Medical equipment storage and transportation kit

1. A medical equipment storage and transportation kit adapted for the storage and, transportation of medical equipment following processing or use thereof, said kit comprising:

a tray defined by a base and surrounding walls, upper ends of the surrounding walls forming a peripheral lip portion that extends externally around the surrounding walls, said tray having at least one fold-line formed therein, the fold-line running from the peripheral lip portion, down a first wall, across the base, up a second wall and onto the peripheral lip portion, thereby to facilitate compaction of said tray for disposal; and

a lid adapted to engage with the walls of the tray, and having at least one fold-line formed therein;

wherein each said fold-line terminates at each end thereof in a cut-out section bound at one edge thereof by a reinforcement tab, thereby to prevent unintentional collapse of the tray and lid along the fold-line when said kit is in use; and wherein each said reinforcement tab is removable to facilitate folding of the tray and lid along each said fold-line for compaction and disposal, following use of said kit;

and optionally one or more of:

a tray liner;

a protective cover adapted to be detachably secured to the tray; and

an oxygen-impermeable container adapted to receive said tray therewithin.

2. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the tray has an inner compartment defined by the base and surrounding walls;

the tray liner is present and is adapted to line the inner compartment of the tray; and

the protective cover is present and is adapted to be extended across the inner compartment.

3. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tray and the lid has in the range of from one to three fold-lines formed therein.

4. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tray and the lid is provided with at least one upstanding island structure.

5. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a pair of interchangeable protective covers, one member of said pair of covers carrying an indicator adapted to provide a visual indication that medical equipment contained within said inner compartment is clean, and the other member of said pair carrying an indicator adapted to provide a visual indication that said medical equipment is contaminated.

6. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tray and the lid is formed from paper pulp material treated with an additive adapted to render the material water resistant.

7. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tray and the lid is formed at least partially from transparent plastics material.

8. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one contaminated status indication tag for attachment to medical equipment following use, and at least one clean status indication tag adapted for attachment to medical equipment within the tray, said tags being adapted to provide a visual indication as to said medical equipment's status.

9. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , adapted for storage and transportation of a flexible medical endoscope.

10. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the lid are substantially equal to those of the tray, and wherein the lid is formed with a structure and profile complementary to that of the tray, such that when the lid is engaged with the tray, each said component constitutes substantially one half of a tray assembly, and wherein an inner compartment adapted to receive an article of medical equipment is defined between said tray and said lid.

11. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the tray and the lid are each formed with a cellular structure to facilitate compaction following use.

12. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as clamed in claim 10 , wherein the oxygen-impermeable container is present, and is provided with a port adapted to communicate with the inner compartment of the tray assembly via at least one flexible tube, at least one of said tray and said lid being shaped so as to permit access of said at least one flexible tube to said inner compartment when the lid is engaged with the tray.

13. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said at least one flexible tube is adapted to communicate with internal channels of a flexible medical endoscope when housed within the inner compartment of the tray assembly.

14. The medical equipment storage and transportation kit as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a control module in communication with said container port and adapted to monitor and control the container's internal environment.

15. A method for maintaining the disinfection of medical equipment following processing thereof, utilising a kit of parts as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the following major steps:

(a) placing disinfected medical equipment in a tray with a lid, said tray and lid constituting principal components of a kit of parts as claimed in claim 1 ;

(b) placing said loaded tray in an oxygen-impermeable container;

(c) sealing the container;

(d) reducing pressure within the container by a suction process selected from mechanical, electrical and manual suction; and

(e) removing atmospheric oxygen from the container by a gas scavenger.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising the preliminary step, prior to performing major step (a), of:

(i) attaching to the medical equipment at least one clean status indication tag to provide a visual indication that said medical equipment is clean.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising an additional step, prior to performing major step (e), of:

(ii) charging the container with a disinfectant gas or vapor.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 , comprising, following use of the medical equipment in a medical procedure and the subsequent transportation of said equipment for processing, the further major steps of:

(f) compacting the tray and the lid by folding along each said fold-line; and

(g) disposing of the compacted tray and the lid.