Colour-change chemistry indicates gamma sterilisation
Isotron, a leading European provider of contract sterilisation services, has adopted Sherwood Technology's Process Indicator Labels to give a clear and immediate indication of gamma sterilisation.
The labels use Sherwood's innovative colour-change technique to provide a visible record of all products that have undergone a volume sterilisation process. Sherwood produces two types of labels, Gamma SteriDots YRD and Gamma SteriStripe YRD. The self-adhesive indicator labels undergo a simple, chemical colour-change when exposed to gamma radiation. The labels change from yellow to red when activated – there is a noticeable colour-change from 5kGy up to 100kGy. This provides a 'yes/no' indicator of Gamma exposure for a wide range of applications, including food irradiation and medical and surgical products sterilisation. Demand for the labels has increased as Sherwood is the first manufacturer to guarantee the product for 12 months. Swindon-based Isotron uses 1.5 million SteriStripe labels every three months to indicate that products have undergone the irradiation process. "Isotron's aim is to deliver the highest possible standards to our customers. Sherwood Technology's colour-change technique has greatly assisted us in achieving our goal," said Michael Eaton, UK quality manager at Isotron.
