The Advantages of Sterilization Wraps with Halyard

Every step in the sterilization cycle is crucial. If even one part isn’t completed to meet standards, something could end up going wrong. We have discussed at length many of these steps in previous articles such as sterilization and disinfection, cleaning of instruments, surface disinfecting, etc. But there’s one step we don’t go over nearly as often: transportation. The process of taking your sterilized instruments and devices where they need to be for use. Now, this doesn’t seem like much, but ask yourself, how do the instruments get moved without losing sterility? Simple, with proper application and use of sterilization wraps. So in this article, we’d like to tell you the advantages of sterilization wraps with the help of Halyard. 

Sterilization wraps are a very important part of the sterilization cycle, making sure that no instruments are compromised on their way to their next appointment with a patient. This is crucial in patient care.  If you have any questions about following this article, you can call us at 704-966-1650, option 3 for our Free Tech Support. 

What Are Sterilization Wraps? 

Halyard defines them like so: “Sterilization wrap is a three-layer laminate composed of a layer of meltblown polypropylene bonded on both surfaces with a layer of spunbonded polypropylene. The sheets of sterilization wrap are square or rectangular fabric produced using a polypropylene three-layer SMS (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) process.”

Essentially, these wraps are made with the preservation of sterility in mind. They are meant to ensure that once something has gone through sterilization, when it’s wrapped up, it maintains its sterility. The multiple layers being put through that process forms a barrier that doesn’t let anything out. But it can also be used by sterilizing agents (e.g., steam, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, etc). These agents penetrate the barrier and then become enclosed in the wrapping. 

The Advantages

The advantages of sterilization wraps in your practice are something to take into account. Especially when it comes to knowing what you’re using and why.

Strong Material

Multiple layers of wrap are common nowadays due to the handling of the instruments when wrapped.  Even though the strength of single layer wrapping has evolved over the years, multiple layer protection is still a guarantee. The layers of bonded fabric that modern day sterilization wraps are made of provide excellent contamination protection. Using thermal bonded layers created through the SMS process like mentioned in the previous section. 

Reducing the Downtime

Sterilization wraps can subtract the tedious inspection and readying of containers easily. Sterilization wraps can be done in just 3 minutes, encasing your instruments or packaging perfectly for preservation. And there are even forms of sterilization wraps that are designed for this speedy processing in mind. And different wraps will have layers, like Halyard’s wraps. This different second layer allows for breaches in the wrap to be more easily visible and able to be dealt with at a faster rate. 

Lint-Free Protection

Believe it or not, lint is more dangerous than you may realize. And it’s not just found on your clothes. Lint can have a habit of potentially making its way into medical practices if proper measures aren’t taken. And lint in itself can possibly enter the bloodstream of a patient through compromised instruments, leading to all sorts of problems. Luckily, sterilization wraps are lint-free these days. So there’s no need to worry about the instruments inside becoming compromised when wrapped properly. 

What Halyard Brings to the Table

Halyard always impresses us with their commitment to making sure safety is the number one priority. Whether it comes to their PPE or sterilization wraps, they know how to get the job done.  Their line of sterilization wraps are no different. So we’d like to tell you a bit about those while we’re here. Halyard offers two different kinds of sterilization wraps:  their Quick-Check Wraps and their Sequential Wraps. Both of these adhere to the same advantages listed above, but are both different in their own ways. They both sport some of Halyard’s best features. 

Like their patented Daisy Design, which is a pattern that takes the shape of its namesake for optimal porosity. The porosity allows for optimum airflow in and out of the packaging. And it’s engineered to optimize the surface area available for sterilant penetration and evacuation.

or how about Halyard’s patented Powerguard technology. It guarantees your sterilization wrap has the highest achievable barrier measurable. A Superior Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) up to 99.9%. It provides optimal abrasion resistance. And it allows the wrap to resist penetration of bacteria and filter particles that carry bacteria. 

Whether you like double wrapping or quicker wrapping time, these benefits are seen in both of Halyard’s sterilization wraps. 

Sequential Sterilization Wraps

Halyards Sequential Sterilization wraps are a double-layered barrier for your instruments. They provide two layers to wrap the instruments in for a “package within a package” style of protection. The benefit here is that the sequential sterilization wraps don’t come double wrapped as standard, meaning while you have to wrap both pieces yourself, it leaves room for a variety of ways to wrap that you may prefer. And not to mention the wealth of other benefits these sequential sterilization wraps provide: 

• Industry standard for sterile processing teams around the world
• Tear-, flame-, lint- and abrasion-resistant
• POWERGUARD* technology for enhanced microbial barrier protection
• Pre-vacuum steam sterilant penetration
• Ethylene Oxide (EO) sterilant penetration and residuals
• Maintenance of package integrity (MPI) to meet FDA requirements
• Instructions for Use that meet FDA guidelines
• Class 1 flammability rating
• Low linting
• Made in the USA

Quick-Check Sterilization Wraps

Unlike the Sequential wraps, Halyard’s Quick-Check wraps are just as the name implies, quick. And while they’re double layered like the others, instead of having to wrap both layers individually, the Quick-Check Wraps are already layered to only wrap once. If you don’t need a secondary way of wrapping your second layer, then these wraps can provide for a faster wrapping time. Your downtime is minimized but your protection is still maximized thanks to Halyard’s benefits. And of course, the Quick-Check Wraps come with some features of their own.

• Inspect trays easier and faster than ever
• Superior microbial barrier protection with patented Powerguard technology
• Cleared for all of the same sterilization systems as HALYARD* KIMGUARD* ONE-STEP* Wrap
• Made from recyclable #5 polypropylene fabric
• Made in the USA

Final Thoughts

At SAS we typically focus on the autoclaves themselves as our true specialty, but we would be remised if we didn’t help customers understand that hat happens before and after the autoclave cycle is equally important when we are talking patient safety.  There are a variety of wrap options in the marketplace at a number of price points – which as you know, often means a quality differential.  If you have not shopped around for the right fit for your office in a while, the details Halyard has put into their wraps deserve a second look. And if you have any questions, you can find us using the links below.