Table drape assembly and method

• US 3,998,221 A
• Filed: 03/05/1976
• Issued: 12/21/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boundary Healthcare Products Corp.
• Original Assignee: The Kendall Company (Colgate-Palmolive Company)
• Inventors: Collins, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US05/664,136
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 128/132 D, 128/1 R, 128/303 R, 150/52 R, 108/90
• US Class Current: 128/855
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/23 with means to retain or hold surgical implements

Abstract

A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table comprising, a sterile set-up drape having a barrier panel which is unfolded from the assembly to cover a reference end edge of the table, and a sterile table drape. A first end portion of the table drape is unfolded from the assembly into a configuration extending past an edge of the table remote the reference edge. After placing sterile articles on the unfolded part of the table drape and positioning the table adjacent a patient, a second end portion of the table drape may be unfolded into a configuration covering the barrier panel.

Claims

1. A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table comprising, first sterile sheet means of a material resistant to passage of bacteria and folded into said assembly, second and third sterile sheet means of a material resistant to passage of bacteria and resistant to abrasion and passage of liquid in at least a portion thereof, said second and third sheet means being folded into said assembly together with said first sheet means, said first sheet means being unfoldable from said assembly into a configuration over and depending below a reference edge of the table while the second and third sheet means remain in a folded configuration to provide a sterile barrier over the reference edge, said second sheet means being unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration covering a portion of the table and an edge of the table remote the reference edge while the third sheet means remains in a folded configuration to permit placement of sterile articles on the sterile second sheet means, said third sheet means being unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration over the first sheet means to provide a sterile barrier over the first sheet means.

2. A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table, comprising:

a set-up drape comprising a sterile barrier sheet of a material resistant to passage of bacteria and folded into the assembly, said barrier sheet including a barrier panel unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration covering and depending below a reference edge of the table; and

a sterile table drape folded into said assembly and having a first folded section being unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration covering a remote portion of the table relative said reference edge, and a second folded section being unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration covering said barrier panel.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said table drape includes a section of liquid impervious material on a surface of the unfolded drape facing the table and having sufficient dimensions to cover the table.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said table drape includes a protective sheet of a material resistant to abrasion on a surface of the unfolded drape facing away from the table, said protective sheet having sufficient dimensions to at least substantially cover the table and to overlie the table reference edge and corners of the reference edge.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said protective sheet includes a doubled portion overlying the table reference edge and corners in the unfolded drape.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said doubled portion has a free segment adjacent an edge of the doubled portion and extending beyond the table reference edge in the unfolded drape.

7. The assembly of claim 2 including a cover sheet of a material resistant to passage of bacteria folded over and covering the set-up and table drapes to permit aseptic handling thereof.

8. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the table drape includes third and fourth sections, said sections being unfoldable from the assembly into a configuration covering opposed edges of the table adjacent the table reference edge.

9. A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table having a pair of opposed edges and a pair of edges connecting the opposed edges, comprising:

a sterile table drape having a sufficient width to extend past the opposed edges of the table and being resistant to passage of liquid and bacteria, said table drape having first and second sets of lateral fan folds with the length of the drape in the first set of fan folds being sufficient to extend past a connecting edge of the table remote a reference connecting edge of the table when the assembly is placed in a reference position with an outer edge of the second set of fan folds being positioned adjacent the reference table edge, said table drape having a first and second set of transverse fan folds of the laterally folded drape for covering portions of the table adjacent the opposed edges when unfolded from the drape in the reference position; and

a sterile set-up drape of a material resistant to passage of bacteria, said set-up drape being folded around the folded table drape and having a barrier panel being unfoldable from the assembly in said reference position into a configuration extending below the table reference edge and with side portions of the set-up drape extending past corners of the reference edge.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said set-up drape includes a retaining panel extending from said barrier panel, in which said transversely folded table drape is positioned on a lateral central portion of said retaining panel with outer portions of the transverse fan folds in the folded table drape facing away from the retaining panel, said barrier panel is folded over the outer ends of the transverse fan folds, and in which lateral side portions of the set-up drape are folded over a lateral central portion of the folded over barrier panel.

11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the distance between adjacent fold lines defining the first lateral set of fan folds is greater than the distance between adjacent fold lines defining the second lateral set of fan folds.

12. The assembly of claim 9 including a cover sheet of a material resistant to passage of bacteria, said cover sheet being folded around and covering the folded set-up drape.

13. A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table, comprising:

a sterile table drape for covering the table, said table drape being folded into a configuration of reduced dimensions defining an edge for placement adjacent a reference edge of the table in a reference position of the assembly; and

a set-up drape of a material resistant to passage of bacteria, said set-up drape having a fold line defining a retaining panel and a barrier panel, said table drape being positioned on a lateral central portion of the retaining panel with said edge of the folded table drape being positioned adjacent said fold line of the set-up drape, and said barrier panel being positioned over the folded table drape, with lateral side portions of the set-up drape being folded over a lateral central portion of the barrier panel.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein said barrier panel includes a lateral fold line defining a folded back grasping panel.

15. A drape assembly for a surgical equipment table having a pair of side edges and a pair of end edges, comprising:

a sterile table drape having a pair of side edges, a pair of end edges connecting the side edges, a first surface for facing the table when the table drape is placed on the table, and a second surface facing away from the table when the table drape is placed on the table, said table drape having a sufficient width between said drape side edges to extend a substantial distance beyond the side edges of the table, and having a sufficient length between said drape end edges to extend a substantial distance beyond said table end edges, said table drape having a lateral central panel extending between the drape side edges and a plurality of lateral fold lines extending between the drape side edges, said lateral fold lines defining first and second sets of lateral fan folds overlying the second panel and having inner and outer edges, said first set of lateral fan folds having a sufficient length between the lateral central panel and the associated drape end edge to extend a substantial distance beyond a table end edge remote a reference table end edge when the outer edge of the second set of lateral fan folds is placed adjacent the reference table end edge in a reference position of the assembly, said second set of lateral fan folds having a sufficient length between the lateral central panel and the associated drape end edge to extend a substantial distance beyond the table reference edge when unfolded from said reference position, and the laterally folded drape having a transverse central panel for placement generally centrally relative the table side edges in said reference position and a plurality of transverse fold lines defining first and second sets of transverse fan folds positioned over an outer surface of the lateral fan folds in the transverse central panel and having inner and outer edges; and

a sterile set-up drape of a material resistant to passage of bacteria, said set-up drape having a pair of side edges, a pair of end edges connecting the side edges, a first surface for facing the table, and a second surface for facing away from the table, with said set-up drape having a sufficient width between said side edges to extend past the table side edges, said set-up drape having a lateral reference fold line extending between the side edges of the set-up drape and defining a retaining panel and a barrier panel, with said barrier panel having a sufficient length between said reference fold line and the associated end edge of the set-up drape to extend a substantial distance beyond the table reference edge when the barrier panel is unfolded from the assembly with the reference fold line positioned adjacent the table reference edge in the reference position of said assembly, said transversely folded table drape being positioned on the second surface of said retaining panel at a lateral central location between the side edges of the set-up drape with the outer edge of said second lateral fan folds located adjacent the reference fold line of the set-up drape, said barrier panel being folded over the outer ends of the transverse fan folds and having a lateral fold line defining a folded back grasping panel, said laterally folded set-up drape having transverse fold lines defining transverse sections folded over a lateral central section of said barrier panel.

16. A table drape for a surgical equipment table having a pair of opposed edges and a pair of edges connecting the opposed edges comprising, a main sterile sheet of a material resistant to passage of bacteria and having sufficient dimensions to extend a substantial distance beyond the opposed and connecting edges of the table, and a sterile protective sheet of a liquid and abrasion resistant material, said protective sheet being attached to the main sheet and having a sufficient width and length to extend past the opposed and connecting edges of the table, said protective sheet having a clip panel being at least partially free of attachment from the main sheet and defining at least a portion of an outer edge of the protective sheet.

17. The drape of claim 16 including a fluid impervious sheet secured to an opposed surface of the main sheet relative the protective sheet and having sufficient dimensions to cover the table.

18. A table drape for a surgical equipment table having a pair of side edges and a pair of end edges comprising, a main sterile sheet of a material resistant to passage of bacteria and having a pair of side edges and a pair of end edges connecting the side edges, said main sheet having a sufficient width between the sheet side edges to extend a substantial distance beyond the table side edges when the drape is placed on the table, and a sufficient length between the sheet end edges to extend a substantial distance beyond the table end edges when the drape is placed, and a protective sheet of liquid and abrasion resistant material having a pair of side edges and a pair of end edges connecting the side edges, said protective sheet being secured to the main sheet with the side edges of the protective sheet being generally centrally located between the side edges of the main sheet, said protective sheet having a sufficient width between its side edges to extend past the side edges of the table when the drape is placed, and having a lateral fold line extending between the side edges of the protective sheet defining an end section extending between said fold line and one end edge of the protective sheet and defining a cover section extending between said fold line and the other end edge of the protective sheet, said end section being folded under the cover section and secured between said cover section and the main sheet with said cover and end sections defining a laterally extending free clip panel of doubled material adjacent the fold line, said cover section having a sufficient length between said fold line and said other end edge of the protective sheet to at least substantially cover the table when the drape is placed on the table with the clip panel located adjacent an end edge of the table.

19. A method of covering a table in an aseptic manner, comprising the steps of:

covering a reference edge of the table with a first sterile sheet section in a configuration extending below the reference edge;

covering a substantial portion of the table including an edge remote the reference edge with a second sterile sheet section; and

covering the first sheet section below the reference edge with a third sterile sheet section.

20. A method of covering a table in an aseptic manner, comprising the steps of:

positioning a folded drape assembly adjacent a reference edge of the table;

unfolding side portions of a sterile set-up drape from the assembly into a configuration extending past opposed edges of the table adjacent the reference edge;

unfolding a barrier panel of the set-up drape from the assembly over the reference edge into a configuration extending a substantial distance below the reference edge with the set-up drape covering the reference edge and corners of the table at the juncture of said opposed table edges and reference edge;

unfolding side portions of a sterile table drape from the assembly into a configuration with the side portions extending a substantial distance below said opposed edges of the table;

unfolding a first end portion of the table drape from the assembly into a configuration extending a substantial distance below an edge of the table remote the reference edge; and

unfolding a second end portion of the table drape from the assembly into a configuration covering the barrier panel below the table reference edge.

21. The method of claim 20 including the step of unfolding a cover sheet from the assembly between said positioning and first unfolding steps.

22. The method of claim 20 including the step of positioning the table reference edge adjacent a patient between the last two unfolding steps.

23. A method of covering a surgical equipment table in an aseptic manner, comprising the steps of:

positioning a folded sterile table drape adjacent a reference edge of the table;

unfolding side portions of the drape to a location extending substantially below opposed edges of the table adjacent the reference edge;

unfolding a first end portion of the drape to a location extending substantially below an edge of the table remote the reference edge;

positioning the table with the reference edge located adjacent a patient; and

unfolding a second end portion of the drape to a location below the reference table edge.

24. A method of folding a drape assembly for a surgical equipment table, comprising the steps of:

folding a table drape along a plurality of lateral fold lines defining a pair of laterally stacked fan folds;

folding the laterally folded drape along a plurality of transverse fold lines defining a pair of transversely stacked fan folds;

positioning the transversely folded drape on a lateral central portion of a set-up drape;

folding an end section of the set-up drape over the folded table drape; and

folding lateral side portions of the set-up drape over the transverse fan folds of the table drape.