Multi-compartment Medical Package Assembly with Sealed Compartments

Solution Overview

Problem

Current medical implement packaging methods are costly and labor-intensive, requiring multiple steps and materials, leading to high waste generation and environmental impact, as medical devices are often sealed in individual pouches within larger pouches, necessitating excessive packaging and resource usage.

Innovation Solution

A multi-compartment package design using a polymeric first sheet and a gas-permeable, bacteria-resistant second sheet, which can be releasably sealed to form a perimeter and intermediate regions, creating compartments that can be customized for multiple medical implements, reducing the need for individual pouches and simplifying the packaging process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual pouches are used to seal each medical implement, then sterility and protection are improved, but manufacturing cost and labor intensity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesterilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple medical implements are placed in a single pouch together with a sterilization barrier, eliminating the need for separate pouches for each implement. This merging approach maintains sterility through the barrier while significantly reducing packaging material and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sterilization barrier serves multiple functions: it protects multiple different medical implements simultaneously, allows for sterilization processing, and acts as a separation layer. This multi-functional component replaces multiple individual protective barriers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If individual pouches are sealed for each medical implement, then protection is improved, but labor time and assembly steps increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveprotectionVSAvoidlabor time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple medical implements are placed in a single pouch together with a sterilization barrier, eliminating the need for separate pouches for each implement. This merging approach maintains sterility through the barrier while significantly reducing packaging material and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sterilization barrier is pre-positioned within the pouch before the sterilization process. This preliminary placement ensures that when sterilization occurs, the barrier is already in the correct position to protect the implements, eliminating the need for post-sterilization pouch sealing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple individual pouches are used, then sterility maintenance is improved, but material usage and environmental waste increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoidmaterial usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple medical implements are placed in a single pouch together with a sterilization barrier, eliminating the need for separate pouches for each implement. This merging approach maintains sterility through the barrier while significantly reducing packaging material and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sterilization barrier remains within the pouch after sterilization and can be disposed of together with the entire pouch contents as a single unit, or potentially recovered and reused if intact. This eliminates the need to discard multiple separate pouches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution reduces manufacturing costs and environmental waste by allowing for fewer process steps and less material usage, enabling efficient packaging of multiple medical implements in a single package while maintaining sterility and ease of access for end users.

Implementation Method 1

a gas permeable bacteria resistant second sheet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas permeability: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

a gas permeable bacteria resistant second sheet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBacteria resistance: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

The first and second sheets can be releasably sealed together to define a perimeter sealed region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealing: Welding

Data Source

PatentUS8302773B1Multi-compartment package assembly for medical implements

Publication Date: 2012.11.06 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A package is provided to include first and second sheets being releasably sealed together in a manner to define multiple compartments, each having one or more medical implements. A perimeter sealed region can have a seal width greater than an intermediate sealed region. A longitudinal intermediate sealed region and a transverse intermediate sealed region can be arranged within the perimeter sealed region. Formation of the perimeter sealed region along first and second ends of the package can be subsequent to the perimeter sealed region along third and fourth ends of the package. Before the formation, compartments having an opening facing the first end can receive medical implements, and compartments having an opening facing the second end can receive medical implements. The medical implements can remain uncovered by individual pouches when inserted into the respective compartments, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and environmental wastes.