Hot Melt Adhesives for Medical Packaging, 1994 Polymers, Laminations & Coating Conference Proceedings

R. Langeland

Medical packaging, or packaging for disposable or implantable medical devices, in it’s simplest form, can be thought of as having three components. The blister or bottom web, the lid or top web, and the adhesive which holds it all together. The top and bottom webs must be barriers to bacteria, dirt, and moisture, and all three must function together to deliver the device to the final customer in a "clean" and undamaged condition.

Often the blister and the lid are chosen first using a variety of requirements including puncture resistance, appearance, cost, printability, and equipment constraints. The adhesive is usually chosen last. It must be strong enough to hold the package together, it must be resistant to stress and penetration, and yet it must facilitate easy opening. Additionally, when opened, it must leave clear evidence that the package integrity was not compromised during sterilization, shipment or storage. It must be able to accommodate, and sometimes compensate for, the limitations of the other two components.

Hot melt adhesives can be formulated to meet the demands for this type of packaging, partly due to the nature of the ingredients now available, and partly due to careful formulation and processing.