Inventors:
William A. Rohde - Arlington Heights IL
Assignee:
Tower Products, Inc. - Mundelein IL
International Classification:
A61D 1902
Abstract:
A pouch made from thermoplastic film and particularly suited for sterilizing and storing medical items has an edge defined by a fold of the film. A cap of porous material is wrapped over the folded edge and is sealed thereto along a continuous line to define an enclosed area on both sides of the edge in which the film and cap are unsealed. An opening, such as a slot, is provided in or adjacent to the fold of the film, with the opening being entirely located within the unsealed area and spaced from the seal line. The construction lessens the possibility of open bacteria paths often found in similar prior art pouches. In the manufacture of the pouch, a web of thermoplastic film is provided with a series of spaced linear openings or slits, a porous sheet material is applied over the openings and the porous material is sealed to the web along a continuous line surrounding the openings. The material is then folded along the line of openings, cut transversely into sections between the ends of the openings, and heat sealed along the sides to form a pouch having an opening at one end and a porous end cap at the other end.
