Surgical package

Claim 1

AN INTERIORLY STERILIZED PACKAGE COMPRISING A TUBE PRESENTING A CYLINDRICAL NECK AT ONE END OF THE PACKAGE, SAID NECK HAVING AN OPEN MOUTH AND A CYLINDRICAL OUTSIDE SURFACE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING SAID MOUTH, STERILE CONTENTS INSIDE SAID TUBE; A RESILIENT CAP CLOSING SAID MOUTH; SAID CAP COMPRISING A PLUGGING SECTION FITTING TIGHTLY INTO THE MOUTH OF THE NECK, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL AND RESILIENT SKIRT, AND A PIVOT SECTION CONNECTING ONE EDGE OF SAID SKIRT WITH SAID PLUGGING SECTION, SAID SKIRT BEING INVERTIBLE FROM A FIRST AT-REST POSITION EXTENDING AXIALLY AWAY FROM SAID PLUGGING SECTION BEYOND SAID NECK TO A SECOND POSITION DEPENDING FROM SAID PIVOT SECTION AND AXIALLY OVERLAPPING THE NECK OF THE TUBE IN GRIPPING CONTACT WITH SAID NECK OVER AND BEYOND THE CYLINDRICAL OUTSIDE SURFACE THEREOF AND ALL AROUND SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE TO MAINTAIN SAID SURFACE STERILE; AND A SAFETY SLEEVE SEALED AROUND THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SKIRT AND OVERLAPPING THE SURFACE OF SAID TUBE BELOW THE SKIRT IN THE SECOND POSITION OF THE SKIRT TO HOLD THE SKIRT IN THIS POSITION AND PREVENT THE SKIRT FROM BEING INVERTED WITHOUT TEARING THE SLEEVE; SAID RESILIENT CAP FURTHER COMPRISING A PULL TAB INTEGRAL WITH AND DEPENDING FROM SAID RESILIENT SKIRT TO A POSITION BELOW THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SLEEVE IN THE SECOND POSITION OF THE SKIRT FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY TEARING THE SAFETY SLEEVE AND INVERTING THE SKIRT BY PULLING UPWARD ON THE TAB; SAID PLUGGING SECTION SEALING OFF THE MOUTH OF SAID TUBE, AND SAID SKIRT IN ITS SECOND POSITION COVERING SAID NECK AROUND ITS CYLINDRICAL MOUTH TO ASSURE THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE ARE MAINTAINED STERILE PRIOR TO REMOVAL OF THE CAP FROM SAID TUBE AND THAT A STERILE ZONE IS PROVIDED SURROUNDING SAID MOUTH TO AVOID CONTAMINATING THE STERILE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE UPON REMOVAL OF SAID CONTENTS FROM THE TUBE, AND SAID SAFETY SLEEVE ASSURING THAT THE STERILE ZONE IS MAINTAINED AND PROVIDING A TAMPER PROOF FEATURE SINCE THE SKIRT CANNOT BE INVERTED TO REMOVE THE CAP WITHOUT TEARING THE SLEEVE, WHEREBY THE PACKAGE MAY BE OPENED EASILY MERELY BY PULLING ON THE TAB TO SIMULTANEOUSLY TEAR THE SAFETY SLEEVE AND INVERT THE SKIRT TO ALLOW REMOVAL OF THE CAP FROM THE TUBE.