Possibility of dressing material sterilization by the direct-acting high-current impulse-periodic electron beam through the example of the absorbent wound dressings

The objective of the study was to develop a safe and costeffective innovative approach for sterilization of the nano graphitebased absorbent wound dressings. The sterilizer built upon the accelerator of the directacting highcurrent impulseperiodic electron beams with the accelerated electron beam extracted into the atmosphere has been tested. The new type of absorbent wound dressing was subjected to sterilization. Sterility was assessed by the bacteriological methods. Absorbent capacity of the new nanographitebased wound dressing material was studied before and after sterilization using the wound dressing Spunlace and the other dressing made of deashed filter. It was shown that the guarantied sterilization of all nanographitebased absorbent wound dressings can be achieved by their exposure to the electron beams with the impulse number of at least 25. The cumulative absorbed doses (D) were determined for the Spunlace (17 kGy) and for the dressing made of deashed filter (13 kGy). Both cumulative absorbed doses were lower than equivalent doses used for sterilization of dressings with gammaradiation. Receptivity and sorption capacity of the absorbent wound dressings did not change after the sterilization.