Reinforced surgical drapes for use with thermal treatment systems
First Claim
1. A surgical drape for use with a thermal treatment system having at least one basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing to thermally treat a sterile medium wherein said drape is disposed on the thermal treatment system such that said drape hangs down from the top surface and is disposed within each basin to form a drape receptacle within each basin to contain the sterile medium, said drape comprising:
- a primary drape layer to provide a sterile field above each basin wherein said primary drape layer includes a plurality of portions with at least one of said primary drape layer portions being stressed during use of said drape on the thermal treatment system; and
a secondary drape layer having at least one secondary drape layer segment wherein each said secondary drape layer segment is selectively disposed on a corresponding stressed portion of said primary drape layer to reinforce said primary drape layer such that said drape withstands stress to prevent damage to said drape and to maintain the sterile field above each basin.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Reinforced surgical drapes are utilized in combination with a thermal treatment system including a basin recessed in a top surface of a system housing to ensure sterility of a sterile medium and to reduce drape costs. A reinforced surgical drape typically includes a primary drape layer of relatively thin construction that may puncture or tear under stress and at least one reinforcing layer selectively attached to drape portions receiving stress during use to prevent the drape from puncturing or tearing. Each reinforcing layer includes at least one segment that may either reinforce substantially the entire drape or the stressed drape portions. Alternatively, a surgical drape may be reinforced by disposing at least one drape over another drape placed on a thermal treatment system. The multiple drape embodiment enables immediate generation of a sterile field above a previously used or damaged drape, and further enables reuse of an underlying drape since an overlying drape provides the sterile field. The reinforced and multiple drapes may further be utilized in substantially the same manner described above in thermal treatment systems having single or multiple basins for warming, cooling and/or congealing the sterile medium.
72 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A surgical drape for use with a thermal treatment system having at least one basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing to thermally treat a sterile medium wherein said drape is disposed on the thermal treatment system such that said drape hangs down from the top surface and is disposed within each basin to form a drape receptacle within each basin to contain the sterile medium, said drape comprising:
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a primary drape layer to provide a sterile field above each basin wherein said primary drape layer includes a plurality of portions with at least one of said primary drape layer portions being stressed during use of said drape on the thermal treatment system; and a secondary drape layer having at least one secondary drape layer segment wherein each said secondary drape layer segment is selectively disposed on a corresponding stressed portion of said primary drape layer to reinforce said primary drape layer such that said drape withstands stress to prevent damage to said drape and to maintain the sterile field above each basin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A thermal treatment system for thermally treating a sterile medium comprising:
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a system housing including a top surface; a basin disposed on said top surface for containing the sterile medium; thermal treatment means for thermally treating the sterile medium disposed in said basin; a first drape having a first drape portion for hanging down from said top surface and for being disposed within said basin to form a drape receptacle; and a second drape disposed over said first drape having a second drape portion for hanging down from said top surface and for being disposed within said basin to form a second drape receptacle, wherein said second drape provides a sterile field above said basin to maintain sterility of the sterile medium. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a thermal treatment system having at least one basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing for thermally treating a sterile medium and a surgical drape hanging down from the top surface and being disposed within the basin to form a drape receptacle for containing the sterile medium, wherein said drape includes a primary drape layer to provide a sterile field above each basin and a secondary drape layer to reinforce said primary drape layer, and wherein said primary drape layer includes a plurality of portions with at least one portion being stressed during use on the thermal treatment system and said secondary drape layer includes at least one secondary drape layer segment, a method for maintaining the sterile field above each basin by preventing damage to said drape comprising the step of:
(a) selectively disposing each secondary drape layer segment on a corresponding stressed portion of said primary drape layer to reinforce said primary drape layer such that said drape withstands stress to prevent damage to said drape and to maintain the sterile field above each basin. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for maintaining a sterile field within a thermal treatment system having at least one basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing to thermally treat a sterile medium and a surgical drape hanging down from the top surface and disposed within each basin to form a drape receptacle within each basin to contain the sterile medium, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming said drape having a primary drape layer to provide the sterile field above each basin and a secondary drape layer having at least one secondary drape layer segment wherein said primary drape layer includes a plurality of portions with at least one of said primary drape layer portions being stressed during use of said drape on the thermal treatment system, and (b) selectively disposing each secondary drape layer segment on a corresponding stressed portion of said primary drape layer to reinforce said primary drape layer such that said drape withstands stress to prevent damage to said drape and maintain the sterile field above each basin. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. In a thermal treatment system having a basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing for thermally treating a sterile medium, a method for maintaining a sterile field above the basin comprising the steps of:
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(a) disposing a first drape on the thermal treatment system such that a first drape portion hangs down from said top surface and is disposed with the basin to form a first drape receptacle; (b) disposing a second drape over said first drape such that a second drape portion hangs down from said top surface and is disposed within said basin to form a second drape receptacle wherein the second drape provides the sterile field above the basin to maintain sterility of the sterile medium; and (c) thermally treating the sterile medium disposed within said second drape receptacle in the basin. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a thermal treatment system having at least one basin disposed on a top surface of a system housing for thermally treating a sterile medium and a surgical drape hanging down from the top surface and being disposed within each basin to form a drape receptacle within each basin to contain the sterile medium, a method for ensuring the presence of a sterile field above each basin comprising the step of:
(a) placing a second drape over said surgical drape wherein said second drape ensures the presence of the sterile field above each basin by providing a sterile field above said surgical drape. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
Specification