Method for shipping and protecting an endotracheal tube with an inflated cuff

• US 8,684,175 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Clayton, Jessica, Nelson, Donald S., Swedlow, David, Colburn, Joel, Mecca, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): PERREAULT, ANDREW D
• Application Number:
  US11/526,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 206/204, 206/438, 206/363, 206/364, 206/365, 206/366, 206/439, 206/440, 206/570, 206/828, 206/522
• US Class Current: 206/363
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3007 Stackable casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/20 Holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments drapes with means to hold surgical instruments A61B46/23; for catheters A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0434 Cuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0445 Special cuff forms, e.g. undulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/002 Packages specially adapted therefor combined with means for introducing catheters, e.g. dispensers, A61M25/0113; catheter kit packages for surgical articles A61B50/30

Abstract

An inflatable cuff may be adapted to seal a patient'"'"'s trachea when associated with an endotracheal tube. Packaging and transporting of these cuffs while inflated may provide for decreased wrinkles and thereby improved sealing of the trachea. Provided is a package for a medical device with an inflatable region, comprising a substantially non-stretchable region that substantially conforms to the shape of the inflatable region of the medical device when the inflatable region is inflated.

Claims

1. A package for a medical device with an inflatable region, comprising:

an inflatable region coupled to a tracheal tube;

a protective enclosure comprising a substantially non-stretchable region that substantially conforms to the shape of the inflatable region of the medical device when the inflatable region is inflated to an inflated configuration comprising an internal cuff pressure sufficient to remove wrinkles from the cuff when inflated outside the patient without a constraint against a diameter of the cuff, wherein the inflatable region is disposed within the protective enclosure, and wherein the inflatable region is inflated within the protective enclosure to an internal pressure between 20 to 75 cm H₂O.

2. The package of claim 1, comprising feet configured to provide a support for the package.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein the feet comprise features configured to interface with features of similar packages to provide for stacking of multiple packages.

4. The package of claim 1, comprising a hanging feature to facilitate hanging of the package.

5. The package of claim 1, comprising an identifying feature to facilitate identifying contents of the package.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein the identifying feature comprises a barcode.

7. The package of claim 5, wherein the identifying feature comprises a color.

8. The package of claim 1, comprising a storage feature configured to provide storage for material associated with the medical device.

9. The package of claim 8, wherein the storage feature is configured to provide storage for lubricants or other liquids.

10. The package of claim 8, wherein the storage feature is configured to provide storage for at least one of a syringe or a CO₂ detector.

11. The package of claim 1, wherein the package is formed from polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), amorphous polyethylene terephalate, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyphenylene sulfide (RPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG).

12. The package of claim 1, wherein the package is comprised of transparent or semi-transparent material providing for visual inspection the contents of the package.

13. The package of claim 1, comprising an aperture configured to facilitate physical examination of the contents of the package.

14. The package of claim 1, wherein the package is formed from a pliable material configured to facilitate physical examination of contents of the package when a portion of the package surrounding the inflated region is depressed.

15. The package of claim 1, wherein the non-stretchable region is configured to provide support of the inflatable region at sterilization and shipping temperatures and pressures.

16. A shipping assembly, comprising:

a package; and

a medical device having an inflated region that is inflated within the package to a pressure of 20 to 75 cm H₂O; and

wherein the package comprises

a substantially non-stretchable region that substantially conforms to the shape of the inflated region of the medical device when the inflatable region is inflated to an inflated configuration comprising an internal cuff pressure sufficient to remove wrinkles from the cuff outside the patient without a constraint against a diameter of the cuff.

17. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package comprises feet configured to provide a support for the package.

18. The shipping assembly of claim 17, wherein the feet comprise features configured to interface with features of similar packages to provide for stacking of multiple packages.

19. The shipping assembly of claim 16, comprising a hanging feature to facilitate hanging of the shipping assembly.

20. The shipping assembly of claim 16, comprising an identifying feature to facilitate identifying the shipping assembly.

21. The shipping assembly of claim 20, wherein the identifying feature comprises a barcode.

22. The shipping assembly of claim 20, wherein the identifying feature comprises a color.

23. The shipping assembly of claim 16, comprising a storage feature configured to provide storage for material associated with the medical device.

24. The shipping assembly of claim 23, wherein the storage feature is configured to provide storage for lubricants or other liquids.

25. The shipping assembly of claim 23, wherein the storage feature is configured to provide storage for at least one of a syringe or a CO₂ detector.

26. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package is formed from polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), amorphous polyethylene terephalate, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyphenylene sulfide (RPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG).

27. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package is comprised of transparent or semi-transparent material providing for visual inspection of the medical device.

28. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package comprises an aperture configured to facilitate physical examination of the inflated region.

29. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package is formed from a pliable material configured to facilitate physical examination of the medical device inflated region when the package structure surrounding the inflatable region is depressed.

30. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the non-stretchable region is configured to provide support of the inflated region at sterilization and shipping temperatures.

31. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the medical device comprises an endotracheal tube.

32. The shipping assembly of claim 16, comprising an enclosure for the package and the medical device.

33. The shipping assembly of claim 16, wherein the package is configured to enclose regions other than the inflated region of the medical device.

34. A package for a medical device, comprising:

a medical device comprising a cuff, wherein the cuff is inflated to an inflated configuration comprising an internal cuff pressure sufficient to remove wrinkles from the cuff outside the patient without a constraint against a diameter of the cuff, wherein the internal cuff pressure is 20 to 75 cm H₂O; and

a package region that accommodates the cuff of the medical device when the cuff is in the inflated configuration.

35. The package of claim 34, wherein the package region is configured to provide support of the cuff at sterilization and shipping temperatures and pressures.

36. The package of claim 34, wherein the medical device comprises an endotracheal tube.