The aim of this work was to determine the changes in the chemical and physical-mechanical properties of gauze compresses under the influence of various sterilizations. Gauze compresses are made of cotton; therefore, all methods used focused on cotton. The methods used to test possible damage to cotton materials (pH value (pH paper, KI starch paper), yellowing test, Fehling reaction, reaction to the formation of Turnbull blue (Berlin blue), microscopic staining with methylene blue and swelling reaction with Na-zincate) did not show that the sterilizations affected the cotton compresses. The morphological characteristics were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM images showed that there were no morphological changes in the cotton fibers. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy revealed that the sterilization processes did not alter the characteristic bands of the cotton. The length of the macromolecules was increased (DP), showing that the sterilization processes had affected the cotton. The results of the wet strength test followed. The samples showed values below 100%, with the exception of two samples. It is known from theory that the relative wet strength is less than 100% when the material is damaged. The t-test performed on the strength results showed that the p-value was greater than 0.05 for all samples tested, with the exception of one sample. The degree of swelling capacity was determined, with non-sterilized samples having the highest capacity, followed by samples sterilized with ethylene oxide and then samples sterilized by steam sterilization. The results obtained are a contribution to the innovation of the topic of this work and a scientific confirmation for manufacturers and anyone interested in the influence of the sterilization process on natural fibers (cotton).

This study conducted sterilization testing under different conditions using different strains for sterilization and crushing, the intermediate healthcare waste treatment phase, and proposed strategies for diversifying corresponding facilities in addition to promoting their installation. Five indicator microorganisms were selected to test the sterilization efficiency of steam, microwave, and chemical methods. Steam sterilization testing was conducted in accordance with legal and technological standards, microwave testing was carried out according to the legal standard, and chemical sterilization employed three typical compounds. Steam and microwave sterilization achieved 99.9999 % inactivation rates for all five strains under both conditions used; whereas under the chemical sterilization analyses, sodium hypochlorite (1000 ppm) failed to meet the inactivation requirement of the fungal strain Candida albicans, requiring further investigation. Based on these findings, this study presents strategies for diversifying sterilization·crushing facilities and promoting their installation.

UNASSIGNED: Carcasses from animal experiments with RG-3 pathogens should be decontaminated onsite in Austria.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to find out if the use of pass-through autoclaves for the decontamination of animal carcasses (up to 40 kg of weight) could serve as a routine method for smaller laboratories, as the installation of special carcass decontamination plants may be cost prohibitive.
UNASSIGNED: Biological indicators (BIs) were implanted into the carcasses of animals of different sizes and species with a novel method using stainless steel pipes. The bodies were placed in autoclavable plastic bags and equipped with thermal probes by insertion through the rectum. Subsequently a factory default autoclave cycle for liquids was performed, which holds a core temperature of 121°C for 20 min.
UNASSIGNED: The weight of the carcasses ranged from 1 to 42 kg, the duration of the individual cycles reached from 2.2 to 17.23 h. Decontamination was successful every single time as shown by the BIs. The application through the natural orifices with the help of the application tools seems to offer a reliable alternative for implanting the BIs into the carcasses without creating new openings. Insulation properties did not pose substantial challenges to the process. Limitations on the packaging procedure were identified in carcasses larger than 30 kg.
UNASSIGNED: Based on the results of this study, using pass-through autoclaves represents an option as a routine method for the decontamination of animal carcasses up to at least 40 kg.

Sterilization is of great importance to prevent the spread and resurgence of the COVID-19, yet sterilization methods are all energy intensive in general. Steam sterilization is easily maintained and can be applied in various scenarios with less residual pollution. However, the current steam generator (so called boiler) has brought many energy and environmental concerns. With the investigation on steam sterilization\'s features, this study proposed a clean and flexible steam generation system with the air source heat pump and water vapor compressor, and the system can be further simplified through the combination with district heating pipeline. The critical design parameters and simulated performance of the system are evaluated and optimized through a MATLAB simulation, and a prototype was built with experimental performance assessing. The results show the system has an average boiler efficiency of over 170% when the ambient temperature varies from 5 °C to 35 °C and the temperature of outlet steam is above 110 °C, and has the best economic performance when the operating period is above 3 years. Furthermore, the air-source heat pump boiler system is proved to effectively respond to the surging sterilization demands during the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic and is well consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Introduction: The complete inactivation of infectious tissues of large animal carcasses is one of the most challenging tasks in high-containment facilities. Steam sterilization is a method frequently in use to achieve biological inactivation of liquid and solid waste. Objective: This study aims to highlight parameters most effective in creating reproducible cycles for steam sterilization of pig and calf carcasses. Methods: Two pigs or 1 calf were sterilized by running a liquid cycle (n = 3) at 121°C for at least 120 minutes in a pass-through autoclave. To assess the physical and biological parameters, temperature data loggers and biological indicators (BIs) with spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus (ATCC 7953) were placed at defined positions within animal carcasses. After completion of each cycle, data loggers were analyzed and BIs were incubated for 7 days at 60°C. Results: Initial testing with an undissected pig carcass resulted in suboptimal temperatures at the tissue level with growth on 1 BI. After modifications of the used stainless-steel boxes and by placing the reference probe of the autoclave in the animal carcass, reproducible cycles could be created. A complete inactivation of BIs and a temperature profile of >121°C for at least 20 minutes could be achieved in almost all probed tissues. Conclusion: Only minor modifications in carcass preparation and the used sterilization equipment resulted in effective and reproducible cycles to inactivate large animal carcasses by using a steam autoclave.

UNASSIGNED: Steam sterilization has been used for decades to effectively kill microbial contaminants in a variety of medical and commercial settings. One of the most critical aspects of safe operations in biosafety level 3 biocontainment laboratories (BSL-3) is the effective inactivation of biological select agents in the waste generated in these environments. The Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas \"Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui\" (INEVH, Pergamino, Argentina) is an institute that offers epidemiological surveillance, production of biological reagents, and production of biologicals for human use and studies of reservoirs and vectors. Some of the activities need to be done in a BSL-3 that provides biocontainment, ensuring that the materials are decontaminated before they leave the facility. The objective of this study was to design and validate a decontamination procedure for biological waste from the BSL-3 facility that guarantees steam sterilization processes.
UNASSIGNED: The amount and the distribution of biological waste into the autoclave and other physical parameters were defined and evaluated by calculating lethalities.
UNASSIGNED: We evaluated autoclave basic factory programmed cycles, and it was concluded that the sterilization autoclave cycle was not efficient for decontamination of waste. A new simulated load distribution had to be defined.
UNASSIGNED: The results demonstrated that autoclave factory default settings can be inadequate for sterilizing highly infectious waste, depending of types of waste, such as animal carcass and animal bed waste.
UNASSIGNED: These results of the validation process can set the standard to the design of waste management protocols to ensure effective treatment of highly infectious biological waste.

Heat sterilization of glucose solutions can lead to the formation of various glucose degradation products (GDPs) due to oxidation, hydrolysis, and dehydration. GDPs can have toxic effects after parenteral administration due to their high reactivity. In this study, the application of the F0 concept to modify specific time/temperature models during heat sterilization and their influence on the formation of GDPs in parenteral glucose solutions was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Glucose solutions (10%, w/v) were autoclaved at 111 °C, 116 °C, and 121 °C for different durations. The GDPs glyoxal, methylglyoxal, glucosone, 3-deoxyglucosone/3-deoxygalactosone, 3,4-dideoxyglucosone-3-ene, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were quantified after derivatization with o-phenylenediamine by an optimized LC-MS/MS method. For all GDPs, the limit of detection was <0.078 μg/mL, and the limit of quantification was <0.236 μg/mL. The autoclaving time of 121 °C and 15 min resulted in the lowest levels of 3-DG/3-DGal and 5-HMF, but in the highest levels of GO and 2-KDG. The proposed LC-MS/MS method is rapid and sensitive. So far, only 5-HMF concentrations are limited by the regulatory authorities. Our results suggest reconsidering the impurity limits of various GDPs, especially the more toxic ones such as GO and MGO, by the Pharmacopoeias.

Chondroitin sulfates (CS) are a class of sulfated glycosaminoglycans involved in many biological processes. Several studies reported their protective effect against neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer\'s disease. CS are commonly derived from animal sources, but ethical concerns, the risk of contamination with animal proteins, and the difficulty in controlling the sulfation pattern have prompted research towards non-animal sources. Here we exploited two microbiological-chemical sourced CS (i.e., CS-A,C and CS-A,C,K,L) and Carbopol 974P NF/agarose semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (i.e., P.NaOH.0 and P.Ethanol.0) to set up a release system, and tested the neuroprotective role of released CS against H2O2-induced oxidative stress. After assessing that our CS (1-100 µM) require a 3 h pre-treatment for neuroprotection with SH-SY5Y cells, we evaluated whether the autoclave type (i.e., N- or B-type) affects hydrogel viscoelastic properties. We selected B-type autoclaves and repeated the study after loading CS (1 or 0.1 mg CS/0.5 mL gel). After loading 1 mg CS/0.5 mL gel, we evaluated CS release up to 7 days by 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay and verified the neuroprotective role of CS-A,C (1 µM) in the supernatants. We observed that CS-A,C exhibits a broader neuroprotective effect than CS-A,C,K,L. Moreover, sulfation pattern affects not only neuroprotection, but also drug release.

This work introduces a thermally stable zwitterionic structure able to withstand steam sterilization as a general antifouling medical device interface. The sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) monomer and its polymer form are among the most widely used zwitterionic materials. They are easy to synthesize and have good antifouling properties. However, they partially lose their properties after steam sterilization, a common procedure used to sterilize biomedical interfaces. In this study, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was used to analyze and discuss the molecular structure of SBMA before and after a steam sterilization procedure, and a strategy to address the thermal stability issue proposed, using sulfobetaine methacrylamide (SBAA) instead of SBMA. Interestingly, it was found that the chemical structure of SBAA material can withstand the medical sterilization process at 121 °C while maintaining good antifouling properties, tested with proteins (fibrinogen), bacteria (Escherichia coli), and whole blood. On the other hand, SBMA gels failed at maintaining their excellent antifouling properties after sterilization. This study suggests that the SBAA structure can be used to replace SBMA in the bioinert interface of sterilizable medical devices, such as rayon fiber membranes used for disease control.

The aim of this work is a proof of concept, that medical Internet of Things (IoT) sterilization surveillance sensors can be powered by using the heat during a steam sterilization procedure. Hereby, the focus was on the use of thermo-electrical generators (TEG) to generate enough power for an ultra-low-power sensor application. Power generation requirement of the sensor was 1.6 mW over the single sterilization cycle. The thermal gradient across the TEG has been achieved using a highly efficient aerogel-foam-based thermal insulation, shielding a heat storage unit (HSU), connected to one side of the TEG. The evaluation of the developed system was carried out with thermal and electrical simulations based on the parameters extracted from the TEG manufacturer\'s datasheet. The developed model has been validated with a real prototype using the thermal step response method. It was important for the authors to focus on rapid-prototyping and using off-the-shelf devices and materials. Based on comparison with the physical prototype, the SPICE model was adjusted. With a thermal gradient of 12 °C, the simulated model generated over 2 mW of power. The results show that a significant power generation with this system is possible and usable for sensor applications in medial IoT.