Healthcare Packaging Depends on Adhesives as a Sterile Barrier System

    Medical devices continue to advance, but they must be packaged in such a way that they can reach end-users in an aseptic condition, says Oliver Healthcare Packaging. Adhesives help the packaging company to reduce the risk of tearing or delamination of substrates. This could result in contamination – either by microbes or particulates. In addition, tooling and equipment may have shortcomings, but the correct adhesives can help to overcome these, ensuring that packaging is properly sealed. Finally, clinicians need to be able to open packaging smoothly and easily despite sterile barrier systems – and adhesives enable compliance with this criterion too.

    Together with packaging materials, adhesives work to reduce risk. High-performance adhesives come with extensive data related to their stability, sealing windows, and ability to maintain sterility. Robust data related to product properties enables packaging manufacturers to select adhesives based on proven performance. Ultimately, medical devices must remain sterile until they are used, and purpose-designed, thoroughly tested adhesives allow packaging manufacturers to select products with confidence.