MedPak 2008: Celebrating 10 Years of Showcasing Packaging Technology
By Stephanie Steward
The pavilion has presented the latest processes and materials for packaging engineers at MD&M West since 1998
Since it debuted at MD&M West in 1998, the MedPak pavilion has been the stage on which the newest packaging technologies are showcased and the latest industry standards are discussed. The role and responsibilities of this niche of the medical manufacturing industry have grown with the use of technologies like radio-frequency identification (RFID) and evolved with industry standards like ISO 11607: Packaging for Terminally Sterilized Medical Devices. The pavilion has also grown, offering exhibitors and attendees much more than just supplies.
“The last 10 years in medical device packaging have been shaped by the 1997 emergence of the global standard ISO 11607,” says Daphne Allen, editor of
Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, which sponsors the pavilion. “Several MedPak exhibitors have been instrumental in offering assistance with complying with ISO 11607,” she adds. For instance, some exhibitors at the inaugural pavilion that have written about ISO 11607 in
PMP News over the years include Multivac, Oliver Products, Perfecseal, and Tolas Healthcare Packaging, among others, according to Allen. In fact, Don Barcan, president of packaging engineering consulting firm
Donbar Industries Inc. (Long Valley, NJ), who is also a member of
PMPN’s editorial advisory board, led a day-long conference at MD&M West in 1998 on the then-year-old global standard.
The list of companies exhibiting in MedPak continues to look like a who’s-who of industry leaders and innovators. The pavilion offers them a space in which to display new materials and high-speed equipment and a forum in which to debate the best uses of those products and the future of their industry.
New and standard thermoformers, fillers, sealers, and labeling and printing equipment will be on display in this year’s pavilion, along with flexible packaging like pouches and materials such as barrier films. Here, manufacturers of medical devices and disposable products get a concentrated dose of the packaging capabilities available to them. Attendees not only benefit from the expertise of the exhibitors, but will find them all conveniently located within this special-focus pavilion.
For related material on medical device packaging and ISO 11607, visit
MPMN’s sister publication,
PMPN, at
www.devicelink.com/pmpn. Visit
www.mdmwest.com for more information about the trade show and conference schedule.
