Package for sterile articles

Claim 1

AN INSTRUMENT PACKAGE COMPRISING AN IMPERFORATE SHELL OF HARD, NON-STRETCHABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL DEFINING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING AN INSTRUMENT THEREIN AND BEING OPEN AT ITS BOTTOM, SAID SHELL HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING TRANSVERSE FLANGE, SAID FLANGE MERGING AT A SHARP ANGLE ALONG ITS OUTERMOST LIMITS WITH AN END PORTION OF SAID SHELL TO PROVIDE A LINE OF STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS EXTENDING ALONG A TRANSVERSE PLANE AND BEING ADAPTED TO FRACTURE UPON DOWNWARDLY FLEXURE OF SAID END PORTION, AN ELONGATED INSTRUMENT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, AND CLOSURE MEANS CLOSING SAID BOTTOM OPENING AND SEALING SAID INSTRUMENT WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, SAID CLOSURE MEANS BEING BENDABLE AND PROVIDING A TRANSVERSE HINGE FOR DOWNWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID END PORTION OF SAID SHELL, SAID TRANSVERSE PLANE OF THE LINE OF WEAKNESS TRAVERSING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID INSTRUMENT ADJACENT ONE END OF THE SAME, THE SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE FACING SAID END PORTION OF SAID SHELL BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER PRIOR TO FRACTURING OF SAID SHELL AND DEFINING A STERILE AREA BETWEEN THE LINE OF FRACTURE AND SAID INSTRUMENT WITHIN THE PACKAGE WHEN SAID PACKAGE IS OPENED FOLLOWING STERILIZATION.