Accelerators for the Sterilization of Medical Devices – A Buyers Guide

The Industrial Irradiation Association (iia) just released a Guide for Prospective Buyers of Accelerators for Sterilization of Medical Devices.

This document is the collective work of the International Irradiation Association and several of its members. It should be especially useful to medical device manufacturers considering an in-house sterilization solution and to sterilization service contractors wishing to diversify the technologies that they offer.

The demand for medical sterilization keeps growing and all available sterilization methods remain needed. However, whilst thousands of low or medium energy accelerators are in operation around the world for the modification of polymers, the number of electron accelerators used to sterilize medical devices has remained relatively small. More medical devices could probably be treated with accelerators than is currently the case and this option should also be considered for new medical devices. Accelerators can be used to produce two types of ionizing radiation: electron beams and X-rays. The choice between these two types of ionizing radiation will be guided by the package size, geometry, and density, as well as by the required dose range and throughput .

The guide is the first of its kind to provide a logical and practical approach to an accelerator project and includes an abundance of tables, illustrations and indicative costs.  The document does not compare different sterilization modalities, other than electrons and X-rays, or give detailed technical descriptions of accelerators and their components. A technical library at the end of the document provides useful recent references and the appendixes list reputable suppliers who are members of the iia and organizations that can assist in the technical validation of a project.

The Guide will provide the prospective buyers of an accelerator withy unbiased information and an understanding of what an accelerator project entails, thus better preparing them for discussions with potential suppliers of accelerators.

Accelerators for the Sterilization of Medical Devices – Buyers Guide