Posts

Header Bags in Pharmaceutical and Diagnostic Packaging

In pharmaceutical and diagnostic supply chains, packaging must allow access to sterilants and protect products during long and complex logistics. Header bags are designed precisely for this dual mandate: a breathable header (commonly Tyvek®) allows sterilization by gas or vapor, while a high-barrier, non-porous body (barrier foil or film) preserves sterility by minimizing the entry of moisture and oxygen over time. When combined with inner packages (often pouches made from Tyvek sterilization reels), header pouches form a strong, compliant system from the clean room to the point of use. What exactly is a header bag? A header bag combines two functional zones: Breathable Header: Typically Tyvek® or, in some EO applications, reinforced medical paper. The head accepts sterilant (e.g. ethylene oxide) and allows aeration. Tyvek® is preferred for its low lint, puncture resistance, and compatibility with oxidative sterilants (e.g., VHP/plasma). Barrier Body: A laminate such as aluminum foi...

The Benefits of Coated Tyvek® in Medical Device Packaging

Medical-grade Tyvek® is a robust, breathable nonwoven fabric well known for its advanced microbial barrier and puncture resistance. When used in sterile packaging (pouches, header bags, tray lids, and so on.), adding a coating transforms Tyvek right into a heat-sealable or adhesive surface that bonds reliably to flexible films and rigid trays. Coated Tyvek allows automatic form-fill-seal (FFS) operations and peelable seals that are consistent and can be validated, without compromising the package’s breathability or cleanliness. In brief, coated Tyvek combines Tyvek’s inherent sterilization compatibility with engineering coatings to enhance seal strength, particulate management, and barrier performance for medical packaging . Coating Types and Functions Coatings on Tyvek serve  primary roles: Heat-seal coatings: These are meltable polymer layers (often polyolefin blends) applied on Tyvek’s surface. When heated against a flexible film or against any other coated Tyvek, they form a we...

What Are Header Bags and How Do They Enhance Product Packaging?

Header bags are specialised medical packaging pouches that integrate long lasting film with a breathable “header” (often Tyvek® or medical paper) to permit sterilization of large size or odd shape gadgets. In this article, we focus on header bags, discover their construction and advantages for healthcare packaging, and compare them to flat sterilization reels. We’ll see how header bags improve packaging performance, sterility assurance, and product visibility, while also discussing sterilization compatibility (steam, EO, and so on.), aseptic opening, ISO 11607 compliance, and key procurement issues. What Are Header Bags? Header bags are a kind of sterile packaging designed for medical instruments, characterised by a large plastic film pouch with a porous header strip at one end. The header strip is generally made from DuPont™ Tyvek® (a high strength, medical grade spunbonded HDPE fabric) or  a coated medical paper, and it's heat-sealed to the film pouch. This design allows the ste...