Sterile package for clinical thermometers and the like and method of making it

Claim 2

A sheath-package for surgical instruments and the like comprising superposed laminations of material formed into two separate layers, the inner layer of each lamination forming a sheath for the reception of an instrument, said sheath having an open end and a closed end, the outer portions of each lamination comprising a cover for said sheath, said laminations being joined together by a seal defining said sheath, said seal between said laminations being constructed so that said outer portions are strippable from said sheath along said seal upon the insertion of an instrument into said sheath.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said laminations are formed into strips.

Claim 4

A flexible sheath package comprising a flexible sheath having an open mouth, and being of a size and shape to sheathe a thermometer, said sheath being formed from a first pair of strips of sheet material bonded together along a seal line to define said sheath, an outer cover enclosing outer surfaces of said sheath, said cover comprising a second pair of strips of different sheet material than said first pair of strips, said first pair of strips being sandwiched between said second pair of strips to enclose said sheath, each of the strips of said second pair having an inner face in face-to-face contact with an outer face of the corresponding strip of said first pair, a surface area of the inner face of each of the strips of said second pair being bonded to a corresponding surface area of the outer face of the corresponding strip of said first pair across the ends of said strips at the mouth of said sheath, said cover being open at the mouth of said sheath so that the sheath package of said sheath and said cover is open to the interior of said sheath through the mouth thereof, whereby a thermometer may be readily inserted into such sheath while outer surfaces of said sheath are still enclosed by said cover, said cover having defined therein a separation line along which the material strength of said cover is weaker than remainder of said cover, said separation line comprising means causing severing of said cover along said separation line to expose said sheath when said cover is stressed in a predetermined manner after a thermometer has been inserted in said sheath.

Claim 5

A flexible sheath package comprising a flexible sheath having an open mouth, and being of a size and shape to sheathe a thermometer, said sheath being formed from a first pair of strips of sheet material bonded together along a seal line to define said sheath, an outer cover enclosing outer surfaces of said sheath, said cover comprising a second pair of strips of different sheet material than said first pair of strips, said first pair of strips being sandwiched between said second pair of strips to enclose said sheath, each of the strips of said second pair having an inner face in face-to-face contact with an outer face of the corresponding strip of said first pair, a surface area of the inner face of each of the strips of said second pair being bonded to a corresponding surface area of the outer face of the corresponding strip of said first pair across the ends of said strips at the mouth of said sheath, said cover being open at the mouth of said sheath so that the sheath package of said sheath and said cover is open to the interior of said sheath through the mouth thereof, whereby a thermometer may be readily inserted into such sheath while outer surfaces of said sheath are still enclosed by said cover, said cover having defined therein a separation line along which the material strength of said cover is weaker than remainder of said cover, said separation line comprising means causing severing of said cover along said separation line to expose said sheath when said cover is stressed in a predetermined manner after a thermometer has been inserted in said sheath.

Claim 6

A flexible sheath package as recited in claim 3 wherein the exterior surface of said sheath is sterile and said cover comprises means to protect the sterility of the exterior surface of said sheath until said sheath is exposed.

Claim 7

A flexible sheath package comprising two flexible layers sealed together along a seal line to define a sheath, a cover enclosing the outer surfaces of said layers within said seal line, the seal between said inner layers being constructed and said cover being fixed to said layers in a manner so that the outer portions of said flexible layers outside of said seal line is torn away from said sheath when said outer layer is peeled from said sheath with an instrument within said sheath.

Claim 8

A flexible sheath package comprising two flexible layers sealed together along a seal line to define a sheath, a cover enclosing the outer surfaces of said layers within said seal line, the seal between said inner layers being constructed and said cover being fixed to said layers in a manner so that the outer portions of said flexible layers outside of said seal line is torn away from said sheath when said outer layer is peeled from said sheath with an instrument within said sheath.