Importance

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Abstract

A sterilizable bracket (10) for supporting medical instruments (22) includes a resilient body (12) that surrounds and encapsulates a relatively rigid metal skeleton (14) which is attached to a plurality of studs (16) which secure the bracket (10) to a sterilizable tray (18). instruments (22) are received in indentations (24) in the resilient body (12). Each indentation (24) includes a plurality of ribs or fingers (28) which permit sterilizing steam to flow around the instruments (22). The resilient body (12) comprises a silicone material which encapsulates the skeleton backbone (14) which, in turn, gives the bracket (10) strength and flexibility. Threaded studs (16) having a slot (46) at one end and threads (50) at the other are employed to attach the bracket (10) to the sterilizable tray (18). The slot (46) in the head (44) of each of the studs (16) receives the metal skeleton backbone (14). Lock nuts (52) or the like are employed to secure the threaded portions (50) of the studs (16) in regularly spaced perforations (20) in the bottom of the sterilizable tray (18). The relatively rigid spring tempered skeleton backbone (14) includes a plurality of peaks (32) and valleys (30) oriented in such a way that they align with peaks (26) and indentations (24) of the resilient body (12) respectively. This structure (14) provides additional strength to the resilient silicone body (12).

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First Claim