Medical Device Package with Foldable Backing Card Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical device packaging solutions fail to efficiently secure and protect medical devices during storage and shipment, as they often result in increased footprint, potential contamination, and structural integrity issues due to folding or stress on packaging materials.
Innovation Solution
A medical device package configuration that includes a backing card with flaps and tabs to securely enclose the device, which can be sealed in a pouch and housed in a carton with spacing elements to maintain sterility and stability, reducing the likelihood of packaging damage during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the backing card is left in an unfolded state for packaging, then the medical device is easily accessible and visible, but the footprint increases and storage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The backing card is divided into multiple flaps that can be folded independently. Each flap segment can be opened or closed separately, allowing the packaging to transition between compact and accessible states without requiring complete unfolding or refolding of the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The backing card incorporates movable flaps that can dynamically change position between open and closed states. This dynamic structure allows the packaging to adapt its footprint based on whether the medical device needs to be accessed or stored compactly, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and storage efficiency.
2Productivity
If the packaging materials are folded or compressed to reduce size, then storage and shipment efficiency improves, but structural integrity deteriorates and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flaps are nested within the carton structure when closed, with each flap fitting into a designated space. This nesting arrangement allows the packaging to achieve a compact form factor for efficient storage and shipment while maintaining the structural integrity of each individual flap and the overall sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The carton includes pre-formed recesses and spacing elements that cushion and support the flaps in their closed position. This beforehand cushioning prevents folding stress and structural damage during transport while maintaining compact dimensions, resolving the contradiction between storage efficiency and structural integrity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the flaps are folded over to enclose the medical device, then protection and sterility improve, but the packaging complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure function is divided among multiple flaps rather than requiring a single complex sealing mechanism. Each flap provides a layer of protection and can be independently positioned to achieve complete enclosure, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining high protection standards against contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The flaps are designed to automatically align and seal against the carton walls and each other when folded over, creating a self-sealing enclosure. This self-service mechanism provides effective contamination protection without requiring additional complex sealing components or assembly steps, resolving the contradiction between protection and structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a medical device package may include a backing card that is configured to secure a medical device to a major surface of the backing card. The backing card is configured to be assembled from an open state into a closed state in which flaps on one or more ends of a central region of the backing card move over some of the central region and cover some of the secured medical device. The closed state defines a reduced footprint relative to the unfolded state. The backing card may be sealed in a pouch, which may then be housed in a carton. The carton includes exterior walls that enclose the sealed backing card and spacing elements that receive the sealed backing card at a relative location within the carton and holds the backing card a threshold distance from the exterior walls of the carton.