Storage bag for information terminals

Abstract

This product provides a storage bag for information terminals that allows for easy operation of mobile phones and other information terminals while they are stored during surgery or other procedures requiring sterile handling. [Solution] An information terminal storage bag 10 for storing a plate-shaped information terminal 30, wherein the information terminal has a sensor on a part of its outer casing, and the information terminal storage bag is characterized by comprising a bag body 12 made of synthetic resin with an opening 18 at one end, and a sensitizing part 20 that is attached and disposed at a position corresponding to the sensor when the information terminal is inserted into the bag body through the opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage bag for storing an information terminal such as a mobile phone when performing operations that require surgery or aseptic treatment.

Background Art

[0002] In the medical field, there are many situations where clean operations such as surgery and IVR (Interventional Radiology) are essential. The techniques are diverse, and new techniques and new devices are being clinically applied one after another. Accordingly, new information also covers a wide range of aspects such as the techniques of each step of surgery and how to use the devices. In the past, all of these were memorized before the surgery and then the techniques were performed. However, the amount of new information to be memorized has increased, and mistakes sometimes occur. On the other hand, in recent years, the development of information and communication technology (ICT) has been remarkable, and it is also possible to perform such operations in real time while browsing an information terminal at each step using an information and communication device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal (hereinafter referred to as an information terminal). However, since various bacteria usually adhere to the surface of such an information terminal that is commonly used, the information terminal cannot be brought into a sterile environment in an operating room such as on an operating table as it is. In addition, it is not possible to sterilize the information terminal using a disinfectant solution or the like because it may cause a failure.

[0003] Therefore, when clean operation is required, the information terminal itself needs to be covered with a sterile bag. Examples of sterile bags that can be used in medical settings include a storage bag having a double structure of a sterile outer bag and an inner bag (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and a storage bag that has a collar portion that is continuously attached to the bag body for storing a plate-shaped information terminal and increases in diameter toward the outside, so that the information terminal can be inserted into the bag body without touching the zipper or the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 2). There are also examples of medical gloves that have a convex piece 3 made of an outer layer, an inner layer, copper foil, etc. on the fingertip to improve the operability of the touch panel during surgery (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3167567 (Gazette) [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7500113 [Patent Document 3] China Utility Model No. 204617139 Specification [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Among these known storage bags for information terminals, those with a double-layered structure consisting of an outer and inner bag may have bacteria attached to the information terminal that may transfer to the inner bag closer to the opening than the zipper when the terminal is stored. Furthermore, in storage bags for information terminals with an open opening, the information terminal can be sealed inside the bag without contact with the zipper or opening. However, after sealing the information terminal inside the bag, when wearing relatively thick surgical gloves, it becomes impossible to operate some of the buttons on the information terminal, and improvements have been requested. Also, even if protrusions or other features are added to the gloves worn by medical personnel to improve operability, this does not cover the information terminal itself, and therefore the possibility of the information terminal being a source of contamination is not improved at all.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a storage bag for information terminals that allows for easy storage and operation of information terminals such as mobile phones when performing tasks requiring surgery or sterile processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an information terminal storage bag for storing a plate-shaped information terminal, wherein the information terminal has a sensor on a part of its outer casing, and the information terminal storage bag comprises a bag body made of synthetic resin with an opening at one end, and a sensitizing part that is attached and disposed at a position corresponding to the sensor when the information terminal is inserted into the bag body through the opening.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the information terminal storage bag of the present invention, the bag body may have a structure in which a collar portion is continuously provided on one end side and increases in diameter toward the outside, with the opening at the outermost part, and a zipper portion provided on the inside of the collar portion for opening and closing the bag body, the zipper portion may be provided on the inside of the collar portion at an intermediate position between the outermost part of the collar portion and the one end of the bag body for opening and closing the bag body, and in a preferred embodiment, when storing the information terminal, the structure may be such that the worker holds the collar portion near the zipper portion to open the opening of the collar portion and the zipper portion, respectively.

[0009] After diligent research, the inventor of this invention discovered that the sensors in information terminals that he experienced and deemed in need of countermeasures were capacitive, and that it is effective to place a sensitivity booster at the position corresponding to that sensor. Generally, smartphones, which are widely used as information terminals, are equipped with an operation panel with an LCD screen, and some models also have operation buttons such as a home button. In such situations, when wearing certain surgical gloves, the home button may become inoperable. By placing a sensitivity booster corresponding to the position of the home button, which acts as a sensor, the information terminal can be operated, greatly improving its convenience.

[0010] The sensitizing element can be placed either on the inside or outside of the bag. Regarding its position relative to the sensor, it should be in the vicinity of or near the location where the finger would be positioned when operating the information terminal's sensor, including positions that cover the sensor. It is not necessary to cover all of the information terminal's sensors; it is sufficient to target only those sensors that become inoperable when using surgical gloves, etc. The structure of the sensitizing element can be a pre-formed thin film by printing, or it can be a separate, attachable component that is later attached to the necessary areas on the inner and outer surfaces of the bag. More specifically, the sensitizing element can have a thin film made of a conductive material, such as a metal thin film or a conductive printed section. Furthermore, the solvent-free adhesive layer can be one that does not contain solvent components, such as polyether-based adhesives, polyester-based adhesives, silicone-based adhesives, epoxy-based adhesives, urethane-based adhesives, acrylic-based adhesives, or rubber-based adhesives. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a storage bag for an information terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the storage bag for an information terminal of the first embodiment of the present invention, before the sensitizing element is attached. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the storage bag for an information terminal after the sensitizing element has been attached, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the operation of an information terminal storage bag with a sensitizing unit attached, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing a storage bag for an information terminal, representing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which a sensitivity booster is added to the storage bag for an information terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after adding a sensitivity booster to the storage bag for an information terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing a storage bag for an information terminal, representing yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes a preferred embodiment of the information terminal storage bag of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as an example, we assume a case where a medical professional brings an information terminal that they normally use into the operating room. The information terminal storage bag of this embodiment is used as a bag to store the information terminal, preventing germs and other contaminants from being brought into the operating room. Furthermore, we will describe an example in which the information terminal stored in the bag is operated to carry out surgery.

[0013] First Embodiment The information terminal storage bag 10 of this embodiment has a synthetic resin bag body 12 for storing the information terminal 30, with one end having an opening 18. The bag body 12 has a collar portion 14 that is continuously provided at one end, increases in diameter towards the outside, and has an opening 18 at the outermost edge, and a zipper portion 16 provided inside the collar portion 14 for opening and closing the bag body 12. The information terminal storage bag 10 also has a sensitivity booster 20 positioned to correspond to the home button 34, which acts as a sensor when the information terminal 30 is inserted into the bag body 12 through the opening 18.

[0014] The information terminal 30 that can be stored in this embodiment is intended for mobile phones such as smartphones and electronic devices such as tablet terminals, and each is a plate-shaped electronic device with a touch panel monitor built into its surface. Furthermore, among the information terminals 30 that can be stored in this embodiment, there are models in which, if a medical professional wears certain types of surgical gloves, it becomes impossible to operate the sensor through the gloves. For example, an information terminal 30 that has a capacitive sensor called a home button 34 may cause problems such as being unable to operate when wearing such gloves. This embodiment solves the problem of being unable to operate when wearing gloves by arranging the sensitivity booster 20 in a predetermined position. In this specification, the term "sensor" is broadly interpreted as an electronic component that can be operated by sensing, and may include functions such as switches and sliders.

[0015] The home button 34 described here is a round button located at the bottom of the LCD screen on the surface of a mobile device, such as an Apple device. In older models, it was a mechanical switch that operated by pressing it lightly, but in recent models, it is not a mechanical switch, but the button part functions as a sensor that detects changes in capacitance when a finger approaches and operates accordingly. Furthermore, problems with wearing gloves do not always occur with the home button 34. Generally, with an information terminal 30 that has a home button 34, touch operation of the LCD panel is possible even when wearing gloves, but operation of the sensor through the glove becomes impossible, and problems can occur depending on the detection level of the home button 34. In other words, if the sensor sensitivity is high, detection is possible, or if the glove is thin, detection is also possible, but there are many cases where the problem can be solved by adding a sensitivity booster 20 to the bag body 12. The position of the home button 34 is, for example, near the bottom center of the operation panel 32, but this may differ depending on the model, and the position of the sensitivity booster 20 can also be changed according to the position of the sensor.

[0016] The bag body 12 is made of synthetic resin with a transparent resin film formed into a bag shape, and resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, and silicone can be adopted. Also, the bag body 12 can adopt a multilayer structure in order to improve antibacterial barrier properties, chemical resistance, and light transmission functions, or it may have a structure coated with a protective film or the like. Also, a material compatible with sterilization treatment can be selected. In this specification, the term "transparent" includes those with a slightly low light transmittance like semi-transparent ones and those with a slight coloration. Since the storage bag 10 for an information terminal in the present embodiment assumes that the information terminal 30 is operated after the information terminal 30 is stored, the bag body 12 has a thickness and flexibility that allow the information terminal to be operated by a button press or contact operation through the material of the bag body 12.

[0017] The bag body 12 can have a structure in which, for example, two sheets on the front and back are closed on three sides other than the opening 18 side, or it can be, for example, a structure in which the bottom side of a tubular shape formed by blow molding is closed. Also, the two sheets on the front and back can be formed by folding one sheet, and in this case, the bag body 12 can be formed by closing the bottom side and the open side portion.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the bag body 12 will be described as having a shape with a collar portion 14 that has a larger diameter toward the outside and has an opening 18 at the outermost part, and a chuck portion 16 provided inside the collar portion 14 for opening and closing the bag body 12. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the bag body 12 may have a structure without a collar portion, and a structure without a collar portion will be described later.

[0019] Next, regarding the position where the sensitizing portion 20 is disposed, it is required to be a position corresponding to the sensor when the information terminal 30 is inserted into the bag body 12 from the opening 18. For example, when the information terminal 30 has a home button 34 at the lower part of the operation panel 32, when the information terminal 30 is inserted near the bottom of the bag body 12, the sensitizing portion 20 is disposed near the bottom of the bag body 12.

[0020] In this embodiment, the sensitizing unit 20 has a structure that is attached as a separate adhesive part that can be attached. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6 as an example, the sensitizing unit 20 has a three-layer structure with a thin resin base film 24 and a transparent synthetic resin protective film 26, with a thin metal aluminum piece 28 in between. An adhesive layer is formed on the bottom surface of the base film 24. The sensitizing unit 20 is removed from the release paper (not shown) and attached to the outside of the bag body 12 at a position corresponding to the home button 34. Figure 7 shows an example of the sensitizing unit 20 being attached to the outside of the bag body 12. As a method of supplying the sensitizing unit 20, it may be configured as a pre-cut rectangular or square adhesive part with a long side of 2 to 5 cm and a short side of 1.5 to 3 cm on the release paper. Alternatively, the three-layer structure may be a two-layer structure without either the base film 24 or the protective film 26, with an adhesive layer on the bonding surface. The adhesive layer can be a solvent-free adhesive layer, and even if organic solvents are taken into the patient's body or remain in the patient's body after surgery, the spread of organic solvents within the patient's body is prevented.

[0021] The sensitizing section 20 can also be attached to the inside of the bag body 12 before or after the start of the operation. The metal thin film constituting the sensitizing section 20 may also be a metal piece of another metal with good conductivity, such as copper. Furthermore, as a variation of the sensitizing section 20, a conductive layer containing a large amount of carbon or metal particles can be formed in advance on the inside or outside bottom of the bag body 12 by conductive printing. If printing is not used, the sensitizing section 20 can also be positioned corresponding to the home button 34 by creating a pocket or folded portion on the outside of the bag body 12 and inserting a thin film of readily available aluminum, such as aluminum foil. Furthermore, the sensitizing section 20 can also be formed corresponding to the home button 34 by attaching an adhesive tape with a thin film of aluminum.

[0022] An important aspect of the sensitizing unit 20 is that the sensor of the information terminal 30 inside the bag body 12 can be operated even when wearing surgical gloves. Another important aspect is that even if the sensitizing unit 20 were to fall out and remain inside the patient's body, it could be detected by X-ray examination. In other words, X-ray examination could confirm that the sensitizing unit 20 is not remaining inside the patient's body. If the sensitizing unit 20 is bonded, there is a possibility that it could fall out during surgery, which could lead to medical accidents. However, since a detached sensitizing unit 20 will always show up on an X-ray, X-ray examination can confirm that the sensitizing unit 20 is not remaining inside the patient's body, allowing medical professionals to bring the information terminal 30 into surgery with confidence. Furthermore, even if the information terminal storage bag 10 itself were to remain inside the patient's body, the information terminal storage bag 10 containing the sensitizing unit 20 could be detected by X-ray examination, allowing medical professionals to bring the information terminal 30 into surgery with confidence.

[0023] Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the operation of the information terminal 30 using the information terminal storage bag 10 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 2, first the information terminal 30 is inserted into the bag body 12. During insertion, the information terminal 30 is inserted through the collar portion 14 via the large opening 18, and even if the information terminal 30 comes into contact with a part of the collar portion 14 inside the collar portion 14, the contact point can be kept inside the bag beyond the zipper portion 16. Therefore, by sealing with the zipper portion 16, contaminants such as bacteria present on the information terminal 30 can be contained inside the bag body 12.

[0024] Next, as shown in Figure 3, the attachable sensitizer 20 is attached to the outside of the bag body 12 at the position of the home button 34 of the information terminal 30, which is housed inside the bag body 12. The home button 34 of the information terminal 30 is capacitive, and its operation can be detected by bringing a dielectric object such as a finger close to it. The sensitizer 20 has a three-layer structure, for example, having a thin metal film of aluminum 28 between a base film 24 and a protective film 26. By attaching this sensitizer 20, the sensitivity of the home button 34 of the information terminal 30 can be improved.

[0025] Figure 4 shows how the information terminal 30 is operated after putting on surgical gloves. The medical professional is wearing surgical gloves 40 on their hand and operating the information terminal 30. The surgical gloves 40 are used so that the fingertips are covered with relatively thick synthetic resin. Therefore, if the sensitizer 20 were not present, the home button 34 of the information terminal 30 would not respond. However, since the sensitizer 20 is located near the home button 34, it is possible to operate the information terminal 30 while wearing surgical gloves 40.

[0026] After the surgery, the storage bag 10 for the information terminal 30, which contained the information terminal, becomes disposable, just like surgical gloves, and the sensitizing unit 20 is discarded along with the bag body 12. As mentioned above, even if the sensitizing unit 20 detaches from the bag body 12, it can be confirmed by X-ray whether or not the sensitizing unit 20 remains inside the patient's body, thus ensuring patient safety.

[0027] Figure 5 shows embodiments of the storage bag 54 for the information terminal for different sensors. The information terminal 50 has a sensor 52 on the upper left side of the terminal, and the sensitizer 20 can be placed in a position corresponding to this sensor 52. Many models have volume control buttons and switches such as the power switch on the side of the information terminal, and depending on the design changes of the model, these buttons and switches can also be capacitive. The sensor 52 may be such a volume control button or a switch such as the power switch, and by placing the sensitizer 20, the sensitivity of these buttons and switches can be improved and they can be operated even when wearing gloves during surgery.

[0028] Figure 8 shows an embodiment of an information terminal storage bag 60 using a bag body with straight sides that do not widen at the opening. In the embodiment described above, an example using a bag body with a widening opening was explained, but a bag body 62 with straight sides that do not widen at the opening can also be used. That is, by forming a sensitizing section 20 on a bag body 62 with a closed bottom made of a cylindrical resin sheet, the operability of the home button 74 of the information terminal 70 inserted inside can be improved.

[0029] As described above, the storage bags for information terminals in each embodiment can be operated using surgical gloves, which are primarily worn during surgery. However, the gloves are not limited to surgical gloves; they can also be used with gloves used in construction work, agriculture, forestry, or fisheries, allowing for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, while the embodiments described above assume that one sensitizer is provided in one bag body, two or more sensitizers can be provided in one bag body. Additionally, each sensitizer can be assigned a unique number to improve manageability in medical institutions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10 Storage bags for information terminals (sizes 54, 60, 70) 12, 62 bags (main body) 14 Collar 16. Zipper part 18 Opening 20 Sensitizing section 24 base film 26 protective films 28 aluminum pieces 30, 50, 70 information terminals 32 Control Panel 34, 74 Home button 40 gloves 52 sensors

Claims

1. A storage bag for an information terminal that houses a flat information terminal, wherein the information terminal has a sensor on part of its outer casing. The storage bag for the information terminal is characterized by comprising a bag body made of synthetic resin with an opening at one end, and a sensitizing part that is attached and disposed at a position corresponding to the sensor when the information terminal is inserted into the bag body through the opening.

2. A storage bag for an information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bag body is characterized in that it has a collar portion that is continuously provided on one end side and increases in diameter toward the outside, with the opening at the outermost part, and a zipper portion provided on the inside of the collar portion for opening and closing the bag body while the information terminal is stored inside the bag body.

3. A storage bag for an information terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor of the information terminal is of the capacitive type.

4. A storage bag for an information terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensitizing portion is formed by laminating a thin film made of a conductive material with a solvent-free adhesive layer.

5. A storage bag for an information terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that the sensitizing portion has a thin film of metal or a thin film coated with conductive paint.

6. A storage bag for an information terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the bag body and the sensitizing part are disposable after use in surgery.

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