Among other important updates to ANSI/AAMI ST8 and ST24—two vital standards related to hospital sterilizers—the focus has been shifted away from the equipment to an increased emphasis on process, performance requirements, and equipment safety. This shift will afford manufacturers increased room for product innovation.
Committee work on both ANSI/AAMI ST8, Hospital steam sterilizers, and ANSI/AAMI ST24, General-purpose ethylene oxide sterilizers with automated process control and ethylene oxide sterilant sources intended for use in health care facilities, is nearly finished (i.e., one outstanding issue for ST8 and ST24 having been completed), and the standards are expected to publish in 2023.
