Ethylene Oxide Sterilization

Ethylene Oxide Sterilization:
A Tailored Service for Your Products

Do you want to sterilize pharmaceutical or medical products, but they are not compatible with gamma or beta treatment? IONISOS presents its ethylene oxide sterilization services.

A specialist in sterilization for over 60 years, our group has been practicing gas treatment since 2004 and offers its expertise to professionals and industries.

Here, we present all the advantages of this technique and our offer in France and Europe.

Ethylene oxide sterilization: a 100% reliable technique

Ethylene oxide (also called EO gas or ETO) is an odorless and colorless gas that has the unique property of damaging the DNA of microorganisms such as bacteria and mold. In this way, it prevents them from reproducing. It is thus widely used by health sector professionals to sterilize products.

The ETO treatment is performed under vacuum at low temperatures, within sealed chambers where products are placed in their final packaging, which must be permeable to air.

The gas will penetrate the different layers of packaging and spread into the smallest folds of the products, sterilizing all accessible surfaces with perfect reliability.

The handling of products is broken down into three immutable steps: preconditioning, sterilization, and degassing.

During preconditioning, products are preheated and humidified to ensure a uniform treatment. Degassing, on the other hand, is carried out in an aeration cell. It eliminates any residues by performing a series of vacuum and rinsing cycles.

The gas concentration, temperature, humidity, and exposure time are carefully calculated before treatment, based on the density and composition of the products.

Advantages and Scope of EO Sterilization

The ethylene oxide treatment has the advantage of being able to treat a wide range of products that are incompatible with steam sterilization or ionizing radiation due to the risk of deformation or alteration that exists for certain plastics.

Indeed, gas sterilization takes place at temperatures between 30 and 60°C: a low temperature that helps avoid such issues.

With strong absorption and propagation capabilities, it is compatible with a wide variety of plastic resins, as well as electronic components.

Its scope of application is therefore particularly broad. This technique is used to sterilize a wide range of pharmaceutical products and medical devices:

  • prosthetics
  • surgical trays
  • catheters
  • care sets
  • single-use devices (gloves, syringes, dressings, compresses, synthetic gowns…)
  • vials, caps…

However, it is not recommended for treating liquids.

A Complete and Responsive Service with IONISOS

IONISOS operates two EO treatment sites located in Gien in the Loiret and in Civrieux d’Azergues in the Rhône.

With significant reception and processing capacities, we are able to offer you a responsive service, wherever you are in France or Europe.

We guarantee customized cycles tailored to your products and an accelerated degassing phase, lasting less than 24 hours.

The sterilization validation process is conducted on-site thanks to our chemical and microbiological analysis laboratory, ensuring a responsive and high-quality service that fully meets your requirements and the applicable standards.

Our Loiret site is certified ISO 9001-ISO 13485, and our Rhône site is certified ISO 13485 and ISO 11135.

You will find their contact details below.

STÉRYLÈNE

ZI les Montoires
F-45500 Gien
France

Tel: +33 (0)2.38.38.36.96
Fax: +33 (0)2.38.67.54.26

STÉRYLÈNE

13, zone industrielle du pontet
69380 Civrieux d’Azergues
France

Tel: +33 (0)4.72.54.71.54
Fax: +33 (0)4.72.54.72.27

Contact us today and enjoy all the benefits of a high-quality service and personalized support with a dedicated contact person.