When it comes to sterilizing medical devices, material compatibility is the Achilles’ heel.
“Steam is probably the best sterilization method,” notes Clark Houghtling, who has worked in the sterilization industry for 40 years. But steam, technically known as moist heat, has limited use because few materials in medical devices can take the high temperature. Moist heat sterilization is often limited to products that consist of metal, glass and certain plastics that withstand high temperatures.