Sterilization medical supplies

Fumigant/Sterilant Gases—gases used to kill vermin or to sterilize medical supplies and equipment. Examples are carbon dioxide, ethylene oxide, methyl bromide, and propylene oxide. 

Experimentation with other isotope-based products reflects CPD s innovative corporate culture. Research and development projects lead to promising new lines of business in the 1960s, including the construction of industrial irradiation plants which use cobalt-60 to sterilize medical supplies. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of 0.3 kGy to 1 kGy of radiation produced by cobalt-60 or cesium-137 for the treatment of foods. The irradiation technology is much like that used to sterilize medical supplies. Cobalt pellets are placed in stainless steel tubes, which are arranged in racks. When food moves through the series of racks, the gamma rays pass through the food and kill the bacteria. 

Food preservation, polymerization, sterilization of medical supplies, thickness gauges... 

Once radioactive decay starts, it continues until all the atoms have reached a stable state. The radioisotope can only be shielded to prevent exposure to the radiation. The most common applications of gamma rays are sterilization of single-use medical supplies, elimination of organisms from pharmaceuticals, microbial reduction in and on consumer products, cancer treatment, and processing of polymers (cross-linking, polymerization, degradation etc.). 

Studies that still are inconclusive have linked ethylene oxide with leukemia and stomach cancer. It is estimated that in the United States approximately 270.000 workers are routinely exposed to ethylene oxide. Camparalively high level exposures include 96.000 persons working in hospitals ttnd an additional 21.000 persons who work in commercial medical supply sierilization facilities, as well as in the production of spices and pharmaceutical products. Since the 1950s. cthy lenc oxide has been used as a sterilizing agenl. 

Polybutene can be cross-linked by irradiation at ambient temperature with y-rays or high energy electrons in the absence of air. PMP is relatively stable to p- and y-radiation employed in the sterilization of medical supplies. 

The nuclear industry makes available about 3000 nuclides, including both the stable and the radioactive nuclides. Approximately 50 radioactive nuclides, along with some stable nuclides that have been isotopically enriched, are essential in research, medical, and industrial applications. Many of these are now produced commercially, but several still are dependent on government facilities. Some, for economic reasons, come from other countries. Radiation processing for sterilization of disposable medical supplies is an important operation using cobalt-60 from Canada. Electron accelerators have replaced... 

Sterilization of prepackaged medical supplies, particularly those that are heat-sensitive or can be contaminated by chemical agents. 

A good understanding of the mechanisms of radiation effects in polymers is required for operating another large scale radiation technology the sterilization of plastic medical supplies which cannot be sterilized by heat (see ref. 25). 

This chapter is meant to serve as a guide to the type of accelerators and other radiation sources available for the study of chemical reactions. Radiolysis techniques are in widespread commercial use in applications such as the preparation of materials, sterilization of medical supplies, preservation of foodstuffs, as well as medical therapy. The devices used for these applications will not be covered here, although some of them are also used in chemical kinetics research... 

Sanitization is a cleaning procedure that reduces microbial contaminants on certain surfaces to safe or relatively safe levels, as defined by the EPA or public health authorities. The article is usually cleaned with hot water and various germicidal deteigents. Sanitization can be safe for a product in contact with intact skin or for food utensils, but it is not considered safe for articles to be inserted in the human body. Effective sanitization is a requirement in the processing of reusable medical supplies before packaging and sterilization. It is also a requirement in the maintenance of utensils and containers used for food preparation. 

Polypropylene (10.8) A thermoplastic polymer made from propylene monomer widely used in syringes and other medical supplies because it can be sterilized easily. 

Although difficulties have arisen in the complete sterilization of food stuffs, no such problems have occurred in the sterilization of a wide range of medical products. Radiation sterilization of these items has increased steadily over the past decade, and, largely as a result of its use, a new industry for the manufacture of disposable medical supplies has arisen. So far, the main emphasis has been on materials such as hypodermic syringes, sutures, scalpel blades, catheters, and drainage tubes, but developments are now taking place in many other disposable items. 

Medical supplies and disposable containers Processing of heat-sensitive materials highspeed in-line production low energy consumption Sterilization... 

One of the most successful applications of radiation technology has been the sterilization of medical supplies. Sterilization was introduced by the mid-1950s, at present, 30% of all... 

Ethylene oxide is a very strong irritant widely used in the chemical industry and as a sterilizer for medical supplies, pharmaceutical products and food. Residues in masks or dressings can produce irritant contact dermatitis. 

Huys J (2010) Sterilization of medical supplies by steam, 3rd edn. Mhp-Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany ISBN 90-75829-01-9... 

CPD s construction of industrial irradiators helped establish it as an international leader in the field. In order to build on this reputation, it sponsored a series of meetings of experts on industrial irradiators from around the world. In 1967, it built its biggest irradiator to date near Stuttgart for Firma Willy Rusch, a West German manufacturer of plastic, rubber, and latex medical supplies. With a 1.5-million-curie cobalt-60 source that could sterilize 1.2 tons of medical products a day, it was the largest such facility... 

Products such as disposable medical supplies travel through the maze corridor where they are sterilized by gamma rays. 

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