Sterile container

Abstract

A sterile container is provided which may be used for receiving and storing surgical instruments or surgical material. The sterile container comprises a receiving space formed by a container bottom and container walls, a lid for closing the receiving space, and a sterile barrier comprising a first carrier and a second carrier facing the first carrier. The first carrier and the second carrier define a sterile flow path therebetween in the form of a Pasteurian loop which establishes a fluid connection between the receiving space and an environment outside the sterile container. One of the first carrier and the second carrier are movable relative to the other of the first carrier and second carrier from a sterile position defining the sterile flow path to a overpressure position defining an overpressure flow path in which the one carrier has moved away from the other carrier. In the overpressure position, a pressure difference between pressures prevailing in the receiving space and in the environment outside of the sterile container exceeds a minimum pressure difference.

1 . Sterile container, comprising:
 a receiving space formed by a container bottom and container walls;   a lid for closing the receiving space;   a sterile barrier comprising a first carrier and a second carrier facing the first carrier, the first carrier and the second carrier defining a sterile flow path therebetween in the form of a Pasteurian loop which establishes a fluid connection between the receiving space and an environment outside the sterile container;   one of the first carrier and the second carrier being movable relative to the other of the first carrier and second carrier from a sterile position defining the sterile flow path to a overpressure position defining an overpressure flow path in which the one carrier has moved away from the other carrier;   wherein in the overpressure position a pressure difference between pressures prevailing in the receiving space and in the environment outside of the sterile container exceeds a minimum pressure difference.   
     
     
         2 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in the sterile position the sterile flow path has a first flow cross section, in the overpressure position the sterile flow path has a second flow cross section, and the overpressure flow path has a third flow cross section, which corresponds to the difference between the first flow cross section and the second flow cross section. 
     
     
         3 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the sterile barrier is arranged on an inner side of the sterile container. 
     
     
         4 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a holding device is provided for holding at least one part of the sterile barrier on the sterile container. 
     
     
         5 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the at least one part of the sterile barrier and the holding device are releasably connectable, and the at least one part of the sterile barrier is releasable from the holding device in a remove position and is held on the holding device in a connect position. 
     
     
         6 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first carrier and the second carrier each carry concentric ring-shaped projections which extend in a direction towards the respective other carrier, and in the sterile position a ring-shaped projection of one carrier respectively enters at least partially in between two ring-shaped projections of the other carrier. 
     
     
         7 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the ring-shaped projections of the one carrier have a wall thickness which is smaller than a spacing between adjacent ring-shaped projections of the other carrier. 
     
     
         8 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the ring-shaped projections of the two carriers have a height which is smaller than a spacing of the two carriers from one another in the sterile position. 
     
     
         9 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the first carrier and the second carrier are arranged parallel or substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         10 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein in the sterile position a vertical spacing of the one carrier from the ring-shaped projections of the other carrier is smaller than a height of the ring-shaped projections of the one carrier. 
     
     
         11 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein in the overpressure position a vertical spacing of the one carrier from the ring-shaped projections of the other carrier is greater than a height of the ring-shaped projections of the one carrier. 
     
     
         12 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein one of the two carriers is immovably connected to the sterile container. 
     
     
         13 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein one of the two carriers is formed integrally with the sterile container. 
     
     
         14 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein:
 one of the two carriers has a gas exchange opening which is in fluid communication with the environment outside the container, and   the ring-shaped projections of one of the two carriers concentrically surround the gas exchange opening.   
     
     
         15 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the second carrier is mounted on the sterile container so as to be movable relative to the first carrier. 
     
     
         16 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein at least one stop is provided for specifying a minimum spacing between the first and the second carriers. 
     
     
         17 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sterile barrier and/or a gas exchange opening which is in fluid communication with the environment outside of the sterile container is/are of circular or substantially circular construction.   
     
     
         18 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the holding device comprises at least one holding element for holding and/or supporting at least one part of the sterile barrier. 
     
     
         19 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the at least one holding element is mounted so as to be movable on the sterile container. 
     
     
         20 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the at least one holding element is held in a biased manner on the sterile container, so that the sterile container will assume the sterile position when the pressure difference is smaller than the minimum pressure difference. 
     
     
         21 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the sterile barrier comprises at least one holding portion, the holding device comprises at least one holding element, and the at least one holding portion is supported on the at least one holding element. 
     
     
         22 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the sterile barrier is arranged on the lid. 
     
     
         23 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one stop is provided for delimiting a maximum gas flow cross section of the sterile flow path. 
     
     
         24 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the lid and/or the sterile barrier is/are made from a plastic material, in particular, from polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU). 
     
     
         25 . Sterile container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in the overpressure position the pressure prevailing in the environment outside of the sterile container exceeds the pressure prevailing in the receiving space by at least the minimum pressure difference.