Years ago, when we developed the SteriTite sealed container system, the healthcare industry was standardizing on wrapped plastic sterilization trays. They were light weight and came in a variety of colors with depressions that encapsulated an instrument. They looked nice for display purposes in industries like cosmetics, foodservice, and kitchenware.

Flash sterilization in the 1990s and even early in this millennium was used to rapidly sterilize surgical instruments in emergency situations, when unexpected delays backed-up the OR, or if a critical instrument was dropped before surgery. It was a way to keep the OR on schedule without necessarily considering the options. At the time, gravity displacement steam was the method of choice used in the OR to sterilize instruments.

We've learned to wear masks, wash our hands frequently, and accept six feet of distance from others as the new normal. Then there’s hand sanitizers, sanitizing surfaces, and shortages. And, now getting vaccinated to end the pandemic and get back to normalcy....