Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Gas Plasma VS Other Low Temperature Sterilization Modalities
Sterilization plays a vital role in patient safety and infection prevention resulting from contaminated medical devices and surgical equipment. As a result of the increasing complexity of medical devices and surgical instruments, traditional sterilization methods, such as the steam sterilization (steam autoclave), have become unsuitable for use on many modern devices. Alternative low-temperature sterilization methods, that could be used on heat and moisture-sensitive instruments and devices, were therefore developed. Ethylene oxide (EtO) is an example one such low-temperature sterilant which is widely used. However, it has several associated drawbacks such as the need for long, costly sterilization cycles and the potential toxicity hazards for patients and staff.
In 1987, a group of scientists in Texas USA, pioneered a novel idea to use hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for device sterilization and as a result Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP) was formed. Since FDA approval of the STERRAD 100 System in 1993, ASP has been committed to continuously advancing infection prevention technologies through developing a range of first-of-their-kind H2O2 low-temperature sterilizers.