Catheter package

Claim 2

A package comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated extruded container of a flexible material resistant to passage of bacteria, said container having first and second ends, a pair of opposed sidewalls at least partially defining an elongated generally linear cell extending longitudinally in said container, said cell being slightly larger in cross-section and longer than said catheter and containing the catheter to maintain the catheter generally aligned in the cell, said container having a sufficient width to prevent excessive flexation of the container throughout a substantial longitudinal extent thereof, a pair of opposed outer walls defining a part of said cell, with both of said outer walls connecting and being of one-piece integral extruded construction with both of said sidewalls, and an opening extending through both the outer walls and cell communicating between said cell and the outside of the container, and with said opening itself defining a region of sufficient weakness in said container to permit flexation of an end portion of the container about the weakened region and permit grasping of said one catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package for use; and means for closing said opening, said closing means being resistant to the passage of bacteria and permeable to the passage of a sterilization medium for sterilization of the catheter through the closing means.

Claim 3

The package of claim 1 wherein the material of said container is compatible with the material of said catheter.

Claim 4

The package of claim 1 wherein said container is made from a thermoplastic material.

Claim 5

The package of claim 3 wherein said container is made from polypropylene.

Claim 6

The package of claim 1 wherein the ends of said container are closed to close the ends of said cell.

Claim 7

The package of claim 3 wherein the ends of said container are closed to close the ends of said cell, and the ends of said container are heat sealed to close the ends of said cell.

Claim 8

The package of claim 1 wherein said opening is located adjacent one end of the container.

Claim 9

The package of claim 7 wherein said opening is spaced from said one container end.

Claim 10

The package of claim 1 wherein said container has a pair of side edges connecting said first and second ends, and said opening is spaced from said side edges.

Claim 11

The package of claim 7 in which one end of the catheter abuts against a portion of the container adjacent the other end of the container when the catheter is placed in said cell, and in which the distance between the abutment portion of the container and a portion of the opening is approximately equal to the length of the catheter, whereby the other end of the catheter is located in the region of the opening when the catheter is placed in said cell.

Claim 12

The package of claim 10 wherein said opening is spaced from said one container end, said container has a pair of side edges connecting said first and second ends, said opening is spaced from said side edges, and in which said opening defines a lateral region of weakness in said container intermediate the opening and said side edges, whereby a section of said container intermediate said opening and said one container end may be bent about said weakness region to permit grasping of the other catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package and use.

Claim 13

The package of claim 1 in which said closing means comprises sheet means which closes said opening adjacent opposed laterally extending surfaces of said container.

Claim 14

The package of claim 12 wherein said sheet means comprises a sheet which extends between ends of said opening along the outer surface of the container and around said one container end.

Claim 15

The package of claim 13 wherein said sheet means comprises a sheet which is releasably secured to at least one surface of said container around the periphery of said opening.

Claim 16

The package of claim 12 wherein said sheet means comprises a pair of sheet segments, with each segment closing an end of said opening adjacent opposed outer surfaces of said container.

Claim 17

The package of claim 1 wherein said closing means comprises a sheet releasably secured to an outer surface of the container around the periphery of said opening.

Claim 18

The package of claim 16 wherein said sheet is heat sealed to the outer surface of said container.

Claim 19

The package of claim 16 wherein said sheet includes a tab which is free of attachment to said container to facilitate removal of said sheet from said container.

Claim 20

The package of claim 1 wherein said closing means comprises a sheet which is permeable to a sterilization gas.

Claim 21

The package of claim 1 wherein said container has a plurality of aligned cells disposed in a contiguous relationship laterally across said container.

Claim 22

The package of claim 20 wherein a multiplicity of said cells communicate with said opening.

Claim 23

The package of claim 21 wherein at least a second of said multiple cells has cross-sectional dimensions of a size to receive a second catheter.

Claim 24

The package of claim 20 wherein said plural cells have approximately equal cross-sectional dimensions.

Claim 25

The package of claim 1 wherein said container has a pair of side edges connecting said first and second ends, and a solid cross-section intermediate said cell and said side edges.

Claim 26

A package comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated extruded container of a material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a pair of opposed sidewalls at least partially defining a longitudinally extending cell of sufficient length to receive the catheter intermediate ends of the container, said cell being slightly larger in cross-section than the catheter and containing the catheter to retain the catheter generally aligned in the cell, said container being sufficiently rigid throughout a substantial length of the container to prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter, said container having an opening adjacent one of its ends communicating between the outside of the container and said cell, and a pair of opposed outer walls defining a part of said cell, with both of said outer walls connecting and being of one-piece integral extruded construction with both of said sidewalls, and said opening extending through both the outer walls and cell, and with said opening itself defining a region of sufficient weakness in said container to permit flexation of an end portion of the container about the weakened region and permit grasping of said one catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package for use; and a sheet of material closing said opening, said sheet being resistant to the passage of bacteria and permeable to the passage of a sterilization medium for sterilization of the catheter through said sheet.

Claim 27

A package comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated extruded container of a material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a pair of opposed sidewalls at least partially defining a longitudinally extending cell of sufficient length to receive the catheter intermediate ends of the container, said cell being slightly larger in cross-section than the catheter and containing the catheter to retain the catheter generally aligned in the cell, said container being sufficiently rigid throughout a substantial length of the container to prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter, said container having an opening adjacent one of its ends communicating between the outside of the container and said cell, and a pair of opposed outer walls defining a part of said cell, with both of said outer walls connecting and being of one-piece integral extruded construction with both of said sidewalls, and said opening extending through both the outer walls and cell, and with said opening itself defining a region of sufficient weakness in said container to permit flexation of an end portion of the container about the weakened region and permit grasping of said one catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package for use; and a sheet of material closing said opening, said sheet being resistant to the passage of bacteria and permeable to the passage of a sterilization medium for sterilization of the catheter through said sheet.

Claim 28

A package, comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated extruded container of a material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a longitudinally extending cell of sufficient length to receive the catheter intermediate ends of said container, said cell being slightly larger in cross-section than the catheter and containing the catheter, said container being sufficiently rigid throughout a substantial length of the container to prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter, and said container comprising a pair of opposed outer walls defining a part of said cell and an opening extending through both the outer walls and cell and positioned adjacent to and spaced from one end of the container, with said opening communicating between the outside of the container and said cell at a location adjacent one end of the catheter, and with said opening itself defining a region of sufficient weakness in said container to permit flexation of an end portion of the container about the weakened region and permit grasping of said one catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package for use; and means for releasably closing said opening to prevent contamination of the catheter.

Claim 29

A package, comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated extruded container of a material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a longitudinally extending cell of sufficient length to receive the catheter intermediate ends of said container, said cell being slightly larger in cross-section than the catheter and containing the catheter, said container being sufficiently rigid throughout a substantial length of the container to prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter, and said container comprising a pair of opposed outer walls defining a part of said cell and an opening extending through both the outer walls and cell and positioned adjacent to and spaced from one end of the container, with said opening communicating between the outside of the container and said cell at a location adjacent one end of the catheter, and with said opening itself defining a region of sufficient weakness in said container to permit flexation of an end portion of the container about the weakened region and permit grasping of said one catheter end for removal of the catheter from the package for use; and means for releasably closing said opening to prevent contamination of the catheter.

Claim 30

A package, comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated container of a flexible material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a pair of end edges, a pair of side edges connecting said end edges, a pair of spaced webs, a plurality of elongated spaced ribs extending between said webs, with said webs and ribs defining a plurality of elongated contiguous cells disposed laterally across said container, with at least one generally centrally located cell being slightly larger in cross-section and longer than said catheter and containing the catheter, with the ends of said cells being closed adjacent said end edges, and with said container having a sufficient width to provide rigidity to the container and prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter throughout a substantial longitudinal extent thereof, said container having an opening extending through the container adjacent one end of the container, with said opening being spaced from said side edges and the associated one end edge of said container, with the opening extending a sufficient distance laterally in the container to define a region of weakness in the container intermediate the opening and said side edges, and with the opening communicating between the outside of the container and a plurality of said cells at a location to expose one end of said catheter; and sheet means releasably secured to the outer surfaces of said webs around the peripheries of said opening to close said opening, said sheet being permeable to a sterilization medium and resistant to passage of bacteria, whereby said catheter may be sterilized through said sheet means and said sheet means prevents contamination of the sterile catheter prior to use, said sheet means may be removed from the outer surface of at least one of said webs to expose said one catheter end, and an end portion of the container intermediate said opening and said one end edge may be flexed about said weakness region to permit removal of the catheter from said one cell.

Claim 31

A package, comprising: an elongated catheter; an elongated container of a flexible material resistant to the passage of bacteria, said container having a pair of end edges, a pair of side edges connecting said end edges, a pair of spaced webs, a plurality of elongated spaced ribs extending between said webs, with said webs and ribs defining a plurality of elongated contiguous cells disposed laterally across said container, with at least one generally centrally located cell being slightly larger in cross-section and longer than said catheter and containing the catheter, with the ends of said cells being closed adjacent said end edges, and with said container having a sufficient width to provide rigidity to the container and prevent excessive flexation of the container and catheter throughout a substantial longitudinal extent thereof, said container having an opening extending through the container adjacent one end of the container, with said opening being spaced from said side edges and the associated one end edge of said container, with the opening extending a sufficient distance laterally in the container to define a region of weakness in the container intermediate the opening and said side edges, and with the opening communicating between the outside of the container and a plurality of said cells at a location to expose one end of said catheter; and sheet means releasably secured to the outer surfaces of said webs around the peripheries of said opening to close said opening, said sheet being permeable to a sterilization medium and resistant to passage of bacteria, whereby said catheter may be sterilized through said sheet means and said sheet means prevents contamination of the sterile catheter prior to use, said sheet means may be removed from the outer surface of at least one of said webs to expose said one catheter end, and an end portion of the container intermediate said opening and said one end edge may be flexed about said weakness region to permit removal of the catheter from said one cell.

Claim 32

The package of claim 27 wherein each of said cells has approximately equal cross-sectional dimensions.

Claim 33

The package of claim 27 wherein a second of said cells adjacent said first cell communicates with said opening and has cross-sectional dimensions approximately equal to the dimensions of said one cell, and including a second catheter received in said second cell with one end of the second catheter exposed in said opening.