US patent granted to FlexFilms

The patent US 10131122 was issued to FlexFilms (USA) on November 20, 2018 for a period of 20 years, which, according to the company, lends it a competitive advantage in cold formed pharmaceutical packaging. With the patent issuance, the company gets exclusive right to the manufacture and sale of this special BOPET film in the US, Europe and India.

The patent includes a unique forming characteristic of BOPET film in Z direction during packaging application.

FlexFilms stated that with this innovation in pharma packaging, and particularly for alu-alu blister laminate structures, BOPET film has completely replaced PVC. The company noted that when PVC is recycled or reprocessed, it releases poisonous gases like dioxin and hydrochloric acid that are hazardous for human health. Also, when PVC comes in direct contact with sunlight, it gives away chlorine gas. FlexFilms stated that its special polyester film can be recycled and reprocessed and is environment friendly. Likewise, this BOPET film has also replaced 25 micron BOPA film, the processing of which is claimed as difficult due to its intrinsic property of moisture absorption that makes it delaminate from aluminum foil.

Further, the BOPET film can be printed with many different types of ink. FlexFilms noted that it can be difficult to read the details of drugs printed on aluminum foil of blister packs, but with the compatibility of BOPET film with different types of ink, the communication of information via blister packs has been improved.

Pramod Sirsamkar, president, technical and new product development, Films at Uflex, said: ‘We are pleased to strengthen our intellectual property protection with the addition of this patent. Our research and development team has consistently worked to invent our now patented special polyester film that since its launch last year has changed the landscape of medical packaging, reducing the dependency on BOPA and PVC films used in alu-alu laminate blister packs. This patent undoubtedly would be a game-changer for our business and will prove to be an asset not only for us but also for the pharmaceutical industry.’

Anantshree Chaturvedi, vice chairman and CEO, FlexFilms International, added: ‘We believe that healthy competition always benefits customers the most. The patent awarded to us gives us the right to protect our innovation and stop others from copying, reverse-engineering or selling our product without our permission, thereby reducing our risks and ensuring best product delivered to our customers. This silver bullet now gives us protection for a pre-determined period, allowing us to keep competitors at bay and lead the path as always.’