Applications of Sterilization

In the Medical Industry and Surgeries

Normally all the surgical instruments and medications that are used for the treatments undergo contact with the aseptic part of the body. Therefore, they must be sterile. Examples of such instruments are scalpels, hypodermic needles, and artificial pacemakers. 

Preparation of injectable medications and intravenous solutions for fluid replacement therapy requires sterility as well as all-around planned compartments to forestall sections of unusual agents after initial product sterilization.

Most clinical and surgical devices used in medical facilities are made of materials that can go under steam sterilization. Ethylene oxide gas has been used since the 1950s for heat- and moisture-sensitive medical devices. In the last few years, a number of various new, low-temperature sterilization systems have been developed and are being utilized to sterilize medical instruments.

Research and Laboratories

Many research facilities, laboratories, and their instruments are mainly dependent on the effective sterilization process.

Food Industry

The father of food science – ‘Nicolas Appert’ introduced modern methods using the sterilization process. He found that the application of heat over a long period slowed down the deterioration of foods and various fluids by preserving them for safe consumption over an overtime period. Canning of foods works on a similar principle and it helped to reduce food poisoning and disease-causing microorganisms. Food irradiation and high-pressure methods using steam are also used in the food industries.

Vaccine and biological productions

The preparations of vaccines and other biological products are dependent on the sterilization process. To sterilize certain heat-liable enzyme preparations, antibiotics, and other drugs.

Rockets

A huge number of instruments utilized on shuttle can’t endure exceptionally high temperatures, so strategies not needing extreme temperatures are utilized as endured, including warming no less than 120°C, chemical sterilization, oxidization, ultraviolet, and irradiation.

Sterilization is an effective method, or a process used to kill all the vegetative spores and disease-causing microorganisms. Sterilization deactivates microorganisms including bacteria, spores, fungi, and unicellular and other biological agents that are present in food products or on any certain surface of the object. Sterilization can be achieved by various methods and sources including heat, chemicals, radiation, gases, and filtration. In this article, we will study sterilization, classification of sterilization, application and methods of sterilization in detail.