Disposable receiver

A receiver for securely encasing pointed disposable surgical implements comprises a tray having a bottom wall, side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and a flange extending outwardly around the upper periphery of the side walls. A device for receiving surgical implements is positioned on the bottom wall of the tray, and a cover having a configuration similar to the tray is hingedly connected to the tray and adapted to be folded to a closed, nested position relative to the tray with the bottom wall of the cover in close proximity to the bottom wall of the tray to securely encase surgical implements therebetween. The side walls of the cover are preferably shorter than the side walls of the tray to provide a space between the respective bottom walls to accommodate the receiving device and surgical implements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a disposable receiver for surgical implements 
and, more particularly, it relates to a receiver for securely encasing 
pointed disposable surgical implements prior to the disposal thereof. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
During virtually every surgical procedure, sharp implements, such as suture 
needles, scalpel blades and hypodermic needles, are utilized and, 
following the surgical procedure, must be discarded in a safe manner. If 
the safety aspect of the discarding of such implements is disregarded, 
injury and infection of the operating room personnel may result. In order 
to combat this problem, many products have recently been introduced to the 
marketplace and many other products have been proposed in various patents. 
Another serious problem attendant to the use of such sharp implements 
during surgery is the necessity of providing an accurate system for 
determining how many such implements were used and to also insure that all 
such implements have been accounted for following the surgical procedure. 
Various sharp implement count systems and devices also have been proposed 
to alleviate this problem. 
A receiver for surgical implements utilizing a plurality of magnets which 
are secured to the surface of a foldable foamed elastomeric backing sheet 
is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,658 to Eldridge, Jr. A similar system 
employing an adhesive coating on a foldable pad is described and 
illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,069, also to Eldridge, Jr. Another 
system similar to the systems described in the two previously cited 
Eldridge, Jr. patents, but also providing for a method for maintaining an 
accurate count of the number of sharp implements utilized during the 
surgical procedure, is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,008,802 to Freitag. 
In U.S. Pat. No., 4,013,109 to Sandel, a disposable container for surgical 
instruments is described which embodies a non-deformable casing which has 
magnetic sheets covering the entire surfaces of both the lower and upper 
portions of the case. 
All of the devices described in the above-cited patents suffer from a 
number of disadvantages and notably among the disadvantages is the 
inability of the operating room personnel to make a visual inspection of 
the receiver or container after it has been readied for disposal. For 
example, although U.S. Pat. No., 4,008,802 discloses a system for 
maintaining a count of the used sharp implements, this count cannot be 
verified after the pad has been folded upon itself and adhesively secured 
together without again opening the pad by overcoming the force of the 
adhesive attachment. 
Furthermore, the disposable receivers described and illustrated in the 
first three patents cited above are constructed so that the sharp 
implements are exposed at the lateral edges of the devices when they are 
in a folded, disposable condition. This is undesirable in that it is 
possible that the implements can be loosened from their attachment to the 
devices and either be totally dislodged from the devices or placed in an 
unsafe position. This condition is sought to be eliminated by the 
relatively rigid structure proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,109. However, 
this container does not provide a count system for the sharp implements 
nor does it supply a means for visual inspection of the implements after 
the container has been closed and readied for disposal. 
A need exists for a system for the safe disposal of sharp surgical 
implements which eliminates the various disadvantages which have been 
experienced with previously proposed devices. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a receiver for securely encasing pointed 
disposable surgical implements which enables the operating room personnel 
to safely and efficiently dispose of all sharp implements utilized during 
a surgical procedure. 
These goals are accomplished by providing a receiver in the form of a tray 
having a bottom wall, side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall 
and a flange extending outwardly around the upper periphery of the side 
walls. A receiving device is positioned on the bottom wall and may take 
the form of a compressible foamed plastic sheet, a plurality of strip 
magnets or other suitable means designed to support and retain the 
implements within the receiver. A cover having a configuration similar to 
that of the tray is hingedly connected to the tray in a manner that 
permits the cover to be folded over and nested in the tray with the bottom 
wall of the cover in close proximity to the bottom wall of the tray to 
securely encase implements therebetween. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover is made from a 
transparent material to enable the operating room personnel to make a 
visual inspection of the sharp implements contained within the receiver 
after it has been closed and readied for disposal. 
Also, because of the tight fit between the tray and cover, it has been 
found to be desirable to provide the receiver with a means for opening the 
cover prior to use. This may be in the form of offset notches formed at 
adjacent locations in the outwardly extending tray and cover flanges. In 
addition, these flanges may have adhesive, or other closure means, thereon 
to assist in the final securement of the cover to the tray prior to 
disposal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring initially to FIS. 1--3, a preferred embodiment of the receiver of 
the present invention is illustrated generally at 10. As illustrated, 
receiver 10 has a generally rectangular configuration and has, as its 
major components, a tray 12 and a cover 14. 
Tray 12 is constructed with a bottom wall 16, side walls 18 which extend 
upwardly from the bottom wall 16 and a flange 20 which extends outwardly 
around the upper periphery of side walls 18. Cover 14 has a configuration 
very similar to that of tray 16 and is provided with a bottom wall 22, 
side walls 24 and a flange 26 which extends outwardly around the upper 
periphery of the side walls. Although it is stated that cover 14 has a 
configuration virtually identical to that of tray 12, it will be 
appreciated that the cover, in order to be nested within tray 12 as 
illustrated in FIGS. 1--3, must be properly dimensioned. In addition, it 
will be noted that side walls 24 are shorter than side walls 18 so that, 
in the closed, nested position of the cover relative to the tray, bottom 
wall 22 will be in close proximity to bottom wall 16 to securely encase 
surgical implements therebetween but a space will be provided to 
accommodate the implements and an implement receiving means as hereinafter 
described. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, tray 12 and cover 
14 are hingedly connected together along one portion of flanges 20 and 26, 
respectively, by a strip of suitable tape 28 which extends over the top of 
flange 26 and around the edge of the flanges to the bottom of flange 20. 
When receiver 10 is being prepared for use, cover 14 may be opened and 
removed from within tray 12 by merely pivoting or folding the cover about 
the hinge formed by tape 28. This is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2. In 
order to facilitate the opening of cover 14, adjacent notches 30 and 32 
are formed in flanges 20 and 26, respectively, and serve as access and 
leverage points to permit an operating room attendant to pry the flanges 
apart and to thereby open cover 14. 
A strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive 34 having an appropriate release 
paper placed thereover is provided on the surface of one of flanges 20 or 
26 and aids in the positive securement of the flanges together after 
receiver 10 has been used and is being readied for disposal. It is merely 
necessary to remove the release paper from the adhesive in a well known 
manner prior to folding cover 14 into contact with tray 12. 
Although tray 12 and cover 14 may be appropriately dimensioned to receive 
and encase surgical implements directly on bottom wall 16, it has been 
found to be desirable to provide a receiving means on the bottom wall to 
support and retain the surgical implements. In the embodiment illustrated 
in FIGS. 1-3, the implement receiving device is illustrated generally at 
36. Device 36 may comprise a sheet 38 of foamed plastic material with a 
plurality of strip magnets 40 adhered to the upper surface of the sheet. 
Structures of this general type have been found to be particularly 
suitable for the retention of surgical implements of the type contemplated 
by this invention. 
Although the specific materials used in the construction of receiver 10 are 
not critical, because it is intended that the receiver be a disposable 
item, it is desirable to construct the receiver of relatively inexpensive 
materials such as plastic and the like. Furthermore, the materials of 
construction should be relatively durable and resistant to puncture by the 
sharp surgical implements which may come into contact with the materials 
during use. Also, receiver 10 is intended for use in the sterile field 
during a surgical procedure and must, therefore, be sterilizable. 
As previously stated, it is very desirable to provide a system for 
accurately determining the number of sharp surgical implements used and 
ultimately discarded during a surgical procedure. Therefore, it is 
preferred that the cover be made from a transparent material, and 
preferably a transparent plastic. This construction will enable the 
operating room personnel to make a visual inspection of the contents of 
receiver 10 prior to disposal of the receiver. It is contemplated that the 
receiver would be supplied to a hospital or other institution for use by 
its operating room personnel in a sterile, packaged condition. After 
removal from the package, the receiver may be opened by utilizing the 
access areas formed by notches 30 and 32, and cover 14 may then be folded 
or pivoted to an open position as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2. If 
desired, an adhesive or other suitable securement means may be provided on 
the bottom of the tray to appropriately secure it to any operating room 
surface. 
During a surgical procedure, sharp disposable surgical implements, such as 
needles 60 may be placed directly on magnets 40 and held firmly in place. 
If desired, the needles, or other sharp implements, may be removed from 
the magnetic surfaces for reuse and then replaced thereon for ultimate 
disposal. Following the completion of a surgical procedure, cover 14 can 
then be replaced over and nested in tray 12 with the bottom wall 22 of 
cover 14 in close proximity to bottom wall 16 in tray 12. Because of the 
dimensioning of the tray and cover, bottom wall 22 will normally contact 
the needles 60 and other sharp implements and hold them firmly in place 
against the magnets and thereby prevent shifting and dislocation of the 
implements. Because the implements are prevented from moving, the 
operating room personnel may make a visual inspection of the implements 
and accurately determine the number of implements contained in the 
receiver prior to its disposal. It should be noted that this visual 
inspection can be made subsequent to the final closure of the receiver. 
Also, it should be noted that the close fit of the side walls of the tray 
and cover provide an exceptionally secure container for the sharp 
implements and eliminates the possibility of any of the implements being 
dislodged from the receiver. 
Referring to FIGS. 4-6, another embodiment of the unique receiver of the 
subject invention is illustrated generally at 110. Tray 112 and cover 114 
are essentailly identical to the tray and cover illustrated and described 
in conjunction with FIGS 1--3. However, the implement-receiving device has 
been modified as shown generally at 136. Referring to FIG. 5, device 136 
comprises a generally flat sheet 138 of foamed plastic material into which 
ribs 150 have been formed. Ribs 150 may serve to securely hold needles 160 
which are caused to penetrate the foam and to thereby become embedded 
therein. This structure provides additional security against the movement 
of the needles and other sharp implements within the receiver and thereby 
eliminates the possibility of obtaining a miscount of the implements prior 
to disposal. 
A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 
wherein a receiver is shown having a tray 212 and a cover 214. A planar 
sheet 238 of yieldable foam plastic material is secured to the bottom wall 
of tray 212 and the upper surface of sheet 238 may be coated with a 
suitable pressure-sensitive adhesive onto which needles 260 and other 
sharp implements may be placed. The implements will be held firmly in 
place by the adhesive and will thereby provide an accurate count system 
when utilized in combination with the transparent material of which cover 
214 is preferably constructed. 
An additional feature illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is that tray 212 and 
cover 214 may be formed from a single sheet of material. Hinge 228 is 
thereby formed by a portion of the material which is weakened by forming 
notches 229 along a folded edge thereof. 
Although this invention has been described in detail with particular 
reference to certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that 
various modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art and 
still come within the scope and spirit of the present invention which is 
only limited as defined in the appended claims.