Sterility cover for medical device surface

• US 9,615,891 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard Ma
• Original Assignee: Richard Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): GEHMAN, BRYON P
• Application Number:
  US14/703,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20150320499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 206305, 206320, 206363, 206438, 150154, 181131, 181137, 181141, 600586, 383 84- 87
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/247 Hygienic covers, i.e. for covering the sensor or apparatus during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• 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 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/001 Blocks, stacks or like assemblies of bags

Abstract

A disposable bag for maintaining sterility of a medical instrument having a detection mechanism and cable extending from the detection mechanism,

• • wherein the bag comprises:
  • a pair of flexible sheets comprised of a polymeric material,
  • the pair of sheets being arranged in parallel to each other and sealed along opposing lateral sides that extend longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end,
  • the cable having a selected length such that upon insertion of the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber of the bag, the cable extends longitudinally through the open bottom end,
  • the bag being adapted to be attached to at least a portion of the cable that extends from the detection mechanism downstream toward the open bottom end.

Claims

1. A disposable bag including and maintaining sterility of a medical instrument, the instrument comprising an elongated cable having a cable length and a detection mechanism for engagement with an examination surface of a subject to be examined for a signal generated by the subject through the examination surface, the elongated cable being interconnected to the detection mechanism at a proximal end of the cable for transmitting a signal generated by the detection mechanism to a distal end of the cable,

wherein the bag comprises:

a pair of flexible opposing sheets comprised of a polymeric material, the sheets having a thickness through which the detection mechanism can sense the signal generated by the subject when the detection mechanism is held in engagement against the examination surface with one of the sheets disposed between the detection mechanism and the examination surface,

the pair of sheets having interior surfaces and being arranged in parallel to each other and sealed along opposing lateral sides that extend longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end, the top end being sealed and the bottom end being open such that the sheets form an enclosed interior chamber with an open longitudinal bottom end for insertion of the detection mechanism into and longitudinally through the enclosed interior chamber a selected insertion distance from the open bottom end toward the sealed top end,

one of the pair of sheets being longer longitudinally than the other of the pair sheets forming a flap that extends from the one longer sheet to a longer bottom edge that extends longitudinally beyond a shorter bottom edge of the other of the pair of sheets,

the bag having a selected longitudinal length relative to the cable length such that upon insertion of the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber along the selected insertion distance, the cable extends longitudinally from the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber and further through the open bottom end to at least the longer bottom edge of the one longer sheet,

one or the other or both of the interior surfaces of the two opposing sheets having an attachment mechanism attachable to at least a portion of the cable that extends from the detection mechanism to at least the longer bottom edge such that the detection mechanism is held within the enclosed interior chamber.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a layer of adhesive material disposed on an interior surface of the flap in a selected two dimensional pattern and the cable has an outside surface that is adhesively attachable to the adhesive material, the layer of adhesive material being disposed on the interior surface of the flap in an arrangement such that at least a portion of the outside surface of the cable that extends to at least the longer bottom edge of the one longer sheet of the bag is manually compressible against at least a portion of the adhesive layer and adhesively attachable thereto.

3. Method of examining a patient with a medical instrument having a cable and detection mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the detection mechanism detects a selected signal generated by patient, the method comprising inserting the detection mechanism in a bag according to claim 1, attaching the cord to the attachment mechanism and examining the patient with the detection mechanism inserted in the bag.

4. A disposable bag including and maintaining sterility of a medical instrument, the instrument comprising an elongated cable having a cable length and a detection mechanism for engagement with an examination surface of a subject to be examined for a signal generated by the subject through the examination surface, the elongated cable being interconnected to the detection mechanism at a proximal end of the cable for transmitting a signal generated by the detection mechanism to a distal end of the cable,

wherein the bag comprises:

a pair of flexible sheets comprised of a polymeric material, the sheets having a thickness through which the detection mechanism can sense the signal generated by the subject when the detection mechanism is held in engagement against the examination surface with one of the sheets disposed between the detection mechanism and the examination surface,

the pair of sheets being arranged in parallel to each other and sealed along opposing lateral sides that extend longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end, the top end being sealed and the bottom end being open such that the sheets form an enclosed interior chamber with an open longitudinal bottom end for insertion of the detection mechanism into and longitudinally through the enclosed interior chamber a selected insertion distance from the open bottom end toward the sealed top end,

the pair of sheets each having an interior surface facing each other, one or the other of the interior surfaces having a layer of adhesive material disposed thereon in a selected two dimensional pattern at a longitudinal position between the top and bottom ends such that the adhesive material on an interior surface of one sheet opposes and can make contact with the interior surface of an opposing sheet,

the bag having a selected longitudinal length relative to the cable length such that upon insertion of the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber along the selected insertion distance, the cable extends longitudinally from the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber and further through the open bottom end to at least the longer bottom edge of the one longer sheet,

the cable having an outside surface that is adhesively attachable to the adhesive material, the layer of adhesive material being disposed on the interior surface of the flap at a selected longitudinal position less than the selected insertion distance in an arrangement such that at least a portion of the outside surface of the cable that extends from the detection mechanism longitudinally to at least the selected longitudinal position of the adhesive material is manually compressible against and adhesively attachable to the adhesive material.

5. The bag of claim 4 wherein the adhesive material is disposed on both of the interior surfaces of the opposing sheets of the bag in the selected two dimensional pattern.

6. Method of examining a patient with a medical instrument having a cable and detection mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the detection mechanism detects a selected signal generated by patient, the method comprising inserting the detection mechanism in a bag according to claim 4, attaching the cord to the layer of adhesive material and examining the patient with the detection mechanism inserted in the bag.

7. A disposable bag including and maintaining sterility of a medical instrument, the instrument comprising an elongated cable having a cable length and a detection mechanism for engagement with an examination surface of a subject to be examined for a signal generated by the subject through the examination surface, the elongated cable being interconnected to the detection mechanism at a proximal end of the cable for transmitting a signal generated by the detection mechanism to a distal end of the cable,

wherein the bag comprises:

a pair of flexible opposing sheets comprised of a polymeric material, the sheets having a thickness through which the detection mechanism can sense the signal generated by the subject when the detection mechanism is held in engagement against the examination surface with one of the sheets disposed between the detection mechanism and the examination surface,

the pair of sheets having interior surfaces and being arranged in parallel to each other and sealed along opposing lateral sides that extend longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end, the top end being sealed and the bottom end being open such that the sheets form an enclosed interior chamber with an open longitudinal bottom end for insertion of the detection mechanism into and longitudinally through the enclosed interior chamber a selected insertion distance from the open bottom end toward the sealed top end,

one of the pair of sheets being longer longitudinally than the other of the pair sheets forming a flap that extends from the one longer sheet to a longer bottom edge that extends longitudinally beyond a shorter bottom edge of the other of the pair of sheets,

the bag having a selected longitudinal length relative to the cable length such that upon insertion of the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber along the selected insertion distance, the cable extends longitudinally from the detection mechanism through the enclosed interior chamber and further through the open bottom end to at least the longer bottom edge of the one longer sheet,

wherein one or the other or both of the interior surfaces of the two opposing sheets has a layer of adhesive material disposed on an interior surface of the flap in a selected two dimensional pattern and the cable has an outside surface that is adhesively attachable to the adhesive material, the layer of adhesive material being disposed on said one or the other or both of the interior surfaces in an arrangement such that at least a portion of the outside surface of the cable that extends to at least the longer bottom edge of the one longer sheet of the bag is manually compressible against at least a portion of the adhesive layer and adhesively attachable thereto.

8. Method of examining a patient with a medical instrument having a cable and detection mechanism according to claim 7 wherein the detection mechanism detects a selected signal generated by patient, the method comprising inserting the detection mechanism in a bag according to claim 7, attaching the cord to the layer of adhesive material and examining the patient with the detection mechanism inserted in the bag.