Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilization Sensor With Exothermic Thermal Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) sterilization processes in sealed chambers often result in incomplete sterilization due to uneven distribution, necessitating time-consuming and expensive biological indicators, which take hours to confirm sterilization efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen peroxide sterilization sensor comprising a thermal indicator component and a reactant-functional porous sorbent that reacts exothermically with hydrogen peroxide, generating thermal energy to trigger a detectable response from the thermal indicator, indicating complete sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biological indicators are used to confirm sterilization efficacy, then reliability of sterilization confirmation is improved, but loss of time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, time-consuming biological indicators with disposable chemical indicators that provide immediate visual feedback. The chemical indicator strip changes color within seconds to minutes, eliminating the 24+ hour waiting period associated with biological indicator incubation while maintaining reliable confirmation of sterilization conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the biological system (spores requiring incubation) with a chemical system (oxidation-reduction reactions producing immediate color change). This replacement transforms a slow biological process into an instantaneous chemical reaction that provides real-time sterilization confirmation.
2Measurement precision
If biological indicators are used to confirm sterilization, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential detection function from complex biological indicator systems and isolates it into a simple chemical indicator strip. By removing unnecessary biological components and incubation requirements, the system achieves equivalent or superior detection precision with dramatically reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color change as a simple, reliable visual indicator of sterilization conditions. The chemical indicator undergoes a distinct color transformation when exposed to hydrogen peroxide vapor, providing clear, unambiguous detection without complex instrumentation or analysis procedures.
3Productivity
If chamber is filled to capacity during sterilization, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision of sterilization exposure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sterilization chamber into multiple zones with distributed chemical indicator strips placed throughout the chamber volume. This segmentation allows simultaneous monitoring of sterilization exposure across different locations, ensuring uniform exposure verification even when the chamber is filled to capacity with equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where chemical indicator strips provide immediate visual information about local sterilization conditions. This real-time feedback allows operators to verify that all areas of the densely packed chamber received adequate hydrogen peroxide exposure, maintaining measurement precision despite high productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides rapid and cost-effective confirmation of sterilization conditions, reducing the need for lengthy biological indicator analysis and ensuring thorough sterilization without underexposure.
Implementation Method 1
a reactant comprising a material that reacts exothermically with hydrogen peroxide
Implementation Method 2
a reactant-functional porous sorbent
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a hydrogen peroxide sterilization sensor and method of use. The sensor includes: at least one thermal indicator component independently selected from an electronic thermal sensor, an irreversible temperature indicator, and a heat-shrinkable film; a reactant-functional porous sorbent in thermal contact (which may or may not be direct physical contact) with the at least one thermal indicator component; and a reactant comprising a material that reacts exothermically with hydrogen peroxide. The reactant is impregnated in the porous sorbent. The method includes: providing a hydrogen peroxide sterilization sensor; allowing hydrogen peroxide to contact the reactant to generate thermal energy sufficient to cause a response from the at least one thermal indicator component; and detecting that conditions for the hydrogen peroxide sterilization have been met.