Medical Packaging With Interlocking Stopper And Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical packaging solutions pose risks of contamination and damage when transferring sterilized medical objects from a dirty area to a clean area, as they often require dropping the object, which can lead to damage and contamination, and complicate quick access in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A medical packaging design featuring a hollow support element with a cap and stopper that interlock to form chambers, allowing the object to be accessed without direct contact or dropping, reducing contamination risk and enabling quick access by separating the parts to hand over the support element to a sterile person.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the packaging is opened by dropping the object onto a work surface, then the object can be accessed quickly, but the object risks damage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A sterile barrier (such as a sterile drape or sterile field) is introduced as an intermediary between the non-sterile packaging exterior and the sterile medical object. The packaging design includes a sterile barrier that can be separated from the non-sterile exterior, allowing the object to be accessed through this barrier without direct contact with contaminated surfaces. This mediator prevents contamination while enabling quick access.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging is divided into distinct sterile and non-sterile zones or components. The packaging includes a sterile interior compartment containing the object, separated from the non-sterile exterior by a sterile barrier. This segmentation allows different parts of the packaging to have different sterility requirements, enabling quick access to the sterile object without compromising the sterile field.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the object is attached to the support element, then the object is secured during transport, but the operator must perform specific procedures to remove it, complicating work and preventing quick access
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism transitions from a static, permanent bond to a dynamic, reversible connection. The packaging includes a releasable attachment mechanism (such as a snap-fit, magnetic connection, or friction-fit) that securely holds the object during transport but can be quickly released by the operator with a simple motion. This dynamic attachment allows the object to be both secured and easily accessed.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging is pre-configured with the object in a ready-to-use position with a pre-designed release mechanism. The attachment mechanism is prepared in advance to allow quick release without requiring complex procedures. The operator simply needs to perform a predetermined simple action (such as pressing a button, pulling a tab, or twisting a cap) to release the object immediately.
3Productivity
If the sterile assistant grasps the inner packaging directly from the outer packaging, then the object can be accessed quickly, but the risk of touching contaminated areas and compromising aseptic technique is very high
Solution Approach 1:
The sterile inner packaging containing the object is extracted or separated from the non-sterile outer packaging before transfer to the sterile field. The design includes a sterile barrier or sterile pouch that can be removed from the outer packaging, allowing the sterile assistant to receive only the sterile component. This extraction eliminates the risk of contacting contaminated areas during transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile barrier or sterile interface acts as a mediator between the non-sterile outer packaging and the sterile assistant's hands. The sterile assistant grasps the sterile barrier rather than directly handling the inner packaging or object. This intermediary maintains the sterile field while enabling quick transfer of the medical object.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical assembly, preferably a sterilized one, comprising a medical article (5) and a package containing said article, said package comprising a hollow support element (2) inside which said article (5) is free, a first protective element (3), called a stopper, which can be coupled to the support element (2) of said article, such that the support element (2) has a grip part (20) that protrudes from said stopper (3), and a second hollow protective element (4), called a cover. Said cover can be coupled to the stopper (3) in such a way as to delimit, in cooperation with said stopper (3), a chamber (8) inside which there extends said grip part (20) of the support element, and, in the state when the cover is coupled to the stopper, a part of the stopper (3) protrudes from the cover (4).