Medical Device Sterilization Ethylene Oxide

Although medical devices can be sterilized by several methods ethylene oxide is the most common method of sterilization of medical devices in the u s.

Medical device sterilization ethylene oxide.

872 two eto gas mixtures are available to replace eto chlorofluorocarbon cfc mixtures for large capacity tank supplied sterilizers. The eto carbon dioxide co 2 mixture consists of 8 5 eto and. The fda is aware that the medline industries medical device ethylene oxide sterilization facility in waukegan il has been closed since december 13 2019 as was announced by the lake county. While ethylene oxide sterilization is a necessary part of the manufacturing process for many medical devices there have been concerns recently about its effects on people who are exposed or.

1 2017 august 31. It is a relatively cold sterilization technique and offers high compatibility with most materials used in the manufacture of medical devices such as plastics polymers metals and glass. The eo sterilization process has been employed by the health care industry to sterilize medical devices since the early 1940s griffith and hall 1940 1943 1. The following information although generic in nature is designed to provide basic information on the ethylene oxide sterilization process.

Ethylene oxide sterilization of medical devices at issue in light of closures and potential closures of certain facilities that use gas ethylene oxide eto to sterilize medical devices prior to their distribution and use the food and drug administration fda is concerned about the future availability of medical devices and. The use of eto evolved when few alternatives existed for sterilizing heat and moisture sensitive medical devices. A comparison of gamma e beam x ray and ethylene oxide technologies for the industrial sterilization of medical devices and healthcare products. Ethylene oxide eo sterilization is the most common industrial sterilization technique for medical devices.

However favorable properties table 6 account for its continued widespread use.