3 Cubic Feet EO Sterilizer

3 Cubic Feet EO Sterilizer are specialized gas-based systems used primarily in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical device manufacturing to sterilize heat- or moisture-sensitive items. These devices use ethylene oxide gas, often mixed with inert gases like CO₂ or nitrogen, to penetrate packaging and eliminate microorganisms. A 3 cubic feet chamber size is compact, making it ideal for small-scale or hospital use, such as sterilizing endoscopes, syringes, catheters, or rubber gloves. This size typically supports loads of 10-20 lbs, depending on product density, and operates under vacuum to ensure efficacy while minimizing flammability risks.

EO sterilization follows a multi-phase cycle: air evacuation, humidification (conditioning), EO exposure (dwell), and aeration/purging. Cycles last 3-12 hours, with aeration up to 48 hours to reduce residuals below FDA/EPA limits (e.g., <1 ppm EO). All systems must comply with standards like ASME pressure vessel codes, ISO 11135, and OSHA’s EO rule (29 CFR 1910.1047) for worker safety.

EO Gas Sterilizer Video

Key Features and Design

• Chamber Specifications: The sterilization chamber is typically constructed from 304 or 316 stainless steel for durability and corrosion resistance, with internal dimensions roughly 18–24 inches in width, height, and length. It operates under vacuum and pressure up to 1.5 kg/cm², with a total volume of 3 cubic feet. The chamber is sealed with a single manual or automatic door, often featuring exhaust hoods for safe gas venting.

• Gas Delivery System: Uses pure EO in small cartridges (about 100 grams per cycle) or non-flammable blends like EO with hydrofluorocarbons. Pure EO requires vacuum operation to prevent flammability (EO ignites above 3% in air), while blends allow safer atmospheric processing. Gas consumption is minimal: 0.6–0.8 kg per cubic meter (about 0.05–0.07 kg per cycle for a 3 cu ft unit), with a microdose option as low as 17.6 grams using advanced flexible chamber technology.

• Control and Monitoring: Equipped with PLC/HMI-based fully automatic or semi-automatic controls, including digital displays for temperature, humidity (30–80% RH), pressure, and gas concentration. Features include real-time data logging, alarm systems for deviations, and trend printing for validation. Four control switches manage evacuation, gas injection, fresh air inlet (via HEPA filters), and aeration.

• Safety and Compliance: Built to ASME pressure vessel codes and registered with the National Board. Includes explosion-proof design, static electricity safeguards, and emission controls. Complies with FDA, EPA, OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1047), and ISO 11135 standards for residual limits. Aeration rooms or integrated degassing extend off-gassing to 3–5 days for safety.

Sterilization Process

The EO cycle is divided into four validated phases, typically lasting 3–12 hours (including dwell times), with 1–2 cycles per day possible:

1. Air Removal (Preconditioning): Vacuum pump evacuates air to <1% residual volume, preventing flammability and ensuring gas penetration. A precision filter (0.3 μm) shortens air changes.

2. Conditioning (Humidification/Heating): Steam injection raises humidity to 40–80% RH and temperature to 25–55°C, conditioning the load for microbial susceptibility (e.g., via water-soluble EO activation).

3. EO Injection and Exposure: EO gas (mixed with CO₂ or inert gases) is injected to 400–1,000 mg/L concentration, with a dwell time of 2–6 hours for diffusion into packages. Overkill approach uses biological indicators (BIs) for validation.

4. Purge and Aeration: Repeated evacuation and air/nitrogen washes (4–6 cycles) remove 99%+ of EO. Post-chamber aeration in a ventilated room (3–14 days) diffuses residuals, monitored for compliance.

Salient Features of ETO Sterilizer

• Machine is suitable to Sterilize Surgical Medical Device products like I.V. Sets, Disposable Syringes, Disposable Surgical Set, catheter, Urine Bag etc.

• ETO Sterilization reduce microbiological load and increase life span of material.

• Modular construction of chamber.

• Model is available from 0.5 Cubic Meters to 40 Cubic Metres.

• Easy to operate.

• Fully automatic operation based on PLC control.

• Semi Automatic (Pneumatically Operated Ball Valve) Control.

• Contact parts are SS 304 / 316.

• Process time about 8 hours.

• IQ/OQ/DQ documentation can be offered on demand. (OPTIONAL).

• It is useful for prevention of micro biological contamination useful for treatment of spices, dried nuts, Foods Packed cereals etc.

Process Operation of ETO Sterilizer

Ethylene Oxide Sterilization (Sterilisation) offers various distinct advantages over the conventional steam sterilizers (sterilisers), being a DRY & COLD (operates at 50ºC ) process proves very useful in sterilization of expensive items, also it has got a unique penetration ability, so it is very useful in sterilization (Sterilisation) of expensive and delicate items such as Cardiac catheters, Stents, IOL’s Tubings, various types of scopes, sharp surgical instruments etc., its unique mode of action, also enhances the life of several surgical accessories & disposables items thus making them perfectly reusable.

Types of EO Gas Sterilizers

We are one of the leading EO Gas Sterilizer manufacturer in India. We manufacture below two types of ETO sterilizers:

Semi Automatic Operation Mode EO Sterilizer: In this type of control mode there are analog type buttons onto control panel of the machine through which machine operation procedure will be done.

Fully Automatic Operation Mode EO Sterilizer: This is PLC HMI based fully automatic control mode equipment in which there is HMI mounted onto control panel of the machine through which operation procedure done.

Technical Specification of EO Gas Sterilizer

* Power voltage can be adjusted as per customer’s domestic power voltage requirements.
* Rights of technical improvements & modification reserved.
* Illustrations & dimensions are shown for information purpose only.