What Is Eto Sterilizer

Veröffentlichungszeit: 2023-10-12 | Ethylene Oxide Technology

What Is ETO Sterilizer?

An ETO Sterilizer (Ethylenoxid-Sterilisator) is specialized equipment designed for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. It uses ethylene oxide gas as the primary agent to eliminate all microorganisms from medical devices and supplies that are sensitive to high temperatures or moisture, such as catheters, Herzschrittmacher, and surgical optics.

The ETO Sterilization Cycle

The sterilization process follows a rigorous sequence of stages to ensure both absolute sterility and user safety. Below are the five key steps of an ETO cycle:

01. Pre-conditioning Items are heated and humidified to a specific set point (typically in the chamber or a separate room) to prepare microorganisms for gas exposure.

02. Pre-vacuum The system evacuates air from the chamber to create a vacuum environment, ensuring the ETO gas can penetrate deeply into complex device lumens.

03. EO Injection Ethylene oxide gas is injected, often mixed with inert gases like Nitrogen or CO2 to eliminate the risk of explosion.

04. Exposure Products remain in the gas environment for a predetermined time. This duration varies based on material density and the required Sterility Assurance Level (SAL).

05. Aeration Residual gas is extracted through repeated air washes and vacuum cycles. Increased temperatures accelerate the removal of EO from packaging and product materials.

Customized for Your Needs

Sterilization time and efficiency depend largely on your specific product, the gas mixture used, and whether you utilize a single-channel or double-channel system. BOCON offers a range of models from compact 78L units to large 900L industrial systems (BCS Series) to fit various production scales.