Richmond, Va. – October 14, 2026 -- Owens & Minor has launched ARMOR-FLEX* Sterilization Wrap, a heavyweight wrap developed in-house and made in Lexington, N.C., that the company says is stronger, more flexible and more bacteria-resistant than traditional heavyweight wraps without adding weight.
The product joins the Halyard® portfolio and targets sterility breaches that can compromise patient safety and cause delays in the operating room.
ASSURE-DRY technology targets slow-drying, hard-to-handle heavyweight wraps
Owens & Minor says many heavyweight wraps rely on bulk for protection. That added weight can make them harder to work with, slower to dry and more prone to incidents that may affect sterility. ARMOR-FLEX* instead combines patent-pending ASSURE-DRY* moisture management technology with proprietary manufacturing techniques.
The company describes sterile wrap as a barrier that protects surgical instruments during transfer from sterilization to the operating table.
Owens & Minor frames launch as answer to clinician demand
Dirk Benson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said the company set out to engineer a heavyweight wrap that does not compromise on safety, performance or ease of use.
Product builds on a line dating to the 1978 SMS wrap
Owens & Minor says ARMOR-FLEX* builds on nearly 50 years of operating room innovation, starting with the first SMS single-use sterilization wrap in 1978. The wrap is developed in-house using patent-pending technology and manufacturing processes.
Launch follows Platinum Equity ownership change
On December 31, 2025, Owens & Minor announced that its medical distribution, products and technology services business, formerly Products & Healthcare Services (P&HS), became part of the Platinum Equity portfolio. The company continues to operate as a private standalone company under the Owens & Minor name.