Labels, Containers, System And Methods For Providing Reagents

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for marketing and using products such as liquid materials, especially liquid reagents for use in microbiological and cellular biological laboratory settings include the use of unique color and simple numeric or alphanumeric identifiers to quickly and easily identify any product from a catalog list of products. Methods of marketing, advertising and producing such products are also disclosed. Particular embodiments include products, product packaging and product labeling. The invention also relates to collars and sleeves for containers, as well as related methods of use.

1 . A commercial package for liquid cell culture media or sera comprising:
 (i) a container comprising:
 (a) a first side and a second side, wherein the two sides are substantially planar and are disposed essentially parallel to each other; 
 (b) a front end surface and a rear end surface, wherein the two end surfaces are substantially planar and are disposed essentially parallel to each other; 
 (c) a planar bottom, adjoining and essentially perpendicular to the two sides and the two ends; 
 (d) a top, wherein the top comprises an opening for access to the interior of the container, and wherein the opening is disposed at approximately a 45 angle with respect to the front end; and optionally, 
 (e) a cap, configured to provide a sterile seal of the container, wherein the cap may be reversibly turned from a sealed configuration to an open configuration by a rotational movement of approximately 90 and wherein the container and cap provide a visual indication of the open or closed state of the cap; 
   (ii) a labeling system wherein the cap comprises a coded visual indicator of the contents of the container comprising a color and a number; and   (iii) a label on the container in which the number and color are repeated, and in which the color and number are indicative of the contents of the container.   
     
     
         2 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method for improving efficiency in a laboratory setting in which sterile liquid materials are transferred into and out of containers while maintaining the sterility of the transferred materials and of the materials remaining in the containers comprising:
 providing sterile liquid materials in containers that provide openings and caps to provide access and to seal the opening that are oriented at an ergonomically advantageous angle for insertion of a pipette device;   providing a cap that is openable with one hand, that moves from an open to a closed position with a rotational turn of less than 360, and that includes a visual indication that the cap is in the open or closed position;   providing a label on the container that includes a prominent color code that identifies the type of product in the container and a one to three digit numeral in prominent type and in the color of the color code that identifies the individual product within the product type so the product is easily identified without relying on small type; and   providing a matching label on the cap that prominently displays the color code and the colored numerals that match those on the container label.   
     
     
         25 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A kit comprising a container with seven panels, the panels of the container comprising:
 (i) a front panel and back panel, each of which is rectangular in shape and having a height to width ratio of between 1.5 to 1.0 and 3.0 to 1.0;   (ii) two side panels each having five edges, wherein two of the edges are vertical edges which are parallel to each other, wherein one of the edges is a horizontal edge that is located at the bottom of the panel, and two of the edges are angled, upper edges which each extend upward from different vertical edges and meet to form an upside down V;   (iii) a base panel which is rectangular in shape; and   (iv) two angled, upper panels which are rectangular in shape;   wherein the above panels are referred to with reference to the container resting on the base panel.   
     
     
         30 . The kit of  claim 29 , which further contains an opening in at least one of the angled, upper panels. 
     
     
         31 . The kit of  claim 30  in which the opening is designed to accept a cover. 
     
     
         32 . The kit of  claim 31 , in which the cover is a cap. 
     
     
         33 . The kit of  claim 29 , which further contains a label which identifies the contents of the container. 
     
     
         34 . The kit of  claim 29 , which has an inner volume in a range selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) from about 25 milliliters to about 1000 milliliters;   (ii) from about 75 milliliters to about 500 milliliters;   (iii) from about 125 milliliters to about 500 milliliters;   (iv) from about 250 milliliters to about 1000 milliliters; and   (v) from about 250 milliliters to about 50 milliliters.