Application Note #17 Specific Ethylene Oxide Analyzer

The PID Analyzers Model 301C Ethylene Oxide (ETO) Analyzer is optimized and guaranteed for an application. These instruments have been designed to operate with a minimum of maintenance so that they can be maintained by instrumentation technicians or by personnel with a minimum of training.
Easy to operate-No programming or extensive knowledge of Gas Chromatography or software is required for operation as a result of the embedded firmware and easy to use Customer interface. Easy to use- simple operation; an ideal safety monitor! Low cost of ownership- The long lifetime of the produce coupled with the low level of maintenance result in a low cost of ownership

Best Value
The 301-C incorporates all of the advantages of the latest Gas Chromatography and advanced Detector technology along with an easy to use customer interface and proven HNU electronics. This combination results in a simple to use, powerful, dedicated analyzer designed for rigorous industrial applications.

Model 301-C Rack Mount ETO Analyzer

HNU Systems, Inc. introduced its first ETO Analyzer (Model 301D), in 1984 for area monitoring of toxic gases including ethylene oxide in hospitals and at medical device manufacturers where smaller area monitoring systems were needed. More than 300 of these systems were sold. As a result of the technological advances, we have earned a reputation for producing top quality monitoring equipment in the HNU tradition of quality and value. HNUs Quality Management System has been certified to the prestigious ISO 9002 Standard by which world class companies are measured. HNU was the first North American Instrument Company to achieve ISO 9000 certification. The instrument is available in three different enclosures: rack, bench and wall mount.

Detector TechnologyHNU Systems has been at the forefront in GC detector technology since we developed the first commercial photoionization detector (PID) for gas chromatography in 1976. The HNU detector still has the best performance of any PID on the market with more than 15,000 sold, mostly for environmental applications. This detector is recommended by OSHA for ETO monitoring.

Sterilization Applications
Ethylene oxide (ETO) is the most commonly used gas sterilant as a result of its ability to kill all forms of bacteria. However, ETO is also recognized as a probable human carcinogen by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) which in 1984 set an action level of 0.5 ppm, a permissible exposure level of 1 ppm (Permissable Exposure Limit Value-PEL) and a short term exposure level of 5 ppm. Regulatory agencies all over the world are moving to write and enforce the regulations on the use, storage and disposal of ETO. A typical layout of a sterilization area with monitoring points is given below.

Features
Reliability- The rugged instrument has been improved and upgraded from a very durable design Detection limit - less than 1/20th the OSHA PEL or 0.05 ppm.

Process Analyzers, LLC, 1998-2000

A series of runs for the Specific Toxic Gas Analyzer for ETO (Model 301B) in the sterilization area above are shown in the Figure below.

Brief Specs Reporting

The Analyzer provides TWA reports from the embedded printer or the information can be sent to a central computer via the RS232. Alarm conditions are noted on the report Instrument Principle: Auto GC Detector: PID Range: 0.05 to 100 ppm with autoranging and 64 bit ADC Types of Samples: stack, ambient Calibration: Automatic Dimensions: 11" H x 17" D x 19" W Weight: 35 pounds Readout: High resolution VGA screen; Internal Industrial Pentium computer with 60 Gbyte Hard Drive for Data Storage

The Model 301-C is ideal for the small or medium size sterilizers found in Hospitals. Independent third party testing of our ETO monitor demonstrated that the analyzer exceeded OSHA requirements for precision and accuracy as shown in the Table below:

Model 301-C
PID Analyzers, LLC, 2 Washington Circle., Sandwich, MA 02563 Tel. 1774 413 5281; Fax 1774 413 5298; email sales@hnu.com