Patent Publication Number: US-6216870-B1

Title: Packaging for a dental x-ray film

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to packaging for a dental x-ray film, which has a light-protective envelope to receive a dental x-ray film, said protective envelope being provided with two tear-open strips, and has an x-ray protective envelope for a lead foil protecting against x-radiation. 
     A package of this kind is subject matter of DE-A-44 46 247. In the package explained in this disclosure the light-protective envelope with the dental x-ray film is disposed in an easily opened x-ray protective envelope. The latter contains at the same time the necessary lead foil. With this packaging it is brought about that the x-ray protective envelope with the lead foil can be used again and again, so that after the x-ray is taken only the light-protective envelope needs to be discarded. The reuse of the x-ray protective envelope does assume that it, like all dental tools, is first disinfected after use and then sterilized in an autoclave, which is often considered to be burdensome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,423 there is disclosed a folded light-protective envelope of paper for an x-ray film, wherein the light-protective envelope accommodates a lead film in a projecting tab. The entire system is inserted into a wrapping of plastic which is welded on all sides and has a tear-open strip. 
     The invention is addressed to the problem of designing a package of the above kind such that it will be convenient to handle and can be made at the lowest possible cost, and in which the material portion that must be disposed of after each use remains as small as possible. 
     This problem is solved according to the invention in that the light-protective envelope consists of a moisture-resistant material and the x-ray protective envelope is formed by a pocket of the light-protective envelope, said pocket being provided on one lateral surface of the said light-protective envelope and is formed by an additional wall surface and opens to one side. 
     Such a package can be made very cheaply, because it consists of only three layers of material. Two of them are joined together on all sides and enclose the dental x-ray film in a light-tight manner. The third layer of material forms the pocket for the lead foil. The lead foil can be inserted into it before each x-ray photograph and removed from it after the x-ray. Thus the lead foil can be used again and again, so that only the light-protective envelope with the pocket attached to it needs to be discarded. It is also possible to insert several lead foils into the pocket if an especially great protection against radiation is desired. 
     Contact with the lead upon insertion of the lead foil into the pocket and removing it can be prevented in a simple manner by enclosing the lead film in a temperature and liquid-resistant wrapper of plastic, polypropylene, for example, being especially advantageous as a material for this wrapper, because it withstands the temperatures required in autoclaving. The wrapper can be configured as a pocket or as a coating of a temperature-resistant plastic. 
     It is especially advantageous if, according to another embodiment of the invention the outer wall surface of the pocket for the lead foil consists of a transparent material. It is thus possible to see at a glance on which side the lead foil is situated, so that it is assured, when an x-ray photograph is taken, that the lead foil is on the side facing away from the x-ray machine. 
     The package can be manufactured especially cheaply if it consists of polyethylene or polypropylene. 
     Opening the light-protective envelope is especially easy if tear-open strips are formed on it in a known manner. The tear-open strips, according to an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention are given a dual function, and serve additionally to make the pocket to open toward one side. For this purpose a preferred embodiment can be characterized by the fact that the tear-open strips fold down against one lateral face of the light-protective envelope and are joined to the lateral face on two sides to form the pocket. 
     Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the tear-open strips to fold against opposite lateral faces of the light-protective envelope, and to be joined to the particular lateral face. Thus one pocket open at the top is formed on two opposite sides. Therefore it is possible to insert a second x-ray film in the pocket that does not contain the lead foil, so that the package of the invention can also be used for double photographs. 
     The invention admits of various embodiments. Two of them are represented schematically in the drawing and are described below. The drawing shows in 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the package of the instant invention after the first production step; 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the package of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a first embodiment of the package of the instant invention after the second production step; 
     FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the package of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the finished package of FIGS. 1 to  4 ; 
     FIG. 6 is a vertical section through the package of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a vertical section through the package of a second embodiment of the instant invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is a vertical section through the package of a second embodiment of the instant invention showing a lead foil in a pocket. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows two superimposed sheets  9  and  10  with a dental x-ray film  2  inserted. This can be a single film that is folded over at the top to form the superimposed sheets  9  and  10 . It is also possible, however, to weld two separate sheets together. The areas of sheets  9  and  10  which extend downward beyond the dental x-ray film  2  form tear-open strips  3  and  4  as also shown in FIG.  2 . 
     In FIGS. 3 and 4 it is shown that the tear-open strips  3  and  4  are folded together 180° until they lie against the sheet  10 , which forms a side surface  12  shown in FIG.  4 . Then a welding is performed so that the tear-open strips  3  and  4  are welded to the sheet  10  and the latter is welded around the dental x-ray film  2  to the sheet  9  at adhesion point  8 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show that a pocket  6  serves to accommodate a lead foil  7  and in this embodiment, depending on the length of the tear-open strips  3  and  4  occupies only a portion of the height of the package. The pocket  6  is open on one side and is produced by an additional wall surface  5 , and provided on one lateral surface  12  of the light protective envelope  1 . 
     FIG. 7 shows that the two tear-open strips  3  and  4  can be folded from the position shown in FIG. 2 to different lateral faces  12  and  12   a . Then a total of two pockets  6  and  6   a , open at the top, are formed. The upper edge of the individual tear-open strip  3  and  4  can be made to curve convexly upward to enable one to grip it better to tear it open.