1. A heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device for covering an object, comprising:
a barrier sized to cover a surface of an object, the barrier having an interior surface for facing the object and an exterior surface,
the barrier comprising a material that:
serves as a barrier to pathogens, and
is formed from a heat-shrink film material.
2. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, where the material that serves as a barrier to pathogens is a plastic selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, homopolymers of polyvinyl chloride, copolymers of polyvinyl chloride, polyesters, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, and polyolefins.
3. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, where the material that serves as a barrier to pathogens is biodegradable.
4. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier is a bag; the bag comprising a closed end and a removably sealed open end.
5. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, where the removably sealed open end further comprises a closure mechanism.
6. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 5, where the closure is a mechanism selected from the group consisting of heat sealing, pressure-sensitive adhesive, zipper, tucked flap, and hook-and-loop.
7. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 6, where the pressure-sensitive adhesive is protected with a strip of a material until the pressure-sensitive adhesive is needed.
8. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 7, where the protective strip is a material selected from the group consisting of paper and plastic.
9. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, wherein the bag further comprises a sterile interior surface, and wherein said bag is initially air-tight and when the removably sealed open end is opened, the bag is turned inside out to cover said object, resulting in the sterile interior being on the outside.
10. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, further comprising said bag being dimensioned so as to enable covering of said object where the object is selected from the group consisting of surgical devices, surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment, pillows, mattresses, faucet handles, toilet seats, table tops, and chair seats.
11. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, further comprising said bag and said removably sealed open end of said bag being dimensioned so as to enable covering of said object when said object comprises bedding.
12. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 11, wherein said bedding is selected from the group consisting of pillows and mattresses.
13. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, further comprising the bag and the removably sealed open end of said bag being dimensioned so as to cover a pillow.
14. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 4, further comprising the bag and the removably sealed open end of said bag being dimensioned so as to cover a mattress.
15. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier is a tubular structure comprising a first open end and a second open end.
16. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 15, wherein the tubular structure further comprises a sterile interior surface, and wherein said tubular structure is turned inside out to cover the object, resulting in the sterile interior being on the outside.
17. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 15, further comprising the tubular structure being dimensioned so as to enable covering of said object where the object is selected from the group consisting of surgical devices, surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment, pillows, mattresses, faucet handles, toilet seats, table tops, and chair seats.
18. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 15, further comprising the tubular structure and at least one open end of the tubular structure being dimensioned so as to cover an object selected from the group consisting of mattresses and pillows.
19. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of barriers of heat-shrink film.
20. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 19, wherein the outer surface of each of the plurality of barriers is sterilized.
21. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of barriers comprises an embedded pull strip to aid in removal of the shrink film from an object.
22. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier comprises a sheet of heat-shrink film material sized to wrap around an object.
23. The heat-shrinkable anti-fomitic device according to claim 22, wherein the sheet of heat-shrink film material shrinks to conform further to the object when heat is applied.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-11. (canceled)
12. A split flange capable of being fitted around a pipe having a flexible pipe body and a flared portion formed at an end of the pipe, the split flange comprising:
a plurality of arcuate flange members, which form a flange shape being defined by an outer periphery upon assembling;
two connecting portions provided at two end portions of each of the flange members, the two connecting portions projecting from the outer periphery,
wherein neighboring flange members among the arcuate flange members are capable of being rotatably connected to each other at mating respective connecting portions among the connecting portions.