Delivery tray and packaging system for medical items

Abstract

A deliver tray for medical items includes a plurality of receiving spaces each intended to receive a single medical item. The lower face of the tray has a plurality of caps, the caps being arranged and sized such that when the tray is stacked on a second identical tray, the caps of the tray are able to close the receiving spaces of the second tray. A packaging system comprises a vessel having an opening, a bottom and a peripheral wall. The system also includes a stack formed by a plurality of trays, and a porous lid that is sealed on the upper edge of the peripheral wall of the vessel (10) to close it. The disclosure also relates to a packaging method, in particular, comprising a vacuumization step.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A delivery tray for medical items, the tray comprising a lower face and an upper face, the upper face having a plurality of receiving spaces each intended to receive a single medical item; and
 wherein the lower face of the tray has a plurality of caps, the caps being arranged and sized such that when the tray is stacked on a second identical tray, the caps of the tray are able to close the receiving spaces of the second tray.   
     
     
         2 . The delivery tray of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each receiving space is delimited laterally by a partition perpendicular to the upper face of the tray,   each cap is delimited laterally by a wall perpendicular to the lower face of the tray, and   the caps of the tray are arranged, respectively, in line with the receiving spaces of the tray and are sized, respectively, to close the receiving spaces of a second identical tray underlying the tray, by interlocking or abutment of the partitions of the receiving spaces of the second tray and the walls of the caps of the tray facing it.   
     
     
         3 . The delivery tray of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving spaces each have an inner surface, the inner surface of the receiving spaces being provided with at least one lateral support element to support and limit the lateral movements of the medical item in the receiving space. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery tray of  claim 3 , wherein the caps are each provided with a vertical support element to support and limit the vertical movement of a medical item arranged in the receiving space of the second tray on which the tray has been stacked. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery tray of  claim 1 , wherein each receiving space has a solid bottom, formed by the upper face of the tray, each cap also having a solid bottom, formed by the lower face of the tray. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery tray of  claim 1 , wherein at least one receiving space has a perforated bottom, due to the presence of an orifice in the tray, centered on the bottom of the at least one receiving space, the orifice having dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the medical item that is intended to occupy the at least one receiving space. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery tray of  claim 1 , wherein an upper part of the receiving spaces is deformable. 
     
     
         8 . A packaging system for medical items, comprising:
 a vessel having an opening, a bottom and a peripheral wall;   a stack formed by a plurality of trays according to  claim 1 , the stack being placed in the vessel; and   a porous lid that is sealed on an upper edge of the peripheral wall of the vessel to close it.   
     
     
         9 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , further comprising a cover arranged on the stack of trays to close the receiving spaces of a top tray of the stack. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging system of  claim 9 , wherein the cover is a rigid plate provided on a lower face with a plurality of caps capable of closing the receiving spaces of the top tray of the stack. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging system of  claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises a plurality of strips provided with caps capable of closing the receiving spaces of the top tray of the stack. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging system of  claim 11 , wherein the strips and the caps comprise a flexible material. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging system of  claim 12 , wherein each strip comprises bending regions formed between each cap. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , wherein the receiving spaces of a top tray of the stack are closed by unitary stoppers. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , wherein the bottom of the vessel is provided with bosses configured to fit into the caps of a bottom tray of the stack. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , wherein the vessel is placed under vacuum in at least one sealed bag. 
     
     
         17 . A method of packaging medical items, comprising the following steps:
 providing a vessel having an opening, a bottom and a peripheral wall;   arranging a bottom tray according to  claim 1  at the bottom of the vessel;   arranging at least one additional tray according to  claim 1  to form a stack of trays in the vessel, the caps of the additional tray closing the receiving spaces of a directly underlying tray;   sealing a porous lid on an upper edge of the peripheral wall of the vessel; and   placing the vessel in at least one impermeable bag, and placing the bag under vacuum.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the lid is rigidly connected to the vessel by welding the lid onto the upper edge of the peripheral wall of the vessel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising arranging a cover on a top tray of the stack. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the lid is sealed to the cover.