Patent ID: 8100263

Claim:
A vacuum packaging system for transporting a plurality of medical containers comprising: a plurality of sterile and pyrogen free medical containers, each medical container including a head side and a base side, the base side having a flange extending perpendicularly from a sidewall of the medical container; a tray that receives and supports the medical containers, at least one platform generally extending parallel to a floor of the tray; a nesting plate removably mountable in the tray, the nesting plate including a plurality of generally cylindrical sleeves extending upwardly from a generally planar base thereof when the nesting plate is positioned within the tray, each of the plurality of sleeves releasably receiving one of the plurality of medical containers; and an air impervious flexible film defining an internal cavity, the air impervious flexible film completely surrounding the tray and the medical containers, the internal cavity being evacuated to and maintained at a predetermined vacuum level below atmospheric pressure, wherein the head side of each medical container contacts a top surface of the at least one platform and the flange of the base side of each medical container directly contacts a top surface of one of the generally cylindrical sleeves of the nesting plate when the medical containers are positioned in the tray.