The sterilization of medical equipment is one of the most important treatment processes in medical treatment. It can kill all living microorganisms on medical and dental equipment, including bacteria, spores, viruses and fungi, so as to ensure the safety and repeated use of these equipment. Although there are many sterilization methods, one of the most widely used methods in medical service centers, hospitals, and dental clinics is hydrogen peroxide because it is effective, safe, and inexpensive. Below, the editor of Biyou Sensor Network and you will learn about two sterilization technologies using hydrogen peroxide, and how to select the correct pressure sensor for sterilization equipment based on the technical parameters and operating characteristics of the sensor.

There are two different sterilization processes using hydrogen peroxide for sterilization. Each requires different measurement equipment to ensure correct operation. The first type of sterilization process is plasma sterilization using a capacitor vacuum pressure gauge to measure the process pressure in the sterilization cycle. Insert the medical device into the sterilizer compartment. Medical equipment includes scalpels and cardiac catheters, dental equipment, and other equipment with grooves and grooves. The chamber is then sealed and evacuated to form a vacuum. The hydrogen peroxide sterilant in the pre-packaged box is injected into the chamber. After the sterilant is vaporized, it interacts with the surface of the medical/dental equipment, which will cause the pressure to rise; then the pressure will drop again and generate plasma. The free radicals of hydrogen peroxide interact with microorganisms and kill them. The hydrogen peroxide will then decompose, leaving only water vapor and oxygen. Medical equipment can be used or stored immediately after sterilization.

In order to ensure the effective progress of the sterilization process, a specific base pressure is required in the sterilizer chamber when the plasma is excited. To this end, a capacitance vacuum pressure gauge is installed on the sterilizer to monitor and/or control the chamber pressure and ensure that the appropriate pressure is maintained at all stages of the sterilization process. When choosing a vacuum pressure meter suitable for your application, please cooperate with a supplier who can provide a series of these products: with different full-scale pressure ranges from 10 to 1000 Torr, +/-0.5% reading accuracy (if possible, Then select +/-0.25% of the reading accuracy option), and the temperature coefficient can be ignored within the temperature compensation range of 0℃ to 50℃.

The second sterilization process uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide, which is stored in a liquid state in a storage tank before being converted into steam in the sterilization chamber. When in use, the liquid sterilant in the storage tank is sprayed to the system to kill the microorganisms on the equipment. This application will use a gauge pressure sensor to measure the pressure exerted by the liquid in the sterilant tank (the gauge pressure sensor itself) to indicate the level of hydrogen peroxide.

The working principle of the sterilization process: The pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the sterilant storage tank. The weight of the sterilant causes a pressure effect on the sensor. The cable on the back of the sensor contains a vent pipe that allows the sensor to measure the pressure value relative to the local atmospheric pressure (gauge pressure measurement). As the sterilant is consumed, the weight (pressure) decreases, and the output signal sent by the sensor to the redundant monitoring system also decreases accordingly. The sensor can then warn the sterilization technician that the tank level is too low. When the sensor register value is 0PSIG, it means that the tank has been drained.