The Process of Effluent Sterilization

Unique equipment design from Beta Star provides additional layer of safety and sterilization of cycle effluent.

For effective sterilization, especially critical in BSL-3 laboratories and facilities, identifying the piping configuration, load configuration, and cycle parameters which minimize condensate generation are vital components of effective sterilization. This is vitally important, as our studies have shown that pooling condensate in the bottom of the chamber acts as an insulant against complete sterilization for any harmful pathogens that have made their way to the chamber drain. In BSL-3 situations, pathogens that have been insulated from complete sterilization present a serious hazard to the safety of our end users, service personnel, and the environment as the infected condensate is allowed down the drain.

While effective piping and load configurations minimize condensate generation during cycle, all steam sterilizers (autoclaves) generate condensate during operation. Beta Star sterilizers monitor and control sterilizer temperature set-point at the chamber exhaust port. The period of time between the exhaust port reaching the sterilization set-point (typically 121°C) and the load achieving that same set-point is known as lag time. Lag time will vary dependent on load type and cycle selection. For all steam sterilizers, condensate generation is greatest during this lag time. When steam contacts the sterilization load, such as carts, bedding, and cages, while the load is at room temperature, it rapidly cools and condenses upon contact with machine and load surfaces.

To study the insulation properties of the pooling condensate, we looked at the temperature differential between the liquid condensate and the sterilization threshold (in this test, that was 121°C). Our tests revealed that this liquid can be as low as 70°C, over 50°C below the industry accepted set point. 

Chamber Drain Injection Effluent Arrangement

To solve this problem, our engineering team was tasked with creating a solution to solve the effluent insulant problem detailed above. This led to the development of the dual steam injection system, one port for the chamber and one port for the chamber drain. With the development of this Chamber Drain Injection Effluent sterilizer arrangement, Beta Star has ensured the greatest possible pathogen lethality by providing direct steam impingement into the condensate pool which all sterilizers product. The direct steam injection port in the chamber drain significantly increases the temperature in the drain effluent.