Sterilizable pouch for medical instruments

Abstract

An improved sealable pouch has an interior volume for receiving products for sterilization and an integral, foldable flap sealable to the pouch to provide a fully enclosed interior volume. Included on one or more portions of the pouch are indicia, preferably at least a first and second spaced apart indicia, to aid in proper folding of the flap. The indicia provide alignment means so that when the flap is properly folded to provide a leak proof seal, a predetermined portion of the indicia is covered by the flap. An improper seal can be visually determined to exist if all of the indicia or none of the indicia is visible after the seal is made. A proper seal is evidenced by only a portion of the first and second indicia being covered by the flap.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An improved peel-open pouch for sterilized articles, said pouch having first and second films comprising a front wall and a rear wall, said front and rear walls being heat-sealed to each other along two side edges and a bottom edge thereof,
 a fourth edge having a sealable inlet, the rear wall at the fourth edge having a flap extending beyond the front wall at the fourth edge, the flap being bendable to overlap the front wall adjacent the fourth end, the flap having an adhesive material on a surface thereof such that when the flap overlaps the front wall and adjacent rear wall portion, the flap is adhesively secured to the front wall and said adjacent portion to form a fully enclosed space within the pouch,   the improvement comprising at least first and second indicia spaced apart across the width of the peel-open pouch providing alignment means for positioning a rear wall fourth edge at and covering a portion of both of said first and second indicia upon bending of the flap   wherein each of the first and second indicia spaced apart across the width of the peel-open pouch for providing alignment means comprise an alignment mark adjacent one of the two side edges and a second alignment mark adjacent the other of the two side edges such that when said flap is adhered to the front wall to form the fully enclosed space within the pouch a portion of each of the spaced apart alignment marks is covered by the flap and a portion of each of the spaced apart alignment marks is not covered by the flap.   
     
     
         2 . The improved peel-open pouch of  claim 1  wherein the first and second indicia comprising left and right indicia spaced laterally across the width of the pouch to provide alignment points for positioning the edge of the folded flap. 
     
     
         3 . The improved peel-open pouch of  claim 2  wherein formation of the fully enclosed space within the pouch is evidenced by only a portion of the left and right indicia being covered by the flap after folding. 
     
     
         4 . The improved peel-open pouch of  claim 1  wherein the indicia are printed on the front wall, or on the rear wall visible through the front wall. 
     
     
         5 . The improved peel-open pouch of  claim 1  wherein the indicia comprises cut symbols, symbols piercing the first and second film or indicia embossed onto the film. 
     
     
         6 . An improved method of assuring a complete seal of a pouch used for sterilization of items placed therein wherein the pouch has first and second films comprising a front wall and a rear wall, said front and rear walls being heat-sealed to each other along two side edges and a bottom edge thereof and a fourth edge having a sealable inlet, the rear wall at the fourth edge having a flap extending beyond the front wall at the fourth edge, the flap being foldable to overlap the front wall adjacent the fourth end, the flap having a sealing material on a surface thereof, such that when the flap is folded to overlap the front wall and adjacent rear wall portion, the flap being secured to the front wall and said adjacent portion to form a fully enclosed space within the pouch,
 the improvement comprising providing at least a first and second indicia spaced apart across the width of the peel-open pouch, said indicia providing alignment means for positioning an edge of a rear wall in alignment with a portion of said first and second indicia upon bending of the flap   the first and second indicia comprising a first alignment mark adjacent a first of the two side edges and a second alignment mark adjacent a second of the two side edges, such that when said flap is adhered to the front wall formation of the fully enclosed space within the pouch is evidenced by only a portion of each of the alignment marks comprising the indicia at the first and second side edges being covered by the flap.   
     
     
         7 . The improved method of  claim 6  wherein the indicia comprising left and right indicia spaced laterally across the width of the pouch provide alignment points for positioning the edge of the folded flap. 
     
     
         8 . The improved method of  claim 7  wherein formation of the fully enclosed space within the pouch is evidenced by only a portion of the left and right indicia is covered by the flap after folding. 
     
     
         9 . The improved method of  claim 6  wherein the indicia is printed on the front wall, or on the rear wall visible through the front wall. 
     
     
         10 . The improved method of  claim 6  wherein the indicia comprise cut symbols, symbols piercing the first and second film or indicia embossed onto the film.