List of Top 6 Questions About Hospital Steriliser
- What is an ETO Sterilizer
- How does an ETO Steriliser function?
- How much is the processing time taken for ETO Sterilisation?
- What are the advantages of ETO Sterilisation?
- What are the exclusive features of ETO Sterilisers?
- What is the scope of use for an ETO Steriliser?
1. What is an ETO Sterilizer?
An ETO (Ethylene Oxide Processing) Sterilizer is an instrument used to sterilize a variety of health care products through the use of a vacuum-based process. The ETO Sterilisation can penetrate the surfaces of most medical devices and the low temperature used by the ETO sterilizer makes it an ideal instrument for a wide variety of materials. ETO steriliser by far is the safest method to sterilize medical devices and preventing any kind of infection and ensuring that the patients have the safest of surgeries and medical treatments. In the present Covid situation sterilization equipment for hospital has played a very critical role in protecting patients and health workers too.
2. How does an ETO Steriliser function?
The basic process of an ETO Steriliser involves the primary variables of-
- Gas Concentration
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Time
The EO is an alkylating agent that disrupts cellular metabolism and the reproductive processes of microorganisms. The EO penetrates the breathable packaging and making contact with all the accessible surfaces of the product to deliver the required sterility assurance level. The ETO enters the chamber via evaporation with an amount of steam to keep the humidity level up as well as to ensure that the ETO is reaching all parts of the loading system. Subsequently, the required concentration in the chamber and load is achieved and the sterilization thus begins.
3. How much is the processing time taken for ETO Sterilisation?
The basic ETO Sterilization cycle consists of five stages of preconditioning, humidification, gas introduction, exposure, evacuation, and air washes. It can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours for the process which includes the aeration time. The aeration is done to remove any residue and most of the modern ETO’s combine the sterilization and aeration in the same chamber.
4. What are the advantages of ETO Sterilisation?
The main advantages of an ETO Steriliser are-
- It can sterilize heat or moisture-sensitive medical equipment without having deleterious effects on the material used in the medical devices.
- The EO or the hospital sterilizer machine are very efficient in destroying microorganisms.
- They offer a large sterilizing volume capacity which makes it ideal for hospital and large establishment uses.
- It acts as a non-corrosive agent to metal, plastic, and rubber materials. It can effectively sterilize any kind of polymers, resins, and natural materials.
5. What are the exclusive features of ETO Sterilisers?
- They have a leak test function which ensures that there is no scope for defects and the instruments are sterilized without any wastage
- ETO Steriliser manufacturers ensure that the chamber and the cabinets are made out of the finest quality of steel and components which comply with international standards as they are majorly exported
- There is a provision for negative pressure in the ETO sterilizer working to prevent the gas from entering. Besides, there is strict control of the vacuum and temperature of the chamber and its exposure.
6. What is the scope of use for an ETO Steriliser?
ETO Sterilisers are very useful in a lot of health care facilities and also in critical industrial uses. It is used in sterilizing moisture and heat-sensitive devices that find it difficult to be sterilized by the steaming process. Amongst the industrial uses, it can be attributed for use in hospitals, research laboratories, medical colleges, pharmaceuticals, and a few food industries. Preventing contamination and promoting disinfection practices have been adopted worldwide and with growing trends of the same, it is bound to expand its scope immensely shortly.