Oven sterilization stages

There are four stages involved in oven sterilization. They are (a) drying, (b) heat-up, (c) exposure, and (d) cool-down. 

Each stage of oven sterilization has some considerable drawbacks associated with intrinsic low heat transfer rales from air to product. Inevitably this means slow heating up and cooling down, a problem that can extend cycles from a nominal 2 h to more than 3 h for practical puiposes. A second drawback has to do with lack of uniformity of temperature within the oven. Hot air has a tendency to stratify and to penetrate only poorly around masses of cooler materials. 

Sterilizers/ovens are unloaded and items staged prior to transfer to the individual fill rooms. ISO 5 air is provided over the discharge area of ovens (and autoclaves if items are sterilized unwrapped) to provide protection until the items are ready for transfer. The heat loads in this room may be such that special high-temperature sprinkler heads may be necessary to avoid unintentional discharge when unloading hot materials. This room may not be separate from the corridor used to connect the fill rooms. It is ordinarily adjacent to any aseptic storage area. 

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