An Alternative Sterilization Process for Heat Liable Goods: Photochemical Sterilization. Phase 1.
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of a two phase photochemical sterilization procedure as an alternative to ethylene oxide sterilization of heat liable goods. The goal is to produce a near room temperature treatment procedure which will sterilize quickly without damaging the medical items or expose personnel to chemicals which could have long term health effects. The work carried consisted of determining the sporicidal activity of three alternative sterilizing agents. These included chlorine dioxide, and two photochemically produced agents. The photochemical agents were produced by ultraviolet light photolysis of hydrogen peroxide and ozone. Of these three agents, hydrogen peroxide/UV had the highest sporicidal activity followed by chlorine dioxide and ozone/UV. The hydrogen peroxide/UV method did not produce significant damage to a plastic sample exposed to over 1000 treatment cycles. The potential applications of this work are in field hospitals, clinics, and major hospitals where a low temperature, non-toxic sterilization method is desirable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 15, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADB160774
Entities
People
- William M. Ayers