Los métodos más comunes de esterilización con hisopos para muestras médicas

Sterilization is an incredibly important part of any medical process. Here at Medico, all of our sterile products undergo either ethylene oxide gas sterilization or gamma irradiation sterilization before they are sent to our customers, which ensures the swabs are free from human DNA, enzymes that degrade DNA and RNA, and polymerase chain reaction inhibitors.

How are Medical Sampling Swabs Sterilized?

The following are the three most common methods of medical sampling swab sterilization:

• Ethylene oxide (EtO o EO) – EtO es un método de esterilización que utiliza temperaturas medias entre 99 y 145 °F. (37–63°C), que crea una reacción química de proteínas y ADN dentro de las bacterias o virus. El paso final del proceso es la circulación de aire caliente a temperaturas típicamente entre 122 y 140 °F. (50-60ºC) para eliminar el gas EO de productos y embalajes.
• Autoclaves – Autoclave sterilization uses steam and pressure to increase the temperature between 250-270°F (121-132ºC) para matar bacterias y virus.
• Gamma irradiation – Gamma irradiation sterilization uses a radioactive material that emits high energy gamma rays, que descompone el ADN dentro de las bacterias o virus.