DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MODULAR VENTED OPENING PACKAGE SEALING
A modular attachment is provided to attach to a packaging machine for forming a vent opening in a packaging film used for packaging an item via a packaging machine, and attaching a semipermeable or permeable vent covering material over the vent opening. The vent opening with the attached vent covering material may allow for sterilization of medical devices, medical equipment or other medical supplies while packaged within the packaging film. The modular attachment may include features for forming the vent opening in the packaging film during delivery of the packaging film for use in the packaging process, delivering the covering material to the location of the vent opening, cutting the covering material to size for covering the vent opening, and attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film so as to cover the vent opening.
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Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to the field of packaging and sterilization, and in particular to devices, systems, and methods for providing one or more vented openings in a non-permeable packaging material and attaching a permeable or semi-permeable cover to the packaging material utilizing a convertible or modular attachment to a machine, so as to enable sterilization of the contents of the packaging therethrough.
BACKGROUNDIt is known to provide package sealing using a form-fill-seal machine or the like (also interchangeably referred to herein as “thermoform fill and seal” or “TFFS” machines), such as the Multivac R535 Thermoforming Packaging Machine, made by Multivac, Inc., of Kansas City, Mo. Such machines may include various features, for example, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,603 (“the '603 patent”). The assembly machine 1 of the'603 patent, as shown in
Where packages are to be sterilized, it was known in the art to provide a package having an entire top film or entire packaging material overall that was composed entirely of a material that allows ETO, steam, or other gas passage therethrough. Drawbacks of these materials include high costs for the large top permeable or semi-permeable material quantities to provide for either an entire package made from permeable or semi-permeable material or a pre-made top film portion comprising this permeable or semi-permeable material, as well as other difficulties or complexities with manufacture.
There are some machine makers that may provide an option to make a package having this permeable or semi-permeable material in a portion of the package rather than in an entire top portion of the film. However, these machines are not convertible back to a standard TFFS machine without having this feature; thus, once the machine is made to provide this hybrid package it cannot later be used to make a non-hybrid package. Moreover, such machines can only be made to prepare one size of packaging; thus, the machine is pre-ordered and made to accommodate that one size of packaging without it being possible to later change those sizes. Finally, the machines on the market can only make at most two packages per machine index or cycle.
There is a need, however, for devices, systems, and methods for providing one or more openings, such as vent openings, in such films, along with the addition of a covering feature for such vents that allows vent communication with the contents of such packages, such as for use in sterilization, without requiring such large amounts of film to encapsulate the packaged product, while allowing for interchangeability of the machine to provide packages with such vent openings (also known as hybrid packages) or to provide packages without vent openings (also known as non-hybrid packages).
SUMMARYA device, system, and method for packaging that includes providing a modular attachment to standard TFFS machines to make a vent opening and a vent covering in a sealing or other packaging film (e.g., a polymer film) is disclosed herein. Such packaging may encapsulate an item by using a packaging machine, such as a TFFS machine, to seal the item in a package, and may further include attaching a semipermeable or permeable vent covering material to the packaging film via a convertible or modular attachment system that provides a vent passageway. For example, the packaging film may be used to sealably protect an item that may be sterilized, such as a medical or surgical instrument, device or product, including but not limited to, a surgical drape, surgical gown, medical suction tubing, medical suction handle, laryngeal mask airway (LMA), catheter, syringe, gloves, wound care dressing products, and/or other medical related clothing, equipment, and medical instruments, including instruments contained in a container, such as may comprise or be used in a medical kit, and the like. The semipermeable or permeable vent covering material may be used to allow sterilization of the item contained within the packaging film by allowing sterilization gases to pass therethrough. Such sterilization gases may include use of ethylene oxide (ETO), for example, or steam sterilization. The device, method, and system may include a modular attachment having features for forming a vent opening in the packaging film during delivery of the packaging film for use in the packaging process, delivering the vent covering material to the location of the vent opening, cutting the vent covering material to size for adequately covering the vent opening, and attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film so as to cover the vent opening. The joining of the vent covering material to the packaging film may include a heat sealing process or other conventional technique used in the art. This is advantageous because the entire film of the outer package does not need to be made from a semipermeable or permeable film, thus saving on cost and production complexities with using such film, and instead the final package can comprise at least one such vent opening sealed with a semipermeable or permeable vent covering material. This saves on the cost of film as well as allowing for ease of manufacture by attaching a modular attachment to the desired machines.
Aspects of the present disclosure further relate to a modular attachment to a machine for automated packaging of an item, such as a medical instrument, device, or product that may need to be sterilized, the attachment may include features for providing an opening in the packaging and a vent covering material for covering the opening in the packaging. The machine may include a conveyor for conveying the item in an assembly line fashion, such as to a location where a packaging material may cover at least a portion of the item. The packaging material may be delivered via a roller assembly and/or other features that deliver the film to the location where the item is covered. Any method commonly used in the art for delivering of packaging material may also be used.
The modular attachment may further include an automated puncturing device and/or other features for puncturing or otherwise creating or forming a vent opening in the packaging material as part of the assembly process. The features for puncturing or otherwise creating such opening may be located so as to integrate in an automated fashion with the automated packaging of the item, such as by integrating a convertible or modular attachment to a TFFS machine that can provide such puncturing feature. The vent opening may be circularly or ovally shaped, or may have a rectangular or square shape, for example, or any other shape that is appropriate for providing a vent.
Aspects further include automated delivery, cutting to size, and emplacement of a vent covering material for covering the vent opening. Delivery of the vent covering material may include, for example, use of a vent material roller assembly for delivering the vent covering material to the vent opening in the packaging material. Such roller assembly may be located so as to integrate in an automated fashion with the automated packaging of the item, such as by integrating a convertible or modular attachment to a TFFS machine that can provide a roller assembly.
Cutting to size of the vent material may include, for example, use of a cutting device for cutting the vent covering material prior to delivery for covering the opening in the packaging material. Such cutting device may be located so as to integrate in an automated fashion with the automated packaging of the item, such as by integrating a convertible or modular attachment to a TFFS machine that can provide a cutting device.
Emplacement of the vent material may include, for example, devices and/or mechanisms for positioning and holding the vent covering material at the vent opening location, and heating and/or use of an adhesive, and/or other features for attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film. Such emplacement mechanisms may be located so as to integrate in an automated fashion with the automated packaging of the item, such as by integrating a convertible or modular attachment to a TFFS machine that can provide an emplacement mechanism.
Another advantage of the modular attachment added to a machine as disclosed herein is the convenience of being able to switch back and forth between a machine that makes standard packages, e.g., packages without the vented opening and cover and without the modular attachment (e.g., non-hybrid packages), and a machine that contains the modular attachment and can make vented packages (e.g., hybrid packages). The modular or convertible attachment can be easily added to or removed from a standard packaging machine depending on the type of packages that are desired. For example, where a vented package is desired, the modular attachment can be connected to the packaging machine being used to make the standard packages. Once the vented packages are completed and it is desired to convert back to the standard packages, the modular attachment can be easily removed, or alternatively bypassed, to allow for continued operation of the packaging machine to form the standard packages. Adding the modular attachment to an existing packaging machine allows for a low cost option to modify the existing equipment and machine to allow for a modification to the type of packages that are produced without permanently changing the packaging machine.
Yet another advantage of the modular attachment is that any number of vent openings and covers can be placed on multiple packages. For example, one or more packages or at least the top film of one or more packages can be fed through the attachment to create a vent opening and to seal it with the vent covering material. In yet another embodiment, a single package can be made with one or more vent openings in the package, depending on how many entry points are desired to the interior of the package for the sterilization gases. Moreover, the modular attachment can be used on any size packaging, such that different size packages can be made on the same machine and do not require use of a different modular attachment but merely an adjustment of the components on the existing modular attachment.
Additional advantages and novel features of these aspects will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the disclosure.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more example aspects of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain their principles and implementations.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to devices, systems, and methods for providing a vent opening and a semipermeable or permeable vent covering material in a sealing or other packaging film (e.g., a polymer film) for packaging at least a portion of an item, such as by using a packaging machine, such as a thermoform fill and seal (TFFS) machine, in combination with a convertible or modular attachment comprising a vent opening and vent covering material station, or alternatively, having the vent opening/covering station built into the machine. For example, the packaging film may be used to sealably protect an item that may be sterilized, such as a drape, gloves, gown, or other medical related clothing or equipment, or a medical instrument, which may be contained in a container, film package, or such as may comprise or be used in a medical kit. A semipermeable or permeable vent covering material can be placed on a top film layer or cover having an opening or puncture, to enclose the container, package or kit that may be used to allow sterilization of the item contained within the packaging film by allowing sterilization gases to pass therethrough while preventing other gases or contaminants from entering the package through the vent covering, maintaining the interior of the package in a sterilized and relatively contaminant free state. Such sterilization gases may include use of ethylene oxide gases (ETO), for example. In one embodiment, a modular attachment can be placed on or attached to a packaging machine and may include features for forming the vent opening in the packaging film during delivery of the packaging film for use in the packaging process, delivering the vent covering material to the location of the vent opening, cutting the vent covering material to size for covering the vent opening, and attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film so as to cover the vent opening. These steps may be performed on a standard TFFS machine, for example, via coupling of the convertible or modular attachment to the standard TFFS machine, or alternatively, via the integration of the vent opening/covering station into the TFFS machine such that it is not modular.
The top film with the vent opening may pass location F2 after puncturing by puncturing device 310. As the vent opening passes location F2, a portion of the vent covering material 301 fed from roll 300 may align with the vent opening. A cutter may cut the vent covering material 301 to size so as to cover the vent opening, and the cut portion of the vent covering material 301 may be emplaced and attached to the top film so as to cover the vent opening. The covering material 301 may be attached to the top film, for example, via various attachment features as known in the art, which may include, for example, use of a heated press 320, with or without use of an adhesive, or other appropriate features and/or procedures to ensure the covering material 301 is sealably attached to the top film about the vent opening.
The top film with the vent openings may pass location F6 after being punctured by puncturing devices 1310, as shown in
The schematic portion of
Next, as further shown in
Then the desired items to be packaged can be loaded into the formed packages, whether manually or automatically, depending on the machine capabilities, as shown at Step 3. At Step 4, a sealing step is shown where the vented web is advanced in the machine direction D to the heat sealing station at Step 4, where sealing can occur as in a conventional TFFS machine. Step 5 illustrates ink jet printing, which is a conventional process, and at Step 6, a cross-cutting of the packages occurs to separate the connecting rows of packages into separated strips, which is also conventionally known. Finally, at Step 7, the slitting step occurs to separate or singulate the strips of packages into individual packages.
It is not necessary to follow the numeric order of these steps in practice; for example, step 8 would not occur as the last step in the process but would rather occur early on in the process so that the vent material is pre-loaded and ready for use when the packages are being made. In one instance, the length of the machine can be designated as L, which can vary depending upon the machine steps present in the TFFS machine. In another instance, the machine length L can be tailored to product requirements, and for example can be a length greater than 8000 mm.
Representative diagram portion 1500b of
Representative diagram portion 1500c of
Representative diagram portion 1500d of
Representative diagram portion 1500e of
In addition, there is no limit to the number of packages across that can be made, with the exception of being limited by the width of the machine. Moreover, the vent location, i.e., where in the package it is placed, and the dimension can be changed and modified as the user wishes by simply making changes to the modular unit settings. For example, packages of different dimensions can be made using the modular attachment by moving the punch and seal mechanism up and down accordingly. In
A regular package without the vent described herein can easily be made from a TFFS machine having the modular attachment in place by either removing the attachment fully or, alternatively, one can by-pass the attachment and use the remaining stations of the machine to produce packages without the vented feature described herein. This easy conversion to/from hybrid packages saves on time and cost when different types of packages are required or even different sizes, as sizes can also easily be interchanged as discussed above.
While the aspects described herein have been described in conjunction with the example aspects outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may be presently unforeseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the example aspects, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to embrace all known or later-developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents.
Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the processes/flowcharts disclosed is an illustration of example approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy in the processes/flowcharts may be rearranged. Further, some features/steps may be combined or omitted. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various features/steps in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
Further, the word “example” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. Nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims.
Claims
1. A machine for packaging an item, the machine comprising:
- a conveyor for conveying the item;
- a packaging film for covering at least a portion of the item;
- a packaging film roller assembly for delivering the packaging film to the item;
- the machine further comprising a convertible attachment, the attachment comprising: a puncturing device for puncturing a vent opening in the packaging film; a vent covering material for covering the vent opening; and a vent covering material roller assembly for delivering the vent covering material to the opening in the packaging film.
2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the packaging film is non-permeable.
3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the packaging film is received from a packaging film roll.
4. The machine of claim 1, wherein the vent covering material is permeable.
5. The machine of claim 4, wherein the vent covering material is permeable to a sterilization substance.
6. The machine of claim 5, wherein the sterilization substance is ethylene oxide (ETO).
7. The machine of claim 1, wherein the vent covering material is received from a vent covering material roll.
8. The machine of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second packaging film for covering at least a second portion of the item.
9. The machine of claim 1, wherein the vent covering material roller assembly is attachable to the packaging film roller assembly.
10. The machine of claim 9, wherein the packaging film roller assembly includes a frame, and wherein the vent covering material roller assembly is attachable to the packaging film roller assembly via the frame.
11. The machine of claim 1, wherein the puncturing device is attachable to the packaging film roller assembly.
12. The machine of claim 11, wherein the packaging film roller assembly includes a frame, and wherein the puncturing device is attachable to the packaging film roller assembly via the frame.
13. The machine of claim 1, further comprising:
- an attaching assembly for attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film.
14. The machine of claim 13, wherein the attaching assembly includes:
- a heat sealing device operable to heat sealably attach the vent covering material to the packaging film.
15. The machine of claim 13, further comprising:
- a vent covering material cutter for cutting the vent material.
16. The machine of claim 13, further comprising:
- a vent covering material positioner for positioning the vent material.
17. A modular attachment for use with a packaging machine for packaging an item, the packaging machine having a conveyor, a packaging film roller assembly for delivering a packaging film for packaging the item, the modular attachment comprising:
- a puncturing device operable to puncture a vent opening in the packaging film;
- a vent covering material for covering the vent opening; and
- a vent covering material roller assembly for delivering the vent covering material to the vent opening.
18. The modular attachment of claim 17, further comprising a vent material cutter for cutting the vent covering material.
19. The modular attachment of claim 17, further comprising an attachment assembly for attaching the vent covering material to the packaging film.
20. The modular attachment of claim 17, further comprising a frame, wherein the puncturing device and the vent covering material roller assembly are attached to the frame.
Type: Application
Filed: May 31, 2018
Publication Date: Dec 6, 2018
Applicant: ALLEGIANCE CORPORATION (Waukegan, IL)
Inventors: Hooi Guan Kua (Victoria), Hean Huat Koed (Penang), Nicholas Gus Fotis (McHenry, IL), Danny W. Penny (Third Lake, IL)
Application Number: 15/994,476