US20090250359A1 - Bone filler packing container having function as mixing tray - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a packing container functioning as a mixing tray for powder type or granule type bone filler. The bone filler packing container of the present invention includes an inner casing, which has an opening, through which the bone filler is supplied into the inner casing, and contains the bone filler therein. The packing container further includes an outer casing, which surrounds the inner casing and has a lower bottom part that is configured such that the container may sit upright, and a sealing part, to which a paper seal for sealing the opening of the inner casing is adhered. In the present invention, after the packing container is opened, a surgeon can immediately use the packing container as a mixing tray, inside which blood or marrow that is extracted from a patient is mixed with bone filler that is located in the packing container, before applying the bone filler mixed with blood or marrow to an affected portion of a patient.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates generally to packing containers functioning as mixing trays for powder type or granule type bone filler and, more particularly, to a bone filler packing container, which functions as a mixing tray, in which, after the packing container containing bone filler therein is opened by a surgeon at a surgical site, blood or marrow, which is extracted from a patient, is directly mixed with the bone filler to a degree appropriate for applying the bone filler mixed with blood or marrow to an affected portion of the patient.
• 2. Description of the Related Art
• Generally, powder type or granule type bone filler, which is widely used in fields such as orthopedics, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, dental surgery, etc., is applied to affected portions of patients, after the bone filler is mixed with blood or marrow, which is extracted from patients, to increase the compatibility between the bone filler and the patients and enable the bone filler to have a viscosity appropriate to conduct surgery.
• In conventional arts, as shown inFIGS. 1A through 1C,bone filler16 is packed in apaper pouch10, which is made of a sheet of paper coated with a plastic film and is sealed by thermo-welding the perimeter thereof, analuminum pouch12, which is sealed on the perimeter thereof, or aglass ampule14, which is sealed with a separate lid.
• However, in the conventional arts, to use thebone filler16, which is packed by thepouch10 or12 or theampule14, as shown inFIG. 2, aseparate mixing bowl18, which needs be sterilized, is required.
• In other words, a surgeon opens thepouch10 or12 or theampule14, which contains thebone filler16, and pours thebone filler16 into themixing bowl10, which is separately prepared. Thereafter, the surgeon mixes blood or marrow, which is extracted from a patient, with thebone filler16 and applies the mixture to an affected portion of the patient.
• This operation of mixing thehone filler16 with blood or marrow and applying the mixture to the affected portion of the patient inconveniences the surgeon.
• Furthermore, when thebone filler16 is poured into themixing bowl18 after thepouch10 or12 or theampule14 is opened, some of thebone filler16, which is relatively expensive, may be lost. In addition, to use all thebone filler16 contained in thepouch10 or12 or theampule14, without remnants, thepouch10 or12 or theampule14 must be shaken when pouring thebone filler16 into themixing bowl18, thus inconveniencing the surgeon.
• Moreover, typically, themixing bowl18 has aplanar bottom20 such that thebowl18 sits upright. However, because the area of thebottom20 of themixing bowl18 is smaller than that of an opening22 of themixing bowl18, the stability thereof is poor. Thus, there is a disadvantage in that the surgeon must very carefully handle themixing bowl18 to prevent thebone filler16 from being spilled from themixing bowl18.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bone filler packing container, which has a basic function of a packing container for bone filler and also functions as a mixing tray, by means of which, after the packing container containing bone filler is opened by a surgeon at a surgical site, blood or marrow that is extracted from a patient is directly mixed with the bone filler.
• In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a bone filler packing container having a function as a mixing tray, the packing container comprising a plastic container body, comprising: an inner casing having an opening, through which a powder type or granule type bone filler is supplied into the inner casing, and a hemispheric lower section for containing the bone filler therein, the hemispheric lower section being convex downwards; an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the outer casing having a lower part extending below the hemispheric lower section of the inner casing allowing container body to be placed upright; and a sealing part connecting the opening of the inner casing to an upper end of the outer casing, with a paper seal adhered to the sealing part, the paper seal sealing the opening of the inner casing.
• Preferably, at least one opening guide part may be formed in the sealing part. The opening guide part may comprise a depression for forming a non-adhered portion of the paper seal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIG. 1A is a partially broken front view of a conventional paper pouch;
• FIG. 1B is a partially broken front view of a conventional aluminum pouch;
• FIG. 1C is a partially broken front view of a conventional ampule;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional mixing bowl;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a packing container, which is sealed with a paper seal., according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the packing container, which is in a state of being opened according to the present invention;
• FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I ofFIG. 3; and
• FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the packing container, from which the paper seal has been completely removed according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a packing container, which is sealed with a paper seal, according to the embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the packing container, which is in a state of being opened.FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I ofFIG. 3.FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the packing container, from which the paper seal is completely removed.
• The packing container according to the present invention is made of a plastic such as polypropylene or polyester. As shown inFIGS. 3 through 6, the packing container includes aninner casing28. Theinner casing28 has anopening24, through which powder or granuletype bone filler16 is inserted into theinner casing28, and a hemisphericlower section26, which is convex downwards and contains thebone filler16 therein.
• The packing container further includes anouter casing32, which surrounds theinner casing28 and has alower part30, which extends below the hemisphericlower section26 of theinner casing28 and serves to allow the packing container to be placed in an upright position.
• The packing container further includes a sealingpart36, which connects the opening24 of theinner casing28 to the upper end of theouter casing32. Thepaper seal34 for sealing the opening24 is adhered to the surface of the sealingpart36.
• In the present invention, thepaper seal34 is made of a hot melting type of plastic sheet, the lower surface of which is thermo-welded to the surface of the sealingpart36.
• Preferably, when necessary, to easily remove thepaper seal34, which is thermo-welded to the surface of the sealingpart36, at least oneopening guide part38, which is a depression that does not adhere to thepaper seal34, is formed at a predetermined position in the sealingpart36, thus enabling a user to easily pull a non-adheredportion40 of thepaper seal34 corresponding to theopening guide part38.
• Furthermore, it is preferable that the packing container of the present invention be transparent such that the user can easily observe thebone filler16, which is contained in the packing container sealed with thepaper seal34, with the naked eyes.
• In the drawings, although theouter casing32 has been illustrated as having a rectangular box shape and thepaper seal36 has been illustrated as having a square planar shape, theouter casing32 and thepaper seal36 may respectively have a cylindrical shape and a circular planar shape, as necessary.
• In the packing container according to the present invention having the above-mentioned construction, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 5, thebone filler16 is located in the hemisphericlower section26 of theinner casing28, and theopening24 is thereafter sealed by thermo-welding thepaper seal34 to thesealing part36.
• When it is desired to use thebone filler16, a surgeon holds theouter casing32 using his/her one hand and holds and pulls thenon-adhered portion40 of thepaper seal34 using the other hand, thus removing thepaper seal34 from the packing container to open theopening24, as shown inFIG. 6. Subsequently, blood or marrow that is extracted from a patient is supplied through theopening24 into the hemisphericlower section26 of theinner casing28 and is mixed with the bone filler that is located in the hemisphericlower section26. Thereafter, the surgeon applies thebone filler16 mixed with the blood or marrow to an affected portion of the patient.
• As such, the hemisphericlower section26 of theinner casing28 provides a space, in which thebone filler16 is contained and packed, and, in addition, serves as a mixing tray, in which thebone filler16 is mixed with blood or marrow that is extracted from the patient.
• Furthermore, theouter casing32, which has thelower part30 which extends below the hemisphericlower section26 of theinner casing28, serves to allow the packing container to be placed stably upright and protect theinner casing28, containing thebone filler16 therein, from being damaged.
• In addition, thesealing part36, which connects theinner casing28 to theouter casing32, and to which thepaper seal34 is adhered, serves to increase the area, in which thepaper seal34 is adhered to the packing container, thus sealing the opening24 of theinner casing28 more reliably.
• As described above, a packing container according to the present invention is constructed such that, after the packing container is opened, a surgeon can immediately use the packing container as a mixing tray, inside which blood or marrow that is extracted from a patient may be mixed with bone filler that is located in the packing container, before applying the bone filler mixed with blood or marrow to an affected portion of the patient. Therefore, the present invention can solve a conventional problem, in which a packing container and a mixing bowl are separately required, thus becoming more convenient for the surgeon.
• Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims (2)

1. A bone filler packing container having a function as a mixing tray, the packing container comprising a plastic container body, comprising:

an inner casing having an opening, through which a powder type or granule type bone filler is supplied into the inner casing, and a hemispheric lower section for containing the bone filler therein, the hemispheric lower section being convex downwards;

an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the outer casing having a lower part extending below the hemispheric lower section of the inner casing allowing container body to be placed upright; and

a sealing part connecting the opening of the inner casing to an upper end of the outer casing, with a paper seal adhered to the sealing part, the paper seal sealing the opening of the inner casing.

2. The bone filler packing container as set forth inclaim 1, wherein at least one opening guide part is formed in the sealing part, the opening guide part comprising a depression for forming a non-adhered portion of the paper seal.

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