Effective terminal sterilization using supercritical carbon dioxide

• Published in: Journal of biotechnology Vol. 123; no. 4; pp. 504 - 515
• Main Authors: White, Angela, Burns, David, Christensen, Tim W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 10.06.2006; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Carbon Dioxide; Endospore-Forming Bacteria - drug effects; Endospore-Forming Bacteria - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbial Viability; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Peracetic acid; Salmonella - drug effects; Salmonella - physiology; Spore inactivation; Spores, Bacterial - drug effects; Sterilization - instrumentation; Sterilization - methods; Supercritical fluid; Supercritical fluid; Spore inactivation; Peracetic acid; Carbon dioxide; Sterilization; Supercritical state; Inactivation; Spores
• ISSN: 0168-1656; 1873-4863
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2005.12.033

Gentle alternatives to existing sterilization methods are called for by rapid advances in biomedical technologies. Supercritical fluid technologies have found applications in a wide range of areas and have been explored for use in the inactivation of medical contaminants. In particular, supercritical CO 2 is appealing for sterilization due to the ease at which the supercritical state is attained, the non-reactive nature, and the ability to readily penetrate substrates. However, rapid inactivation of bacterial endospores has proven a barrier to the use of this technology for effective terminal sterilization. We report the development of a supercritical CO 2 based sterilization process capable of achieving rapid inactivation of bacterial endospores while in terminal packaging. Moreover, this process is gentle; as the morphology, ultrastructure, and protein profiles of inactivated microbes are maintained. These properties of the sterilization process suit it for possible use on a wide range of biomedical products including: materials derived from animal tissues, protein based therapies, and other sensitive medical products requiring gentle terminal sterilization.