Medical Device Link.

Originally Published PMPN September 2004

Product Update

Header Bags & Pouches

High-barrier foil and film pouches for moisture, light, and oxygen barrier are available in a wide range of innovative designs, opening features, and materials. Pouches are manufactured on a new high-speed servo-controlled pouch and header bag machine installed in a white room dedicated to pouch making in the Mundelein, IL, facility. The machine is capable of manufacturing specialty bags and pouches with gussets and opening/recloseable features along with front-to-back print registration. In addition to pouch and bag manufacturing in Mundelein, the company manufactures pouches in France, Ireland, Brazil, and Puerto Rico and manufactures header bags in France. Amcor Flexibles Healthcare, Mundelein, IL; 800/447-0049; www.amcor.com/flexibles-healthcare. 

Dispos-A-Vent

Barrier pouches designed with a porous vent provide a cost-effective solution for products requiring barrier packaging and EtO sterilization. Dispos-A-Vent pouches feature foil laminations with resistance to puncture, light, and oxygen for protection of sensitive product. They also feature a Tyvek or paper vent for maximum airflow during sterilization. Tolas Health Care Packaging, Feasterville, PA; 215/322-7900; www.tolas.com. 

Biohazard Bags

Used primarily as a secondary shipper for specimens, biohazard bags combine tamper evidence with a leak-resistant construction. Fraudstopper bags are designed to provide a reinforced, leak-resistant and highly tamper-evident carrier for hospitals and reference laboratories. They are also used to ship bodily fluids for laboratory testing. Fraudstopper bags are made from a very high strength film that is both leak and puncture resistant. Unique sequential numbers are imprinted on the body of the bag and on the tamper-indicating tape. This prevents bag switching and allows the user to establish an audit trail. Bar coding is also available, and document pouches can be added. The bags can be designed and produced in many different sizes and colors to meet customers’ specifications. The bags are available in either a clear or opaque film. Nelmar Security Packaging Systems Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada; 514/342-0211; www.nelmar.com. 

Flexible Packaging

A company has been providing flexible packaging solutions for the medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries since 1977. Laminated structures are converted into bags, pouches, tubes, and rollstock. Some of the substrates available are foil, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and metalized films. All orders are produced to customers’ specifications, following CGMPs. Kleer Pak, Addison, IL; 630/543-0208; www.kleerpak.com. 

Peel Pouches

A company designs and manufactures a broad range of medical peel pouches and sachets. Machinery designed and built by the company enables quick and easy tool and print changes. Designers are on hand to either receive and use customer-generated layouts or to produce computer-aided artwork ready for in-house screen-printing equipment that applies ultra-violet curing technology. In-house tooling and CAD resources accommodate customers’ requirements, with the finished packs all being produced in the company’s cleanroom. The process used allows any heat-sealable material to be used to produce a pouch or sachet to comply with a desired specification and seal configuration. Riverside Medical Packaging Company, Ltd., Derby, England; +44 1332 755622; www.riversidemedical.co.uk. 

Foil Pouches

Peelable and nonpeelable barrier pouches are available in custom colors and sizes. Foil header pouches are also available and can be used for products that must be EtO sterilized. The open-end header strip is made of Tyvek to allow the package to breathe during sterilization. It can be sealed and cut off after sterilization. The final pouch is resistant to moisture and light and protects the product. Companies can also choose metalized-to-Tyvek pouches for product differentiation, foil-to-foil pouches, or any combination thereof in almost any size without a tooling charge. Beacon Converters Inc., Saddle Brook, NJ; 201/797-2600; info@beaconconverters.com. 

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