Sterilization Container with Frangible Lid for Single-Use Sterility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sterilization containers, such as gas permeable wraps and reusable vented rigid containers, face issues like material tears, lack of visibility, and high maintenance costs, leading to potential contamination and inefficient resource use in medical settings.
Innovation Solution
Single-use, substantially transparent rigid sterilization containers with a transparent tray and lid, featuring a locking mechanism, frangible central portion for easy access, and a gas-permeable filter or wrap to ensure visibility and sterility, while preventing reuse and maintaining sterility confidence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sterilization wrap made of thin flexible material is used, then cost is reduced, but material strength and protection capability deteriorate leading to tears and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs different materials for different functional regions: the tray and lid use rigid transparent material for structural strength and visibility, while the filter uses gas-permeable material for sterilization. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing strength where needed without unnecessary cost elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization container combines multiple materials with complementary properties: rigid transparent plastic for structural integrity, gas-permeable filter material for sterilization, and sealing polymer for containment. This composite approach achieves both strength and cost-effectiveness by using each material only where its specific properties are required.
2Ease of manufacture
If opaque sterilization wrap is used, then cost is reduced, but visibility and inspection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The container is made substantially transparent throughout its structure, allowing visual inspection of contents and sterilization status without opening the container. This local quality of transparency resolves the contradiction by providing visibility without requiring expensive transparent materials throughout, as the design uses minimal material while maximizing light transmission.
3Reliability
If reusable vented rigid containers are used, then durability is improved, but maintenance cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sterilization container is designed as a single-use disposable unit made of cost-effective transparent material. After one sterilization cycle, the entire container is discarded rather than cleaned and maintained. This resolves the contradiction by making the container inexpensive enough to discard, eliminating all maintenance time and labor costs while ensuring fresh sterilization capability for each use.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design separates the sterilization function from the containment function, with the filter providing sterilization and the rigid tray providing structural support. This segmentation allows the entire assembly to be disposed of as a single unit, eliminating the need to maintain or clean individual components.
4Ease of manufacture
If sterilization wrap is used, then cost is reduced, but reliability and sterility assurance deteriorate due to potential tears and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The container features rounded corners and smooth edges throughout its structure, eliminating sharp points that could snag or tear the material. This curvature design resolves the contradiction by preventing tears that would compromise sterility, while the use of cost-effective transparent material maintains affordability.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible central portion is designed with pre-scored lines and a removal mechanism that allows controlled opening after sterilization. This beforehand design prevents accidental tearing during normal handling while maintaining sterility assurance, and the entire container remains affordable as a disposable unit.
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
The solution provides economical, visually inspectable, and confidence-inspiring sterilization containers that reduce contamination risks and resource wastage by ensuring easy visibility and single-use sterility assurance, enhancing clinical confidence and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a filter in communication with an exterior surface of the lid. The filter is gas permeable and is adapted for removal with the central portion when access to medical instruments is desired
Implementation Method 2
The central portion is further defined by a frangible region comprising a plurality of frangible elements and includes a means for removal of the central portion by activation of the frangible region
Implementation Method 3
The peripheral portion of the lid, which is adapted to fixedly engage the rim of the tray, includes a locking mechanism that engages the rim
Data Source
AI summary
A single-use sterilization container for use in the sterilization of medical instruments is provided. The sterilization container includes a lid having central portion defined by a frangible region. Upon activation of the frangible region, the central portion may be removed rendering the sterilization container inoperable for future use.