Universal implant dispenser

Abstract

A universal dispenser for implants or other items includes a lightweight, thin housing made up of two clamshell halves pivoted together at a hinge. One of the halves has two laterally spaced recesses and the other of the halves has two laterally spaced projections configured to be frictionally retained within respective ones of the recesses when the halves are pivoted to a closed position. At least one of the clamshell halves has an elongated recess to form a chamber when the clamshell halves are pivoted to the closed position. The ends of the clamshell halves most remote from one another may include halves of an opening which is formed when the halves are pivoted to the closed position. This opening may be provided, if necessary or desired, so that an item such as an implant stored within the chamber formed by one or both elongated recesses may be removed therefrom when the clamshell halves are in the closed position merely by squeezing their edges together to expand the size of the opening and allow the item or implant to fall out of the opening. The size of the chamber formed by one or both of the elongated recesses is slightly smaller in its dimensions than the dimensions of the item or implant that is to be stored therein so that, when the item or implant is placed in the chamber and the clamshell halves are closed together to enclose the item or implant, a slight bowing of the clamshell halves occurs to frictionally retain it within the chamber.