Automatic ETO Sterilizer

An ETO sterilization cycle has at least three steps:

• Preconditioning
• Sterilization
• Aeration (Desgassing)

Preconditioning

Preconditioning sets the chamber's temperature, pressure, and humidity to perfection. First, the air in an enclosed space is evacuated, allowing gas inside. To protect staff and the environment, a leakage test is done. Since ETO Sterilizer only works in humid environments, steam is fed into the chamber to humidify the load. The jacket's steam or hot water heats the chamber. To prevent temperature fluctuations, the jacket is often kept at a specific temperature 24 hours a day.

Sterilization

The second step is sterilization. Evaporation with steam brings ETO Sterilizer into the chamber to maintain humidity and reach all load sections. Sterilization begins when the chamber and load concentrations meet the requirements. Lower chamber gas concentrations take longer to sterilize. ETO Sterilizer is absorbed by many plastics; hence, concentration is crucial. ETO is delivered into the chamber at regular intervals for this purpose. For safe and successful sterilization, the chamber must have the right ETO concentration.

Desgassing

Aeration is the most time-consuming and important step in ETO sterilizing. Since plastics and rubbers absorb gas, the harmful gas could damage patients' tissues! Therefore, an extra aeration stage is necessary to eliminate any leftover ETO gas and allow absorbed gas to evaporate from sterilized goods. We circulate HEPA-filtered air over the load at 30°C to 50°C. Aeration treatment typically takes 48 hours, slowing instrument turnaround. A special gas-tight ventilation pipe to the roof or catalyzer is needed. The ETO Sterilizer cannot be used for hospital ventilation since it is unsafe. Gas leak testing of specific ventilation pipework is the only approach to reducing danger.