Chevron Peel Pouches

What Is a Chevron Peel Pouch?

Many people will recognize the distinctive look of a chevron peel pouch, or peelable pouch with a chevron seal (also called a sterilization pouch or peel pack), from its ubiquitous use in medical facilities for packaging sterilized instruments and devices. The unusual design of these pouches is directly related to their use in hospitals and clinics and is the product of years of development involving medical industry professionals. The goal was to design a pouch that could be quickly and easily opened even under the stressful conditions that medical staff often face, and that is ideally suited for in-package sterilization.

Conventional pouches generally have strong, straight seals along flat edges and require a tear notch or scissors to open. Chevron seal peel pouches, on the other hand, feature top and bottom film layers made from different materials, and are sealed so that there is extra material on one end to allow the user to easily grasp and peel the layers apart. Also, the seal at the opening end has a chevron shape that comes to a point at the center of the pouch, to make opening even easier. Because the top and bottom layers can be peeled apart along most of the length of the pouch, this allows the contents to be much more accessible after opening.

The two layers of a peel pouch are made from different materials because different functions are required of them. On one side, a clear laminate film is used so that the contents of the pouch remain visible while still protected from contaminants. The other side of the pouch can be made from different kinds of material depending on need. The most common choice for the opaque side of the pouch is Tyvek®, a paper-like material known for its durability, breathability, and impermeability to liquids. Because gasses and heat can pass through Tyvek®, it allows for the contents packaged within to undergo sterilization and also keep out microbial threats.

Another option is for the opaque layer of the pouch to be made of a high barrier foil laminate like Mylar, which protects from both airborne and liquid contaminants. This type of pouch offers a higher degree of protection than Tyvek® does when properly sealed, and is thus preferred in some circumstances. Although without a Tyvek® layer the pouch’s contents cannot be sterilized by steam or gas after it is sealed, e-beam and irradiation sterilization are viable alternatives. Or some may prefer to place pre-sterilized instruments into sterilized Mylar pouches and immediately seal them.

IMPAK currently offers several MylarFoil chevron seal pouches, and soon will be producing peel pouches made from Teknapore™, our own Tyvek® substitute.