A package of this type is known from a variety of applications, e.g. for packing food products, household appliances or medical utensils. The package is usually made from two sheets of a flexible material joined by their peripheral edges to form an enclosure for the item in question.
Typically, medical utensils are designed for one-time use and, accordingly, the costs for producing, packing and sterilising the utensil is an important issue. Known packages are designed primarily with focus on the support for safe and sterile handling of utensils. Often, the package is designed with the presumption that full dexterity is available for the opening of the package.
Medical utensils such as needles, catheters and the like, are often to be used by a medical practitioner who, e.g. during surgery, is prevented from using both hands. Likewise, disabled individuals, such as para- or tetraplegics having reduced dexterity, use urinary catheters for unassisted draining of the bladder. Accordingly, individuals for whom removal of the medical utensil from the package may be difficult often use and thus has to unpack such utensils in their daily life.
WO 96/30277 discloses a method of non-contaminating use of a medical catheter directly from a package, i.e. insertion of the catheter into a body canal during the opening procedure of the package. The disclosed package comprises two joined foil blanks, sealed by their respective peripheral ends. The opening of the package is supported by the provision of a gripping flap, i.e. the joined foils terminate in a non-joined end-zone wherein the foils can be separated and from which zone the foils can be peeled apart. EP0629415 discloses a package holding a medical utensil under controlled environmental conditions. The package comprises a support member and a cover member. The product intended for package is placed on the supporting member and, subsequently, the flexible cover member is joined to the supporting member. The result is a sterile package for a medical appliance. Even though the disclosed package is provided with gripping means, opening may cause troubles for individuals having a reduced dexterity and in particular for individuals prevented from using both hands. In particular, it may be difficult to separate the foils for peeling the package open.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds