Gamma Radiation vs Ethylene Oxide As The Sterilsation Media For Medical Products

Manufacturer: We have been using ethylene oxide and steam to sterilize some of our medical products. However we were advised to switch to Gamma sterilization. Your comment on this would be appreciated especially why Gamma is superior to ethylene oxide.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): While gamma sterilization is based on radiation, ethylene oxide is a highly flammable gas. Ethylene oxide sterilization process also requires a period of post-sterilization aeration to remove toxic residues. On the other hand, no post sterilization process is required for gamma sterilization since there is no residual materials to be worried about.
Gamma sterilization is safe, clean and very effective. The products in their final packagings need only a matter of hours of exposure before they are ready for the market place. Gamma radiation is an electromagnetic energy from a Cobalt-60 source that could deactivate micro-organisms.
Unlike steam and ethylene sterilization which are dependent on parameters such as vacuum pressure, relative humidity and temperature, gamma sterilization depends only one parameter, namely the exposure time.