Application of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Indicator Ink

Date: Mar 03 2025 From: Star Color

Sterilization is the core link in ensuring the safety of medical products. Ethylene Oxide (EO) sterilization, with its high efficiency, is widely used in the disinfection of medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and laboratory consumables. Ethylene oxide sterilization indicator ink allows users to visually observe the sterilization effect through color changes.

Core Uses of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Indicator Ink

Visual Verification of the Sterilization Process
Upon the completion of sterilization, the ethylene oxide sterilization indicator ink changes color within a short time, for example, from orange to yellow or from blue to gray, intuitively reflecting whether the sterilization is successful. There is no need for cumbersome detection procedures, saving time and effort. The color change threshold of the ink corresponds one-to-one with various EO sterilization parameters, such as concentration, temperature, and humidity, which can avoid the occurrence of "false negatives" and ensure the accuracy of the indication.
Adaptability to Multiple Application Scenarios
- Medical Device Packaging: Ethylene oxide sterilization indicator ink plays an important role in the packaging of medical devices such as surgical instrument bags, catheters, and implant packaging, ensuring the sterilization effect of the devices.
- Pharmaceutical Packaging: For pharmaceutical packaging such as vial labels and infusion bag labels, this ink can effectively ensure the integrity of the sterile barrier and safeguard the quality and safety of drugs.
- Laboratory Consumables: It can also provide reliable indication in the sterilization monitoring of high-risk laboratory consumables such as petri dishes and bioreactor accessories.

Application of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Indicator Ink

Working Principle

The core of ethylene oxide sterilization indicator ink lies in its chemical color-changing response mechanism:

Before Sterilization: The ink contains components sensitive to EO, such as special dyes or acid-base indicators. At this time, the ink shows a distinct initial color, such as orange.

During Sterilization: When the EO concentration is between 450-1200mg/L, the temperature is 30-60°C, and the humidity is 40-80%, the components in the ink will undergo an irreversible chemical reaction with EO.
After Sterilization: The reaction will cause a permanent change in the color of the ink, such as turning gray or yellow. This color change can be easily identified either by the naked eye or by equipment.
Technical Key: The formula of the ink needs to precisely match the sterilization parameters. Taking the commonly used sterilization cycle in hospitals as an example, such as 54°C, 60% humidity, 600mg/L EO concentration, and acting for 4 hours, this can ensure the accuracy of the indication.

Four Advantages of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Indicator Ink

Instantaneity and High Efficiency: Compared with traditional biological indicators that require 48 hours of cultivation, ethylene oxide sterilization indicator ink can display the result within a few minutes, greatly saving time and improving efficiency.
High Precision and Reliability: Through the design of a high-contrast color difference with ΔE≥5, it ensures that the color change can be clearly distinguished by the naked eye, meeting the ISO 11140-1 Class 1 standard. The misjudgment rate of this ink is less than 0.1%, which is highly reliable.
Environmental Protection and Safety: Adopting a water-based formula, it achieves low VOC emissions, complies with the requirements of REACH regulations, and effectively avoids the pollution of medical products caused by solvent residues.
Printing Adaptability: It is suitable for flexographic or gravure printing, and the printing speed can reach 150-300 meters per minute. It can be applied to commonly used medical materials such as dialysis paper and PET/PE composite film.

Zhongzhixing Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Indicator Ink adopts an environmentally friendly water-based formula with extremely low VOC emissions, meeting international standards. It can meet the production requirements of both flexographic and gravure printing. In terms of sterilization indication, it responds precisely to ethylene oxide, has high color-changing sensitivity, and obvious color changes, which can quickly and accurately feedback the sterilization result. Whether it is for the sterilization indication of medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, or laboratory consumables, Zhongzhixing Sterilization Indicator Ink is a trustworthy choice.