Kit packaging of drug delivery devices with useful adjunct items

Abstract

A kit containing a complete set of items needed to implant a sustained ocular or intraocular drug delivery system, including, but not limited to, injection devices, topical and injectable medications, surgical instruments, sutures and suturing needles, and eye covers. Provision of the set of items in a kit simplifies preparation for insertion of drug delivery means, reduces the cost of such preparation, reduces the likelihood of errors in preparation or selection of appropriate items during surgery, reduces the complexity of maintenance of sterile conditions, and ultimately reduces the cost of delivering ocular care.

1 . A kit for performing ocular or intraocular implanting of an ocular drug delivery system, comprising: 
 a portable protective container; and    at least one first compartment in the container for storage of a packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device and a packaged injection device, containing the packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device and the packaged injection device.    
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1  further comprising at least one second compartment in the container for storage of sutures and suture needles, containing one or more packaged sutures and one or more packaged suture needles.  
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises: 
 a protective seal to preserve sterility of the contents of the container;  
 a base for the container, divided into the compartments of the container;  
 a lid for protecting the contents of the compartments of the container;  
 means for fastening the lid to the base;  
 means for opening, closing, locking, and unlocking the container; and  
 means for carrying the container securely.  
 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the container comprises one or more pouches, each pouch comprising a sterile sealed compartment.  
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the package is a tray with one or more compartments with medical paper or filter material with pores large enough to admit sterilizing gas and small enough to exclude microbes.  
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises: 
 an outer protective wrapper for protection during transportation and storage; and  
 an inner protective wrapper for maintenance of general sterility of kit contents.  
 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises a blister pack comprised of one or more plastics capable of surgical sterilization by ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, autoclave, or other methods meeting generally accepted surgical standards.  
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises a blister pack comprised of one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETg), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene.  
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises a clamshell package comprised of one or more plastics capable of surgical sterilization by ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, autoclave, or other methods meeting generally accepted surgical standards.  
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein the portable protective container further comprises a clamshell package comprised of one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETg), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene.  
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 at least one third compartment in the container for storage of eye covers and dressings, containing one or more packaged eye covers;  
 at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications; and  
 at least one fifth compartment in the container for storage of surgical instruments.  
 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of cycloplegics, mydriatics, and miotics.  
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 11  wherein the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anti-infectives, anti-inflammatory agents, steroids, and combination products containing anti-infectives and anti-inflammatory agents.  
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 11  wherein the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anesthetics, irrigating solutions, lubricants, sterilizers, and external cleansers.  
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 11  wherein the at least one fifth compartment in the container for storage of surgical instruments contains one or more packaged surgical instruments from the group consisting of cannulas, trocars, keratomes, scalpels, forceps, hooks, and scissors.  
     
     
         16 . A method for fabricating a kit for performing ocular or intraocular implanting of an ocular drug delivery system, comprising the steps of: 
 fabricating a portable protective container;    fabricating at least one first compartment in the container for storage of a packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device, containing the packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device and a packaged injection device; and    fabricating at least one second compartment in the container for storage of sutures and suture needles, containing one or more packaged sutures and one or more packaged suture needles.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the steps of: 
 fabricating a protective seal to preserve sterility of the contents of the container;  
 fabricating a base for the container, divided into the compartments of the container;  
 fabricating a lid for protecting the contents of the compartments of the container;  
 fabricating a means for fastening the lid to the base;  
 fabricating a means for opening, closing, locking, and unlocking the container; and  
 fabricating a means for carrying the container securely.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the steps of: 
 fabricating an outer protective wrapper for protection during transportation and storage; and  
 fabricating an inner protective wrapper for maintenance of general sterility of kit contents.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the step of fabricating a blister pack comprised of one or more plastics capable of surgical sterilization by ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, autoclave, or other methods meeting generally accepted surgical standards.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the step of fabricating a blister pack comprised of one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETg), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the step of fabricating a clamshell package comprised of one or more plastics capable of surgical sterilization by ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, autoclave, or other methods meeting generally accepted surgical standards.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of fabricating the portable protective container further comprises the step of fabricating a clamshell package comprised of one or more plastics selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETg), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 fabricating at least one third compartment in the container for storage of eye covers and dressings, containing one or more packaged eye covers.  
 fabricating at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications; and  
 fabricating at least one fifth compartment in the container for storage of surgical instruments.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the step of fabricating the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications further comprises the step of storing one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of cycloplegics, mydriatics, and miotics in the at least one fourth compartment in the container.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the step of fabricating the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications further comprises the step of storing one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anti-infectives, anti-inflammatory agents, steroids, and combination products containing anti-infectives and anti-inflammatory agents in the at least one fourth compartment in the container.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the step of fabricating the at least one fourth compartment in the container for storage of medications further comprises the step of storing one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anesthetics, irrigating solutions, lubricants, sterilizers, and external cleansers in the at least one fourth compartment in the container.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the step of fabricating the at least one fifth compartment in the container for storage of surgical instruments further comprises the step of storing one or more packaged surgical instruments from the group consisting of cannulas, trocars, keratomes, scalpels, forceps, hooks, and scissors in the at least one fifth compartment in the container.  
     
     
         28 . A kit for performing ocular or intraocular implanting of an ocular drug delivery system, comprising: 
 a portable protective container;    means for storage of a packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device and a packaged injection device, containing the packaged injectable ocular drug delivery device and the packaged injection device; and    means for storage of sutures and suture needles, containing one or more packaged sutures and one or more packaged suture needles.    
     
     
         29 . The kit of  claim 28  wherein the portable protective container further comprises: 
 means for preserving sterility of the contents of the container;  
 a base for the container, divided into the compartments of the container;  
 means for protecting the contents of the compartments of the container;  
 means for opening, closing, locking, and unlocking the container; and  
 means for carrying the container securely.  
 
     
     
         30 . The kit of  claim 28  wherein the portable protective container further comprises: 
 means for protection during transportation and storage; and  
 means for maintenance of general sterility of kit contents.  
 
     
     
         31 . The kit of  claim 28  wherein the portable protective container further comprises storage means capable of surgical sterilization by ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, autoclave, or other methods meeting generally accepted surgical standards.  
     
     
         32 . The kit of  claim 28  further comprising: 
 means for storage of eye covers and dressings, containing one or more packaged eye covers.  
 means for storage of medications; and  
 means for storage of surgical instruments.  
 
     
     
         33 . The kit of  claim 32  wherein the means for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of cycloplegics, mydriatics, and miotics.  
     
     
         34 . The kit of  claim 32  wherein the means for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anti-infectives, anti-inflammatory agents, steroids, and combination products containing anti-infectives and anti-inflammatory agents.  
     
     
         35 . The kit of  claim 32  wherein the means for storage of medications contains one or more packaged medications from the group consisting of anesthetics, irrigating solutions, lubricants, sterilizers, and external cleansers.  
     
     
         36 . The kit of  claim 32  wherein the means for storage of surgical instruments contains one or more packaged surgical instruments from the group consisting of a cannulas, trocars, keratomes, scalpels, forceps, hooks, and scissors.  
     
     
         37 . The kit of  claim 32  wherein the means for storage of an ocular drug delivery system contains one or more packaged suture tabs attached to an ocular drug delivery system.