Paper-plastic packaging bags are generally composed of two sides, one side is paper that permeates and discharges sterilization factors, and the other side is transparent composite film (plastic film) that cannot permeate liquid, air and gas. The transparent composite film is composed of at least two layers (polypropylene inner layer and polyester outer layer).  The exchange of air disinfection factors is carried out on one side of the paper. Due to material reasons, it also has a good microbial barrier function, and the plastic surface is visible to the contents of the package, so that the packaged items are clear at a glance and have good impermeability.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages: visible contents in the package, good microbial barrier function and good impermeability. Paper-plastic packaging with appropriate specifications can be selected and cut according to the length and size of the packaged equipment items. It can be used for high-pressure steam and ethylene oxide sterilization and has two chemical discoloration indicator areas printed on the packaging (pink before EO sterilization and yellow after sterilization;  Blue before autoclaving and black after autoclaving)

Precautions for use

1. When the sealing machine is used for paper and plastic bag packaging, attention should be paid to check whether the sealing date is accurate and to check the validity of the date after the goods are sealed.  When the handwriting becomes shallow, increase the printer ink in time.  The temperature of the medical sealing machine is generally 180 DEG C, so that polypropylene is melted into a liquid state to extrude the film into paper fibers;  The seal width of paper-plastic packaging shall be ≥6mm, and the seal must be in the same continuous shape, flat and free of wrinkles, bubbles or leakage.

2. During packaging, the cleanliness and dryness of the packaged articles shall be checked. During high-pressure steam sterilization, the cleaning and drying of the equipment are incomplete, and the residual oil and water are easy to wet the paper surface and cause wet package.

3. Protect sharp instrument parts, such as sharp scissors, by applying silicone tube or rubber sleeve to prevent puncture of paper-plastic packaging, resulting in sterilization failure;

4. Paper and plastic bags must be properly cut and used so as to remove air, sterilize and dry.  Discharge of unfavorable air will become an obstacle to heat and moisture, so as much air as possible should be removed before sealing.  In addition, the packaging bag cannot be filled too full. Stretching the paper-plastic packaging bag may cause paper tearing or seal breakage during sterilization or handling.  In addition, the equipment is packed with the packaging bag, and there is no certain space in the bag, which is not conducive to the permeation and circulation of steam. Steam is easy to accumulate on the plastic surface of the packaging bag, which is difficult to vaporize and is easy to generate wet bags.  However, the bag should not be too large because the movement of the bag may cause the contents of the bag to slide from end to end or side to side.  Such excessive sliding may break the seal or puncture the side of the paper.  There is also a relatively large amount of air remaining in the bag. When heated, the bag will produce more condensed water, which cannot be completely evaporated and will easily lead to wet bags.  Therefore, in order to allow room for contraction and circulation of the bag, a space of about 2.5cm should be left between the instrument and the sealed edge of the bag.  For larger bags, after one end is sealed, the air in the packaging bag is discharged under light pressure and then the other end is sealed, so that the cold air in the bag is less, the condensed water generated in the bag when heated is less, and the probability of wet bags is reduced.

5. For instruments with concave surfaces, such as bowls, cups, curved plates, etc., when packaged in paper-plastic packaging bags, the concave surface faces the paper surface, which is favorable for vapor penetration and ensures sterilization quality, because the plastic surface is impermeable to vapor;

6. The part held by the instrument during operation shall be in the same direction as the opening direction of paper and plastic materials;  In order to facilitate the identification and operation of operators, the paper-plastic bag is designed to make the bag easier to open, and the easy-to-open design reduces the risk of contamination when opening.

7. When using paper-plastic materials for double packaging, attention should be paid to the consistency of the proper size sequence and opening direction. Do not fold the paper-plastic bag inside, because it will interfere with the removal of air and the penetration of sterilization medium, and plastic paper stickers should be pasted to ensure the penetration, drying and visibility of sterilization medium.

8. When writing information on paper-plastic materials, pay attention to the use of flexible pens, which can only be written on the plastic surface and in the area outside the filling area. Do not write on the paper surface to prevent ink penetration from affecting the sterilization effect.

9. Paper and plastic packaging items should be handled with care. It is best to hold them by hand, especially for heavy sets or large bags. Do not drag, pull, squeeze, carry, throw and other actions to prevent damage to the packaging bags.  When sealing high-temperature and low-temperature articles, the articles should be classified and handled. Do not mix them up to damage the articles due to wrong basket loading.

10. The paper-plastic packaging bag needs stainless steel basket to hold it when it is put into the pot. The paper-plastic packaging bag should be placed vertically and the plastic-paper packaging bag should be placed between different packaging bags. There should be a gap (about 2. 5cm apart) between the two packaging bags. It should not be squeezed too much to facilitate the penetration of sterilization factors.  It also prevents moisture from remaining on the plastic surface, resulting in wet bags.

11. After sterilization or before distribution of articles and before clinical use, it should be observed whether the process indicator color of the corresponding sterilization method changes to the reference color. If there are bags bursting, perforations and wet bags, they shall be regarded as contaminated and shall be reprocessed.  12. The storage environment is 15 ~ 25℃ at room temperature and the relative humidity is 30% ~ 60%. Aseptic paper and plastic bags should be placed on aseptic shelves 20cm from the ground, 5cm from the wall and 50cm from the ceiling.  Prevent the brittleness of paper surface from increasing due to high temperature or the package from being damaged due to moisture.

Disadvantages: The paper-plastic aseptic bags stored in clinical departments are prone to fold and seal crack, poor drying when packing hard objects, water drops on the inner plastic surface in some cases, and sharp objects are easy to puncture the paper-plastic bag packaging.  The 2009 specification stipulates that it is only used for packaging of individual instruments. Flat tape is generally recommended to be used for articles with a thickness of not more than 5CM.  At present, it is widely used in hospitals, but due to its single-sided ventilation, some metal instruments are prone to produce condensed water during sterilization, and paper-plastic packaging bags cannot be used in lower exhaust sterilizers.