Sterilization is extremely important in life science laboratories. It’s key to preventing the spread of bacteria, diseases, fungi, and viruses. Dry heat sterilization was one of the first methods of sterilization and is still considered a popular form of sterilization. But what is dry heat sterilization, and why should you have a dry heat sterilizer in your life science facility?

Dry heat sterilizers utilize hot air to eliminate all forms of life inside the chamber. They operate like ovens and produce highly predictable results. The dry heat comes into contact with the object in the chamber and kills bacterial spores, fungi, viruses, prions, and almost all forms of biological agents.  In addition, the dry heat sterilizer removes all the moisture from the air in the chamber, making it more effective.

In this post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about dry heat sterilizers, how they work, their advantages, and the different types of dry heat sterilizers. First, let’s take a deeper dive into how dry heat sterilizers operate and why they’re still a preferred method in life science laboratories.

How do Dry Heat Sterilizers Work?

Dry heat sterilization involves using dry, hot air to rapidly kill all organisms that may be present. While forced air dry heat sterilizers are preferable, and the industry standard, some also use static air, which uses heated coils instead of blown air.

Dry heat sterilizers damage the oxidizing materials in the items being sterilized. The essential cell components are destroyed, and the organism dies. A typical cycle includes a ramp-up stage to pre-heat the chamber.  The sterilizer then maintains the temperature at 275⁰F to 350⁰F for roughly one hour or longer to sterilize the items inside the chamber. Then the cool down stage of the cycle reduces the temperature in the chamber so the doors can be opened, and material removed.

All spores, fungi, viruses, and most all biological agents are destroyed, even ones that are more resistant to dry heat, like Bacillus atrophaeus. Essentially, dry heat sterilizers starve these bacteria of energy and permanently deactivate them due to the damage done to their encoding RNA and DNA.

Advantages of Dry Heat Sterilizers

There are many reasons why dry heat sterilizers are one of the preferred forms of sterilization in health sciences facilities. One primary reason is that they don’t use any dangerous chemicals or liquids and sterilize using solely heated air. The heated air penetrates through the entire item without fear that something will be missed.

They are also non-toxic and do not harm the environment. They can sterilize many items that cannot be subjected to moist air sterilizing systems. In addition, dry heat sterilization is noncorrosive for metal and any sharp instruments. With no corrosive or toxic agents present, there are no harmful substances to be discarded into the environment.

Since they don’t use chemicals or other harmful agents to sterilize items, dry heat sterilizers are long-lasting, durable, and easier to maintain than other sterilizing systems. They are typically easier and less expensive to install, set up and operate than alternative systems.

Not only do they save on energy costs due to the cost of the heating cycles being generally low, but you also do not require water, drain, steam, a steam boiler, and a steam engineer to support the steam supply.

Another key advantage is the ability to install into an existing facility where ingress is a problem since the unit can be assembled in sections.  Without a need for a pit, placement is also more flexible than traditional steam sterilizers.

Different Types of Dry Heat Sterilizers

BetterBuilt is perfecting our lab sterilization equipment by creating new automated and custom solutions for life sciences facilities. Our goal is to maximize worker safety and efficiency. Our dry heat sterilizers use forced-air convection technology and come with automatic loading and unloading features to fully sterilize items.

1. D600 Series Dry Heat Sterilizer

Equipped with electric-generated forced-air technology, the D600 Series Dry Heat Sterilizer eliminates water consumption and saves even more money by reducing energy consumption. Less costly to maintain and operate, the D600 Series is simple to install with onsite assembly capabilities.

Features include:

• High energy, efficient electric heaters that provide accurate temperature and high volume, uniform circulated airflow across the items to be sterilized.
• Modular construction that is durable and easy to install. All sections will pass through a standard 3’-6’ by 6’-8’ standard doorway.
• Floor-mounted installation with a heavy-duty stainless-steel floor and beveled edge for mobile cart loading.
• Insulated chamber is constructed with double walls and 4” of insulation on all sides except for the floor.
• Validated sterilization cycles that are confirmed by using biological indicators performed at our factories.

2. D600C Series Dry Heat Sterilizer

The D600C Series Conveyorized Dry Heat Sterilizer uses the same reliable technology as the D600 but offers higher throughput. The high-energy, efficient heaters create an accurate temperature while our direct-driven blowers force the hot air through the sidewalls.

Features include:

• High energy, efficient electric heaters provide accurate temperature while direct-driven blowers force hot air through semi-pierced side walls, creating a high volume uniformed horizontal circulated airflow across the items to be sterilized.
• HEPA filters are utilized by the air intake and exhaust systems.
• Stainless steel modular construction that is durable and easy to install. All sections will pass through a standard 3’-6’ by 6’-8’ standard doorway.
• Pit-mounted installation with a heavy-duty stainless-steel belt that conveys mobile carts through the chamber. Pit mounting of the dry heat sterilizer allows for floor-level loading and unloading.
• Chamber is constructed and insulated with double walls and 4” insulation on all sides except the floor.
• Validated sterilization cycles that are confirmed by using biological indicators performed at our factories.

The Wrap Up

Since the 1950s, BetterBuilt has been equipping the life sciences industry with the latest and greatest technology. We’ve developed a strong reputation for quality, durability, and trust within the scientific community. The D600 and D600C Series Dry Heat Sterilizers help further that trust by providing solutions for labs that are powerful, reliable, and easy to use.

BetterBuilt understands the unique challenges that health sciences laboratories face. We’ll work directly with your team throughout all phases of construction and installation so we can ensure our dry heat sterilizers meet your exact specifications and exceed your expectations.

Contact us today, and someone from our knowledgeable team can answer all your questions. At BetterBuilt, we’re committed to fully understanding your specific needs. We know each facility is unique, and we’re dedicated to helping you find the perfect solution for your business. Let us put our 70 years of experience to work for you.