Package for a sterilized material

• US 4,206,844 A
• Filed: 07/19/1978
• Issued: 06/10/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yokokoji, Shyoji, Thukamoto, Sunao
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US05/926,125
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35, 428/194, 428/481, 428/483, 428/515, 428/341, 428/342, 428/516, 206/438, 206/439, 206/459, 206/484, 206/484.1
• US Class Current: 206/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0065 Peelable cover
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/001 Packages or dispensers for bandages, cotton balls, drapes, dressings, gauze, gowns, sheets, sponges, swabsticks or towels A61F15/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/26 Articles or materials wholly enclosed in laminated sheets or wrapper blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/54 Cards, coupons, or other inserts or accessories opening devices B65D75/70
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1307 Bag or tubular film [e.g., pouch, flexible food casing, envelope, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/273 of coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/277 Cellulosic substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3179 Next to cellulosic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31797 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 Monoolefin polymer

Abstract

A package of, for example, a medical instrument adapted to be sterilized by ethylene oxide gas, which comprises a package body in which a paper substrate is coated with a polyester resin emulsion layer, and a thermoplastic resin emulsion layer, and a thermoplastic resin emulsion layer is laminated on said polyester resin emulsion layer, and a covering sheet heat-sealed to the thermoplastic resin emulsion layer around a packed material, thereby hermetically sealing the package, said package having an indicator enabling the completion of disinfection to be visibly recognized.

Claims

1. A package of a sterilized material comprising a package body in which one side of a breathable, germ-proof paper substrate is coated with a water based thermoplastic polyester resin emulsion layer, and an emulsion layer of a water based thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, denatured polyolefin and ionomer resin, which is laminated on said polyester resin emulsion layer;

and a covering sheet heat-sealed to the thermoplastic resin emulsion layer surrounding a disinfected object contained in the package body;

the inside of said package being provided with means for indicating the completion of sterilization, said means comprising an ink composition containing a calcium halide for producing alkaline calcium hydroxide upon reaction and sterilization of the package with ethylene oxide and at least two pH-indicators which change color in the pH-region of 2 to 10, each pH-indicator having a different color-change region from each other to produce a stepwise color change as sterilization progresses.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the covering sheet is one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene film, polypropylene film, polyethylene-polyamide laminated film, polyethylenepolyester laminated film, polypropylenepolyester laminated film, ployethylene-cellophane laminated film and polyethylene-stretched polypropylene laminated film.

3. The package according to claim 1, wherein the whole laminated mass has an air permeability of 50 to 500 second/100 cc air as measured by the Gurley air permeability.

4. The package according to claim 1, wherein a bonded strength between the laminated mass and covering sheet ranges between 75 and 500 g/15 mm.

5. The package according to claim 1, wherein the polyester resin emulsion and thermoplastic resin emulsion are applied in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 gm/².

6. The package according to claim 1, wherein the breathable, germ-proof paper substrate is formed of one selected from the group consisting of high quality paper, kraft paper, and resin-impregnated paper.

7. A package according to claim 1, wherein the pH-indicators consist of bromocresol green and methyl yellow.

8. A package according to claim 1, wherein the pH-indicators consist of bromothymolblue and methyl red.

9. A package according to claim 1, wherein the calcium halide is calcium bromide.