HK40017787A - Disposable antiseptic wipe apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Disposable sterilizing wet tissue device

The present application claims the benefit of united states provisional application No. 62/487,324 entitled "disposable antiseptic towelette device" filed on 2017, 4/19, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to a moist wipe for sterilization and, more particularly, to a disposable moist wipe device for sterilization.

Background

Hospitals used traditional antiseptic wipes to clean injection sites on patients prior to injection with a needle. The antiseptic wipes are also used to clean an Intravenous (IV) port around a patient's arm or other devices near the patient prior to connecting the IV fluid to the IV port. These antiseptic wipes are typically made of a fabric material impregnated with an antiseptic substance such as alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, poly-adipic acid or other antiseptic material, which are folded and individually packaged in a package having a foil liner. The package with the foil liner is openable at its top edge so that the user can tear the package and remove the sterilant impregnated web material from the package by grasping the exposed edge of the web material.

Figures 1-3 illustrate a prior art antiseptic wipe 10. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a conventional antiseptic wipe 10 showing a web material 12 within a package 14, and FIG. 2 shows the antiseptic wipe 10 in a state where the package 14 has been opened to allow contact with the web material 12 impregnated with an antiseptic. Figure 3 shows the web material 12 impregnated with the sterilant after removal from the package 14. Typically, the web material 12 impregnated with the sterilant is a single sheet of material that is folded into multiple layers prior to placement in the package and then may be unfolded after removal from the package 14, as shown in fig. 3. In use of the antiseptic wipes, the fabric material is removed from the package, optionally unfolded, and then wiped around the patient's injection site or the patient's intravenous port to clean the selected area with the antiseptic impregnated in the fabric. Contact between the fabric material 12 impregnated with the antimicrobial agent and the selected area on the patient is generally successful in reducing the likelihood of infection or sepsis during injection or through an intravenous port.

However, the use of the conventional antiseptic wipe 10 is not without its drawbacks. The antiseptic material is less likely to irritate the skin of a patient because the antiseptic wipe is not used on the skin of a patient often, however, the antiseptic material may cause severe irritation to the fingers of a nurse, doctor, or other medical professional who uses the antiseptic wipe numerous times a day. In fact, it is not uncommon for medical professionals to use 30-50 sterilized moist wipes per day. Due to this repeated use, the fingers of the user are continuously exposed to the antiseptic, which causes their fingers to become sore, develop cracks, dry out the skin, bleed, and ultimately result in a reduction in the ridges of the fingerprint on their skin. The impact on the user's fingers is painful and leads to problems of unsightly fingers. Some users attempt to solve this problem by wearing disposable medical gloves (latex or otherwise) when the use of antiseptic wipes is required, but using 30-50 gloves per day is both wasteful, inefficient, and expensive. Standard disposable latex gloves cost about $ 0.06 per couple in a medical facility. A medical professional using 50 gloves per day will spend the institution about $ 750 a year. The use of so many non-biodegradable gloves can also have a serious negative impact on the environment.

Accordingly, there is a need in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies that have heretofore remained unaddressed.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for a disposable antiseptic wet wipe device. Briefly, in terms of structure, one embodiment of a system, among others, may be implemented in the following manner. The disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit includes an antiseptic packaging container having an interior compartment. The antiseptic wet wipe is impregnated with an antiseptic substance and is positioned within the interior compartment. The sterilizing wet tissue is in a wound cylindrical shape. A portion of the packaging container may be removed from the sterilized wet wipes to expose an end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipes, and a user may grasp the unexposed end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipes through the packaging container.

The present invention can also be viewed as providing a system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes. Briefly, in terms of structure, one embodiment of a system, among others, may be implemented in the following manner. The system includes a dispenser having a housing, a retainer located at an outlet end inside the housing, and a propulsion mechanism located on the housing. A plurality of disposable sterilizing wet tissues are sequentially arranged in the shell. Each wet wipe includes a bacteria-resistant packaging container having an interior compartment. The sterilizing wet tissue is soaked with a sterilizing material. The antiseptic premoistened wipes are located in the interior compartment and are in a rolled cylindrical shape. The user may control the propulsion mechanism from outside the housing to propel the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes toward the outlet end of the housing.

The present invention can also be viewed as providing a method of disinfecting a site with a germicidal wet wipe. In this regard, one method and others can be summarized as the following steps: grasping a sterilized wet tissue soaked with a sterilizing material in an antibacterial packaging container, wherein the sterilized wet tissue has a wound cylindrical shape; removing a portion of the packaging container to expose one end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipe; grasping the unexposed end of the sterilized wet tissue by a packaging container; the site is then wiped with the exposed end of the antiseptic wipe until the site is sterilized.

The present invention can also be viewed as providing a method of making a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit. In this regard, one method and others can be summarized as the following steps: folding a flat sterilizing wet tissue at least once; rolling the folded wet tissue piece into a cylindrical shape; soaking the wet towel sheet with sterilizing material; the rolled wet wipe sheet is placed in an antimicrobial packaging container having an interior compartment, wherein a portion of the packaging container is removable from the antimicrobial wet wipe to expose an end of the rolled wet wipe sheet and a user can grasp the unexposed end of the rolled wet wipe sheet through the packaging container.

Drawings

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the present application will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1-3 show a schematic representation of a prior art antiseptic wipe 10.

Figures 4A-4B illustrate side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a top cross-sectional view of the disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit of FIGS. 4A-4B, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 6A-6B illustrate side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened towelette device grasped by a user's fingers in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 7A-7B illustrate side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit having various packaging containers according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic flow chart showing the folding of the disposable antiseptic wipe device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 9A-9B illustrate isometric and side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 10A-10B illustrate side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened towelette device grasped by a user's fingers according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 11A-15B illustrate schematic views of a system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 16A-16C illustrate diagrams of an apparatus and system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 17 illustrates a flow chart of a method for disinfecting a site with a germicidal wet wipe.

Figure 18 shows a flow chart of a method of making a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit.

Detailed Description

Figures 4A-4B show side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit 110 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a top cross-sectional view of the disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit of FIGS. 4A-4B, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4A-5, the disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit 110, which may be referred to simply as the "unit 110," includes an antiseptic packaging container 120 having an interior compartment 122. The moist antiseptic wipe 130 is impregnated with an antiseptic material. The antiseptic wipe 130 is positioned within the interior compartment 122. The antiseptic wipe 130 is in the shape of a rolled cylinder 132. A portion 120A of the packaging container 120 may be removed from the moist sterilized wipe 130 to expose an end 134 of the rolled cylindrical shape 132 of the moist sterilized wipe 130, and a user may grasp the unexposed end 136 of the rolled cylindrical shape 132 of the moist sterilized wipe 130 through the packaging container 120.

The packaging container 120 may include a foil-based material or similar material that is bacteria, water or liquid resistant and that prevents accidental contamination of the sterilized wipes 130 when the sterilized wipes 130 are located within the interior compartment 122 of the packaging 120. Thus, the package may be sealed along its ends and edges using known methods to maintain the interior compartment 122 in a sterile condition. The antiseptic wipe 130 may be formed of a disposable fabric material or similar material that is capable of being impregnated or impregnated with an antiseptic material. The antimicrobial material may include any known antimicrobial substance including alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, poly-adipic acid, and the like. The antiseptic wipe 130 is in the form of a rolled cylinder that may be formed by a combination of folding and rolling a flat piece of fabric material into a substantially solid cylinder such that the axial stiffness of the fabric material substantially exceeds the stiffness of the fabric in the flat sheet form. In other words, the rolled cylindrical shape 132 significantly increases the axial deflection resistance when a lateral force is applied to one end of the antiseptic wipe 130. As shown in fig. 5, the rolled cylindrical shape 132 may comprise a tight spiral with many overlapping layers of web material, while the package 120 may be sized with an interior compartment 122 that may contain the rolled cylindrical shaped antiseptic wipe 130.

As shown in fig. 4A, the antiseptic premoistened wipe 130 may be placed completely within the interior compartment 122 of the package 120 prior to use of the device 110. When the device 110 is needed, a user may tear off a portion 120A of the package 120 to expose one end 134 of the antiseptic wipe 130 in the rolled cylindrical shape 132 while the opposite end of the antiseptic wipe 130 remains within the package 120, as shown in FIG. 4B. The tear-away portion 120A of the package 120 may be discarded and the antiseptic towelette 130 may be used. The usage of the antiseptic wipe 130 may vary, but may generally include two different types of usage. The first use is when the antiseptic wipe 130 is completely removed from the package 120 and applied to the patient in a rolled cylindrical shape 132 or after it is unrolled and/or unrolled. Such use of the antiseptic wipe 130 may be similar to the use of conventional antiseptic wipes in the industry.

A second use of the device 110 may include using the antiseptic wipe 130 while the antiseptic wipe 130 is still partially contained within the package 120 and the user grasps the antiseptic wipe 130 through the package 120. Fig. 6A-6B show side views of a device 110 being grasped by a user's fingers 102, in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the user may grasp the rolled cylindrical antiseptic wipe 130 at the second portion 136 held within the package 120 such that the user does not need direct skin contact with the antiseptic wipe 130, but rather the package 120 may be allowed to act as a physical interface between the user's fingertips 102 and the antiseptic wipe 130. In this position, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user may then contact the exposed end 134 of the antiseptic wipe 130 with the injection site 106 on the patient 104, an intravenous port on the patient, or any other location requiring cleaning, all without the user having to contact the antiseptic material impregnated in the antiseptic wipe 130. Because the moist antiseptic wipe 130 has a rolled cylindrical shape 132, it has sufficient durability and rigidity to wipe the skin of the patient in a radial direction (e.g., using a motion similar to writing with chalk) or in a circular motion of the moist antiseptic wipe 130, and with sufficient force to clean the location on the patient 104 without excessive bending so that the moist antiseptic wipe 130 can wipe the antiseptic material onto the patient like a soft brush. The antiseptic wipe 130 gently applies the antiseptic material but prevents axial deflection when in contact with the patient with the exposed end 134, which allows the antiseptic wipe 130 to be used without the need for disposable gloves, nor contact by medical professionals with the antiseptic material.

The device 110 may be used in any environment in the medical field, including in a doctor's office, hospital, surgery center, or any other medical environment to clean an injection site on a patient or to clean a medical device such as a peripheral intravenous port. Unlike conventional antiseptic wipes that are typically removed from the package and grasped directly by a medical professional with the fingers, the device 110 may allow the user to properly use the antiseptic wipe without contacting the antiseptic material on the wipe and without the user wearing medical gloves. This performance is achieved, at least in part, through the use of a packaging material that partially contains the antiseptic wipe 130 and acts as a barrier between the antiseptic material within the wipe 130 and the user's fingers. The use of the rolled cylindrical shape 132 can be effectively applied to the skin of a patient by the user simply grasping the package 120, further increasing the usage of the device 110. Furthermore, when a user wishes to remove the antiseptic wipe 130 completely from the package 120 for use, this is no more difficult than using a conventional antiseptic wipe as described with respect to fig. 1-3. Thus, the device 110 can ameliorate the deficiencies of conventional antiseptic premoistened wipes and allow the antiseptic premoistened wipe 130 to be used in a substantially conventional manner.

To assist the user in removing only a portion of the packaging 120 of the device 110, the packaging 120 may include a tear structure 124 formed in the packaging 120. Figures 7A-7B illustrate side views of a disposable sterile wet wipe unit 110 with various packaging containers 120 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 4A-4B and 7A-7B, the tear structure 124 may include slits, cuts, and/or partial perforations in the wrapper 120 so that a user may easily tear off the tear-away portion 120A of the wrapper 120. In fig. 7A, the tear structure 124 is a cut on one side of the package 120, while in fig. 4A two cuts are included. In fig. 7B, the tear structure 124 is a partial perforation within the package 120. Partial perforations, such as those included in the outer wrapper but not through the foil liner of the package 120, may assist in tearing the package 120 while maintaining the sterile integrity of the interior compartment. Tear feature 124 is not required for all designs, as the package 120 of device 110 may be able to be torn or ripped without tear feature 124. Tear structure 124 may also include indicia or markings of where the user should separate tear-away portion 120A from package 120. In one example, the tear structure 124 may be disposed axially along the packaging container 120. For example, fig. 7A-7B illustrate tear structure 124 disposed horizontally along packaging container 120. Vertical tear structures may also be included. Any other type of tearing structure or other structure that facilitates proper opening of the package 120 for the purposes described herein may also be used, all of which are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic flow diagram 200 of the folding of the disposable antiseptic wipe unit 110 of fig. 4A-7B, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In particular, fig. 8 shows one example of how the antiseptic wipe 130 may be formed into a rolled cylindrical shape 132. At block 202, the antiseptic wipe 130 may be a flat piece of fabric material or other material, such as a paper or textile material. The antiseptic wipe 130 may be folded in half once, as shown in block 204, and then folded in half again, as shown in block 206. As shown in block 206, the antiseptic wipe 130 may have four layers of material adjacent to each other. This folded design may then be wrapped itself into a cylindrical design, as shown in block 208. The design of the stacked antiseptic wipe 130 wound into a cylindrical shape may create axial stiffness within the resulting structure so that it may be used in the manner discussed in fig. 6A-6B.

Figures 9A-10B show isometric and side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit 910 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A shows a disposable sterilized wet towel unit 910, which comprises an antibacterial packaging container 920, wherein a sterilized wet towel 930 in a coiled cylindrical shape is contained in the packaging container 920. The device 910 is elongated along a vertical axis of the device 910. At the top end of the packaging container 920, two tabs 924 may extend outwardly from the center of the device 910. The two tabs 924 are part of the packaging container 920 which are not adhesively connected along a bonding edge 926. The adhesive edge 926 may encapsulate the rolled antiseptic wipe 930. In one example, adhesive edge 926 extends along the top, bottom, and sides of device 910. The packaging container 920 may be adhered around the sterilized wet wipes 930 using any suitable adhesive, including glue, epoxy, and the like. The adhesive may be present in a small enough amount that the user can easily pull the packaging container 920 apart, but strong enough to maintain the rolled sterilized wet wipes in a substantially airtight and sterile environment. The tab 924 may be used to remove the packaging container 920, as shown in fig. 9B. The user can grasp the tab 924 and pull vertically along the elongated axis of the device 910. This may enable one half 928 of the packaging container 920 to be separated from the other half 928 along the adhesive edge 926 of the packaging container 920. When the two halves 928 are separated and folded back, one end of the wet antiseptic wipe 930 may be formed as an exposed end 934 and the other end may be left as an unexposed end 936. The unexposed end 936 is received within the interior compartment 922 of the packaging container 920.

Figures 10A-10B show side views of a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit 910 being grasped by a user's finger 102 in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. After opening the packaging container 920 as described above, the user may fold back the two halves 928 of the packaging container 920 and grasp the device 910 with two or more fingers 102. The user may then apply the antiseptic wipe 930 by wiping the site, such as the injection site 106 on the patient 104. During use, a portion 931 of the exposed end 934 of the antimicrobial towelette 930 may deflect slightly, however, the portion 931 may exhibit greater resistance to axial deflection due to its rolled cylindrical shape. This greater resistance to axial deflection enhances the utility of the antiseptic wipe 930 during application because it allows the wipe 930 to be used quickly and without unnecessary additional force to compensate for the axial deflection.

Figures 11A-15B show a schematic representation of a system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 11A-11E, system 1100 includes a dispenser having a housing 940. The housing 940 may be any suitable shape and size for holding and dispensing the antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. In one example, the housing may be shaped as a hollow tube or a hollow semi-rectangular pen with an elongated vertical axis. The pen-like shape of the housing 940 may allow the antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 to be easily dispensed one after another. The housing 940 may be sized to hold any suitable number of antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. The housing 940 may be made of any suitable rigid material, such as plastic, wood, metal, hard rubber, ceramic, and the like. The housing 940 should be strong enough to provide stability to the system 110 when in use, and durable enough to stand in a user's pocket. The housing 940 may have an open end on one or both sides of the elongate shaft. The open end may allow the antiseptic wipe 110 to enter and exit the housing 940.

The dispenser includes a propulsion mechanism 944 disposed on housing 940. The propulsion mechanism 944 is controllable by a user from outside the housing 940 to propel the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 toward the outlet end of the housing 940. The propulsion structure shown in fig. 11A-11C is a slide 944 that is vertically disposed along the exterior of the housing 940. An arm 945 disposed horizontally inside the housing 940 is attached to the slider 944. The slider 944 is movable along the housing in a slot 941, which slot 941 is disposed generally along the length of the housing 940. The slots 941 allow the slider 944 to move between an inlet end of the housing 940, which is the top end of the housing as shown in FIG. 11A, and an outlet end of the housing 940, which is the bottom end of the housing as shown in FIGS. 11B-11C, from which the sterilized wet wipes 110 exit the housing 940. The arm 945 pushes the plurality of disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 positioned within the housing 940 as the slider 944 moves from the inlet end to the outlet end of the housing 940. The sterilized wet tissues 110 are successively placed in sequence. Thus, advancing the slider 944 along the housing 940 will push each sterilized wet wipe 110 through the housing 940.

As shown in fig. 11B-11D, a portion of the antiseptic wipe 110 is exposed for use when the antiseptic wipe 110 is pushed at least partially through the housing. Fig. 11C shows that a portion 120A of the packaging container 120 may be removed from the packaging container 120 to form the exposed end 134 of the sterilized wet wipes 110. The unexposed end 136 can remain wholly or partially within the housing 940. After use, the slider 944 may push the used sterilized wet wipes 110 completely through the housing 940 and push the next sterilized wet wipe 110 partially exposed for use. Fig. 11A-11C illustrate the pushing process. In fig. 11A, the housing contains a moist antiseptic wipe 110. In fig. 11B, a slider 944 is used to advance the antiseptic wipe 110 for use. As shown in fig. 11C, the last remaining sterilized wet wipes 110 are advanced and exposed for use.

In the example shown in fig. 11C, the slot 941 includes a plurality of notches 1102, each notch 1102 being spaced apart by substantially the length of one packaging container 120. The slide 944 may be shaped to grasp each notch 1102 as it advances along the housing 940, thereby gently stopping movement of the slide plate 944. This may allow a user to push the slide 944 from one slot to another slot in increments of about one packaging container 120, regardless of the amount of advancement required. This may allow the system 1100 to be used quickly between sterilization points.

The outer shell 940 may include a removable cap 942 at an inlet end of the outer shell 940 opposite the outlet end. The removable cover 942 prevents dust and other debris from entering the housing 940 through the inlet end. In one example, the cover 942 may be removed when the supply of antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 needs to be replaced, thereby allowing the slider 944 to be removed. The antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 may be loaded into the outer housing 940 and the slider 944 and lid 942 replaced.

Fig. 11D illustrates an exemplary package remover 946 positioned on the housing 940. The package remover 946 may include a blade, knife edge, or other sharp object. The package remover 946 can be located inside the housing 940 and at the outlet end of the housing 940 and can be used to remove a portion 120A of the packaging container 920 as the antiseptic premoistened wipe 110 is pushed partially through the housing 940 for use. When the desired portion of the antiseptic wipe 110 has been pushed through the housing 940, the user may press the button 948 located on the housing 940. The button 948 may be a biasing element that, when pressed, urges the package remover 946 inwardly toward the antiseptic wipe 110. The package remover may cut or tear the packaging container 120 without contacting the rolled sterilized wet wipes 130 contained therein. This allows a portion 120A of the packaging container 120 to be removed from the sterilized wet wipes 110 without the user having to manually tear or otherwise remove it. In an example, the button 948 and the package remover 946 can be circular and can encompass the entire perimeter of the housing 940.

Fig. 11E shows the dispenser with a retainer 950, the retainer 950 being located at the outlet end inside the housing 940. The retainer 950 may be any structure that prevents the antiseptic wipe 110 from falling out of the housing 940. In one example, the retainer 950 can be a flexible stop structure that extends at least partially into the path of one of the antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. The flexible stop structure may be made of any suitable flexible material, including rubber, plastic, polymer, and the like. In the example shown in fig. 11E, the flexible stop structure is a rubber ring that is attached to the inner surface of the housing 940 at the bottom edge of the outlet end of the housing 940. The ring bends slightly upward and into the housing 940. The ring has an open space in the middle of the housing 940 to allow the antiseptic wipe 110 to pass through. Initially, the open space is smaller than the diameter of the antiseptic wipe 110 so that the antiseptic wipe 110 does not move past the retainer 950 and out of the housing 940. However, when a user applies force with the propulsion mechanism 944, the loop will flex downward to provide sufficient space for the antiseptic premoistened wipe 110 to pass through. After using the antiseptic premoistened wipes 110, the user may push the used wipes from the dispenser and continue to push the remaining antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. The flexible stop 950 can return to its original position and prevent the next antiseptic wipe 110 from leaving the housing. In one example, the flexible stop 950 may initially flex downward to prevent the antiseptic wipe 110 from passing through and then expand as the user applies pressure.

In another example, flexible stop 950 may be incorporated into cap 952 attached to the outlet end of housing 940. Cap 952 may have a diameter and internal bore of similar dimensions as housing 940. Cap 952 may be attached by a threaded or press fit. In one example, after the system 1100 is without the sterilized wet wipes 110, the user may remove the cover 952 to refill the housing 940 with the sterilized wet wipes 110. The cover 952 may be replaced and the system 1100 may be reused as previously described.

Figures 12A-12B illustrate another example of a system 1200 for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. System 1200 includes at least two rails 972 located within housing 940 and extending substantially along the length of housing 940. The two rails 972 each have a slot 974. The packaging containers 120 for the plurality of sterilized wet wipes 110 may be aligned along the slot 974 and may be movable. The rails 972 may be disposed substantially opposite one another within the housing 940. The slot 974 along each rail 972 is sized to receive the edge of the packaging container 120. The packaging container 120 can be placed in the channel 974 of the track 972 to help align the sterilized wet wipes 110 as the sterilized wet wipes 110 are loaded into the housing 940. Fig. 12A shows a cross-sectional view of the system 1200 along the elongate axis of the housing. The moist antiseptic wipes 110 are loaded vertically and can slide down the track 972. Fig. 12B shows a top view of the system 1200 indicating where the edge of the packaging container 120 fits within the slot 974 of the track 972.

Figures 13A-13B illustrate another example of a system 1300 for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. In fig. 13A, the propulsion mechanism is shown as a belt 982 at least partially within the housing 940 and extending substantially along the length of the housing 940. The belt 982 contacts the plurality of antiseptic wipes 110 within the housing 940 and movement of the belt 982 causes the antiseptic wipes 110 to move toward the outlet end of the housing 940. The belt 982 may be made of any durable material suitable for use in making belts. The belt 982 may run around an inner bearing 986 attached to the inside of the housing 940. The strap 982 forms a loop that extends substantially along the length of the housing 940. The loop forces the antiseptic wipe 110 to move through contact and thereby acts as a propulsion mechanism for the antiseptic wipe 110. Outside of housing 940, a user may expose and contact a portion 982A of strap 982. Fig. 13B shows a detailed view of portion 982A on housing 940. The user may push portion 982A in an upward direction 984 with his or her fingers. The upward direction 984 changes to a downward direction within the housing 940 and moves the antiseptic wipe 110 toward the outlet end of the housing 940.

Figures 14A-14B illustrate another example of a system 1400 for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes 110. In fig. 14A, a system 1400 has an outer shell 1410 and an inner shell 1420. The inner shell 1420 is positioned within the outer shell 1410. A biasable button 1422 is located on the inner housing 1420 opposite the outlet end of the outer housing 1410. A button 1422 protrudes from the housing 1410 to enable a user to press the button 1422. The button 1422 and inner housing 1420 may be made of materials similar to the outer housing 1410, including plastic, metal, wood, rubber, ceramic, and the like.

The inner housing 1420 may include a first sleeve 1424 with a spring 1428 or other flexible element disposed about the first sleeve 1424. The first sleeve 1424 may provide a biased edge for the spring 1428. The housing 1410 may include a shelf 1412 near an outlet end of the housing 1410. A second sleeve 1426 may be disposed about the inner shell 1420 and rest on the shelf 1412. When the push button 1422 is depressed, the inner housing 1420 moves through the outer housing 1410 toward the outlet end. As the inner housing 1420 moves relative to the shelf 1412 of the outer housing 1410, the first and second sleeves 1424, 1426 may press against the spring 1428, thereby compressing the spring 1428. When the button is released, the spring 1428 may bias against the first sleeve 1424, returning the inner housing 1420 to its original position.

The system 1400 includes a plurality of antiseptic wipes 110 stacked in series within an inner housing 1420. A plurality of gripping arms 1430 are disposed on the inner housing 1420 at the outlet end of the outer housing 1410. The function of the gripping arm 1430 is to push the antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 and hold the front most antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 in the use position.

FIG. 14B shows the grip arm 1430 in an initial closed grip position. The gripping arm 1430 presses against the front most sterilized wet wipe 110 to hold it in the use position. The exposed portion 134 of the rolled antiseptic wipe 130 protrudes from the housing, allowing the user to wipe the site with the exposed portion 134. After the antiseptic wipe 110 is used, it may be discarded by pressing the button 1422 once or several times. During each depression of the button 1422, the inner housing 1420 advances downward, thereby pushing the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes 110 forward relative to the outer housing 1410. At the same time, the grip arms 1430 attached to the inner shell 1420 are also advanced in the same direction so that they expand to fill the space of the outer shell 1410, opening them as shown in fig. 14A. The leading antiseptic wipe 110 is pushed. When the button 1422 is released, the gripping arm 1430 returns to its original position, again closing on the most forward sterilized wet wipe 110. After pressing the button a sufficient number of times, the most forward sterilized wet wipe 110 may be removed from the system 1400 and discarded. The next antiseptic wipe 110 is advanced to the point of use.

Fig. 15A-15B illustrate a system 1500 having a slide 1544 advancement mechanism using an antiseptic wipe device 910 ("antiseptic wipe 910") as in fig. 9A-10B. Fig. 15A shows a system 1500 having a housing 940, a slider 1544 and a bar 1546 and a plurality of antiseptic wipes 910. In one example, the housing 940 can include a top or cover 1542 that is removable to allow for reloading of the system 1500.

The system 1500 may include a structure to allow the packaging container 930 to be peeled off of the rolled sterilized wet wipes 920 of each sterilized wet wipe 910. The structure may be a sharp blade 1548 located at the outlet end of the housing 940. In one example, blade 1548 may be a ring located inside housing 940. The loop may leave a sufficiently large open space for the antiseptic wipe 910 to pass through as it is pushed by the system 1500. The sharpened edge 1548 is sized and positioned to catch the tab 924 of the antiseptic wipe 910 as the antiseptic wipe 910 is pushed through the outer housing 940. As shown in fig. 15B, this may cause the tabs to pull apart at the sharp knife edge 1548, thereby dividing the packaging container 920 into two halves 928 along the adhesive edge. The exposed portion 934 of the wound antiseptic wipe 930 may be ready for sterilization. This may allow the system 1500 to automatically open the antiseptic wipe 910 when the antiseptic wipe 910 is advanced to the use position. In one example, the sterilized wet wipes 910 includes a base where the packaging container 920 is not separated from the wound sterilized wet wipes 930. The base may allow the user to dispose of the used antiseptic wipe 910 without touching the wipe. Instead, the user may advance the slide plate 1544 to dispose of the used antiseptic wipe 910.

Figures 16A-16C illustrate diagrams of an apparatus and system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16A shows a disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes unit 1610 which includes a packaging container 1620 and a rolled cylindrical antiseptic premoistened wipes 1630 as described above. In addition, device 1610 includes a plurality of perforations 1612 along two opposing sides of packaging container 1620. Perforations 1612 may be provided along substantially the entire packaging container 1620 and may serve to guide the device 1610 when it is used in the system 1600 for dispensing disposable sterilized wet wipes.

Fig. 16B-16C illustrate a system 1600. The system 1600 includes a housing 1640 and a plurality of sterilized wet wipes 1610 disposed within the housing 1640. System 1600 also includes a gear belt 1642, the gear belt 1642 being positioned within housing 1640 and extending substantially along a length thereof. The gear belt 1642 has teeth 1644 along the gear belt 1642, which teeth 1644 advance as the gear belt 1642 advances. The gear belt 1642 may be wound on an internal bearing 1646 or other structure within the housing 1640. The moist germicidal wipe 1610 may be aligned with the teeth 1644 through the perforations 1612. The moist germicidal wipe 1610 may be fed into the housing 1640 where the teeth 1644 may engage the perforations 1612 to align and propel the moist germicidal wipe 1610. Figure 16C shows a continuous arrangement of antiseptic wipes 1610 aligned with the teeth 1644 and within the housing 1640. Gear 1648 may be located outside of housing 1640 and may be mechanically coupled with the bearing in fig. 16B. The user may rotate the gear 1648 to engage the gear belt 1642, which gear belt 1642 may in turn urge the wet sterilized wipes 1610 toward the outlet end of the housing 1640. Once the gear belt 1642 has advanced sufficiently to expose one of the sterilized wet wipes 1610, the packaging container 1630 may be removed, either automatically or manually, as described above, and the exposed portion 1634 may be used to sterilize the site.

Fig. 17 shows a flow diagram of a method 1700 of disinfecting a site with a disinfecting wipe. It should be noted that any process descriptions or blocks in flow charts should be understood as representing modules, portions or steps including one or more instructions for implementing specific logical functions in the process, and alternate implementations are included within the scope of the present invention in which functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present application.

Step 1710 includes grasping the sterilized wet wipes impregnated with the sterilizing material in the antimicrobial packaging container, wherein the sterilized wet wipes are in a rolled cylindrical shape.

Step 1720 includes removing a portion of the packaging container to expose an end of the rolled cylindrical shaped antiseptic premoistened wipe. The packaging container may be torn, pulled, peeled or otherwise detached from the rolled sterilized moist wipe. In an example, the removed portion of the packaging container may be less than half of the packaging container. This may allow the user to apply a firm grip when using the antiseptic wipe.

Step 1730 includes grasping the unexposed end of the sterilized wet wipe through the packaging container. The unexposed end may still be covered by a portion of the packaging container; therefore, the sterilizing material may not contact the outside of the unexposed end. The user can grasp the unexposed end without directly contacting any antimicrobial material or rolled wet wipes. In this regard, the exposed portion of the packaged container with the wet wipes wrapped around it and the unexposed portion of the wrapped wet wipes provide a robust, non-rugged wiping device for a user. The rolled shape of the wet wipes provides greater axial flexibility in use, which means that the antiseptic wet wipes can be used with routine force during sterilization. Also, the protective cover of the packaging container provides a barrier to users who must use such wipes for extended periods of time.

Step 1740 includes wiping the portion with the exposed end of the antiseptic wipe until the portion is sterilized.

Fig. 18 shows a flow chart of a method 1800 of manufacturing a disposable antiseptic wet wipe device.

Step 1810 includes folding a flat sheet of the antiseptic wipe at least once. In one example, the flat sheet may be folded multiple times to achieve a desired size, shape, or layer thickness. This may depend on the initial size of the flat sheet and the desired size of the finished antiseptic premoistened towelette device.

Step 1820 includes winding the folded sheet into a cylinder. In one example, the cylinder has an elongated shape such that a length between two ends of the cylinder is greater than a diameter of the cylinder. The elongated shape may facilitate gripping without contacting the antiseptic material when the antiseptic wipe is later used.

Step 1830 includes impregnating the wound sheet with a sterilization material. This can be done by the usual method of impregnating the sheet with the sterilising material.

Step 1840 includes placing the rolled sheet in an antimicrobial packaging container having an interior compartment, wherein a portion of the packaging container is removable from the moist antiseptic wipe to expose an end of the rolled sheet, and wherein a user can grasp the unexposed end of the rolled sheet through the packaging container. The rolled sheet may be placed on one half of the packaging container. An adhesive may be applied along the edges of the packaging container of one half and the second half may be attached to the first half. The two halves may be adhered together and the moist antiseptic wipe sealed for later use.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present application, particularly any "preferred" embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the application. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the application without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the application. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present application and protected by the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. A disposable sterilizing wet tissue device is characterized by comprising:

an aseptic packaging container having an interior compartment; and

the sterilizing wet tissue is soaked with a sterilizing material and is positioned in the internal compartment, wherein the sterilizing wet tissue is in a wound cylindrical shape.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: a portion of the packaging container may be removed from the sterilized wet wipes to expose an end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipes, and a user may grasp an unexposed end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipes through the packaging container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the packaging container further comprises at least one of a horizontal tearing structure and a vertical tearing structure arranged along the axial direction of the packaging container.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: the vertical tear structure is at least one tab that can be pulled by a user to open the packaging container along an elongated axis, wherein one half of the packaging container is separated from the other half along a glued edge.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the packaging container further comprises a plurality of perforations arranged along two opposite sides of the packaging container, wherein the device can be guided along the belt by the plurality of perforations.

6. A system for dispensing disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes, comprising:

a dispenser, comprising:

a housing;

a retainer at an outlet end inside the housing; and

a propulsion mechanism located on the housing; and

place in proper order a plurality of disposable wet piece of cloth that disinfects in the shell, every wet piece of cloth includes:

an aseptic packaging container having an interior compartment; and

a moist antiseptic wipe impregnated with an antiseptic material, the moist antiseptic wipe positioned within the interior compartment, wherein the moist antiseptic wipe is in the shape of a wound cylinder; wherein the advancing mechanism is controllable by a user from outside the housing to advance the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes toward the outlet end of the housing.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein: the propulsion mechanism is a slide movable in a slot disposed substantially along the length of the housing between the inlet end of the housing and the outlet end of the housing, wherein the slide propels the plurality of disposable antiseptic premoistened wipes by sliding toward the outlet end of the housing.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein: the slot of the housing further comprises a plurality of notches, each notch spaced substantially the length of one packaging container, wherein the slider can advance from one notch to another in about one packaging container increment.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein: further comprising a package remover located inside the housing at the outlet end of the housing, wherein the package remover is sized to allow the plurality of rolled cylindrical antiseptic premoistened wipes to advance through the package remover while contactingly separating the packaging container from the rolled cylindrical antiseptic premoistened wipes.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein: the holder includes a flexible stop structure that extends at least partially into the path of one of the antiseptic premoistened wipes.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the housing further comprises:

a blade located inside the outlet end of the housing; and

a button located on an exterior of the housing against the blade, wherein upon depression of the button, the blade is engageable to disengage a portion of the packaging container from the sterilized wet wipes.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein: further comprising two tracks located within the housing and extending substantially along the length of the housing, the two tracks each comprising a slot, wherein the packaging containers of the plurality of sterilized wet wipes are alignable and movable along the slots.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein: the advancing mechanism is a belt at least partially within the housing and extending substantially along a length of the housing, wherein the belt is in contact with the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes such that movement of the belt advances the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes toward the outlet end of the housing.

14. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an inner shell located within the outer shell;

a biasable button located on the inner housing opposite the outlet end of the outer housing, the button projecting from the outer housing to enable a user to depress the button; and

a plurality of gripper arms disposed on the inner housing at the outlet end of the outer housing, wherein the plurality of gripper arms are initially in a closed gripping position, the button being the advancing mechanism, wherein upon depression of the button, the plurality of gripper arms open and extend toward the outlet end of the outer housing, and wherein upon release of the button, the button and the plurality of gripper arms return to their initial positions to advance the plurality of antiseptic premoistened wipes.

15. A method for sterilizing a site with a moist towelette comprising the steps of:

grasping the sterilizing wet tissue soaked with the sterilizing material in the antibacterial packaging container, wherein the sterilizing wet tissue is in a wound cylindrical shape;

removing a portion of the packaging container to expose one end of the rolled cylindrical sterilized wet wipe;

grasping the unexposed end of the sterilized wet tissue by the packaging container; and

wiping the site with the exposed end of the antiseptic wipe until the site is sterilized.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of removing a portion of the packaging container comprises:

grasping two tabs on the packaging container; and

separating the packaging container along a gluing edge, wherein the gluing edge extends downwards along the elongated axis of the packaging container.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein: the antiseptic material does not contact the user of the antiseptic wipe.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein: the axial deflection resistance of the rolled cylindrical antiseptic wet wipe is greater than the axial deflection resistance of a flat antiseptic wet wipe.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein: the removed portion of the packaging container is less than half of the packaging container.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein: the antiseptic premoistened wipes are located within a dispenser, wherein the step of grasping the antiseptic premoistened wipes impregnated with the antiseptic material is performed by the dispenser.