What is Sterilization? And Types of Sterilizers to Prevent Infections
Sterilization refers to any process that removes, kills, or deactivates all forms of life and other biological agents like prions present in a specific surface, object or fluid, for example food or biological culture media.
The current world is full of contaminants that infect people, animals, and objects, and this makes life quite difficult. Bacteria are known to be some of the dangerous microorganisms that can make life difficult for people. As such, there are many ways of making things free from bacteria and other living microorganisms that pose a danger to the health and wellbeing of people. For instance, in hospitals, sterilization of surgical equipment is a very important aspect of keeping operations safe. Sterilization is a very important aspect of improving the lifestyle of people. A UV sterilizer cabinet is one of the tools that can be used for this purpose.
In this article, we shall discuss the various types of sterilizers and suggest the best ways to go about the sterilization process.
Types of Sterilizers that can be used for the prevention of infections
Dry Heat Sterilizers
This is a common method of sterilization where higher temperatures are used to destroy microorganisms. This kind of sterilization is good because it does not dull the edges of metal instruments. It also does not corrode the instruments. There are two methods of going about dry heat sterilizations. The traditional way of doing this is through a “toaster oven”. This is a traditional way of doing sterilization at 1600C of heat. Then there is the COX Rapid Heat sterilization, which is faster and does sterilization at 1900C of heat.
Steam Sterilizer
This is another method of sterilization that can be used for a wide range of materials. With this type of sterilizer, the pressure, time, and temperature are many factors that determine the process. For a shorter sterilization cycle, higher temperatures are applied so that pressure increases. Maximum temperatures here can rise to 133oC. one of the disadvantages of steam sterilizers is that they make cutting edges dull unless they are protected. Wet instrument packages can easily get penetrated by microorganisms if there is excess water in the sterilizer.
Heated Chemical Vapor Sterilizers
With this kind of sterilizer, short time cycles are possible. You can process metal instruments through this method and never worry about corrosion or rust. Cutting edges will remain sharp when this sterilization method is used. However, heat-sensitive plastics may not be sterilized through this method. The chemical odor from the unit can be diffused by placing it in well-ventilated areas.
UV Sterilizer
UV sterilization is another method that can be used to kill germs and bacteria. The UV disinfection and sterilization cabinets are equipped with UV lights that can kill up to 99.9% of germs and bacteria. Hooks and hanger bars are used for suspending items so that they can get full 360-degrees disinfection in the cabinet.
Which Sterilizer Should You Choose?
From the above options, many methods can be used to kill pathogens and microorganisms for a healthier life free of diseases. I would say that the kind of sterilizer one uses should be considered based on the items to be sterilized and what one can afford. It will also depend on the environment where the items are being sterilized.
