Packaging for a Size Varying Series of Femoral Components for Artificial Knee Joints

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns packaging adapted to accommodate a series of femoral components for artificial knee joints which vary in size but have a common thickness dimension. The packaging is designed to provide a clearance between its internal parts which approximates this common thickness dimension but is also able to accommodate variations in the other dimensions of the femoral components. In a convenient approach, a base portion is provided which has a vertical projection with a top surface adapted to support a portion of the inner surface of the major arch of the femoral components of said series. It is mated with a second structural member which has an arcurate surface whose contour approximates a portion of the outside surface of the major arch of the femoral components in this series. Means are provided for holding it in a fixed special relationship with said base portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package adapted to securely hold for shipment any one of a series of femoral components of prosthetic knee joints of different sizes comprising:
 a. a base portion which has a quadrilateral base and a vertical projection with a top surface adapted to support a portion of the inner surface of the major arch of the femoral components of said series;   b. a second structural member which has an arcurate surface whose contour approximates a portion of the outside surface of the major arch of the femoral components in said series; and   c. means for holding said second structural member in a fixed spacial relationship with said base portion so as to define a clearance which approximates an approximate common thickness dimension shared by the members of said series.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said base portion and said second structural member are fabricated of a laminated thermoplastic such that the surfaces which are adapted to face the femoral components to be packaged are an aromatic polyether polyurethane. 
     
     
         3 . An easily openable presentation package for any one of a series of femoral components of different sizes for a prosthetic knee comprising:
 a. a base portion with a generally quadrilateral peripheral shape with at least one vertical projection;   b. two generally quadrilateral side portions, each hingedly attached to one of two opposed edges of the periphery of said base such that an edge of each side portion is essentially coextensive with one of said opposed edges of the periphery of said base, each of said side portions having
 i. a set of three outer vertical walls rising from the three peripheral edges not hingedly connected to said base; 
 ii. a generally horizontal ledge extending inward from each of said vertical walls; 
 iii. a arcurate wall extending downward from the middle ledge to intersect with a horizontal plane which encompasses said peripheral edges of said base portion and a generally vertical wall extending downward from each of the other two generally horizontal ledges to also intersect with said horizontal plane; 
 iv. wherein one of said vertical projections from said base and said arcurate wall extending from said middle ledge of one of said side portions are configured such that when said portion is rotated about its hinged connection with said base portion to bring its ledges into a generally vertical configuration or to meet with the ledges of said other side portion, said vertical projection and said arcurate wall define a clearance which approximates an approximate common thickness dimension of a series of femoral components which are each of a different size. 
   
     
     
         4 . The presentation package of  claim 3  wherein:
 a. said base portion has:
 i. a generally rectangular base peripheral shape; 
 ii. a series of vertical projections of varied heights with at least the tallest projection having its base coextensive with the a portion of a long edge of said base peripheral shape and having a generally rectangular top surface; 
 
 b. said clearance approximating said approximate common dimension is defined by the distance between a portion of said tallest vertical projection and one of said arcurate walls when the side portion which carries said arcurate wall is rotated about its hinged connection with said base portion to bring its ledges into a generally vertical configuration or to meet with the ledges of said other side portion. 
 
     
     
         5 . The presentation package of  claim 4  wherein said series of vertical projections are configured as steps from the periphery of said base to said tallest vertical projection. 
     
     
         6 . The presentation package of  claim 4  wherein the wall connecting said top surface of said tallest vertical projection to the portion of its base partially coextensive with one of the long edges of peripheral shape said base slants outwardly away from the center of said base portion. 
     
     
         7 . The presentation package of  claim 4  wherein said arcurate walls of said side portions have each have a contour that approximates a portion of the outside contour of the largest of said series of femoral components of different sizes with an approximate common dimension. 
     
     
         8 . The presentation package of  claim 6  wherein said slanted wall and the arcurate wall it faces when the side portion which carries said arcurate wall is rotated about its hinged connection with said base portion to bring its ledges into a generally vertical configuration or to meet with the ledges of said other side portion define a clearance which closely envelopes the rear portion of said series of femoral components which have an approximate common thickness dimension but are each otherwise of a different size. 
     
     
         9 . The presentation package of  claim 8  wherein the arcurate wall not facing said slanted wall has projection approximately in its center which, when the side portion which carries said arcurate wall is rotated about its hinged connection with said base portion to bring its ledges into a generally vertical configuration or to meet with the ledges of said other side portion, faces inward towards said vertical projections of said base and is adapted to fit between the condyles of said series of femoral components. 
     
     
         10 . The presentation package of  claim 4  wherein said other two generally vertical walls of each side portion deviate a minor amount from strictly vertical to slope inwardly toward the cavity which they and said arcurate wall define. 
     
     
         11 . The presentation package of  claim 3  which is fabricated from a laminated thermoplastic such that the surfaces which are adapted to face the femoral components to be packaged are an aromatic polyether polyurethane. 
     
     
         12 . A package for the transport and handling of any one of a series of femoral components of different sizes for a prosthetic knee comprising:
 a. an insert portion having
 i. a generally rectangularly shaped horizontal base; 
 ii. a generally rectangularly shaped top which is narrower than, generally parallel to and spaced from said base; 
 iii. two side walls connecting the shorter sides of said base to said top, said walls being generally vertical so as to connect the portions of the top which lie generally above the shorter edges of said base to said shorter edges; and 
 iv. two long walls connecting the long edges of said base to the long edges of said top with one or both of said long walls having a portion at an angle between vertical and horizontal which accommodates the fact that said top is narrower than said base, said angled portion or portions optionally carrying a series of steps; 
   b. a retainer portion with a surface which generally follows the outside contours of the central portion of a femoral component of a prosthetic knee and being so dimensioned that it defines a narrow range of clearances between a portion of said top of said insert and a portion of its contoured surface when held a fixed distance from said top; and   c. a tray comprising a bottom wall and four sidewalls which define a volume into which said insert and said retainer fit, said tray having engaging means for holding said insert and said retainer in said volume and keeping them at fixed distance from each other such that said narrow range of clearances approximates an approximately common dimension of a series of femoral components which are each otherwise of a different size.   
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 12  wherein said generally rectangularly shaped top of said insert portion is provided with a generally rectangularly shaped vertical projection which has its long sides parallel to the short sides of said top, said vertical projection being located in the center of said top. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 12  wherein said generally rectangularly shaped top is provided with two generally circularly shaped recesses spaced evenly from the center of said top along its longer dimension. 
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 12  wherein the bottom wall of said tray has a vertical projection which is offset inwardly from but follows the periphery of said bottom wall and the inner periphery of the bottom of said insert force fits over said projection to hold said insert in place in the cavity of said tray. 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 15  wherein said bottom wall and said vertical projection carry vents which allow gaseous access to the interior surfaces of said insert when it is affixed to said tray via said vertical projection. 
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 12  wherein said tray has a horizontal ledge about the mouth of its cavity which is surrounded by a higher horizontal ledge, said lower ledge being adapted to support said retainer portion. 
     
     
         18 . The package of  claim 17  wherein a vertical wall depends from the inner edge of said lower ledge and is offset outwardly from said four sidewalls of said tray and said retainer portion has a vertical wall offset inwardly from its outer periphery, said retainer portion vertical wall force fitting within said inner tray vertical wall to hold said retainer portion in place on said tray. 
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 12  wherein said retainer portion is generally rectangularly shaped, has a groove in its center running in its shorter direction and has two arcurate walls of equal dimensions, one on each side of said groove, which run in the same direction as said groove and extend a greater height out of the plane of said retainer portion than said groove. 
     
     
         20 . The package of  claim 19  wherein said insert portion and said retainer portion are both fabricated of a laminated thermoplastic such that the surfaces which are adapted to face the femoral components to be packaged are an aromatic polyether polyurethane.