cannot come into contact with any plastic parts of the protective packaging. For this reason, the first step involves providing protective packaging whose volume is designed so that the touch-sensitive parts of the surgical instrument are held contact-free within the interior of the protective packaging. This eliminates the risk of the sensitive parts coming into contact with the plastic surfaces on the inside of the protective packaging and undesirably absorbing microparticles.Such protective packaging is designed to ensure that the sensitive cutting edges or working surfaces of the surgical instrument cannot come into contact with the inner surfaces of the protective packaging, even if the protective packaging falls to the floor.

[0008] In a second step, the surgical instrument, packaged in the protective packaging, is transferred to a blister pack and secured in a layered manner. This layered fixation in the blister pack prevents the surgical instrument, already packaged in the protective packaging, from flinging back and forth within the blister pack. This could also undesirably absorb microparticles.

[0009] The layer security of the protective packaging in the blister pack ensures that the surgical instrument packed with the protective packaging cannot touch any of its surfaces on the walls of the blister pack and thereby undesirably pick up microparticles.

[0010] This double packaging (protective packaging and blister packaging) has the additional advantage that even in the event of improper storage or transport, the risk of the delicate cutting edges of the surgical instrument piercing the protective packaging or even breaking out of the blister packaging is eliminated because double packaging is provided.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the positional securing of the surgical instrument packaged in the protective packaging takes place only with respect to the protective packaging itself. This prevents any contaminating contact between the parts of the surgical instrument that protrude from the protective packaging and the blister pack.

[0012] This means that the unpacked parts of the surgical instrument that protrude from the protective packaging do not come into contact with the surfaces of the blister pack.

[0013] It is therefore a free-standing holder of surgical instruments in an (inner) protective packaging, because only the protective packaging itself is fixed in the (outer) blister packaging and all other parts of the surgical instrument lie free-standing in the blister packaging and do not touch any part of the blister packaging.

[0014] The invention is not limited to accommodating a single surgical tool with protective packaging in such a blister pack.

[0015] In another embodiment, it can be provided that different surgical tools are packaged in the manner described, wherein each surgical tool is packaged in its own protective packaging, and all protective packaging is held in a layer-secured blister pack.

[0016] In this way, a single blister pack can provide a whole set of different surgical tools for a specific operation.

[0017] This would allow, for example, two or three different saws required for a specific operation to be housed in a single blister pack, with each surgical tool packed in its own protective packaging and all protective packaging held in place within the blister pack.

[0018] The intention is that only the sensitive (front) parts of the surgical tool are enclosed in protective packaging, while the remaining parts – e.g., the shaft parts intended for coupling to a machine – remain unpackaged. This saves costs because only a partial package serves as inner protective packaging for the surgical tool. To prevent the parts of the surgical tool not covered by the inner protective packaging from becoming contaminated by coming into contact with the inner surfaces of the outer blister pack, the invention provides that the (outer) blister pack only holds the protective packaging in place, but not the unpacked parts of the surgical tool. These parts should not come into contact with the walls of the (outer) blister pack.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the interior of the blister pack is either designed as an air space or is filled with a protective gas.

[0020] After the surgical instruments held in the protective packaging have been placed into the blister pack, the blister pack is either filled with a protective gas or it remains filled with air and is then sealed on top with a sealing film.

[0021] This sealing film is preferably made of an airtight plastic material that is sealable.

[0022] Such sealing films have a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating which, when appropriate heat is applied, results in a complete and gas-tight seal of the interior of the blister pack.

[0023] The term “blister pack” used in the present application is to be understood broadly.

[0024] In a first embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the lower part of the blister pack forms the form-fitting receptacles for receiving the protective packaging of the surgical tool.

[0025] In this case, the top of the blister pack is provided with a smooth, all-round edge that can be sealed with the sealing film.

[0026] In another embodiment, the blister pack is designed in two parts and consists of an upper part with specific receptacles for the form-fitting reception of parts of the protective packaging. The upper part can be connected to the lower part, which also has receptacles for parts of the protective packaging. In this case, two molded parts (upper part and lower part) can be connected to one another in a connecting area, for example by sealing, gluing, welding, or the like.

[0027] Such a blister pack is preferably made of a thermoformable plastic material that is gamma-irradiated. This plastic material is also beta-irradiated, with both beta and gamma radiation being used, for example, for sterilization.

[0028] The difference between the types of radiation lies in their ability to penetrate the material and their dosage performance.

[0029] To create a sterile atmosphere inside the blister pack, after the blister pack has been completely sealed gas-tight using the sealing foil or the attached top, sterility is achieved at any later time by placing the blister pack in the area of ​​a beta or gamma radiation source. This sterilizes the interior of the blister pack and thus also the interior of the protective packaging containing the surgical instrument.

[0030] Compared to the prior art, the invention has the advantage that the protective packaging completely encloses the sensitive parts of the surgical instrument, maintaining a distance (non-contact) from the inner surfaces of the protective packaging, so that when opening the blister pack, the sealing film or the upper part is removed first. Opening takes place in the operating room under sterile conditions.

[0031] After opening the blister pack, by tearing off the sealing foil, the protective packaging with the surgical tool packed therein can be removed from the blister pack.

[0032] To this end, the invention provides for finger-friendly removal openings to be arranged in the blister pack precisely on the side of the blister pack where the protective packaging is held. This ensures that the surgical instrument packaged in the protective packaging can only be removed from the blister pack by grasping the protective packaging.

[0033] This is an advantage over the prior art, because the prior art only allowed the surgical tool to be securely packaged in the shaft area. This had the disadvantage that when opening the package, the surgeon would touch the tool on the side opposite the shaft, namely the sensitive, sharp cutting edge that needed to be protected against contamination. This could potentially contaminate the cutting edge or damage their gloves, allowing particles to reach the cutting edge. This, in turn, could lead to serious surgical injuries.

[0034] There was also a risk that the gloves would be damaged if they came into contact with the cutting surfaces of the surgical instruments and that the cutting edge would come into contact with the surgeon's skin, thereby compromising the sterility in the surgical area.

[0035] This is where the invention comes in, which provides that the removal openings of the blister pack are placed in the area of ​​the protective packaging and that the protective packaging encloses precisely the surgical cutting edges and working surfaces of the surgical tool, which are to be protected against contact, keeping a distance and without contact.

[0036] This offers the advantage that the surgical tool can be grasped by grasping the protective packaging at the height of the wrapped cutting edge, allowing the surgeon to directly insert the shaft protruding from the protective packaging into the associated machine. The machine, for example, has a coupling fitting to which the shaft of the surgical tool connects.

[0037] The protective packaging is only removed after the shaft of the surgical tool has been connected. This allows the machine to be picked up, and the protective packaging is removed while holding the machine firmly.

[0038] There is no danger of the gloved hand coming into contact with the cutting edge of the surgical instrument because the protective packaging is opened from the rear (shaft side) of the surgical instrument and not from the front, from the cutting side.

[0039] The protective packaging is therefore removed from the shaft side shortly before the operation, i.e. when the machine is held firmly and the surgical tool is coupled, so that there is no risk that the gloved surgical hand can get into the working or cutting area of ​​the surgical tool.

[0040] A further advantage of the invention is that the protective packaging does not have to be adapted to the shape of the surgical instrument. The protective packaging is designed so that a large number of different shapes of surgical instruments, such as bone saws, scalpels, cutting tools and the like, can be clamped into a uniform protective packaging. The common feature of the holder is that the sensitive cutting and working surfaces of the surgical instrument held in the protective packaging are kept free from contact with the inner wall of the protective packaging. The volume of the protective packaging is selected to be large enough compared to the packaged volume of the surgical instrument that the packaged parts cannot come into contact with the inner surfaces of the protective packaging, even if the protective packaging falls freely to the floor.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, different surgical tools are therefore held clamped in the protective packaging, so that a form-fitting holder, which would have to be adapted to the special shape of the tool, can be dispensed with.

[0042] With a clamping holder, a variety of different surgical tools - regardless of their exact shape - can be held in the protective packaging.

[0043] This has the advantage that only the protective packaging needs to be adapted to the blister packaging according to the invention in a layer-secure manner and is therefore suitable for holding a large number of different surgical instruments, since a standard blister can be used which is only tailored to the type of protective packaging to be held, but not to the type of surgical instrument to be held.

[0044] This results in a universal application of the blister packaging according to the invention.

[0045] This makes it possible for the first time to fully automatically package large quantities of surgical instruments in blister packs, because the blister packs only need to be adjusted to the layer security of a universal protective packaging, and not to different surgical instruments.

[0046] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings illustrating only one embodiment. Further essential features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and their description.

[0047] They show: Fig. 1: Schematically drawn top view of an opened blister pack containing a protective packaging with a surgical tool packed therein Fig. 2: the top view of the arrangement according to Fig. 1 Fig. 3: the section through the arrangement according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Fig. 4: the section through the arrangement according to Fig. 2 in the direction of arrow IV-IV Fig. 5: the section through the arrangement according to Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow VV Fig. 6: the same representation as Fig. 3 showing a detail according to Fig. 7 Fig. 7: the detail from Fig. 6 showing the access opening for removing the protective packaging

[0048] The figures generally show a lower tray 1 of a blister pack made of a thermoformable plastic material.

[0049] It is important that a protective container 13 is inserted into the lower tray in a positionally secured manner, which is inserted into the interior 29 of the lower tray 1 of the blister pack without jamming or tilting.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment shown, stop surfaces 21 are provided in the interior 29 of the lower shell 1 of the blister pack, which stop surfaces cooperate with associated stop surfaces on the outer wall of the protective container 13, so that the protective container 13 is held in the lower shell 1 in a positionally secured manner, without jamming or tilting.

[0051] The protective container 13, in turn, accommodates the surgical tool 15 to be protected, with the sensitive cutting edge 14 of the surgical tool 15 being accommodated in the protective container 13 without contact and at a distance from all inner surfaces of the protective container 13. This ensures that the cutting edge 14 of the surgical tool 15 does not come into contact with any plastic surface of the protective container 13 at any point.

[0052] The tool shank 17 of the surgical tool 15 protrudes from the rear of the protective container 13 and protrudes into the interior of the lower shell 1 with a certain amount of play and while maintaining a certain distance (without contact). Consequently, only the protective container 13 is held in position, and the tool shank 17 protruding from the protective container 13 is mounted in a corresponding, smaller receiving opening 10 in the lower shell 1 while maintaining a certain amount of contact play. The rear part of the tool shank 17 is held in a round receiving opening 11 while maintaining a certain amount of contact play.

[0053] This ensures that the tool shaft 17 of the surgical tool 15 accommodated in the protective container 13 does not strike the material of the lower shell 1 of the blister pack at any point and is unintentionally contaminated there.

[0054] This is therefore a free-standing storage of the surgical tool 15, as can also be seen from Fig. 6 is evident.

[0055] The lower shell 1 has an upper, circumferential sealing surface 19 and forms a forward-facing pull tab 2.

[0056] The pull tab 2 is integrally connected to the remaining material of the lower shell 1. The sealing foil 20 lies loosely over the pull tab 2 and can be torn off there. It is placed on the surrounding sealing surface 19 and sealed there in a gas-tight manner.

[0057] The surface 3 of the pull tab 2 is located below the level of the sealing surface 19, so that the sealing film 20 can be easily grasped by hand in this area and torn off upwards.

[0058] The protective container 13 is held in a positionally secured manner in the larger receiving opening 4 in the area of ​​the interior space 29 of the lower shell 1.

[0059] The protective container has counter surfaces 22 which interact with associated stop surfaces 21 in the lower shell 1 in order to hold the protective container 13 in a positionally secured manner, without jamming or tilting, in the receiving opening 4 of the lower shell 1.

[0060] This ensures that the protective container 13 can be removed from the lower shell 1 when the sealing film 20 is torn off. A handle opening 6 in the lower shell 1, located in the area of ​​the pull tab 2, serves for removal and forms a frontal gap to the front of the protective container 13.

[0061] According to Fig. 7 can be grasped with the finger 25 of one hand into the handle opening 6, and the protective container 13 is removed in the direction of arrow 31.

[0062] The hand thus holds the protective container 13 firmly, and the sensitive cutting edge 14 of the surgical tool 15 is still secured in position and free-standing within the protective container 13. In this situation, the protective container 13 is grasped, and the tool shank 17, with its coupling receptacle 18, is guided to a surgical tool (not shown in detail), which establishes a coupling with the tool shank 17.

[0063] Only when the still-packaged surgical tool 15 is coupled to the tool shaft 17 on the machine is the protective container 13 removed. This occurs in a sterile atmosphere because the blister pack according to the invention is only freed from the sealing film 20 in the sterile operating room.

[0064] The Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show that the underside of the protective container 13 is spaced from the bottom 7 of the lower shell 1, and that spacing ribs 30 are present which hold the protective container 13 at the bottom in the lower shell 1.

[0065] Out of Fig. 1 it can be seen that the side edges 8 in the area of ​​the protective container 13 form the stop surfaces for the holder in the area of ​​the larger receiving opening 4.

[0066] The closure 23 of the protective container 13, which is produced by locking means, is held in a free space, namely in a receiving opening 9, in order to prevent the closure 23 from striking the container surfaces of the lower shell 1.

[0067] On the side of the protective container 13 opposite the closure 23, a folding hinge 24 is formed, which is preferably designed as a film hinge.

[0068] The surgical tool 15 to be protected is held in the protective container 13 by the tool shaft 17 being clamped between the top and bottom sides by two elastomeric holding elements 27. This is shown in Fig. 5 shown in section.

[0069] However, the side of the tool shaft 17 pointing towards the front side (cutting edge 14) is free from any contact with surfaces of the blister pack, so that the cutting edge 14 can be moved completely freely and without contact according to Fig. 4 protrudes into the interior of the protective container 13.

[0070] Accordingly, the interior 28 of the protective container 13 is held contact-free by the cutting edge 14.

[0071] The Fig. 5 shows that the protective container 13 can be carried and supported in its rear part by shaped ribs 30 on the bottom 7 of the lower shell 1.

[0072] The shape of the lower shell is designed with a receiving opening 4 such that the receiving opening 4 at least partially encloses the protective container 13 in a form-fitting manner, so that only the protective container 13 is held in a position-secured manner in the lower shell 1, but the surgical tool 15 held in the protective container 13 does not abut any surface of the lower shell 1 as far as possible.

[0073] This creates a blister pack that is only opened in the sterile operating room. The protective container 13 is grasped with the finger 25, while the sensitive cutting edge 14 is still protected against contact. The surgical tool 15, still packaged in the protective container 13, is inserted into a machine and coupled there. Only then is the protective container 13 removed, shortly before the surgical tool 15 is used for an operation. Drawing legend 1 lower shell 2 trigger tabs 3 Surface (of 3) 4 Recording opening (large) 5 Protective packaging 6 Handle opening 7 Floor 8 Side edge 9 Recording opening (small) 10 Recording opening (small) 11 Receiving opening (round) 12 13 Protective container 14 cutting edges 15 surgical tools 16 Holding part 17 Tool shank 18 Coupling receptacle 19 Sealing area 20 sealing foil 21 Stop surface 22 Counter surface 23 Closure 24 folding hinge 25 fingers 26 27 Holding element 28 interior (of 13) 29 Interior (of 1) 30 molded ribs 31 Arrow direction

Claims

[1] Method for packaging sterile surgical instruments (15) with sensitive cutting edges (14), in which the surgical instrument (15) is packaged under sterile conditions in a plastic packaging (1, 2), characterized by that in a first step at least the sensitive cutting edges (14) and working surfaces of the surgical tool (15) are packaged in a (first) protective packaging (5) and a tool shaft (17) of the surgical tool (15) protrudes from the protective packaging (5) and that the protective packaging (5) together with the surgical tool (15) packaged therein is placed in a (second) blister pack (1, 2), is held there in a position-secured manner and is then sealed with a sealing film (20). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized bythat only the sensitive parts of the surgical tool (15), such as cutting edges (14) and working surfaces, are enclosed by the (first) protective packaging (5) and the remaining parts (17, 18) of the surgical tool (15) remain unpacked and that the protective packaging (5) is held securely in place in the blister packaging (1, 2), the parts (17, 18) of the surgical tool (15) projecting into the blister packaging (1, 2) projecting into the blister packaging (1, 2) without contact. [3] Packaging for sterile surgical instruments (15) with sensitive cutting edges (14), in which the surgical instrument (15) is packaged under sterile conditions in a plastic packaging (1, 2), wherein the packaging is formed in at least two parts and consists of an inner protective packaging (5) for the surgical instrument (15) and a sealable blister pack (1, 2) receiving the protective packaging (5), characterized bythat at least the sensitive cutting edges (14) and working surfaces of the surgical tool (15) are packaged in the protective packaging (5) and that a tool shaft (17) of the surgical tool (15) protrudes from the protective packaging (5) and that the protective packaging (5) together with the surgical tool (15) packaged therein is held in a position-secured manner in the blister packaging (1, 2), which is closed with a sealing film (20). [4] Packaging according to claim 3, characterized by that the protective packaging (5) is designed as a protective container (13) which receives the surgical tool (15) to be protected, wherein the cutting edge (14) of the surgical tool (15) is received in the protective container (13) without contact and at a distance from all inner surfaces of the protective container (13). [5] Packaging according to claim 3 or 4, characterized bythat the unpacked parts (17, 18) of the surgical tool (15) which protrude from the protective packaging (5) are free-standing with respect to the surrounding surfaces of the blister pack (1, 2). [6] Packaging according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized by that several surgical tools (15) are each packed in their own protective packaging (5), and all protective packaging (5) are held in a layer-secured manner in the blister packaging (1, 2). [7] Packaging according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized by that on the side of the blister pack (1, 2) on which the protective packaging (5) is held, removal openings (6) suitable for fingers (25) are arranged in the blister pack (1, 2). [8] Packaging according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized by that the surgical tool (15) is held clamped in the protective packaging (5) only by its tool shaft (17). [9] Packaging according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized by that the protective container (13) has an upper and lower side which are connected to one another by a closure (23) and a folding hinge (24), and the tool shaft (17) of the surgical tool (15) to be protected is clamped between the upper and lower sides by two elastomeric holding elements (27). [10] Packaging according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized by that the protective container (13) is held in a positionally secured manner in a lower tray (1) of the blister pack (1, 2).

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