Why are medical devices often sterilized with ethylene oxide?

Editor:启欣灭菌技术有限公司 │ Release Time:2021-05-28 

1. Ethylene oxide sterilization can sterilize some items that are not resistant to high temperature and humidity.


2. Ethylene oxide has very strong penetrability, even if the structure of the article is very complicated, the place that is not so transparent can be sterilized. For example, some medical catheters are not only very thin but also very long. Other sterilization methods cannot achieve the effect of completely killing the bacteria in the catheter. Only the use of ethylene oxide sterilization can achieve the desired effect.


3. Ethylene oxide is recognized as a kind of sterilizing agent with very good bactericidal effect. Almost all microorganisms can be killed by ethylene oxide.


4. Ethylene oxide sterilization has minimal damage to the outer packaging of the items to be sterilized. The working principle of ethylene oxide sterilization is through the process of alkylation rather than oxidation, so the damage to the article is minimal. Especially for some precision instruments that are not very heat-resistant, they have a very good sterilization effect.