Sterile article package and method of making the same

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION A FLEXIBLE REVERSIBLE CAP AND A CONTAINER TUBE FOR A STERILE CATHETER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OPEN END, SAID CAP INCLUDING A BODY PORTION HAVING FORMED THEREIN AN INWARDLY DIRECTED SMALL ELASTIC RETAINING CUP HAVING A CENTERLINE, AND AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER TUBE, SAID CUP HAVING THE END OF A CATHETER INSERTED THEREIN, SAID RETAINING CUP AND CATHETER BEING POSITIONED WITHIN THE CYLINDRICAL OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER TUBE, AND A LARGE FLEXIBLE AND REVERSIBLE SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CUP FORMED INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY PORTION AND EXTENDING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID LARGE CUP HAVING A CENTERLINE WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE CENTERLINE OF THE SMALL CUP, AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER NEAR ITS BOTTOM WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER TUBE, AND AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER AT ITS OPEN END WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER TUBE, AS THE BODY PORTION IS INSERTED INTO THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER TUBE, THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE MATERIAL OF THE LARGE CUP AND THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID CUP RELATIVE TO THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER TUBE IS SUCH AS TO PERMIT THE INVERSION OF SAID CUP OVER THE OUTSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER TUBE TO RESILIENT CLOSE SAID OPEN END AGAINST INGRESS OF AMBIENT AIR UNDER ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND TO PERMIT STERILIZATION OF THE CATHETER IN SAID CONTAINER TUBE BY THE PASSAGE OF A STERILIZING GAS UNDER PRESSURE EXCEEDING ATMOSPHERIC THROUGH SAID CONTAINER TUBE AND OUT THE RESILIENTLY CLOSED END.