Container for irradiation of blood products

Abstract

A container for irradiation of blood products comprises a flexible, flat collapsible wall defining a sealed blood product chamber, the plastic material of said wall being substantially transparent to the irradiation, which is typically ultraviolet radiation. An access port or ports are provided for communicating through the wall to the blood product chamber. A flap is provided, integral with the wall and spaced from the chamber. The flap carries identifying indicia including a typically bar code indicia, so that the wall which defines the blood product chamber may be at least substantially free of opaque indicia. Also, means may be provided for detecting an indicating exposure of the container to such irradiation, such as ultraviolet sensitive tape adhering to the flap. Alignment holes may be provided, typically in the flap, to facilitate the orientation of the container with apparatus for irradiation and apparatus for bar code reading, making use of alignment pins carried by such apparatus. The irradiating apparatus may be of hinged section type, which carries a manually removable tray to define a support surface for a flexible container of blood product within the apparatus. The support surface is made of an ultraviolet-transmissive material such as quartz.

That which is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A container for the irradiation of liquids which comprises a flexible, flat-collapsible wall defining a sealed blood product chamber; access port means for communicating through said wall to the blood product chamber; and a flap, integral with said wall and spaced from said chamber, said flap carrying identifying indicia including bar code indicia, said wall being made. of a plastic material that is substantially transparent to said irradiation.  
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  in which said flap carries means for detecting exposure of said container to said irradiation.  
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  which contains alignment hole means spaced from said chamber for facilitating the orientation of said container with apparatus for said irradiation and apparatus for bar code reading.  
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  in which said wall which defines the blood product chamber is at least substantially free of opaque indicia.  
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1  in which said flap carries an area for receiving handwritten notes.  
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  in which said container defines a major, longitudinal axis between container ends, said access port means being carried on one of said container ends and said flap being carried on the other of said container ends.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for irradiating materials, which comprises: 
 a housing which defines a chamber and a pair of ultraviolet light sources positioned on opposed sides of said chamber, said housing comprising a pair of housing sections moveable in hinged relation between open and closed positions, each section carrying one of said pair of said ultraviolet light sources;    a manually removable tray carried within said housing to define a support surface for a flexible container of blood product in said chamber, said support surface being made of an ultraviolet-transmissive material.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  in which each ultraviolet light source comprises a plurality of ultraviolet light bulbs.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  which includes means for reading a bar code carried on a flexible, collapsible container which encloses said layer of blood product.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  in which said manually removable tray carries pin means for passing through preformed holes in said flexible, collapsible container to locate the container in a manner for optimum ultraviolet radiation of the layer of blood product and reading of said bar code.  
     
     
         11 . A container for the irradiation of blood products, which comprises a flexible, flat-collapsible wall defining a sealed blood product chamber, access port means for communicating through said wall to the blood product chamber; and a flap, integral with said wall and spaced from said chamber, said flap carrying identifying indicia including bar code indicia, said wall being made of a plastic material that is substantially transparent to said irradiation, said flap carrying means for detecting and indicating exposure of said container to said irradiation plus alignment hole means spaced from said chamber for facilitating the orientation of said container with apparatus for said irradiation and apparatus for bar code reading.  
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11  in which said wall which defines the blood product chamber is at least substantially free of opaque indicia.  
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12  in which said flat carries an area for receiving handwritten notes.  
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13  in which said container defines a major, longitudinal axis between container ends, said access port means being carried on one of said container ends and said flap being carried on the other of said container ends.  
     
     
         15 . The method which comprises placing a flexible, flat collapsible bag which holds a blood product containing white blood cells into a housing which defines a chamber, and ultraviolet light source means for irradiating the blood product within the bag, the walls of said bag being made of a plastic material that is substantially transparent to said irradiation; securing said container in the irradiation apparatus by passing pin means of the apparatus through at least one preformed aperture of said container, said aperture being spaced from the blood product therein, to automatically position said container so that a bar code carried by said container is in a position to be read by a bar code reader carried by the irradiating apparatus; 
 reading the bar code of said container, and irradiating said container with ultraviolet radiation generated by said apparatus.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  including the step of placing said bag in a tray having an ultraviolet permeable bottom wall, and placing said tray in the ultraviolet irradiation apparatus, and including the step of irradiating said bag through the ultraviolet permeable wall of said tray.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  in which the bar code of said bag which is read by said apparatus is carried on a flap of said bag which is spaced from the blood product carried therein, said holes being also defined in said flap.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which said bag defines walls, a portion of which are in contact with said blood product, the portion of said bag walls in contact with said blood product being at least substantially free of opaque indicia.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  which includes the step of, prior to irradiating said bag, removing a protective tab from means for detecting and indicating exposure of said container to ultraviolet irradiation, said detecting and indicating means being carried on said flap.  
     
     
         20 . A container for the irradiation of blood products which comprises, a flexible, flat-collapsible wall defining a sealed blood product chamber; access port means for communicating through said wall through the blood product chamber; and a flap, integral with said wall and spaced from said chamber, said flap carrying identifying indicia, said wall being made of a plastic material that is substantially transparent to said irradiation, said wall which defines the blood product chamber being at least substantially free of opaque indicia, and alignment hole means spaced from said chamber for facilitating the orientation of said container with apparatus for said irradiation.