Systems and methods for packaging instruments or other items with bag making features
A bagmaker interoperable with an item processor is disclosed, the bagmaker being configured to produce bags for packaging items for sterilization, such as medical instruments. The bagmaker may include a controller interoperable with a bag production device, the bag production device including a bag cutter and a heat sealer, such that tubing may be sealed and cut, such that a bag of a specified length is formed. Operation of the bagmaker may include identifying tubing corresponding to a bag width of the bag, advancing tubing to correspond with the length of the bag, sealing at least a first end of the tubing, and then advancing and cutting the tubing; ejecting the bag from the bagmaker and retracting remaining uncut tubing, wherein the retraction and ejection may occur contemporaneously or interchangeably in order.
1. A system for making a bag, the system comprising:
a bagmaker, the bagmaker including:
at least two roller modules for supplying and directing feeding of a plurality of widths of tubing;
a motor creating a motion of one of the at least two roller modules, the selected one of the at least two roller modules being interoperable with a corresponding selected one of the plurality of widths of tubing to form a bag of a determined width from the selected tubing, the determined width corresponding to a size of an item to be contained in the bag;
a bag cutter;
a heat sealing device; and
a controller configured to selectively control operation of the bagmaker to:
feed a selective length of the selected tubing and form the bag of the determined width from the selected tubing;
cut the selected tubing; and
heat seal the selected tubing to form at least one closed and sealed end thereof.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control operation of the bagmaker to:
prior to cutting the tubing, feed an additional selective length of the tubing, the additional selective length corresponding to the selective length of the tubing;
after cutting the tubing, eject the cut and heat sealed tubing from the bagmaker; and
retracting a remaining uncut portion of the tubing.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to interoperate with an instrument processor.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the instrument processor includes a device for optical identification of an instrument.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is selectively controlled via a command issuing device, the command issuing device accessing a processor and a data repository.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each roller module is for making a respective width of the bag.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one of the at least two roller modules comprises:
a body;
a drive shaft located within body; and
a shaft engaging feature for selectively engaging the drive shaft.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bag cutter comprises:
a body;
a drive belt;
a linear rail; and
a blade carriage selectively moveable along the linear rail via the drive belt.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein heat sealing device comprises:
a housing;
a hot bar;
a compression bar;
a heat sealer drive having a rotatable drive shaft; and
a cam operable via the rotatable drive shaft;
wherein the compression device is selectively moveably interoperable with the hot bar via engagement of the cam with the compression device.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the cam translates rotational motion of the drive rotatable shaft into linear movement of the compression bar.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first width of a first roller of the at least two module rollers is different from a second width of a second roller of the at least two module rollers.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Graphical User Interface (GUI) interoperable with at least one of the bagmaker or the controller, wherein the GUI is configured to receive input from a user for controlling bagmaker.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the selective length of the tubing.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein a predetermined width of tubing is fed using one of the at least two roller modules.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bagmaker receives a command from the controller, the command comprising: a size of tubing to be used for making the bag, and a variably selectable length of the bag to be made.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein each roller module of the at least two roller modules is individually actionable.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two roller modules comprises:
a body for housing a drive shaft engaged with a clutch;
a clutch gear;
a roller gear including a lower roller gear and an upper roller gear for causing the motion of one of the at least two roller modules thereby to feed the tubing;
a roller; and
a bag feed slot.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two roller modules are rotatable about a single axis.
19. A system for making a bag, the system comprising:
a bagmaker, the bagmaker including:
at least two roller modules for supplying and directing feeding of a plurality of widths of tubing;
a motor creating a motion of one of the at least two roller modules, the selected one of the at least two roller modules being interoperable with a corresponding selected one of the plurality of widths of tubing to form a bag of a determined width from the selected tubing, the determined width corresponding to a size of an item to be contained in the bag;
a bag cutter;
a heat sealing device; and
a controller configured to selectively control operation of the bagmaker to:
feed a selective length of the selected tubing and form the bag of the determined width from the selected tubing;
heat seal at least a first end of the selected tubing to form one closed and sealed end thereof; and
cut the selected tubing.
20. A system for making a bag, the system comprising:
a bagmaker, the bagmaker including:
at least two roller modules for supplying and directing feeding of a plurality of widths of tubing, wherein the at least two roller modules are rotatable about a single axis, wherein each of the at least two roller modules is individually actionable via a clutch;
a motor creating a motion of one of the at least two roller modules, the selected one of the at least two roller modules being interoperable with a corresponding selected one of the plurality of widths of tubing to form a bag of a determined width from the selected tubing, the determined width corresponding to a size of an item to be contained in the bag;
a bag cutter;
a heat sealing device; and
a controller configured to selectively control operation of the bagmaker to:
feed a selective length of the selected tubing and form the bag of the determined width from the selected tubing;
cut the selected tubing; and
heat seal the selected tubing to form at least one closed and sealed end thereof.
21. A system for making a bag, the system comprising:
a bagmaker, the bagmaker including:
at least two roller modules for supplying and directing feeding of a plurality of widths of tubing, wherein the at least two roller modules are rotatable about a single axis, wherein each of the at least two roller modules is individually actionable via a clutch;
a motor creating a motion of one of the at least two roller modules, the selected one of the at least two roller modules being interoperable with a corresponding selected one of the plurality of widths of tubing to form a bag of a determined width from the selected tubing, the determined width corresponding to a size of an item to be contained in the bag;
a bag cutter;
a heat sealing device comprising, a housing, a hot bar, a compression bar, a heat sealer drive having a rotatable drive shaft, and a cam operable via the rotatable drive shaft, wherein the compression device is selectively moveably interoperable with the hot bar via engagement of the cam with the compression device; and
a controller configured to selectively control operation of the bagmaker to:
feed a selective length of the selected tubing and form the bag of the determined width from the selected tubing;
cut the selected tubing; and
heat seal the selected tubing to form at least one closed and sealed end thereof.