Reusable surgical instruments are subjected to a decontamination process. Which means they are cleaned, inspected, packaged, sterilized transported and stored after every use on a patient. The purpose of the packaging system is to keep the instruments sterile until they are used, and to allow them to be opened aseptically when they are used. The international standard ISO 11607-1 describes the requirements for sterile barrier systems (packaging), while the ISO 11607-2 standard describes validation of packaging processes. This standard is applicable to the medical industry, to health care facilities (hospitals, doctors and dentists).
