Surfactant treatment for a sterilization wrap with reduced occurrence of wet packs after steam sterilization
A surfactant treatment is provided that can result in a sterilization wrap that can have a bacterial filtration efficiency of at least 94 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101. The surfactant treatment includes a surfactant consisting essentially of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Wrapping packs in a wrap treated with said surfactant treatment in an amount ranging from greater than 0 to 2 weight percent based on the dry weight of the wrap results in the production of fewer wet packs after steam sterilization compared to when packs are wrapped with an identical wrap without said surfactant treatment. A sterilization wrap comprising a nonwoven fabric and a dried residue surfactant treatment that is essentially free of silicon, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur is also provided, where wrapping packs to be sterilized in the surfactant treated wrap reduces the occurrence of wet packs after steam sterilization compared using an untreated wrap.
1. A sterilization wrap comprising a polyolefinic nonwoven fabric having an outwardly-facing surface and an inner-facing surface, and a dried residue of an aqueously applied surfactant treatment only on the outwardly-facing surface, wherein the polyolefinic nonwoven fabric is electret treated before application of the aqueously applied surfactant treatment, wherein said surfactant treatment includes a surfactant, wherein said surfactant is essentially free of silicon, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur, wherein the dried residue of the aqueously applied surfactant treatment is present in an amount ranging from greater than 0 weight percent to 2 weight percent based on the dry weight of the polyolefinic nonwoven fabric, wherein the surfactant treatment results in the production of fewer wet packs after steam sterilization when the packs are wrapped with said electret and surfactant treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap as compared to when the packs are wrapped with an identical electret treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap without said surfactant treatment.
2. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said electret treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric treated with said surfactant treatment exhibits a bacterial filtration efficiency of at least 94 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
3. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said electret treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric treated with said surfactant treatment exhibits a bacterial filtration efficiency of at least 97 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
4. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said electret treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric treated with said surfactant treatment exhibits a bacterial filtration efficiency after electret treatment and after steam sterilization of at least 97 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
5. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said surfactant consists essentially of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
6. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said electret treated polyolefinic nonwoven fabric has a bacterial filtration efficiency after electret treatment and after steam sterilization ranging from 97 percent to 99.7 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
7. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein said surfactant treatment is applied to said polyolefinic nonwoven fabric in an amount ranging from about 0.1 weight percent to about 1.5 weight percent based on the dry weight of said polyolefinic nonwoven fabric.
8. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein the wrap comprises: a first panel comprising a permeable material having barrier properties and having a first surface and a second opposing surface, the first panel being substantially opaque or having a first level of translucence; and a second panel comprising a permeable material having barrier properties and having a first surface and a second opposing surface, the second panel having a level of translucence that is higher than the translucence of the first panel, wherein the panels are joined together over at least a portion of their surfaces.
9. The sterilization wrap of claim 1 , wherein the sterilization wrap has a first side colored at least a first color and an opposing side colored at least a second color that is different from the first color.
10. The sterilization wrap of claim 7 , wherein said surfactant treatment is applied to said polyolefinic nonwoven fabric in an amount ranging from about 0.2 weight percent to about 0.5 weight percent based on the dry weight of said polyolefinic nonwoven fabric.
11. A method of reducing the occurrence of wet packs post sterilization, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap having an outwardly-facing surface and an inner-facing surface,
b. applying a surfactant treatment to the outwardly-facing surface, the surfactant treatment including a surfactant, wherein said surfactant consists essentially of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, to said nonwoven fabric, in an amount ranging from greater than 0 weight percent to 2 weight percent based on the dry weight of the nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap,
c. drying said surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap,
d. applying an electret treatment to said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap before the step of applying the surfactant treatment,
e. wrapping items to be sterilized in said surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap, and,
f. steam sterilizing the wrapped items,
wherein sterilizing the wrapped items with said electret and surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap results in the production of fewer wet packs after steam sterilization as compared to when the items are wrapped with an identical electret treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap without said surfactant treatment.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said electret and surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap has a bacterial filtration efficiency of at least 94 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said electret and surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap has a bacterial filtration efficiency after electret treatment and after steam sterilization of at least 97 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said surfactant is essentially free of silicon, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur and/or said surfactant treatment is applied to said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap in an amount ranging from about 0.1 weight percent to about 1.5 weight percent based on the dry weight of said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap comprises: a first panel comprising a permeable material having barrier properties and having a first surface and a second opposing surface, the first panel being substantially opaque or having a first level of translucence; and a second panel comprising a permeable material having barrier properties and having a first surface and a second opposing surface, the second panel having a level of translucence that is higher than the translucence of the first panel, wherein the panels are joined together over at least a portion of their surfaces.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap has a first side colored at least a first color and an opposing side colored at least a second color that is different from the first color.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said electret and surfactant treated nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap has a bacterial filtration efficiency after electret treatment and after steam sterilization ranging from 97 percent to 99.7 percent as determined according to ASTM F2101.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein said surfactant is essentially free of silicon, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur and/or said surfactant treatment is applied to said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap in an amount ranging from about 0.2 weight percent to about 0.5 weight percent, based on the dry weight of said nonwoven fabric sterilization wrap.