Surgical incise drape

• US 6,742,522 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Eull, Patricia A., Bruno, John E., Schlei, Dietmar, Baker, Dennis L., Scholz, Matthew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US09/400,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 128/849-856
• US Class Current: 128/849
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2046/205 Adhesive drapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/00 Surgical drapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00817 handles or handling tabs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15073 as drapes

Abstract

A surgical incise drape comprising a flexible film having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a film handle applied at the leading edge of the flexible film. A liner substantially covers the major portion of the flexible film, which is coated with an adhesive. The liner may include a liner handle at the leading edge, and one of the liner handle and film handle are of a size for wrapping about at least a portion of the drape when the drape is in a folded configuration. A tensioning strip may be applied to the liner at a position away from the leading edge of the liner to hold at least a portion of the flexible film lying between the film handle and the tensioning strip in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film. Further, the liner may be stiff relative to the flexible film such that the liner and the film handle hold the flexible film in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film. Methods for using these surgical incise drapes, tear lines, and connecting or reinforcement strips are also described.

Claims

1. A surgical incise drape comprising:

a flexible film having a major portion coated with an adhesive, the flexible film having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and

a liner having a leading edge and a trailing edge corresponding to the leading edge and trailing edge of the flexible film, the liner substantially covering the major portion of the flexible film coated with the adhesive, and the liner being a laminate film comprising two or more polymer layers.

2. The drape according to claim 1, wherein the laminate film includes at least one low melting point polymer layer and at least one high melting point polymer layer.

3. The drape according to claim 2, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer has a melt temperature less than about 175°

C.

4. The drape according to claim 3, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer is a polyolefin layer.

5. The drape according to claim 2, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer has a melt temperature greater than about 175°

C.

6. The drape according to claim 5, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyester or cellulose acetate layer.

7. The drape according to claim 5, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyamide layer.

8. The drape according to claim 7, wherein the liner is relatively stiff compared to the flexible film such that the liner holds the flexible film in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film.

9. The drape according to claim 1 further comprising an elongate strip along the leading edge of the film, the strip having a tear line for facilitating propagating tearing of the strip along the tear line.

10. The drape according to claim 9 wherein the tear line comprises a line of perforations.

11. The drape according to claim 9 wherein the elongate strip comprises reinforcement tape that is more resistant to tearing than the film other than along the tear line.

12. The drape according to claim 11 wherein the reinforcement tape is a film tape having one surface coated with an adhesive.

13. The drape according to claim 12 wherein the adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

14. The drape according to claim 11 wherein the film tape comprises a low-density polyethylene film tape, and the adhesive comprises an acrylate adhesive.

15. A medical composite article comprising:

a flexible film having a major portion coated with an adhesive; and

a liner substantially covering the major portion of the flexible film coated with the adhesive, and the liner being a laminate film comprising two or more polymer layers, the laminate film including at least one low melting point polymer layer and at least one high melting point polymer layer.

16. The medical composite article according to claim 15, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer has a melt temperature less than about 175°

C.

17. The medical composite article according to claim 16, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer is a polyolefin layer.

18. The medical composite article according to claim 15, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer has a melt temperature greater than about 175°

C.

19. The medical composite article according to claim 18, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyester or cellulose acetate layer.

20. The medical composite article according to claim 18, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyamide layer.

21. The medical composite article according to claim 15, wherein the liner is relatively stiff compared to the flexible film such that the liner holds the flexible film in a wrinkle-free state when the liner is being removed from the major portion of the flexible film.

22. A medical composite article comprising:

a flexible film having a major portion coated with an adhesive; and

a liner substantially covering the major portion of the flexible film coated with the adhesive, and the liner being a laminate film comprising two or more polymer layers, the laminate film including at least one low melting point polymer layer having a melt temperature less than about 175°

C. and at least one high melting point polymer layer having a melt temperature greater than about 175°

C.

23. The medical composite article according to claim 22, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer is a polyolefin layer.

24. The medical composite article according to claim 22, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyester or cellulose acetate layer.

25. The medical composite article according to claim 22, wherein the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyamide layer.

26. The medical composite article according to claim 22, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer is a polyolefin layer, and the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyester or cellulose acetate layer.

27. The medical composite article according to claim 22, wherein the at least one low melting point polymer layer is a polyolefin layer, and the at least one high melting point polymer layer is a polyamide layer.

28. A medical composite article comprising:

a flexible film having a major portion coated with an adhesive, the flexible film having a leading edge and a trailing edge;

an elongate strip along the leading edge of the film, the strip having a tear line for facilitating propagating tearing of the strip along the tear line; and

a liner substantially covering the major portion of the flexible film coated with the adhesive, and the liner being a laminate film comprising two or more polymer layers, the laminate film including at least one low melting point polymer layer having a melt temperature less than about 175°

C. and at least one high melting point polymer layer having a melt temperature greater than about 175°

C.

29. The medical composite article according to claim 28 wherein the tear line comprises a line of perforations.

30. The medical composite article according to claim 28 wherein the elongate strip comprises reinforcement tape that is more resistant to tearing than the film other than along the tear line, the reinforcement tape being a film tape having one surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive.

31. The medical composite article according to claim 30 wherein the film tape comprises a low-density polyethylene film tape, and the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises an acrylate adhesive.