News

95 kPa and Category B Biological Substances – Our Effort to Eliminate the Risk

Anyone working the medical industry understands the need for safety and compliance. As a leader in medical grade, flexible packaging, Com-Pac International® pays utmost attention to the details that enable countless companies to rely on our products for complete assurance that their transport and handlings are safe.

Com-Pac International is the manufacturer of the INSPEX® 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bag, engineered to meet the strict domestic and international regulations for shipment of Category B Biological Substances. We have perfected this bag to uphold the rigid standards of the DOT and IATA requirements. Our leakproof, pressure-tested, lab specimen bags undergo rigorous testing, and design improvements have been made to include the following features:

◦Stronger laminated film material and side seals

◦Robust tamper-proof adhesive closure

◦Tear-start, which destroys the Biohazard symbol when opened

◦Order customization – rear document pouch, absorbent sheets, custom graphics and prints

In addition to providing a top of the line product, we aim to inform our users of the need for these products. Category B Infectious Substances are proven or expected to contain pathogens. This can include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other infectious carriers that pose a disease risk to humans or animals. While the transport of these materials is not as high of a risk as Category A Infectious Substances, specialized transport is required at all times.

Procedures for Category B Biological Substances require infectious substances to be tripled packaged. The following steps are regulated for transport:

1. All materials must be contained in a primary receptacle. This receptacle must be leakproof or sift proof depending on the physical state of the contents.

2. After proper containment, the stored materials must be wrapped and packaged in a second receptacle. Our INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bags meet the 95 kPa capability requirements for air transport. The secondary packaging should include proper absorbents in the event the primary receptacle is damaged.

                                               

3. The contained primary and secondary receptacles must be further stored in a third, rigid outer packaging. The Com-Pac INFECON® Infectious Substance Shippers are suitable for a wide range of shipping needs. The contents of the outer packaging should be properly cushioned, and all voids and spaces should be filled.

                                     

Further handling requirements can be found through the Department of Transportation website under “Transporting Infectious Substances Safely,” and the International Air Transport Association website under “Infectious Substances Shipping Regulations (ISSR).”

To reiterate, the Com-Pac INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bags are liquid-tight, specimen transport bags, specifically designed to meet domestic and international requirements for shipping hazardous infectious and diagnostic substances. Our bags have been independently tested to meet the specifications in 173.169(f) of the DOT’s Title 49 CFR and as specified in Packaging Instruction 302 and 650 of the ICAO Technical Instruction s for Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.

The engineers at Com-Pac International have taken great care in making the highest quality product available on the market. Our 95 kPa bags are made with a custom laminated film structure. The adhesive closures are pressure tight and permanent, so the contents within remain secure throughout transport. The product considerations we have included make the INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bags ideal for transporting blood tubes, tissue samples and other critical liquid or solid substances.

In additional to all of the benefits our bags provide, we ensure the product is certified to meet the thermal range expected from regular use. The INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bags withstood a temperature test range of -40°C up to 50°C. Our adhesive tape temperature range, which is used on this bag and many of our other products, met the same -40°C and exceeds up to 79°C for continuous use and 107°C for short term use. Because our products are made using the finest materials and components, our quality is unsurpassed.

Com-Pac International strives to maintain its role as leader in the flexible packaging industry, but our roots run much deeper than the surface. Without question, Com-Pac International is a leader among businesses. Within the “business” are the nearly 200 faces that define the character and back-bone of our company. One of our goals with the Com-Pac Newsletter is to convey the human aspect of our industry. When the Covid-19 outbreak struck the United States, we had a collective mission to combat the devastation caused by the disease, and we couldn’t have done it without these individuals.

Covid-19 was and still is classified as a Category B Infectious Substance. This put Com-Pac International at the epicenter of pandemic relief. Our company saw a huge push for products long offered as part of our service. In order to meet the heightened demand, we relied on our employees to be the driving force behind this movement. Members of our production team were expected to perform flawlessly to increase product output and to meet the increased demands for Category B transport needs. Our packers were making increased numbers of shipping kits, specifically catering to the 95 kPa requirements. Due to the Covid-19 classification, our INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bag paired with the INFECON Infectious Substance Shippers took the market by surprise. Every aspect of domestic and international requirements was met with these products. We were able to jump-start production and serve the community immediately. Our success falls in the hands of the employees who made this roll out possible.

We cannot stress enough the value our employees and our products bring to the medical field. The standards we exemplify are built into our corporation from the ground up by bringing a sense of quality to the everyday workforce. We are a family business, proudly owned and operated 100% in the USA. Our facility is located in Carbondale, Illinois, where our engineering, manufacturing and shipping all occur from our 100,000 square-foot plant. Since we manufacture in the United States, we are able to ship our products immediately and accommodate custom requests with short lead times. We have provided flexible packaging products to labs, hospitals and food packagers for nearly 35 years, so we understand when labs or hospitals need solutions during difficult times.

Our products are always developing and improving, so understand we will keep our information as current as possible. We are more than happy to provide samples of our products in additional to any other details you may want – pricing, lead times or minimum volume requirements for custom configurations. Regardless of your industry needs, we will gladly assist with any request.

As always, thank you for learning more about Com-Pac International. For more information on the Com-Pac INSPEX 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bag, please do not hesitate to contact us direct, or search our website for “Inspex 95kPa Bags.” Additional information is listed below.

Genuinely,
Associates of Com-Pac International®
Carbondale, Illinois
1.800.824.0817
com-pac.com

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Addition Information:

INSPEX® 95 kPa Specimen Transport Bag Product Line:
INS95-0609:        6”x9” Single pocket bag
INS95-0609P:     6”x9” Bag with document pouch
INS95-0912:        9”x12” Single Pocket Bag
INS95-0912P:     9”x12” Bag with document pouch

XP-95-0609 Inspex 95kPa Bags

INFECON® Infectious Substance/Diagnostic Specimen Shipper Product Line:
INFECON® 2000 Infectious Substance/Diagnostic Specimen Shipper – 6.2 U.N. Certified
INFECON® 2050 Infectious Substance/Diagnostic Specimen Shipper – 6.2 U.N. Certified
INFECON® 3000 Infectious Substance Shipper – 6.2 U.N. Certified
INFECON® 3050 FX-11 Infectious Substance Shipper – 6.2 U.N. Certified
INFECON® 5000 Insulated Infectious Substance Shipper
INFECON® 5500 Insulated Infectious Substance Shipper – 6.2 U.N. Certified
INFECON® 6000 Speci-Freez Insulated Overpack Shipper
INFECON® 6200/6300 Combination Shippers

Infecon Infectious Substance Shippers


Absorbent Sheets:
INF-2003:             3”x3” with a 50ml capacity (100/case)
INF-1003:             3”x6” with a 100ml capacity (100/case)
INF-1004:             4”x8” with a 250ml capacity (100/case)