Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.

Amcor Flexibles Winterbourne Ltd

David Thomas Stell

Roy Christopherson

Fiona MacKenzie

Robert James Massey

A heat-sealable multilayer film may include a support layer, a polyethylene heat-seal layer, and an intermediate peelable layer. The support layer may include at least one polymeric layer. Heat-sealed packages comprising the multilayer film described herein have peelable seals characterized by an appropriate peel strength substantially independent of the seal conditions and substantially free of stringing upon peeling.

Polymeric films and packages produced therefrom

Polymeric films having at least one outer layer consisting of a blend of low density polyethylene and a poly-(alkylstyrene) can be heat sealed to non-woven webs such as paper to produce peel openable packages, for example for medical equipment. Such packages can be peeled open with low fiber lift from the non-woven webs.

A peel-open package includes a polymeric film, a lid adhered to the polymeric film along a continuous portion thereof and a product encapsulated between the polymeric film and lid material. The polymeric film is typically a coextruded multiple layer film having a sealable layer and at least one base layer. The sealable layer comprises an ethylene copolymer derived from at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate and alkylacrylates, a talc additive, and an additive which provides peelability to the heat seal layer. The lid material is preferably a microporous layer to allow sterilization and prevent subsequent contamination by bacteria and other microbial organisms. The peel-open package provides a good seal range for uncoated Tyvek.RTM., evidence of seal integrity, reduced Tinting, and a seal strength which is sufficiently low to prevent the delaminating or branching of the lid material when it is removed. The present invention also includes methods of making peel-open packages.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

David Thomas Stell