Medical instrument retainer assembly and method of making the retainer
View Patent ↗A retainer assembly for retaining a medical device in a container having a perforated wall includes a retainer with a rigid support portion having at least one leg and a flexible, resilient instrument holding portion intimately bonded to the support portion so that the retainer is devoid of cracks and crevices between said portions. Each leg has a free end and an axial passage extending into the leg from that end so that the retainer may be positioned on the container wall with each opening in register with a perforation therein. A fastener extends into the passage of each leg and the underlying perforation from below the wall to anchor each leg to the wall under pressure thereby providing a seal between each leg and the wall. Various retainer embodiments and a method for making same are also disclosed.
1. A retainer for retaining a medical device in a container having a wall with perforations, said retainer comprising:
a rigid support portion to provide at least one bonding surface, at least one leg extending from the bonding surface and an axial passage extending into said leg from a free end thereof so that the retainer may be positioned on said wall with each axial passage in register with a perforation in said wall, wherein said wall is contacted by said leg only at a surface directly underneath said leg, and injection molding a plastic material directly onto said bonding surface to form a flexible resilient instrument holding portion which extends from the support portion in a direction opposite to that of said at least one leg so that the retainer is devoid of cracks and crevices which could be potential sites for bacterial in-growth; and
a seal between each leg and the wall.
2. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein the support portion is formed as a post and the holding portion is formed as a sleeve encircling the post.
3. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein the support portion is formed as a beam and the holding portion is formed as a blade that is coextensive with the beam.
4. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein the support portion is formed as a pair of spaced-apart parallel posts and the holding portion is formed as a pair of sleeves encircling the posts with a web connecting the sleeves.
5. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein each leg is formed with a peripheral knife edge at the free end thereof.
6. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein said holding portion includes a wall extension encircling each leg.
7. The retainer defined in claim 6 wherein the wall extension encircling each leg protrudes beyond the free end of that leg to form a flexible resilient sealing lip at the periphery of said free end.
8. The retainer defined in claim 1 wherein the holding portion includes one or more cutouts.
9. A method of making a retainer for retaining medical devices in a container having a wall with perforations, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a rigid support portion to provide at least one bonding surface, at least one leg extending from the bonding surface and an axial passage extending into said leg from a free end thereof so that the retainer may be positioned on said wall with each axial passage in register with a perforation in said wall, wherein said wall is contacted by said leg only at a surface directly underneath said leg, and injection molding a plastic material directly onto said bonding surface to form a flexible resilient instrument holding portion which extends from the support portion in a direction opposite to that of said at least one leg so that the retainer is devoid of cracks and crevices which could be potential sites for bacterial in-growth; and
providing a seal between each leg and the wall.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of cutting one or more slots in said holding portion.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming the support portion as a post and the holding portion as a sleeve encircling the post.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming the support portion as a beam and the holding portion as a blade that is coextensive with the beam.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming the support portion as a pair of spaced-apart parallel posts and the holding portion as a pair of sleeves encircling the posts with a web connecting the sleeves.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming each leg with a peripheral knife edge at the free end thereof.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming the holding portion with a wall extension encircling each leg.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wall extension encircling each leg protrudes beyond the free end of that leg, thereby forming a flexible resilient sealing lip at the periphery of said free end.
17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of forming at least one cutout within the holding portion.