FI83619B - Disposable sterilization pack - Google Patents

Description

1 83619

DISPOSABLE STERILIZATION PACK-ENGÄNGSSTERILISERINGSFÖRPACKNING

The present invention relates to a disposable sterilization kit for various sterilization equipment, for example hospital supplies, i.e. instruments, needles, syringes, catheters, swabs, gloves and the like.

10

Typically, the sterilization packages currently in use consist of a special paper to be sterilized and a plastic film or laminate. The paper is wet-strength and special paper with a certain pore size (for example, Sterirex, Kauttuan 15 Paperitehdas, A. Ahlström Oy). The plastic laminate, on the other hand, is a polyester / polypropylene laminate (PETP / PP) in which the polypropylene seals against the paper, closing the package.

Sterilization is performed either by steam sterilization in an autoclave or by gas sterilization (ETO gas), in which methods both steam and gas pass through the sterile packaged product of the porous paper. However, the paper does not allow bacteria to enter the package after sterilization. The permeability of the paper is controlled by changing the pore size of the paper. 25

In the prior art package shown, the mechanical strength of the paper is poor, especially after steam sterilization, whereby the number of broken packages is high. In addition, when the package is opened, pulp fibers are easily detached from the surface of the paper, which, when dropped on the packaged article, cause non-sterility.

With the package according to the present invention, the above-mentioned disadvantages can be eliminated. However, the packages according to the invention 35 can be produced with conventional, conventional packaging machines and lines, whereby the sealing P650FIK0R / T2 2 83619 can be performed by heat sealing. The package according to the invention is characterized in that at least a part of the walls of the package between which the product is packed consists of a laminate. Which is a perforated plastic or laminate material having a porous non-woven or similar layer on at least one surface which allows sterilization and prevents bacteria or the like from entering the package after sterilization.

The package according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which Figure 1 shows a package according to the prior art, Figure 2 shows another package according to the prior art, Figure 3 shows a package according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and Figure 4 shows another preferred package. a package according to an embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a typical bag-shaped package 1 consisting of a porous paper part 2 and a two-layer plastic laminate. The plastic laminate consists of a polypropylene layer 3 and a polyester layer 4, which are sealed at the edges 5 together with the paper 2.

25

Correspondingly, the web-shaped package 10 formed by the automatic web machine shown in Fig. 2 typically consists of a lower web 11, which is a plastic laminate, and an upper web 12, which is a porous paper. Known laminates such as polyethylene / adhesion polymer / polyamide-6 / adhesion polymer / polyethylene are used as the lower web 11.

As already mentioned above, steam sterilization in particular reduces the durability of the paper parts of the package, as some steam remains in the paper layer to weaken the intercultural bonds, so that even relatively low stresses P650FIKOR / T2 3 83619 are sufficient to break the paper layer. Thus, a large proportion of packaged products have to be returned for repackaging and sterilization.

Figure 3 shows a package 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, consisting on one side of plastic or plastic laminate 41 and on the other side 10 of plastic / nonwoven laminate 42/43, the plastic layer 42 being perforated and the non-woven or similar porous layer 43 acts as a filter that allows sterilization through the wall 42/43 but does not allow bacteria to enter. The non-woven can be a polypropylene, polyester, polyamide-15 or polyethylene-based reticulated or gauze-like nonwoven fabric. This product can be made either as a bag or using automatic track machines. In the solution according to the invention, the seam 44 between the non-woven layer 43 and the plastic layer 41, which is tight and easy to open 20 without the fibers detaching from the packaged product, is provided in already known ways, for example by heat-sealing them together.

In steam sterilization, polypropylene is preferably used both as a sealing layer and as a non-woven raw material. By using such a plastic structure, the package provides a mechanically much stronger, transparent and cleanable sterilization package.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, the package 50 consists of an impermeable wall 51 made of plastic or plastic laminate and a wall 52 made of plastic or plastic laminate, part 52a of which is perforated. The inner surface of the perforated portion of the wall is coated with a non-woven fabric 35a 53 which is secured to the inner surface by a continuous seam 54 around the region. The perforated portion of the surface covered by the non-wovwn fabric forms both a breathable area and a barrier to bacterial entry.

5

In another embodiment of the invention, it is worth mentioning a package in which one side or otherwise a large part of the package consists entirely of non-woven, whereby the non-woven layer must be considerably thicker than that used in plastic laminates 10, otherwise its mechanical strength would not be sufficient. The use of such a layer adds some to the cost of packaging, but in some cases defends its place.

Typically, the non-woven used in the invention has a thickness of 5-50 g / m 2. However, as already mentioned above, it should be remembered that non-woven is by no means the only possible porous material for use as a breathable surface in packages, but also other porous materials 20 such as meltblown web-like breathable products.

As can be seen from the above, a new type of disposable sterilization kit has been developed which is safer and more economical than the prior art packages, of which only some preferred embodiments have been described above, but in no way limit the invention of the appended claims, which alone prescribe the scope of the invention and its scope.

P650FIKOR / T2

Claims (3)

5,83619 A disposable sterilizing package comprising at least 5 partially porous surfaces, characterized in that at least part of the walls of the package (40, 50) between which the product is packed consists of a laminate of perforated plastic or laminate material (42). 52a) having at least one surface a porous non-woven or similar layer (43, 53) which allows sterilization and prevents bacteria or the like from entering the package after sterilization. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the porous layer (53) is arranged at a perforated area (52a) of plastic or laminate material inside the package (50). A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the porous layer (53) is sealed at its edges (54) around the perforated area (52a) of the plastic or laminate material (52) and the plastic or laminate material (52) at its edges ( 55) on the opposite wall of the package (51). 25 P650FIKOR / T2 6 83619