Patent ID: 7434372

Claim:
A method of integrity testing a packaging article by pressure retention testing and rendering said packaging article permeable to sterilant gas for sterile packaging of a product article therein after said pressure retention testing, and sterilizing the packaging, said method comprising: (a) providing said packaging article comprising at least one peripherally bonded sheet, including a first sheet of a porous material that is permeable to passage of sterilant gas therethrough in exposure to a sterilant gas environment, wherein a peelable film that is non-porous to passage of said sterilant gas therethrough is in facial contact with the first sheet of porous material, said peelable film being peelably removable from the first sheet; (b) pressurizing said packaging article by a compressed gas and monitoring pressure retention by the packaging article to determine its integrity; (c) after completion of step (b) with a verification of said integrity, removing the peelable film from the first sheet to expose the first sheet for passage of said sterilant gas therethrough; and (d) after step (c), exposing said packaging article to said sterilant gas to sterilize said packaging article.