Sealed Packet to Reduce Probability of Pressure Based Failure

A pinhole in sealed disinfectant wipe packets allows gas escape upon moisture exposure, addressing pressure-based failures and maintaining effectiveness by preventing moisture ingress, ensuring reliable disinfection.

GB2632523BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-06GAMA HEALTHCARE LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
GB2024002368
Authority / Receiving Office
GB · GB
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-02-20
Publication Date
2025-08-06
Estimated Expiration
2044-02-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Sealed packets of disinfectant wipes containing a peroxygen donor and acid or acid-producing substance are prone to pressure-based failures due to unintended moisture ingress or reaction, leading to inflation and potential explosion, which compromises their effectiveness and user trust.

Method used

Incorporating a pinhole in the sealed packet to allow gas escape upon moisture exposure, ensuring the peroxygen donor and acid or acid-producing substance remain separated until activation by wetting, thereby preventing pressure buildup without increasing moisture ingress.

Benefits of technology

The pinhole effectively reduces the risk of packet failure and maintains disinfection efficacy by allowing gas release, while minimizing moisture entry, thus maintaining product integrity and user confidence.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

There is disclosed a sealed packet containing at least one wipe; wherein the wipe comprises an activatable anti-microbial composition that includes a peroxygen donor and an acid, or an acid producing
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Description

Field of the Invention The present application is in the field of sealed packets of disinfectant wipes. In particular, this application is in the field of sealed packets of disinfectant wipes that are activated by wetting. In particular, the present application is in the field of minimising the probability of pressure based failure of sealed packets of disinfectant wipes that are activated by wetting, in the event that moisture is sealed within, or gains entry into, the sealed packet. Background Various disinfection wipes are known, each with different properties. One such known disinfection wipe is the Gama Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipe ®. This is a disinfection wipe that is more effective than chlorine-based equivalent disinfection wipes against hard-to-kill organisms, spores and biofilms. These wipes are effective from 10 seconds. Additionally no pre-cleaning of the surfaces to be disinfected is required. These wipes are formed from a substrate having particles comprising a peroxygen donor and particles comprising an acid or acid producing substance retained within the substrate. These wipes function when they are wetted and the two particle types react. This produces the disinfection means as well as emitting some gases. These wipes are manufactured and sold in sealed packets of multiple wipes. These wipes have been sealed so as to prevent any moisture ingress, to prevent unwanted early activation of the wipes. However, this can have a drawback relating to the sealed packets themselves. During production it is possible for a level of moisture to be sealed within the packet. For example, the wipes may be manufactured in a location with high humidity. This moisture has been found to cause a level of early unintended reaction between the two particle types in some instances. This can lead to inflation of the sealed packets as the gas given off in the reaction is sealed within the packet. In some instances this can even lead to failure of the sealed packets. Moreover, even when prepared in low humidity environments it is inevitable that a low level of moisture may be contained within some sealed packets. This may produce a very low rate of reaction between the particles. However, this can lead to the packet inflating partially over a prolonged period of time, such as longer term storage for users that do not need to use the product regularly. Figure 7 shows an image of an inflated sealed packet of Gama Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipes ®. It is clear from this image that the sealed packet has been inflated and the contents are now pressurised. It is also clear that any further pressure may lead to failure of the packet - for example the packet may burst. Users of the wipes do not want to risk packets failing and have a clear preference not to use packets that have inflated or partially inflated. A failure would be noisy and may cause a user to lose faith in the product. Moreover, inflation of the packet may (mistakenly) lead the user to believe that the wipes are spoiled in some way and should not be used. There has however been a widespread prejudice in the art for sealing these packets of wipes completely. This is because the ingress of moisture into the packet can lead to unwanted early activation of the wipes. Moreover, continual low level ingress can lead to a substantial amount of the wipes having unwanted early activation. This in turn can make the wipes less effective when they are used. This could have very serious consequences in hospitals and other clinical settings where these wipes are relied on to ensure that safety and disinfection standards are met. If these standards are not met the chance of an unwanted infection amongst a patient or staff is increased. Therefore, there has been a strong prejudice for the total sealing of the packets from the outer environment. Problems associated with reducing the risk of the inflation of the sealed packets, without increasing the likelihood of unwanted early activation of the wipes are addressed herein. Statements of Invention Aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claims. Optional features are set out in the dependent claims. In accordance with a first aspect there is disclosed a sealed packet containing at least one wipe; wherein the wipe comprises an activatable anti-microbial composition that includes a peroxygen donor and an acid, or an acid producing substance, the peroxygen donor being separated from the other component of the composition until activation by wetting; wherein the sealed packet comprises a pinhole that is configured to allow gas to escape from the sealed packet in the event that at least a portion of the at least one wipe is exposed to moisture. This is highly advantageous because this allows the use of a wipe that includes a peroxygen donor and an acid, or an acid producing substance, the peroxygen donor being separated from the other component of the composition until activation by wetting, without increasing the risk of an explosion, or other pressure related failure. When sealed such packets are often shipped and placed in storage until use. However, if during production small quantities of moisture are present within the packet (or if there is ingress of water into the packet after production) this will cause a small degree of wetting of the wipes. This may activate the wipes. One by-product of the activation is the release of gas. If there is sufficient emission of gas the packet will fail, for example by explosion. However, even a small amount of gas can cause the sealed packet to inflate slightly, which can be off-putting to the user. Therefore, the use of a pinhole to allow gas to escape means that this inflation does not take place, and the risk of explosion or the like is reduced. Moreover, it has been surprisingly found that such a pinhole does not increase the amount of the moisture that is contained within a packet. It has surprisingly been found that pinholes do not allow a significant amount of moisture or water vapour to enter the packet, even if the packet is stored in a humid environment for a long period of time. In particular, any increase in moisture within the packet (and potential early part activation of the wipe) has not been found to be significant enough to be detrimental to the disinfection properties of the wipe. Therefore, the above features allow for the product to be produced in more humid environments, stored for longer (including longer spent in transit from the location of manufacture), and this reduces the number of packets that are deemed not usable by end users. Therefore, the above features are advantageous. Optionally, the pinhole is sized to limit the ingress of moisture into the sealed packet. This may limit the effect of the pin-hole in terms of any unwanted early activation of the wipes. Optionally, the pinhole is 0.5mm in diameter, preferably in a range between 0.1mm and 0.7mm. This has been found to be advantageous as this has been found not to adversely affect usage of the wipes and allow sufficient gas to escape in the event that some moisture is present within the sealed packet. A diameter of 0.5mm has been found to be particularly effective because it is relatively easy and quick to form, but still does not allow moisture ingress within the sealed packet. Optionally, the pinhole is formed by a needle punch. This is an inexpensive, simple and reliable way of forming the hole. Moreover, this ensures that each hole has the same size. This also allows for the creation of a pinhole to not slow manufacturing time as the needle may puncture the flow wrap whilst the flow wrap is in motion along a conveyor or equivalent. Optionally, the pinhole is formed by a laser. This may advantageously allow for a very precise size hole to be formed. This may also allow for smaller pinhole sizes such as 0.1mm-0.25mm in diameter, and variability in this size. Optionally, a plurality of pinholes are provided. This may allow a greater flow of gas out of the sealed packet, whilst allowing no air in. In some embodiments a plurality of holes of varying diameters (e.g. 0.25mm or less) may be used, and optionally different forms of manufacture, such as the use of lasers may be used for this purpose. Optionally, the plurality of pinholes comprises three or more pinholes. This may provide sufficient flow of gas out of the sealed packet to prevent inflation of the packet. Optionally, the peroxygen donor and acid or acid producing substance comprise separate solid particles. This may allow space to be present between the particles so that reactions prior to the intended use are minimised. Optionally, the solid particles are arranged in a scatter pattern in or on the at least one wipe. This may minimise the costs and technical difficulty of manufacture whilst providing sufficient distance between most of the particles. If a small amount of reaction prior to use occurs the pinhole will enable the release of excess gas. In accordance with a second aspect there is disclosed a method of manufacturing a sealed packet comprising at least one wet wipe, the method comprising the steps of: producing a flow wrap; creating a pinhole in the flow wrap; forming a polybag from the flow wrap; arranging a peroxygen donor, and an acid or acid producing substance on a wipe; placing the wipe within a polybag; sealing the polybag to form the sealed packet. This may be highly advantageous as creating the pinhole in the flow wrap, and then forming the polybag provides greater control in the size and location of the pinhole. If a pinhole was made in a full formed sealed packet this is more likely to lead to a larger hole, or failure of the packet. Therefore this method may reduce the number of packets that are lost to manufacturing error, and may speed up the rate of production. This may also make quality control simpler. Optionally, the pinhole is created using a needle punch . Advantageously this produces a reliable and repeatable pinhole with a pre-set diameter. This can also be used to make the pinhole without slowing production. Optionally, creating a pin hole in the sealed packet comprises creating a plurality of pin holes in the sealed packet. This may increase the maximum rate of gas flow out of the packet in the event of inflation. Optionally, the plurality of pinholes comprises three pinholes. This may be sufficient to allow for the expulsion of gas in the event of pre-activation of a portion of the wipe. Optionally, the pinhole has a diameter of 0.5mm. This may allow sufficient flow of gas out of the packet in the event of re-activation of a portion of the wipe. Brief Description of Figures Figure 1 shows a wipe with peroxygen donor particles, and acid, or acid producing substance, particles arranged on the wipe. Figure 2 shows a needle puncturing a flow wrap, polybag or sealed packet. Figure 3 shows a flow wrap, polybag, or sealed packet with a plurality of holes. Figure 4 shows a cross section of a hole formed after puncturing by a needle. This shows the inverted portion of material remaining in place. Figure 5 shows an image of the flow wrap used in the process with a pinhole added. Figure 6 shows a flow chart of the method of manufacture. Figure 7 shows an image of a sealed packet that has been inflated due to the lack of a pinhole. Detailed Description of Figures There is disclosed herein a sealed packet containing at least one wipe, wherein the wipe comprises an activatable anti-microbial composition that includes a peroxygen donor and an acid, or an acid producing substance, the peroxygen donor being separated from the other component of the composition until activation by wetting, wherein the sealed packet comprises a pinhole that allows gas to escape from the sealed packet in the event that at least a portion of the at least one wipe is exposed to moisture. Figure 1 shows a wipe that is to be situated within a sealed packet, wherein the sealed packet comprises a pinhole. The wipe comprises a substrate 1, a peroxygen donor particle 3, and acid or acid producing substance particle 5. The peroxygen donor 3 and the acid or acid producing substance 5 may take the form of separate particles as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows that the wipe is formed from the substrate with particles of the peroxygen donor 3 and acid or acid producing substance 5 scattered onto the wipe (and adhered or otherwise kept on the wipe in this scattered position). Due to the scattering the positioning of the particles 3 and 5 is approximately homogeneous and isotropic - with local variance affecting this only somewhat. Below we set out various embodiments and variants, in particular concerning the substrate, the peroxygen donor 3 and the acid or acid producing substance 5. The substrate 1 may be any suitable substrate for use in a disinfectant wipe, and many such substrates are well known. In some embodiments the substrate 1 may comprise a nonwoven material made from cellulosic fibres, for example cotton, viscose, regenerated wood pulp cellulose or similar material. Alternatively or in addition, the material comprises fibres including at least one of polyester, polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene fibres. Where the fibres of the nonwoven have physical properties, for example bi-component fibres, which allow the substrate to be thermally or physically bonded or entangled in a discreet layer or web, it may be possible to dispense with all or most of the bonding medium. The acid or acid producing substance 5 may be any acid or acid producing substance suitable for the production of peracetic acid (for example when in contact with a peroxygen donor). The acid may comprise a bidentate acid and preferably oxalic acid. Such acids can influence the nuclearity and redox potential of the metal centres in the catalyst which, in turn, improves the spectrum and speed of biocidal activity. Alternatively, however, other acids such as fumaric, ascorbic, succinic, glutaric and mixtures thereof may also be used. In addition, combinations of acid and salts of the acid may also be used, for instance, oxalic acid and sodium oxalate. A combination of oxalic acid and pH buffers such as sodium phosphate may also be used. Combinations of acids may also be used, for example a combination of oxalic acid and citric acid. Also, reaction between the peroxygen donor and a bleach activator, such as tetra acetyl ethylene diamine (TAED) would beneficially produce peracetic acid. Such a reaction will occur on activation of the composition. Hence, advantageously, the acid of the composition may be a separate component of the composition or may be generated in situ in the substrate on activation. The peroxygen donor 3 may be chosen from any of those compounds exhibiting strong redox potential by generation of hydrogen peroxide or other mechanism. Preferably, therefore, the peroxygen donor comprises any of sodium perborate as mono or tetra hydrate, sodium percarbonate, and sodium persulphate. It is also possible to generate an effective composition in situ by activating the substrate using a hydrogen peroxide solution. Two examples of formulations of antimicrobial compositions in accordance with the invention will now be described. Example 1 Sodium perborate tetrahydrate 1.05 parts Tetra acetyl ethylene diamine 0.014 parts Oxalic acid 0.35 parts NP 1033 0.01 parts Example 2 Sodium percarbonate 50 parts Tetra acetyl ethylene diamine 25 parts Sequestrant 2 parts Anionic surfactant 5 parts Citric acid 1 part The antimicrobial performance of each these formulations can be demonstrated by adding 1 part formulation to 10 parts of water. The ensuing solutions both meet the requirements of the European suspension test EN1276:1997. This test is a quantitative suspension test for the evaluation of bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants and antiseptics used in foods, industrial, domestic and institutional areas. To meet the test a greater than log 5 kill of all test organisms must occur within a 5 minute contact time and at temperatures of both 20° C and 4° C in both clean and dirty conditions. The test organisms used are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus hirae. Additionally, under the European suspension test 13727:2012 for the evaluation of bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants and antiseptics used in medical settings a log 5 kill of all test organisms within 1 minute at a temperature of 20° C under medically dirty conditions was met. Both of the formulations also show excellent sporicidal, fungicidal and virucidal properties in standard tests. In addition, it should be noted that the residue products of Example 1 are environmentally benign. It is known that in formulations containing peroxygen donors and bleach activators such as TAED that a very wide range of ratios of the two components can be used determined by requirements such as the concentration of peracetic acid generated, the rate of generation, the pH of the system, the stability, solubility and other factors. Hence in constructions in accordance with this invention a wide range of ratios of the antimicrobial composition and quantitative loadings of the substrate is possible. An additional formulation of antimicrobial composition will now be described. Example 3 Sodium perborate tetrahydrate 1.05 parts Oxalic acid 0.35 parts NP 1033 0.01 parts This formulation excludes the bleach accelerator. It also passes the European suspension test EN1276:1997 for all test organisms at a temperature of 20°C but not at a temperature of 4°C. Hence although useful, it may have more limited applications than other formulations of the composition. The components of the antimicrobial composition are preferably produced in the form of powders or granules for ease of incorporation into separate portions of the body of the substrate, as described above, in order that the construction can remain in a stable condition ready for use. At this time, the antimicrobial composition can be activated by wetting the substrate with water. Such wetting may occur when a wipe construction according to the invention is wetted or is used to wipe a wet or damp surface; or is used to absorb a spillage containing an aqueous component; or is used as a filter for water which may be contaminated; or is moistened by water vapour, perspiration or other means. Three embodiments of construction in accordance with the present invention are as follows. Embodiment 1 The substrate comprises a nonwoven laminate construction comprising two layers of hydroentangled nonwoven containing viscose and polyester fibres separated by a thermoplastic bonding medium in sheet form. The layer between the bottom nonwoven and the bonding medium contains the peroxygen donor. The layer between the bonding medium and the top nonwoven contains the tetra acetyl ethylene diamine, surfactant, acid and other components of the antimicrobial composition. The chemical components of the formulation being present at quantitative levels and in such ratios and at such a pH as to generate levels of peracetic acid when the substrate is wetted, which levels of peracetic acid are appropriate to the biocidal task required. Embodiment 2 The substrate comprises a nonwoven laminate construction as described above in Embodiment 1 but wherein the bonding medium is a low melting point thermoplastic powder and the peroxygen donor component of the formulation is separated from the other components by virtue of being applied by scattering or other means which ensure the peroxygen donor powder is restricted to areas of the substrate not covered by other components with which it might react. Both the peroxygen donor 3 and the acid or acid producing substance can be scattered in this embodiment as shown in Figure 1. Therefore, both the peroxygen donor 3 and the acid 5 may have homogenous and isotropic distributions over the wipe (approximately). Embodiment 3 The substrate comprises a nonwoven laminate construction made up of highly absorbent airlaid fibres as one of the nonwoven layers, in which the peroxygen donor is sodium perborate monohydrate present at 15 g per square metre. The other components of the antimicrobial composition, which include TAED present at 8.0 g per square metre, are separated by virtue of two discreet patterns of powder scattering in combination with a thermoplastic powder bonding adhesive. The complete construction, on wetting, is capable of generating 500ppm of peracetic acid in one litre of water. Figure 2 shows a needle being used to puncture a flow wrap, polybag or sealed packet. It is noted that the wipe as shown in Figure 1 is to be sealed within the material of the flow wrap, polybag or sealed packet. In the method of manufacture a sheet of material starts as a flow wrap. This is then formed into the shape of a polybag. The wipe is then arranged within the polybag prior to the polybag being sealed to form the sealed packet. The process shown in Figure 2 may take place at any point in this process. In particular element 7 shown in Figure 2 may be either a flow wrap, polybag or sealed packet. Figure 2 shows a needle 9 being pushed through, or otherwise puncturing, the wall of a flow wrap, polybag, or sealed packet. There may be a single needle, or there may be a cluster of needles configured to puncture the material 7 at the same time in a pre-set positional arrangement. The needle 9 may be pushed into and out of the material 7 at speed (e.g. moving towards the flow wrap, puncturing the flow wrap and withdrawing from the flow wrap in a time of less than 1 second, and preferably less than 0.5 seconds) so as to ensure that the hole produced is uniform, and so as to ensure that the production of a pinhole does not slow production of the sealed packets. The needle 9 is shaped so as to produce a pre-set sized pinhole in the material 7. For example, the needle may be 0.5mm in diameter so as to produce a hole of the same diameter. Needles of shapes between 0.1mm and 0.7mm may be used to form pinholes of the same size. A diameter of 0.5mm has been found to be particularly advantageous for increasing the maximum rate of flow of gas out of the sealed packet, without allowing moisture to enter the sealed packet. It may be advantageous for the needle 9 to puncture the material 7 whilst the material is in the form of a flow wrap. This is because the material can be arranged wholly flat at this stage. The material can therefore be held taut -, and so the size of the pinhole created may be more precisely controlled, and may conform more closely to the shape of the needle 9 itself. For instance once the polybag is formed it is more difficult for the portion of material 7 being punctured to be tensioned, and it is more difficult for this portion of material 7 to be flat. Any curvature in the material may result in an enlarged pinhole being created. As an alternative to Figure 2 a laser may be used. This may create a hole in the material 7 by shining a beam at the position on the material at which a hole should be formed. This may allow for precise positioning of the hole, and the ability to vary the diameter of the hole by changing the diameter of the beam. However, this method may increase costs. Lasers may be best suited for producing smaller diameter holes for example of 0.25mm in diameter or less. It is noted that other alternative solutions to the pinhole has been considered. For example, due to the prevailing bias in the art towards having sealed packets to prevent the ingress of moisture, initially a one-way valve was considered. This would have allowed gas to escape from inside the sealed packets - addressing the technical problem. However one-way valves are not simple to add to a sealed packet. They can also be bulky. This means that the costs for production would be increased markedly, and the number of sealed packets that can fit into a standard box or crate may be reduced by the bulky additional valve. Therefore this solution has clear negatives. In terms of manufacture incorporating a one-way valve into a flow wrap is technically possible but it would markedly slow production of the sealed packets, and it would add an additional point of failure to the packet - for example the packet may be more likely to rip in locations adjacent a one-way valve. For these reasons a one-way valve was not seen as a satisfactory solution to the technical problem. The pinhole (formed either by the needle, laser, or other suitable means) however addresses the same technical problem in a low-cost and easy to manufacture way that does not compromise the structural integrity of the sealed packet. It is surprising that the pinhole is effective at not allowing moisture to enter the sealed packet, and this feature is highly advantageous. Figure 3 shows the material 7 with three pinholes 11. The number of pinholes is purely illustrative and in many embodiments only one pinhole may be formed. If a needle is used with a diameter of 0.5mm one pinhole is likely to be sufficient in order to enable a flow rate of gas exiting the sealed packet to be as large as the rate at which gas may be produced due to unintended moisture within the packet. Moreover, a 0.5mm diameter pinhole is unlikely to allow a significant amount of moisture to enter the packet, and so will only cause a negligible amount of unintended early reaction between the peroxygen donor 3 and the acid or acid producing substance 5. Multiple holes may allow smaller diameters of pinholes (e.g. 0.1mm to 0.25mm) to be used to achieve this same level of gas outflow. The smaller diameters may further reduce the likelihood of moisture ingress within the sealed packet. In the example shown three 0.25mm diameter holes are shown which together provide approximately the same maximum outflow of gas from within the sealed packet as a single 0.5mm diameter pinhole. These 0.25mm pinholes may be formed either by multiple needles in a pre-set arrangement, a single needle, a laser, or any other suitable means. The three 0.25mm diameter pinholes may allow even less moisture to ingress into the sealed packet than a single 0.5mm diameter pinhole. However, there is a diminished benefit as the amount of moisture ingress using a 0.5mm pinhole is minimal. There may be some advantages in particularly moist environments, such as tropical environments, or if the wipes are to be used as part of a first aid pack in an outdoors setting. Figure 4 shows a cross section of a hole formed after puncturing by a needle. This shows the inverted portion of material remaining in place. In particular, this means that the hole can form a conical like structure. Whilst not tied to any specific theory, it is believed that the conical shape may reduce the level of moisture that may enter through the hole, whilst maintaining the same level of gas that can exit through the hole. This therefore reduces the likelihood of the hole leading to the wipes reacting and gas being formed. This also allows any gas that is formed through early reaction to exit the packet and prevent packet failure. It is also noted that the pinhole may be formed without the inverted portion in some embodiments. Figure 5 shows an image of the flow wrap after the pinhole has been created. There is an arrow pointing at the pinhole. There is also a circle around the arrow and the pinhole. This is to make it clear where the pinhole is situated. The pinhole is approximately circular. The pinhole has been formed by a needle puncturing the flow wrap. This creates an inward protrusion at least somewhat like that shown in Figure 4. Once the flow wrap forms is used to form a sealed packet the pinhole will allow air to exit the sealed packet. Therefore, this averts the problem of packets inflating if exposed to moisture. Moreover, this pinhole surprisingly does not allow a significant quantity of water or water vapour to enter the sealed packet. Therefore, the pinhole does not significantly increase the chance of early activation of the wipes within the sealed packet. Figure 6 shows the steps of the method for producing a sealed packet with the pinhole. The first step 21 is producing or procuring or positioning a flow wrap. This may involve putting the flow wrap in a position such that it is held taut, and so that a layer of the flow wrap is moved along a conveyor or the like. The second step 23 comprises creating a pinhole in the flow wrap. This may be done in the same manner as shown in Figure 2 or any other suitable manner. It is noted that this step may be performed after the flow wrap is formed into a polybag, or after the packet is sealed. However, it is advantageous for step 23 to be performed on the flow wrap itself. This is because the flow wrap can be flat and taut, with a constant tension across the wrap. This makes deformation of the pinhole less likely, and the creation of the pinhole simpler and more efficient. The next step 25 comprises forming a polybag from the flow wrap. This is a known process, and comprises shaping the flow wrap and forming a structure into which the wipes can be placed. This polybag is in a form that can be sealed in a future step. The next step T7 may be performed in parallel with any of the steps 21, 23 and 25 above, before these steps 21, 23, and 25, or after them. It comprises forming a wipe, or multiple wipes, preferably as described in Embodiments 1 to 3 above. Step 29 then comprises placing a wipe or multiple wipes within the polybag. These wipes may be in a continuous form with preforation so that they can be ripped apart to separate one another, or they may be entirely separate at the point of placement within the polybag. The final step 31 then comprises sealing the polybag to form the sealed packet. This process is again a known and may be implemented in any suitable way, for example with adhesives, sonic welding, or any other suitable technique. At the conclusion of this process there is produced a sealed packet of wipes that are activatable via wetting, wherein the sealed packet comprises a pinhole to allow the egress of gas from the sealed packet in the event of unwanted early activation of the wipes. The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples. Further embodiments are also envisaged. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims. In some examples, one or more memory elements can store data and / or program 5 instructions used to manufacture the apparatus described herein. Embodiments of the disclosure provide tangible, non-transitory storage media comprising program instructions operable to program a processor to said method of manufacture. The processor / controller of such method of manufacture (and any of the methods, activities or instructions outlined herein) may be implemented with fixed logic such 10 as assemblies of logic gates or programmable logic such as software and / or computer program instructions executed by a processor. Other kinds of programmable logic include programmable processors, programmable digital logic (e.g. a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), an 15 application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or any other kind of digital logic, software, code, electronic instructions, flash memory, optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD ROMs, magnetic or optical cards, other types of machine-readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions, or any suitable combination thereof.

Claims

1. A sealed packet containing at least one wipe;wherein the wipe comprises an activatable anti-microbial composition that includes a peroxygen donor and an acid, or an acid producing substance, the5 peroxygen donor being separated from the other component of the composition until activation by wetting;wherein the sealed packet comprises a pinhole that is configured to allow gas to escape from the sealed packet in the event that at least a portion of the at least one wipe is exposed to moisture.10 2. The sealed packet of claim 1, wherein the pinhole is 0.1-0.7mm in diameter.

3. The sealed packet of any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of pinholes.

4. The sealed packet of claim 3, wherein the plurality of pinholes comprises three ormore pinholes.20255. The sealed packet of any preceding claim, wherein the peroxygen donor and acid or acid producing substance are formed in separate solid particles.

6. The sealed packet of claim 5, wherein the solid particles are arranged in a scatter pattern in or on the at least one wipe.

7. A method of manufacturing a sealed packet comprising at least one wet wipe, the method comprising the steps of:producing a flow wrap, wherein the flow wrap is configured to be a material of the flow wrap;creating a pinhole in the flow wrap;forming a polybag from the flow wrap;arranging a peroxygen donor, and acid or acid producing substance on a wipe;placing the wipe within a polybag;sealing the polybag to form the sealed packet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a needle punch is used to create the pinhole.

9. The method of claims 7 or 8, wherein a plurality of pinholes are created in the 30 flow wrap.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of pinholes comprises three pinholes.

11. The method of any of claims 7-10 wherein the or each pinhole has a diameter of 0.5mm.28 10 24

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