U.S. patent application number 13/420631 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-20 for bundle box and instrument roll.
Invention is credited to Sharon G. Cogliano, Bradford E. MacPherson.
Application Number | 20120234781 13/420631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46827626 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120234781 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cogliano; Sharon G. ; et
al. |
September 20, 2012 |
Bundle Box and Instrument Roll
Abstract
A tray system has a tray with a top surface and a plurality of
wells arranged side-by-side. Each well is adapted to receive an end
portion of a ringed instrument and to hold the ringed instrument in
an on-edge fashion on the top surface of the tray. The tray system
further includes a removable instrument roll supported by the tray
and fully detachable and removable from the tray. The removable
instrument roll is disposed above the plurality of wells when
supported by the tray. The removable instrument roll has opposing
spatially separated endplates and one or more cross members, each
cross member connected to both endplates. At least one cross member
is adapted to engage a handle of each ringed instrument disposed in
one of the wells and to spread that ringed instrument into an open
position when the tray supports the instrument roll.
Inventors: |
Cogliano; Sharon G.;
(Norwell, MA) ; MacPherson; Bradford E.;
(Chelmsford, MA) |
Family ID: |
46827626 |
Appl. No.: |
13/420631 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61453310 |
Mar 16, 2011 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/85.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61L 2/28 20130101; A61B
50/34 20160201; A61B 2050/3008 20160201; A61B 50/20 20160201; A61B
50/33 20160201; B25H 3/026 20130101; A61L 2202/17 20130101; A61B
2050/0059 20160201; A61B 2050/005 20160201; B25H 3/06 20130101;
A61L 2202/24 20130101; A61L 2202/122 20130101; A61B 2050/3011
20160201; A61L 2/07 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/85.13 |
International
Class: |
A47B 81/00 20060101
A47B081/00 |
Claims
1. A tray system, comprising: a tray having a top surface and a
plurality of wells arranged side-by-side, each well adapted to
receive an end portion of a ringed instrument and to hold the
ringed instrument in an on-edge fashion on the top surface of the
tray; and a removable instrument roll supported by the tray and
fully detachable and removable from the tray, the removable
instrument roll being disposed above the plurality of wells when
supported by the tray, the removable instrument roll having
opposing spatially separated endplates and one or more cross
members, each cross member connected to both endplates, at least
one cross member being adapted to engage a handle of each ringed
instrument disposed in one of the wells and to spread that ringed
instrument into an open position when the tray supports the
instrument roll.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument roll comprises a
pair of opposing spatially separated endplates, and wherein the at
least one cross member includes a rod connected to both
endplates.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one cross member
comprises a second rod connected to both endplates, the rods being
vertically aligned to and spatially separated from each other by a
distance sufficient to spread the handles of each ringed instrument
and to prevent each of the plurality of ringed instruments from
closing.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the tray has a pair of slots
separated by a distance approximately equal to a distance
separating the endplates of the instrument roll, each slot closely
receiving one of the endplates when the tray supports the
instrument roll.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein instrument roll sits on the tray
at opposite sides of the plurality of wells.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument roll is made of
metal.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument roll is made of
plastic.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for securing the
instrument roll to the tray.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the tray is
perforated.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cover adapted to
couple to the tray to produce a housing within which the plurality
of ringed instruments are housed during sterilization.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cover includes means for
securing the instrument roll in place when the cover is locked to
the tray.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the securing means includes a
bracket mounted to an interior surface of opposite sidewalls of the
cover.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the securing means includes an
indent in opposite sidewalls of the cover.
14. A fully detachable instrument roll, comprising: a pair of
opposing spatially separated endplates adapted to detachably and
removably connect to a ringed-instrument carrying tray; means,
connected to both endplates, for engaging a handle of a two-handled
ringed instrument and spreading that ringed instrument into an open
position when the endplates are connected to the tray.
15. The instrument roll of claim 14, wherein the means for engaging
the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument comprises a rod
connected at its ends to both endplates.
16. The instrument roll of claim 15, wherein the means for engaging
the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument further comprises a
second rod connected to both endplates, the rods being spatially
separated from each other by a distance sufficient to spread the
handles of the ringed instrument when placed between the
handles.
17. The instrument roll of claim 14, wherein the means for engaging
the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument comprises a sidewall
connected at its ends to both endplates.
18. The instrument roll of claim 15, wherein the sidewall is
perforated.
19. The instrument roll of claim 14, wherein the means for engaging
the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument comprises a cylinder
connected at its ends to both endplates.
20. The instrument roll of claim 14, wherein the endplates and
means for engaging the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument
are made of metal.
21. The instrument roll of claim 14, wherein the endplates and
means for engaging the handle of a two-handled ringed instrument
are made of plastic.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.
provisional application No. 61/453,310, filed on Mar. 16, 2011,
titled "Bundle Box and Instrument Roll," the entirety of which
application is incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to instrument tray systems
for holding surgical instruments during collection, transportation,
washing, sterilization, and counting procedures. Specifically, the
invention relates to devices for spreading and holding the handles
of ringed instruments apart in such instrument tray systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Hospitals and other surgical units use a wide variety of
surgical instruments. Properly managing these instruments is an
important responsibility of any surgical staff. The instruments
require collection, effective washing and sterilization, storage,
transportation to and from points of use, and organized
presentation for ready use during surgical procedures. Any one of
these tasks can be cumbersome or time consuming. Hence, surgical
staffs are often looking for ways to improve their efficiency and
effectiveness when attending to these tasks.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one aspect, the invention features a tray system
comprising a tray having a top surface and a plurality of wells
arranged side-by-side. Each well is adapted to receive an end
portion of a ringed instrument and to hold the ringed instrument in
an on-edge fashion on the top surface of the tray. The tray system
further comprises a removable instrument roll supported by the tray
and fully detachable and removable from the tray. The removable
instrument roll is disposed above the plurality of wells when
supported by the tray. The removable instrument roll has opposing
spatially separated endplates and one or more cross members, each
cross member connected to both endplates. At least one cross member
is adapted to engage a handle of each ringed instrument disposed in
one of the wells and to spread that ringed instrument into an open
position when the tray supports the instrument roll.
[0005] In one aspect, the invention features a fully detachable
instrument roll comprising a pair of opposing spatially separated
endplates adapted to detachably and removably couple to a
ringed-instrument carrying tray. The instrument roll further
comprises means, connected to both endplates, for engaging a handle
of a two-handled ringed instrument and spreading that ringed
instrument into an open position when the endplates are connected
to the tray.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The above and further advantages of this invention may be
better understood by referring to the following description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals
indicate like structural elements and features in various figures.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being
placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of an instrument roll
for keeping a plurality of ringed instruments in an open
position.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a tray system
including a tray and the instrument roll of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a diagram of the tray system filled with surgical
instruments.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a sterilization box (also referred to as a
bundle box) that can be used in conjunction with the tray
system.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an elevated isometric view the bundle box with a
top panel opened, revealing a compartment for holding items.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the bundle box aligned with
the tray system.
[0013] FIG. 7 is another exploded view of the bundle box in
alignment with the tray system.
[0014] FIG. 8 is another isometric view of the bundle box having an
alternative means for securing the instrument roll in place after
the bundle box is coupled to the tray system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Devices described herein facilitate the sterilization and
use of surgical instruments, the kinds used by surgeons and
dentists in hospitals, surgical units, and dental facilities. In
particular, the devices cooperate with a multipurpose surgical
instrument tray to hold one or more ringed instruments in an open
position for the sterilization process. Examples of ringed
instruments include, but are not limited to, clamps, forceps,
scissors, shears, and tongs. Each ringed instrument is generally a
hand-operated tool with a pair of blades and ringed handles
attached at a pivot. For some ringed instruments, the ringed
handles may not be full rings, but arcuate shapes that accommodate
a person's finger. Such instruments are intended to be encompassed
by the general term ringed instrument. When in an open position,
the blades (i.e., functional end) of the ringed instrument are
apart, exposing more surface area of each blade than would be if
otherwise closed, and thereby advancing sterilization.
[0016] In brief overview, the devices have opposing, spatially
separated endplates adapted for connecting the device to the
instrument tray. Such a connection is detachable, and the device
can be fully separated from the instrument tray. This detachability
facilitates the washing and sterilizing of the device separately
from the instrument tray and instruments, should the need arise.
The devices are made of an endurable material capable of
withstanding sterilization environments (e.g., autoclaves).
Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, metals
(e.g., aluminum), metal alloys (e.g., stainless steel), and various
plastics.
[0017] In one embodiment, the devices have multiple rigid rods or
bars, each rod connected at both of its ends to these endplates.
Advantageously, a rod can provide a "lip" over which a ring of an
instrument handle can hang, which helps hold the ringed instrument
in place. In addition, the rods can be equidistant from each other,
for example, each rod connecting corresponding corners of the two
endplates, such that the device is symmetric, having an appearance
of open-sided box, each rod defining an edge of the box. These
equidistant rods make use of the device intuitive, allowing the
user to place the device on the tray in any of the four possible
positions, because any two rods can face the ringed instruments
when the device slid between the handles of the ringed instruments
and connected to the tray. In addition, rods, in contrast to solid
or perforated sidewalls, are more favorable to the sterilization
process, posing less obstruction to the passage of steam used to
sterilize the ringed instruments.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a device 10 for keeping a
plurality of ringed instruments in an open position, for example,
during a sterilization process, by spreading the handles of the
ringed instruments. This embodiment, hereafter referred to as an
instrument roll 10, has two opposing spatially separated, generally
rectangular rigid endplates 12-1, 12-2 (generally, 12), joined at
their corners by four connecting rods 16-1, 16-2, 16-3, and 16-4
(generally, 16). The instrument roll 10 defines a generally
elongate 3-D rectangular shape, the four rods 16 providing the
elongate sides of the rectangle and the endplates 12 defining its
ends. The rods are equidistant from each other; that is, the
separation between any two rods on a side is the same as that of
every other pair of rods (except diagonals). This instrument roll
10 is generally symmetrical in shape--any one of its four sides can
be used to face and spread the handles of the ringed
instruments.
[0019] Other embodiments of the instrument roll can be fashioned.
For example, instead of rods 16, a rectangular box with four solid
or perforated sides can be used to separate the handles of ringed
instruments. As other examples, an instrument roll with only one or
two horizontal rods, such as 16-1 and/or 16-2, can be sufficient to
spread the handles. As still another example, a one-sided box
(i.e., one solid perforated side separating the two end plates 12)
can operate as the means for keeping the ringed instruments open.
Further, the principles described herein can extend to instrument
rolls of other shapes, for example, cylindrical and triangular.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of a tray
system 18 including a tray 20 and the instrument roll 10. A similar
tray is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,041, issued Jul. 30, 2002,
the entirety of which patent is incorporated by reference herein.
The tray 20 can have a channel 22 that spans much of the tray's
width, dividing the tray into a major portion 24A and a minor
portion 24B. The major portion 24A has recesses 26 of various
shapes. The minor portion 24B has a plurality of parallel slots or
wells 28 separated by dividers 30. The wells 28 are disposed side
by side and almost span the full width of the tray 20. Each well 28
is adapted to receive on end a ring of a ringed instrument. In some
embodiments of trays, these dividers 30 may be removable to alter
the widths of or to reposition the wells.
[0021] At opposite ends of the set of wells 28 are two slots 32-1,
32-2 (generally, 32). The distance separating the slots 32 is equal
to the distance separating the endplates 12-1, 12-2 of the
instrument roll 10. Each slot 32 receives an edge of one of the two
endplates 12 of the instrument roll; the instrument roll "plugs
into" the slots on the tray. The instrument roll sits within these
slots, with gravity assisting to keep the instrument roll connected
in place to the tray. In one embodiment, the lower rods (in FIG. 2,
e.g., rods 16-3 and 16-4) determine the depth to which the
endplates 12 can enter the slots 32; that is, the lower rods sit on
the surface of the tray. In another embodiment, the slots 32 have a
predefined depth such that the bottom edge of the endplates 12
rests on the bottom of the slot 32. Rearward of the plurality of
wells 28 can be a pair of tabs 34, which can help position the
instrument roll 10 during installation and prevent the instrument
roll 10 from sliding backwards during portage and the sterilization
process.
[0022] During use of the tray 20, each ringed instrument is placed
on end or perpendicularly onto the top surface 36 of the major
portion 24A of the tray 20, with its ringed end entering a well 28.
With the tray populated with ringed instruments, the instrument
roll 10 is placed behind the row of handles and slid forward of the
tabs 34 far enough to spread the handles of the ringed instruments
and for its plates 12 to be inserted into the slots 32.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the tray system 18 filled with
surgical instruments including a variety of ringed instruments of
different lengths, shapes, and sizes. One ring of each ringed
instruments sits in one of the wells 28 and the other ring of that
instrument rests on one of the upper rods (here, e.g., 16-1) of the
instrument roll 10. This upper rod 16-1 provides a lip for some of
the rings to hang over. The rod (here, 16-2) directly below the
upper rod 16-1 helps keep the other ring of each instrument in
place within its well 28 (although the lower rod may not touch that
ring when the instrument roll is in a resting position).
Notwithstanding, gravity alone may suffice to keep the other ring
within the well, and an instrument roll with only a single rod
(i.e., in the position of rod 16-1 in FIG. 3) is sufficient to
separate the handles of the ringed instruments. With the instrument
roll in place, the separation of the rings produces a slight
separation of blades at the other end of the ringed instrument. In
this configuration, the instrument roll 10 prevents the ringed
instruments from closing.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a sterilization box (also referred to as a
bundle box) 50 that can be used in conjunction with the tray 20 of
FIGS. 2 and 3. In general, the bundle box 50 is a means for holding
additional surgical instruments for sterilization process on the
multipurpose surgical instrument tray 20 while holding forceps,
knife handles, and ringed instruments in place. Like the tray 20,
the bundle box 50 is made of a material capable of enduring
sterilization environments.
[0025] The bundle box 50 has perforated sides 52 and cover 54 to
allow steam to penetrate and to facilitate drying. FIG. 5 shows the
bundle box 50 with the cover 54 opened, revealing a compartment 56
for holding items. The bottom 59 of the compartment 56 also has
perforations and closely rests over, without touching, the surgical
instruments on the tray 20, preventing them from displacing out of
their recesses 26 and wells 28. Raised ribs 58 provide structural
support and prevent loose items in the compartment 56 from moving
about during the sterilization process.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the bundle box 50 aligned
with the tray system 18. To open the box, the cover 54 pivots about
an axis 60. The lower edge of the box sits on a ridge 62 that runs
about the periphery of the tray 20. One end of the tray has a latch
mechanism 66 for coupling to a corresponding latch mechanism 68 at
one end of the box.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows another exploded view of the bundle box 50 in
alignment with the tray system 18. Mounted to the interior surfaces
of the sidewalls 72 of the box are L-brackets 70, one L-bracket on
each sidewall 72. When the box 50 is locked to the tray 20, the
brackets 70 operate to secure the instrument roll 10 in place so
that the instrument roll cannot move; specifically, the horizontal
surfaces of the L-brackets abut the top edges of the endplates 12
of the instrument roll 10, tightly restraining the endplates within
their respective slots 32 in the tray. In addition, the contour of
the bottom surface of the sterilization box is shaped to lie flush
against the top surface 36 of the sterilization tray 20, which
operates to enclose any instruments within their recesses.
Accordingly, the bottom surface and brackets of the box ensure that
all instruments remain in their respective recesses or wells, even
if the combination of box and tray should be shaken, turned
sideways, or upside down.
[0028] FIG. 8 shows an alternative means for securing the
instrument roll 10 in place after the box 50 is coupled to the tray
system 18. These securing means include a pair of indents 80 in the
exterior surfaces of the sidewalls 72 of the sterilization box.
When the box is locked to the tray, the indents 80 operate like the
L-brackets of FIG. 7 to hold the instrument roll 10 down in place
so that the instrument roll cannot move. Specifically, the interior
undersides of the horizontal surfaces of the indents abut the top
edges of the endplates 12 of the instrument roll, thereby tightly
restraining the end plates within their respective slots in the
tray.
[0029] Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular, feature, structure or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the teaching. References to
a particular embodiment within the specification do not all
necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
[0030] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
* * * * *