Sterile surgical package

Claim 1

A STERILE SURGICAL PACKAGE WHICH COMPRISES OPPOSED PANELS OF AN IMPERVIOUS LAMINATE HAVING AN ALCOHOL RESISTANT HEAT-SEALABLE LAYER INTERPOSED BETWEEN THEM, SAID PANELS BEING HEAT-SEALED TOGETHER AROUND THEIR EDGES THROUGH SAID HEAT SEALABLE LAYER TO COMPLETELY ENCLOSE AND HERMETICALLY SEAL OFF A CENTRAL SPACE IN WHICH THE PANELS ARE UNATTACHED TO ONE ANOTHER, AND A STERILE SURGICAL PRODUCT IN SAID SPACE, SAID PANELS EACH COMPRISING AN INNER LAYER OF ALUMINUM FOIL AND AN OUTER LAYER OF A POLYESTER FILM JOINED TO ONE ANOTHER BY A POLYESTER ADHESIVE, SAID ALUMINUM FOIL LAYER NORMALLY PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE BARRIER TO ALL GASES AND FLUIDS WITH WHICH THE PACKAGE MIGHT COME IN CONTACT, AND SAID POLYESTER FILM BEING ADAPTED TO PROTECT THE FOIL LAYER FROM EXTERNAL MOISTURE INDUCED ELECTROLYTIC CORROSION, HEAVY METALS ATTACK AND MECHANICAL DAMAGE AND POSSESSING THE FOLLOWING COMBINATION OF PROPERTIES FOR THESE PURPOSES: (A) TOUGHNESS, I.E., HIGH TENSILE AND IMPACT STRENGTH, (B) GOOD TEARABILITY, I.E., MODERATE TO LOW TEAR STRENGTH AND ELONGATION, (C) LOW RATES OF MOISTURE ABSORPTION AND MOISTURE VAPOR TRANSMISSION, AND (D) STRONG ADHESION TO THE ALUMINUM FOIL THROUGH THE POLYESTER ADHESIVE, SAID POLYESTER FILM ALSO POSSESSING VERY LOW PERMEABILITY TO GASES AND ACTING AS A SECONDARY BARRIER TO PENETRATION OF THE PACKAGE BY GASES AND FLUIDS, SAID PACKAGE BEING STERILIZABLE BY IRRADIATION WITHOUT DEGRADATION OF ANY OF THE MATERIALS MAKING UP THE PACKAGE.