INSTRUMENT TRAY INDICATOR SYSTEM

The instrument tray indicator system includes a three-dimensional indicia associated with a least a portion of an instrument tray carrying at least one medical component. The three-dimensional indicia has a structure symbolic of the at least one medical component within the instrument tray, and the three-dimensional indicia is of a size and shape to provide external tactile feedback of the structure of the three-dimensional indicia through a sterile wrapping sealing an interior of the instrument tray with the at least one medical component therein. This allows one to identify the at least one medical component within the instrument tray without removing the sterile wrapping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an instrument tray indicator system. More specifically, the instrument tray indicator system includes indicia associated with an exterior of an instrument tray that includes a structure symbolic of a medical component therein for providing external tactile feedback regarding the identification of said medical component through sterile wrap enclosing the instrument tray prior to surgery.

Surgical instruments are tools or devices frequently used in, e.g., hospitals, physician offices, clinics, outpatient centers, urgent care or other emergency facilities, and may be used in a relatively wide variety of surgical fields such as general surgery, orthopedics, dentistry, veterinary clinics, etc. Surgical instruments are typically stored and transported in instrument trays and are delivered to the operating room for use by surgeons during an operation. For example, some surgical instruments may help or aid surgeons perform certain surgical operations, while other surgical instruments stored and transported within these trays may be used to help or aid the patient (e.g., implants designed to replace or repair damaged or worn out joints).

Of course, a large variety of surgical instruments have been designed over the years for use in connection with various surgical procedures, which vary in scope and complexity. As such, surgical instruments known in the art can vary greatly in size, shape, and form, depending on the type and nature of the surgery in which the surgical instruments are to be used. For example, in orthopedics, surgical instruments may be designed specifically to aid in surgical procedures that help correct or repair deformities or injuries to bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, etc. Surgical instruments that may be used by an orthopedic surgeon during such procedures may include scalpels, dissecting scissors, thumb forceps, retractors, mallets, elevators, probes, clamps, etc. Additionally, orthopedic surgical procedures also often require the use of surgical instruments in the form of implants, such as femoral components, patellar components, tibial components, femoral stems, heads, inserts, acetabular cups, etc., which may be used to correct or repair injured or worn out joints.

Important in this respect is that these surgical instruments are commonly stored in trays, which generally provide protection, organization, and a method for transporting the surgical instruments stored therein in and among locations within a medical facility, such as the operating room, sterilization facilities, and/or storage during non-use. Holding or retaining surgical instruments within the tray not only helps prevent movement therein during transportation that may cause damage to the surgical instruments, but also helps with organization, surgical workflow, preventing loss, and shortening the time it takes medical personnel to count inventory.

Of course, as with the surgical instruments themselves, there are a wide variety of surgical instrument trays known in the art, each of which may vary in size, shape, and/or configuration depending on the nature of the surgical procedure and/or the surgical instruments needed during the procedure. For more general surgical procedures, the surgical instrument tray may be configured to store a general set of operating instruments that may be used in a wide variety of surgical procedures. Such surgical instrument trays may include only general specifications and/or layouts; and have a generic size and shape such as a rectangular standard stainless-steel pan. Such basic trays may include minor differences that vary by manufacturer, medical facility requirements, and/or surgeon personal preference.

More advanced and/or complex surgical instrument trays may include a more ornate arrangement of internal couplings designed to hold certain surgical instruments in place in a specific series, orientation, or sequence therein. Some surgical instrument trays may also have a more rigid or robust outer body frame designed to hold multiple sets of surgical instruments, some of which may require sterilization after a surgery. As such, these surgical trays may also be designed for repeat exposure to high temperature environments during post-surgery sterilization procedures.

For more specialized surgical procedures such as orthopedic surgery (e.g., knee or hip replacement), the exact size, shape, and/or configuration of the surgical instrument tray may be important and may be specific the manufacturer of the joint implants. For example, surgical instrument trays for use in orthopedic surgeries typically include some form of layout based on the procedural workflow of the operation, i.e., the surgical instruments are typically stored in multiple instrument trays organized in a manner where the instruments are removed and used according to the sequence of the surgical procedure. Brackets and/or other retaining assemblies may be configured to ensure that the surgical instruments can only couple to these trays in certain locations to prevent accidental loading, thereby mitigating situations where surgical instruments are accessed or used in the wrong order during surgery. As such, this may help organize and streamline the orthopedic surgery to increase operating room efficiency and accuracy.

But, since orthopedic surgical trays are oftentimes all the same size, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to identify which trays hold certain medical instruments to ensure that the contents of the instrument trays are accessed in the correct order during surgery. In this respect, operating room technicians tend to spend a considerable amount of time preparing for surgery, including ensuring that the instrument trays are organized correctly and in the manner desired by the surgeon. While some instrument tray designs known in the art may include some level of generic indicia (e.g., one or more circles on the side), such indicia are typically formed integral with the tray (i.e., not being removable, swappable, or replaceable) and also fail to convey any sort of information regarding the actual contents of the surgical tray. In other words, the operating room technician may need to memorize which dot corresponds to which tray in advance of surgery. Even then, such a system is especially prone to human error given that the surgical trays all tend to have similar, if not the same, size and/or shape. This may be especially so since it is difficult to readily or quickly differentiate the contents of one tray from another when the trays are wrapped in sterile wrapping, thereby concealing the one or more circles formed from the side of the instrument tray.

There exists, therefore, a need in the art for an instrument tray indicator system that includes indicia formed thereon or therein in the form of geometric shapes, alphanumeric characters, or other symbols that enable medical professionals to identify the contents of an instrument tray wrapped in sterile wrapping by way of tactile feedback perceivable when wearing latex gloves. Such instrument tray indicator systems may be removable, replaceable, and/or swappable depending on the contents of the instrument tray. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, an instrument tray indicator system as disclosed herein may include a three-dimensional indicia (e.g., an embossed number, letter, geometric shape, character, etc.) associated with at least a portion of an instrument tray carrying at least one medical component. The three-dimensional indicia may have a structure symbolic of the at least one medical component within the instrument tray and its size and shape may provide external tactile feedback of the structure of the three-dimensional indicia through a sterile wrapping sealing an interior of the instrument tray with the at least one medical component therein, thereby allowing one to identify the at least one medical component within the instrument tray without removing the sterile wrapping.

In one embodiment, the instrument tray may be a multi-sided enclosure and the three-dimensional indicia may be associated with at least one side of the multi-sided enclosure. Here, the multi-sided enclosure may include at least one recessed panel with the three-dimensional indicia attached thereto. The recessed panel may have a depth relatively greater than a thickness of the three-dimensional indicia so the three-dimensional indicia remains in non-contact relation with the sterile wrapping when tented over the recessed panel.

In another embodiment, the three-dimensional indicia may couple to at least one perforation formed in the multi-sided enclosure. Here, the three-dimensional indicia may selectively removably attach to the instrument tray, or may more permanently attach to the at least one perforation formed in the multi-sided enclosure (e.g., by way of a rivet or the like). Moreover, multiple of the three-dimensional indicia may be carried by a baseplate that selectively attaches to the instrument tray (e.g., such as by way of one or more of the perforations). In one embodiment, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia on the baseplate may be arranged to generally align with a different row of medical components within the interior of the instrument tray. Here, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may be of a different structure symbolic of a different medical component within each different row. Alternatively, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may be arranged in a grid matrix representative of a layout of the different medical components within the instrument tray, wherein each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may be of a different structure symbolic of a different medical component in the grid matrix.

In another embodiment, the three-dimensional indicia may be a circle symbolic of a femoral component, and may have a thickness between 0.05 and 1.0 inches. In other embodiments, the three-dimensional indicia may be a cutout formed within a sidewall of the instrument tray. In this latter embodiment, the thickness of the three-dimensional indicia may be that of the thickness of the instrument tray sidewall. Furthermore, the three-dimensional indicia may further include an edge break that includes a chamfer, a fillet, a radius, or a bevel to reduce potential abrasion in the event the three-dimensional indicia comes into contact with the sterile wrapping. Furthermore, the three-dimensional indicia may further be associated with at least one of a perforated sidewall, a front panel, a rear panel, a lid, or a bottom surface of the instrument tray.

In another embodiment, an instrument tray indicator system as disclosed herein may include an instrument tray for carrying at least one medical component therein and three-dimensional indicia coupled to at least one side of the instrument tray that includes a recessed panel. Here, the three-dimensional indicia may include a structure symbolic of the at least one medical component within the instrument tray and have a thickness relatively smaller than a depth of the recessed panel. Moreover, the three-dimensional indicia may be of a size and shape that provides external tactile feedback of the structure of the three-dimensional indicia through a sterile wrapping sealing an interior of the instrument tray with the at least one medical component therein. This allows one to identify the at least one medical component within the instrument tray without removing the sterile wrapping.

In these embodiments, the three-dimensional indicia may include an embossed number, letter, geometric shape, or character symbolic of the at least one medical component and have a thickness between 0.25 and 0.3825 inches. Moreover, the depth of the recessed panel may be 0.75 inches, and less than the 0.25 and 0.3825 inch thickness of the three-dimensional indicia. In another aspect of these embodiments, the three-dimensional indicia may be non-removably coupled to the instrument tray. Alternatively, the three-dimensional indicia may be a cutout formed within a sidewall of the instrument tray and have a thickness approximately equal to that of the thickness of the instrument tray sidewall.

Furthermore, the three-dimensional indicia may include multiple three-dimensional indicia that are arranged to generally align with a different row of medical components within the interior of the instrument tray. Here, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may include a different structure symbolic of a different medical component within each different row. An edge break that includes a chamfer, a fillet, a radius, or a bevel may smooth out the sides of the three-dimensional indicia to prevent tearing any overlying sterile wrap.

In another alternative embodiment, an instrument tray indicator system as disclosed herein may include an instrument tray having a size and shape for carrying multiple medical components therein, wherein multiple three-dimensional indicia selectively attach to the instrument tray in a pattern representative of a layout of the multiple medical components within an interior of the instrument tray. Here, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may have a different structure symbolic of a different one of the multiple medical products within the instrument tray. Moreover, each of the three-dimensional indicia may further be of a size and shape to provide external tactile feedback of the structure of the respective three-dimensional indicia through a sterile wrapping sealing the interior of the instrument tray with the multiple medical components therein, which enables identification of the multiple medical components within the instrument tray without removing the sterile wrapping.

In these embodiments, each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may be associated with at least one of a perforated sidewall, a front panel, a rear panel, a lid, or a bottom surface of the instrument tray, and include an edge break that includes a chamfer, a fillet, a radius, or a bevel. Moreover, the multiple three-dimensional indicia may each further be of a different embossed number, letter, geometric shape, or character and may selectively removably attach to the instrument tray in modular relation relative thereto. The pattern of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may further include a grid matrix such that the multiple three-dimensional indicia are arranged in a set of rows and columns, similar to and aligned with the layout of the multiple medical components arranged in commensurate rows and columns within the interior of the instrument tray. Each of the multiple three-dimensional indicia may have a thickness of about 0.05 to 1.0 inches. Alternatively, the multiple three-dimensional indicia may be cutouts formed within at least one sidewall of the instrument tray.

In another embodiment, the instrument tray indicator system may include a generally flat or planar base surface that includes one or more unique component identifying indicia formed therein that replicate or geometrically or alphanumerically represents one or more surgical instruments stored within the instrument tray, such as orthopedic implants, when the instrument tray indicator panel is attached thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the exemplary drawings for purposes of illustration, the present disclosure for an instrument tray indicator system is generally illustrated herein with respect to several embodiments, including with respect to the instrument tray indicator panels20,20′ inFIGS. 3-6, which may be used in connection with a recessed front panel22(FIG. 6) that may be integrated or otherwise used in connection with an instrument tray, such as a prior art instrument tray24illustrated inFIG. 1or an alternative prior art instrument tray26illustrated inFIG. 2. While the instrument tray indicator panels20,20′ disclosed herein may be compatible with a wide range of instrument trays, the prior art instrument trays24,26illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2are exemplary of the type of instrument trays compatible for use with the instrument tray indicator panels20,20′, and particularly for use in connection with orthopedic surgical procedures.

More specifically in this respect,FIG. 1is a perspective view illustrating the prior art instrument tray24having a generally rectangular shape formed by a series of perforated upstanding sidewalls28formed from a rigid metal material that, together with a prior art recessed rear panel30and a prior art recessed front panel32, form a protective interior34for storing one or more medical components therein, such as surgical instruments and/or implants, for use during a surgical procedure (e.g., orthopedic surgery). In the case of the prior art instrument tray24, the protective interior34includes a series of rows, a first row36, a second row38, and a third row40, for storing surgical instruments. For example, the first row36is illustrated inFIG. 1having a series of differently sized inserts42secured within the protective interior34by way of a set of couplings designed to organize the inserts42stored therein by size. Accordingly, since the inserts42may be used during knee replacement surgery, the second row38and/or the third row40may also retain other knee replacement implant components or related surgical instruments that may assist the surgical team in performing orthopedic knee replacement surgery. Of course, similar to the first row36storing the series of differently sized inserts42, the second row38and/or the third row40may each store common implant components varying in size. As a result, each of the rows36,38,40may retain a common set of knee implant components unique for each of the rows36,38,40.

The implant components secured within the prior art instrument tray30illustrated inFIG. 1may be enclosed within the protective interior34by a lid (not shown). Here, the lid may cooperate with each of the opposing perforated upstanding sidewalls28and the prior art recessed rear panel30and the prior art recessed front panel32to enclose therein the orthopedic components including, e.g., the aforementioned inserts42. The lid may secure to the prior art instrument tray42by way of an externally located handle or clasp46coupled to or otherwise integrated with each of the prior art recessed rear panel30and/or the prior art recessed front panel32. As such, when the lid encloses the prior art instrument tray24, it may be difficult and/or impossible (especially, e.g., when the prior art instrument tray24is enclosed with sterile wrapping) to identify the orthopedic components therein, despite  the fact that the upstanding sidewalls28and/or the prior art recessed rear panel30and/or the prior art recessed front panel32may include a series of perforations48therein, as generally illustrated throughout in each ofFIGS. 1 and 2. In fact, the only indicia illustrated with respect to the prior art recessed front panel32is a set of logo indicia50imparted to a generally planar non-perforated surface52thereof that is otherwise unreadable when the prior art instrument tray24is enclosed with sterile wrapping.

As is known in the art, the prior art recessed front panel32may couple to each of the opposing upstanding perforated sidewalls28by a set of rivets54illustrated inFIG. 1, and as more specifically illustrated in the enlarged front view ofFIG. 2with respect to the alternative prior art instrument tray26and an alternative recessed front panel56. Similar to the prior art recessed front panel32illustrated with respect toFIG. 1, the alternative recessed front panel56also includes the perforations48formed therein, the clasp46for securing the lid over the protective interior34, and the logo indicia50formed within the planar non-perforated surface52. Although, the alternative prior art recessed front panel56illustrated with respect toFIG. 2also includes a protruding front indicia58in the form of a single linear line58. Such protruding front indicium in the form of the single linear line58or the like has been used with respect to prior art devices to indicate the tray number, in this case a first tray. But, even to the extent that such protruding front indicia58can be identified through sterile wrapping or with latex gloves prior to or during surgery, such protruding front indicium58can be used for nothing  more than identifying the number of the tray; and certainly not for identifying any of the surgical components within the tray. Moreover, the protruding front indicia58is also formed integrally with the alternative recessed front panel56, as illustrated inFIG. 2. Thus, to the extent the couplings44within the protective interior34change, the protruding front indicia58does not and cannot otherwise change by way of the fact that it is formed integral with the metal material forming the alternative recessed front panel56.

As such,FIGS. 3-5illustrate a pair of exemplary embodiments of the instrument tray indicator panel20,20′ having a set of unique component identifying indicia60thereon. Specifically with respect toFIG. 3, one embodiment of the instrument tray indicator panel20is illustrated having three of the unique component identifying indicia60,60′,60″ formed thereon, wherein the unique component identifying indicia60is in the form of an enlarged circle located in a bottom left hard corner of the instrument tray indicator panel20, the unique component identifying indicia60′ is in the form of an uppercase “P” positioned central within the instrument tray indicator panel20, and the unique component identifying indicia60″ is in the form of a single relatively smaller circle located in a bottom right hand corner of the instrument tray indicator panel20. Here, and as best illustrated in the top plan view ofFIG. 5, each of the unique component identifying indicia60,60′,60″ generally protrude outwardly from a base surface62of the instrument tray indicator panel20. For example, one or more of the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ may protrude outwardly from the base surface62between 0.05 inches and 1.0  inches, and specifically by about 0.25 inches to 0.3825 inches. Alternatively, one or more of the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ may protrude outwardly from the base surface62between 0.05 inches and 1.0 inches, and specifically by about 0.25 inches to 0.3825 inches, relative to the panel to which the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ are formed or attach (i.e., in this latter embodiment, the thickness of the base surface62may be taken into account when considering the aggregate distance the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ protrude). In another example, the depth of the recessed front panel32or the alternative recessed front panel56may be about 0.75 inches and the aggregate thickness of the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ may not exceed 0.75 inches such that the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ may provide tactile feedback through sterile wrap covering the tray when tented over the recessed front panel32or over the alternative recessed front panel56without damaging (e.g., penetrating) the sterile wrap. In this embodiment, the identifying indicia60,60′,60″ effectively remain within the enclave of the recessed front panel32or the alternative recessed front panel56so as to be positioned in non-contact relation relative to the sterile wrap tented over the recessed front panel32or the alternative recessed front panel56.

Accordingly, each of the unique component identifying indicia60,60′,60″ may be used to uniquely identify the orthopedic implant components stored within each of the respective rows36,38,40by way of being aligned therewith immediately behind each of the unique component identifying indicia60,60′,60″ when the instrument tray indicator panel20is attached to the  recessed front panel22as illustrated, e.g., inFIG. 6. In other words, the identifying indicia60may be designed to provide an indication of the surgical instruments within the row36, the identifying indicia60′ may be designed to provide an indication of the surgical instruments within the row38, and the identifying indicia60″ may be designed to provide an indication of the surgical instruments within the row40.

Of course, as discussed in more detail below, the instrument tray indicator panel20may include different unique component identifying indicia60, alternatively, in addition, or in place of those identified above with respect to the relatively large circle formed within a lower left-hand portion of the base surface62identified with respect to reference numeral60, the uppercase “P” formed within the middle of the base surface62and identified with respect to reference numeral60′, and/or the single relatively smaller circle located in a bottom right hand corner of the instrument tray indicator panel20and identified with respect to reference numeral60″.

For example, as illustrated inFIG. 4, the alternative instrument tray indicator panel20′ may include a pair of the unique component identifying indicial60″,60′″ in the form of a pair of the relatively smaller circles formed from a right side64of the instrument tray indicator panel20′. Here, the pair of unique component identifying indicia60″,60′″ illustrated inFIG. 4may be used to identify different orthopedic implant components within the third row40stored within the protective interior34thereof. In another alternative embodiment, the stacked relationship of the unique component identifying  indicia60″,60′″ may be used to identify certain implant components within the front half of the third row40of the instrument tray (e.g., by way of the unique component identifying indicia60″) and a different set of components within the back half of the third row40of the instrument tray (e.g., by way of the unique identifying indicia60′″). In other words, this third row40may be partitioned into two columns, where the indicia60″ identifies the first set of components within the first column of the third row40and the indicia60′″ identifies the second (and different) set of components within the second column of the third row40. This may be especially so when the shape of the unique component identifying indicia60″ differs from that of the unique component identifying indicia60′″. As such, the identifying indicia60may be positioned to provide tactile feedback in a manner where specific components can be identified within specific sectors of a grid matrix identified by row and column number. The grid matrix may thus earmark specific locations for instruments within the tray, and the indicia60may be arranged in a comparable matrix providing external tactile feedback so one can identify specific components within each sector of the grid matrix within the tray through externally applied sterile wrap.

In addition to, or in an alternative of, the unique identifying indicia may be designed to convey information broader than the specific type of components within the tray. Examples here might include conveying information regarding the type of material the components are made from (e.g., cobalt chrome, titanium, etc.), the type of system (e.g., a total knee  replacement system or revision knee system), type of joint (e.g., knee, hip, shoulder, etc.), order the tray should be opened, etc. Moreover, the relative location of the indicia may also provide guidance as to whether the indicia are designed to provide broader information or component specific information. In one embodiment, e.g., indicia placed within a top portion of a tray or panel may be designed to convey general information (e.g., component material or system type), while indicia placed along a lower portion of the tray or panel may be designed to convey more specific information (e.g., components being stored within the protective interior34of the tray).

Additionally, as illustrated best inFIGS. 3 and 4, the instrument tray indicator panel20,20′ may include a set of four mounting apertures66in the form of outwardly extending eyelets. Although, in an alternative embodiment, the mounting apertures may be formed as part of the base surface62of the instrument tray indicator panel20such that the mounting apertures66do not outwardly extend therefrom. In either embodiment, the mounting apertures66may be of a size and shape commensurate with the perforations48formed within the front panel22to permit attachment thereto, such as by way of the aforementioned rivets54best illustrated inFIG. 6. The rivets54may secure the instrument tray indicator panel20thereto substantially centered within the recessed portion of the front panel22and underneath the planar non-perforated surface52where the logo indicia50(FIGS. 1 and 2) may be located. In one embodiment, the rivets54may permanently attach the instrument tray indicator panel20to the front panel22.  Alternatively, the rivets54, or other connectors as may be known in the art, may be configured to selectively engage the instrument tray indicator panel20to the front panel22. In this latter embodiment, the instrument tray indicator panel20may be removed and/or attached to different instrument trays, depending on the contents therein. This latter option may provide more flexibility in identifying the surgical instruments stored by any given tray based on the needs of a particular surgery. In other words, the instrument tray need not necessarily be a one size fits all for purposes of identifying the contents therein by way of the instrument tray indicator panel20.

The unique component identifying indicia60of the instrument tray indicator panels20,20′ may be machined from a variety of materials, such as aluminum. Once manufactured, such an aluminum instrument tray indicator panel20,20′ may attach to the front panel22in the manner illustrated inFIG. 6. In this respect, the embossed symbols forming the unique component identifying indicia60may be formed at a height that allows the shape of the identifying indicia60to be uniquely identified through sterile wrap and while the medical technician is also wearing latex gloves.

In one embodiment, the unique component identifying indicia60may be derived from basic geometric shapes such as the circles as illustrated inFIGS. 3-7, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. Alternatively, or in addition to, the unique component identifying indicia60may be formed to represent alphanumeric characters, such as capital or lowercase letters of the alphabet, numbers, shapes, etc. In this respect, each unique component identifying  indicia60should be able to convey basic information regarding the contents of the instrument tray through tactile sensation and location, especially for users wearing latex gloves. It may be particularly useful to use the unique component identifying indicia60formed into the instrument tray indicator panel20to convey location and surgical instrument component information therein when the instrument tray is sealed in sterile wrapping.

In one example, the unique component identifying indicia60may correlate basic geometric shapes or alphanumeric characters with certain implantable joint components the indicia60are designed to represent. For example,FIG. 7illustrates correlating an implantable femoral component68with that of a geometric shape that includes an enlarged circle indicium70. Alternatively,FIG. 8illustrates correlation of a femoral stem72with that of a geometric shape that includes a rectangular geometric shape indicium74. In additional alternative embodiments,FIG. 9illustrates correlating a capital letter “P”76with that of a P-shaped indicium78; andFIG. 10illustrates correlating a lower case “b”80with that of a b-shaped indicium82. In each instance, the enlarged circle indicium70, the rectangular geometric shape indicium74, the P-shaped indicium78, and/or the b-shaped indicium82are either geometric shapes or alphanumeric characters that protrude out from the base surface62of the instrument tray indicator panel20,20′ to provide tactile feedback or sensation in addition to a visual representation of the type of joint component stored within an instrument tray, even when the instrument tray may be enclosed by a lid or otherwise wrapped such that the instruments therein are  not directly visible. Furthermore, any of the identifying indicia60,60′,60″,60′″ and/or indicium70,74,78,82may couple directly to the tray (e.g., without the indicator panel20,20′) and may further include an edge break that helps prevent the indicia60,60′,60″,60′″ and/or indicium70,74,78,82from tearing, poking through, or otherwise damaging the sterile wrap. The edge break may be a chamfered edge, a filleted edge, a radiused edge, or a beveled edge.

In alternative embodiments, the instrument tray indicator panel20and/or the indicia60may couple to the instrument tray at different locations (e.g., not necessarily below the planar non-perforated surface52), such as anywhere along either of the upstanding perforated sidewalls28, along the perforated rear panel30, on the lid, or even on the bottom of the instrument tray panel. Attaching additional or alternative instrument tray indicator panels20and/or indicia60in this manner may increase the level of information conveyed to a medical technician regarding the contents of the instrument tray; and may allow for more specific and unique identification of surgical instruments stored within any surgical tray.

Additionally, while the unique component identifying indicia60disclosed herein generally protrude out from the base surface62of the instrument tray indicator panel20,20′, in alternative embodiments, the unique component identifying indicia60may be formed into the base surface62, thereby forming a geometric or alphanumeric-shaped indentation, aperture, or cutout therein. The same is true with respect to forming any of the identifying  indicia60and/or the indicium70as a shaped indentation, aperture or cutout in any of the perforated sidewalls28, the recessed rear panel30, and/or the recessed front panel32such that the three-dimensional structure of the indicial60and/or the indicium70may provide tactile feedback through sterile wrapping by way of tracing the indentation, aperture, or cutout within the panel20,20′, and/or the respective perforated sidewall28, the recessed rear panel30, or the recessed front panel32. Here, the identifying indicia60and/or the indicium70that form a geometric or alphanumeric-shaped indentation, aperture, or cutout in any of the panels20,20, the perforated sidewall28, the recessed rear panel30, or the recessed front panel32may have a thickness of about 0.05 inches to 1.0 inches, and more specifically from about 0.25 inches to 0.3825 inches. Furthermore, the geometric or alphanumeric-shaped indentation, aperture, or cutout may include the aforementioned edge break, which may be a chamfered edge, a filleted edge, a radiused edge, or a beveled edge, albeit internally along the indentation, aperture, or cutout.