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Types of Medical Packaging – Everything You Need To Know

What type of medical packaging is right for your needs?

While Janco has worked across a wide range of industries over the years, contract manufacturing for the medical industry requires a unique approach. That’s because there are a specific set of standards and regulations that govern how types of medical packaging are created to ensure they remain safe, secure, and sterile.

Even within the medical field, there are several different sectors with varying needs. Our team has experience creating medical packaging for the following specialties:

  • Orthopedics
  • Vascular
  • Respiratory
  • Endoscopy
  • Laboratory
  • Cardiology
  • Ophthalmic
  • Spinal and Biologics
  • Dental
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Veterinary
  • Drug delivery

Across each of these sectors, several different types of medical packaging are common depending on your unique needs. These include:

Trays: Medical packaging trays come in a range of different sizes and can be created from several materials. Because of the many ways that trays can be customized, they’re ideal for a range of applications, from syringes to medical devices.

Multi-Compartment Trays: This type of medical packaging is usually manufactured from a rigid material. Multi-compartment trays are the preferred type of packaging for surgical implants, sutures (nylon, polypropylene, silk, or polyester), and a range of other more sensitive surgical items.

Blister Packaging: Usually used to contain individual capsules inside of a box, blister packaging is used to protect medication from contamination before ingestion. Typically a peel-able layer is used as a cover, but depending on the nature of the material, blisters packs can also be sealed with a push-through lidding used to access individual capsules.

Pouches: Medical packaging pouches are ideal for use when an oddly-shaped application needs to be contained.

Cartons: Most commonly used for products that need to be stored at room temperature, cartons are usually manufactured from fiberboards and come in a medical packaging box. You’ll typically find over-the-counter medicine, such as capsule pills, packaged in individual cartons.

Individual-Wrap Packages: This is a popular choice for single-use applications, such as packaging for syringes. Individual-wrap packaging is usually made from plastic, but this may vary. In some instances, blister packs are also used for extra support in medical needle packaging.

Shrink Wrapping: Typically made up of polymer plastic film, shrink wrapping is used for medical packaging when a device or item needs to be covered tightly. With heat applied, shrink wrapping creates a firm seal over whatever it is covering.

Medical packaging regulations and requirements

Packaging for the medical industry is heavily governed to ensure the safety and sterilization of important products. Our team goes to great lengths to ensure we adhere to the standards and regulations that exist for the manufacturing of medical packaging.

Our medical manufacturing division is ISO 13485 certified and FDA registered.

Medical packaging cleanrooms

Manufacturing for certain types of medical packaging has to occur within a cleanroom, which is a controlled environment where pollutants such as airborne microbes, dust, and aerosol particles are filtered out to provide the most sterile environment possible.

Our ISO 14644-1 Class 7 and Class 8 certified cleanrooms are monitored and tested frequently to ensure that they are kept within their required operating parameters. Plus, all of our medical processes are regularly assessed and verified by thorough internal, independent, FDA, and customer audits.

In need of medical device packaging?

Janco is proud to offer high-quality and cost-effective thermoforming and compression-molded services for the medical industry. Our team will work with you from concept and design to the assembly and packaging of your product to deliver the results you need.

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