Challenges

Thermal processes above 250°C can easily damage the electronics and sensors of monitoring equipment resulting in the loss of valuable process data. Only high quality materials will provide a monitoring solution that is always reliable. When sterilizing empty glass vials by depyrogenation, the set-up of the monitoring equipment can be very fragile. Empty vials are easily tipped over and broken by movements of thermocouples during the process.

In dry heat sterilization processes, air is the heat transmitter, which poses specific concerns for correct sensor positioning if a worst-case scenario approach is to be taken. The use of semi-flex metal sensors minimizes inaccuracies in sensor positioning by keeping the desired shape during the complete process.

Depyrogentation tunnels offer limited headspace to optimize the sterilization process, making it difficult to introduce monitoring equipment. By using thermal barriers of different sizes, it is possible to find the best fit for the application. When the sterilization of small ampoules is being performed in a tunnel, the flat-pack offers a compact solution that is easily introduced with the load.