GB2407505A - Container for a sharp instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for a sharp instrument comprises a channel for retaining the instrument in a stable position and a finger recess allowing a user to grasp the instrument at a position away from a sharp part of the instrument, wherein the recess is accommodated by a wall that protrudes away from the channel. A method comprising autoclaving a medical instrument in a container.

Description

Container for a sharp instrument The present invention relates to a

container for a sharp instrument, especially to a container for a sharp medical instrument.

Every year there are numerous reported cases of medical staff being accidentally wounded by sharp medical instruments. If an instrument is contaminated this can lead to infection or even death. There is a risk not only a risk to medical stat's: but also to patients because there is a possibility that blood from a member of staff can pass on an infection to a patient.

Recent cases of HIV and hepatitis infections arising from infections following instrument injuries are well documented, but many other infections can be transmitted. Surgical gloves are formed of thin latex and, even il' two pairs are used, do not provide much protection from cuts or puncture wounds from medical instruments. Whilst it is possible to provide toughened, thick gloves these can be uncomfortable to wear and do not provide the dexterity that is required l'or delicate operations.

There is therefore a need to provide protection against accidental injury without requiring bulky protective gloves.

One technique that is commonly used in operating theatres is to place a sharp instrument in a metal kidney dish. The instrument can then be passed between medical staff whilst it is contained in the dish and the wall of the kidney dish provides protection against accidental cutting or injury during this procedure. However the instrument is not held in a fixed position in the dish and can easily become askew. It can end up positioned with a sharp part of the instrument pointing upwardly or at a potentially dangerous angle. In any event there is a significant risk that medical staff can become wounded by a sharp part of the instrument when placing the instrument in the dish or when removing it from the dish.

Various alternative containers for sharp medical instruments have been developed.

For example, tJS patent number 4967914 discloses an instrument holder for a plurality of sharp surgical instruments, having an instrument support flange and a closed housing that receives the sharp portion of the instruments.

US patent number 5399955 discloses a medical instrument tray having a plurality of slots for supporting various instruments at predetermined positions. Finger slots arc provided on the bottom side tray to allow the tray to be carried with fingers away from sharp edges of' the tray.

W097/0()259 discloses a container for holding a sharp instrument during surgical procedures. The container has downwardly sloping side-walls for guiding a sharp instrument into a recess shaped to receive for the instrument. A finger access recess is also provided.

US patent number 5097963 discloses a protective rack for temporarily storing instruments during surgery. The rack may be affixed to a surgical drape by an adhesive.

However, whilst numerous alternative containers for sharp medical instruments are known, many are cumbersome to use in practice. Indeed it remains the norm in many medical theatrcs to use the traditional kidney dish for holding a sharp instrument. despite the risks discussed above.

There is therefore a major need to provide an alternative container.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container for a sharp instrument, wherein the container comprises a channel for retaining the instrument in a stable position and a finger recess allowing a user to grasp the instrument at a position away prom a sharp part of the instrument, wherein the recess is accommodated by an outwardly protruding wall.

The protruding wall prel'erably protrudes in a direction lying at right angles to a central longitudinal axis passing through the channel.

Prelerably the instrument is a medical instrument.

Although containers with channels for receiving sharp medical instruments have been known for many years, none have an outwardly projecting wall that extends away from the channel and that accommodates a finger recess. This feature provides a useful guide enabling a user to place the instrument in the container quickly and accurately, or to remove it from the container even if the user is not positioned in a manner to be able to look down into the container to see the channel.

Thus a surgeon, whilst l'ocussing primarily on a patient, can feel for the protruding wall of the container or can see the position of the protruding wall at a quick glance, knowing that within the wall is a finger recess allowing a sharp instrument to be easily picked up t'rom the container without risk of injury. The protruding wall also provides a useful guide for placing the instrument back into the container. Again this can be done in a rapid and sale manner.

The present invention is therefore significant in that it can increase the safety and speed ol' surgical procedures utilising sharp instruments. The fact that it also allows a surgeon to concentrate primarily upon a patient rather than spend time looking down into an instrument an instrument channel is also beneficial in contributing to a successful outcome of an operation, especially in cases of highly complex or lengthy operations.

Preferably the protruding wall protrudes outwardly on each side of the channel. Desirably it protrudes so as to form rounded bulges on two opposite sides of the container. The bulges may be generally semicircular and the wall forming the bulges may accommodate a generally circular finger recess allowing an instrument to be safely grasped.

The container may symmetrical about a first longitudinal axis passing through the centre of the channel. It may also be symmetrical about a second axis lying perpendicular to the first axis. Thus the container may be bilaterally symmetrical, although this is not essential.

Indeed in some embodiments the protruding wall may be located closer to one end of the container than the other. 'I'his is useful for distinguishing the ends of the container and can therefore be important if the channel is designed for receiving an instrument in a particular orientation (e.g. if the instrument comprises a scissor shaped recess defining a handle portion at one end and a blade portion at the other end) .

Alternatively, the container may be suitable for receiving an instrument with a sharp part located towards either end of the container. Thus the instrument can be received in two different orientations. This allows flexibility because it will not be necessary to turn the instrument around Hit is oriented in the wrong direction but is aligned with the channel. For example the channel may be a simple elongate groove designed for holding a scalpel with its blade at either end.

It is preferred that the container is a container for a single instrument. The instrument may be any sharp medical instrument. The term "sharp instrument" is used herein to include any instrument liabic to cut, puncture or otherwise wound a user if' the instrument is held incorrectly. The instrument may, for example, be a scalpel, a knife, a saw, a syringe, scissors, or a needle.

Desirably at least part of the channel slopes downwardly away from a sharp art of the instrument. This can allow blood or other fluid that may have accumulated on the sharp part of the instrument to be drained. A reservoir for collecting fluid may be provided by the instrument and may serve to collect the blood or other fluid. It can also be useful if the instrument is sprayed or washed (e.g. with disinfectant or antiseptic). The reservoir may alternatively be used to collect fluid from a syringe. This is a useful feature because excess fluid is often present in a syringe after it has been used and the reservoir can provide a convenient means ol'disposal. The reservoir can conveniently be located at the bottom of the finger recess.

The channel of the container can be of any shape, provided that it enables the instrument to be held in a stable position. Preferably it is shaped to position a sharp part of the instrument in a manner so that it does not face upwardly. For example it may be shaped to receive a scalpel with its blade facing down or lying flat on its side. The channel may be shaped so that it is substantially complementary in outline to the outline of the instrument, allowing for a little clearance so that the instrument is not likely become jammed in the channel and also allowing for the finger recess.

Thus, as indicated previously, a scissor-shaped channel may be used to receive scissors.

However it is not essential that the channel is generally complementary in outline to the outline of the instrument, provided that channel allows the instrument to be in a stable position when carried in the container.

In order to further improve safety, the container can include a cover that lies over a sharp part of the instrument so as to further reduce the risk of accidental injury. The cover may be fixed or may he removable.

The container can be formed of any suitable material, including plastics, metal, card, etc. Any suitable technique can be used to manufacture the container, but moulding is preferred.

I'he container may initially be provided in a sealed package and may be provided under sterile or near sterile conditions. It may be provided in a kit that includes the instrument. In one embodiment the container is provided with the instrument already in place in the container. This provides added convenience and safety for medical staff If desired, several different containers may be provided in a kit. For example a kit of containers for different types instruments may be provided. Alternatively, a kit comprising a plurality of containers for the same instrument (e.g. a scalpel) may be provided. The containers may be stackable so as to aid in transportation and/or storage.

The container may be designed for single use, in which case a relatively inexpensive disposable material can he used that is preferably biodegradable. Alternatively, the container may be a multi-use container. In this case it is preferred that a resilient autoclavable material be used.

Once the instrument has used been used in an operation it can be retuned to the container. In some cases it may linen be used again in the operation. For example, a surgeon may make an incision in a patient with a scalpel and may temporarily place the scalpel into the container prior to picking up the scalpel again and making a further incision into the patient. When an operation has finished the container may be disposed of, or may be reused if it is autoclavable.

The present invention also includes within its scope a method comprising autoclaving a medical instrument in a container that has been used to hold the instrument during a medical procedure. This contrasts with prior art methods in which the instrument is removed Prom the container prior to autoclaving.

Although the main intended use of the present invention is as a container for a sharp medical instrument, the present invention is widely applicable and can be used for any sharp instruments. It can be used for example in laboratories or in industry. It is particularly useful if there is a risk of contamination of a sharp part of an instrument.

Having described the present invention in general terms, it will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure I shows an upper perspective view of a container of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a lower perspective view of a container of the present invention.

(For illustrative purposes the figures use lines to indicate sections of the container where curvature changes, although such lines would not normally be present on the container.) Turning now to Figure 1, a container I of the present invention is shown that is generally elongate and has a longitudinal channel 2 for receiving a scalpel (not shown). 'the container I has a continuous wall 3 that extends outwardly at a central region 4 of the container I so as to accommodate a finger recess 5. The finger recess 5 has a base 6 that is below the level ol'the channel 2.

Channel 2 is el't'ectively in two halves 7 and 8, each of which slopes downwardly towards the base 6 of the finger recess S. The channel 2 is shaped so that a scalpel placed in it will lie with its blade lying substantially flat. The scalpel can be placed in the channel with its blade towards either end 9 or 10 ol'the container. Thus, unlike some known containers, a scalpel does not need to be turned through I XO if it is aligned with an instrument channel but is not in an appropriate orientation.

The central region 4 ofthe wall 3 forms two outwardly extending bulges 11 and 12. These are useful indicators because they indicate the region of the container l within which a handle of a scalpel is located when the container I is in use. 'I'hus a surgeon concentrating on a patient can feel for a bulge I I, 12 of the container 1 and know that his hand is in the correct region to grip the scalpel safely. without needing to look down into the channel 2.

This is uset'ul because the container I may well be located at arm's length prom the surgeon - e.g. on an operating tray or a drape. The bulgesl 1, 21 also serve as useful visual aids and may be coloured or marked differently from the generally elongate part of the container I. (If desired, the same colouring or marking may be used for the finger recess.) The bulges I I, 12 allow the region of'the container accommodating the finger recess S to be identified at a quick glance, without the need to look into the container 1.

A further advantage of the bulges 1 1 and 21 is that they increase the stability of the container I by reducing the likelihood that the container I will tip over if knocked.

The container can be used as follows: In preparation for an operation a theatre nurse lays out the instruments required for an operation on a surgical tray or drape and places a scalpel into the container 1. This is easy and safe to do because of the positioning ot'the bulges I I, 12 and finger recess 5, as discussed above. If additional sharp instruments are to be used they can be placed in additional containers I of the present invention.

When the scalpel is required during the operation, the nurse can easily and sal'ely pass it over to a surgeon by passing over the container I holding the scalpel. Alternatively the container I bearing the scalpel may already be located close to the surgeon so that there is no need to pass it over. In either event the surgeon can easily and safely remove the scalpel by placing his hand in the finger recess 5 and around the handle of' the scalpel. The base 6 of' the linger recess 5 is located below the level of the channel 2 for the instrument so that the surgeon can grip completely around the handle of the scalpel. As indicated above, the bulges I I and 12 conveniently indicate the position ol'the finger recess 5. (It should of course be appreciated that the term "finger recess" is used in a broad sense herein to indicate a recess providing access so that a surgeon can easily grip an instrument such as a scalpel. The recess does not need to be finger shaped. Furthermore, a thumb and a linger will usually be used for gripping.) The surgeon can replace the scalpel in the container 1 by using the reverse procedure, again using the bulges I 1,12 at the side of the container I as guides for the position of the finger recess 5. If the scalpel is required again during the operation the procedure of removing and replacing the scalpel can be repeated as often as necessary.

When the operation I is finished, the container I containing the used scalpel can be autoclaved or disposed of. Thus there is no need to handle a contaminated scalpel following the operation.

Turning now to Figure 2, it can be seen that the container I is supported by a lower rim 14 of the wall 3, which extends around the container, and also by the base 6 of the finger recess 5. The container I can also be seen to be symmetrical about a first axis passing through the centre ol'the channel 2 and about a second axis lying at right angles to the first axis. 'I'he shape of the container I allows a plurality of containers I to be stacked easily on top of each other. It also allows the container I to easily be gripped when it is being carried - e.g. when it is used to pass a sharp instrument between surgical stal'f

Claims (20)

1. Claims 1. A container for a sharp instrument, wherein the container

   comprises a channel for retaining the instrument in a stable position and a finecr recess allowing a user to grasp the instrument at a position away trom a sharp part of the instrument, wherein the recess is accommodated by an outwardly protruding wall.
2. 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the instrument is a medical instrument.
3. 3. A container according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the wall protrudes on opposing sides of the channel.
4. 4. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the wall protrudes so as to form a generally rounded bulge on one side of the container and a generally rounded bulge on an opposite side of the container.
5. 5. A container according to any preceding claim wherein the bulges are generally semi-circular.
6. 6. A container according to any preceding claim that is bilaterally symmetrical.
7. 7. A container according to any preceding claim wherein at least part of the channel slopes downwardly.
8. X. A container according to claim 7, wherein the channel slopes at least part of the channel slopes towards a reservoir.
9. 9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the reservoir is located at the bottom of the linger recess.
10. 10. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the instrument is a scalpel, a knife, a saw, a syringe, scissors, or a needle.
11. 1 1. A container according to claim 10, wherein the channel is shaped so that it substantially complementary in outline to the instrument.
12. 12. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the channel is shaped to position a sharp part ol the instrument in a manner so that it does not face upwardly.
13. 13. A container according to any preceding claim containing a sharp instrument.
14. 14. A container according to any preceding claim that is autoclavable.
15. 15. A container substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. 16. A container according to any preceding claim when used to support' transport autoclave or dispose of a surgical instrument.
17. 17. A method comprising placing a medical instrument into the channel of a container according to any ofclaims I to 15.
18. 18. A method comprising removing a medical instrument from the channel of a container according to any of claims I to 15.
19. 19. A method comprising emptying the contents of a syringe into a container according to any of claims I to 15.
20. 20. A method comprising autoclaving a medical instrument in a container that has been used to hold the instrument during a medical procedure.