Sun Frost Tubular Sterilizer

Thanks for the very neat introduction to your tubular sterilizer technology - have been waiting a long time to see something like this, and am often asked about such solutions but everything that I've seen over the years has been in the R&D stage (attaching some photos for perspective). Two hour batch processing sounds amazing as well as the ability to operate in hazy conditions. Lots of questions though which I hope is ok! Do clinics keep it inside and load it like a safety box and then carry it out? If so, how heavy and durable is it? Wouldn't it be nice to skip safety boxes at remote locations?! Do you have any concerns about dioxin/furan evaporation? Does it smell when it operates? Any data to share? What about cleaning? Have you tested abuse (throwing other stuff in there) on net temperature performance? Do you have any temperature performance data to share? What is the lowest ambient temperature that you have tested in in? What is the lowest starting temperature that you have started it up at? Have you also tested it in a windy environment? Do you think that it would work in the back of a moving pickup during a vaccination campaign? How does stop and restart affect the net output (operating in rainy season for example). Could it double as an autoclave for non-plastics? Have you tested it with glass syringes? Do you foresee any practical use for the output in construction/other? Is the sterilized waste environmentally safe or does it need to be disposed of in an encapsulated pit? What material is the metal? Corrosion proof? Any issues with rain? For the device's durability in generation or specifically with the temperature gauge? Have you considered incorporating any low cost data logging devices to ensure that the elements have truly been sterilized? (I discovered a small inexpensive data logger a few months back which might be of interest -- attaching spec sheet). Are these being piloted anywhere? If so, details would be great. Regardless of the stage of development that this is in, I'm very pleased to see such a promising technology made available! I'm also attaching the Health Care without Harm "Portable Solar-powered autoclave" design (pdf attached), and overviews of some other related solar sterilization projects that I've come across, and might be of interest to the community since we're on the subject. Cheers, Tory Hart Medical-Sterilization-in-Rural-Hospitals.pdf AutoClaveFirstplace-2.pdf AutoclaveEditMay2006.pdf

Dear Torry,Thanks for great images and knowledge in this. You have great knowledge in development of harmless Health products. G.Durga Prasad IT Power India Pondicherry.

* Do clinics keep it inside and load it like a safety box and then carry it out? If so, how heavy and durable is it? Wouldn't it be nice to skip safety boxes at remote locations?! The Sun Frost Tubular Sterilizer would be kept inside. Syringes would be directly inserted into it, when full it would be placed in the sun – weight 3kg. * Do you have any concerns about dioxin/furan evaporation? Does it smell when it operates? Any data to share? Syringes are composed primarily of polypropylene and polyethylene when these plastics are melted no dioxins are formed, they contain no chlorine, a component of dioxin. There is only a small amount of odor, which is encountered when the melted syringes are removed. This would be outside. * What about cleaning? Have you tested abuse (throwing other stuff in there) on net temperature performance? If used only for melting syringes almost no cleaning is necessary. * Do you have any temperature performance data to share? In a 20 deg C environment in full sun the temperature reaches 200 deg C in 20 minutes. In 50% of full sun temperatures over 200 deg C can be maintained. * What is the lowest ambient temperature that you have tested in? * What is the lowest starting temperature that you have started it up at? * Have you also tested it in a windy environment? The evacuated tube is close to ambient temperature on its outer surface when the inner compartment is at 200 deg C. Wind and ambient temperatures have little effect on performance. * Do you think that it would work in the back of a moving pickup during a vaccination campaign? It could work in a pick up, but may be inconvenient. Syringes could be accumulated in the tubular sterilizer and melted later. * How does stop and restart affect the net output (operating in rainy season for example) The unit cools off slowly because of the vacuum insulation and would work well in intermittent sunlight. * Could it double as an autoclave for non-plastics? You could use it as an auto clave if only used for non-plastics. * Have you tested it with glass syringes? Glass syringes would not melt. Equipment can be dry sterilized if temperatures of 191 deg C are maintained for 6 minuets. * Do you foresee any practical use for the output in construction/other? Possibly, its up to the ingenuity of the users. * Is the sterilized waste environmentally safe or does it need to be disposed of in an encapsulated pit? There may be an occasional sterilizered needles point protruding from the melted plastic. * What material? Is the metal corrosion-proof? There are some plated steel screws all other parts used outside will not rust. * Any issues with rain? For the device's durability in generation or specifically with the temperature gauge? The tube is made for external use and is storing enough to survive in hailstones and wind in lengths up to 2 meters. * Have you considered incorporating any low-cost data logging devices to ensure that the elements have truly been sterilized? (I discovered a small inexpensive data logger a few months back which might be of interest -- attaching spec sheet) At thermometer and a timer gave us good data. The plastic melts at about 190 deg C when the plastic the syringes melt its an indication that sterilization temperatures were achieved. Solar Cookers International uses a similar device to tell when water pasteurization takes place. When a waxy material in a glass tube melts it indicates pasteurization. * Are these being piloted anywhere? If so, details would be great. Sun Frost funded the development of the prototype internally. We are looking for help with the field testing. This technology is simpler, smaller less than the solar devices in your attachment.