U.S. PHARMACOPEIA

Search USP29  
1211 STERILIZATION AND STERILITY ASSURANCE OF COMPENDIAL ARTICLES
This informational chapter provides a general description of the concepts and principles involved in the quality control of articles that must be sterile. Any modifications of or variations in sterility test procedures from those described under Sterility Tests 71 should be validated in the context of the entire sterility assurance program and are not intended to be methods alternative to those described in that chapter.
Within the strictest definition of sterility, a specimen would be deemed sterile only when there is complete absence of viable microorganisms from it. However, this absolute definition cannot currently be applied to an entire lot of finished compendial articles because of limitations in testing. Absolute sterility cannot be practically demonstrated without complete destruction of every finished article. The sterility of a lot purported to be sterile is therefore defined in probabilistic terms, where the likelihood of a contaminated unit or article is acceptably remote. Such a state of sterility assurance can be established only through the use of adequate sterilization cycles and subsequent aseptic processing, if any, under appropriate current good manufacturing practice, and not by reliance solely on sterility testing. The basic principles for validation and certification of a sterilizing process are enumerated as follows:
  1. Establish that the process equipment has capability of operating within the required parameters.
  2. Demonstrate that the critical control equipment and instrumentation are capable of operating within the prescribed parameters for the process equipment.
  3. Perform replicate cycles representing the required operational range of the equipment and employing actual or simulated product. Demonstrate that the processes have been carried out within the prescribed protocol limits and finally that the probability of microbial survival in the replicate processes completed is not greater than the prescribed limits.
  4. Monitor the validated process during routine operation. Periodically as needed, requalify and recertify the equipment.
  5. Complete the protocols, and document steps (1) through (4) above.
The principles and implementation of a program to validate an aseptic processing procedure are similar to the validation of a sterilization process. In aseptic processing, the components of the final dosage form are sterilized separately and the finished article is assembled in an aseptic manner.
Proper validation of the sterilization process or the aseptic process requires a high level of knowledge of the field of sterilization and clean room technology. In order to comply with currently acceptable and achievable limits in sterilization parameters, it is necessary to employ appropriate instrumentation and equipment to control the critical parameters such as temperature and time, humidity, and sterilizing gas concentration, or absorbed radiation. An important aspect of the validation program in many sterilization procedures involves the employment of biological indicators (see Biological Indicators 1035). The validated and certified process should be revalidated periodically; however, the revalidation program need not necessarily be as extensive as the original program.
A typical validation program, as outlined below, is one designed for the steam autoclave, but the principles are applicable to the other sterilization procedures discussed in this informational chapter. The program comprises several stages.
The installation qualification stage is intended to establish that controls and other instrumentation are properly designed and calibrated. Documentation should be on file demonstrating the quality of the required utilities such as steam, water, and air. The operational qualification stage is intended to confirm that the empty chamber functions within the parameters of temperature at all of the key chamber locations prescribed in the protocol. It is usually appropriate to develop heat profile records, i.e., simultaneous temperatures in the chamber employing multiple temperature-sensing devices. A typical acceptable range of temperature in the empty chamber is ±1 when the chamber temperature is not less than 121. The confirmatory stage of the validation program is the actual sterilization of materials or articles. This determination requires the employment of temperature-sensing devices inserted into samples of the articles, as well as either samples of the articles to which appropriate concentrations of suitable test microorganisms have been added, or separate BIs in operationally fully loaded autoclave configurations. The effectiveness of heat delivery or penetration into the actual articles and the time of the exposure are the two main factors that determine the lethality of the sterilization process. The final stage of the validation program requires the documentation of the supporting data developed in executing the program.
It is generally accepted that terminally sterilized injectable articles or critical devices purporting to be sterile, when processed in the autoclave, attain a 10–6 microbial survivor probability, i.e., assurance of less than 1 chance in 1 million that viable microorganisms are present in the sterilized article or dosage form. With heat-stable articles, the approach often is to considerably exceed the critical time necessary to achieve the 10–6 microbial survivor probability (overkill). However, with an article where extensive heat exposure may have a damaging effect, it may not be feasible to employ this overkill approach. In this latter instance, the development of the sterilization cycle depends heavily on knowledge of the microbial burden of the product, based on examination, over a suitable time period, of a substantial number of lots of the presterilized product.
The D value is the time (in minutes) required to reduce the microbial population by 90% or 1 log cycle (i.e., to a surviving fraction of 1/10), at a specific temperature. Therefore, where the D value of a BI preparation of, for example, Bacillus stearothermophilus spores is 1.5 minutes under the total process parameters, e.g., at 121, if it is treated for 12 minutes under the same conditions, it can be stated that the lethality input is 8D. The effect of applying this input to the product would depend on the initial microbial burden. Assuming that its resistance to sterilization is equivalent to that of the BI, if the microbial burden of the product in question is 102 microorganisms, a lethality input of 2D yields a microbial burden of 1 (10 theoretical), and a further 6D yields a calculated microbial survivor probability of 10–6. (Under the same conditions, a lethality input of 12D may be used in a typical “overkill” approach.) Generally, the survivor probability achieved for the article under the validated sterilization cycle is not completely correlated with what may occur with the BI. For valid use, therefore, it is essential that the resistance of the BI be greater than that of the natural microbial burden of the article sterilized. It is then appropriate to make a worst-case assumption and treat the microbial burden as though its heat resistance were equivalent to that of the BI, although it is not likely that the most resistant of a typical microbial burden isolates will demonstrate a heat resistance of the magnitude shown by this species, frequently employed as a BI for steam sterilization. In the above example, a 12-minute cycle is considered adequate for sterilization if the product had a microbial burden of 102 microorganisms. However, if the indicator originally had 106 microorganisms content, actually a 10–2 probability of survival could be expected; i.e., 1 in 100 BIs may yield positive results. This type of situation may be avoided by selection of the appropriate BI. Alternatively, high content indicators may be used on the basis of a predetermined acceptable count reduction.
The D value for the Bacillus stearothermophilus preparation determined or verified for these conditions should be reestablished when a specific program of validation is changed. Determination of survival curves (see Biological Indicators 1035), or what has been called the fractional cycle approach, may be employed to determine the D value of the biological indicator preferred for the specific sterilization procedure. The fractional cycle approach, may also be used to evaluate the resistance of the microbial burden. Fractional cycles are studied either for microbial count-reduction or for fraction negative achievement. These numbers may be used to determine the lethality of the process under production conditions. The data can be used in qualified production equipment to establish appropriate sterilization cycles. A suitable biological indicator such as the Bacillus stearothermophilus preparation may be employed also during routine sterilization. Any microbial burden method for sterility assurance requires adequate surveillance of the microbial resistance of the article to detect any changes, in addition to periodic surveillance of other attributes.

Methods of Sterilization
In this informational chapter, five methods of terminal sterilization, including removal of microorganisms by filtration and guidelines for aseptic processing, are described. Modern technological developments, however, have led to the use of additional procedures. These include blow-molding (at high temperatures), forms of moist heat other than saturated steam and UV irradiation, as well as on-line continuous filling in aseptic processing. The choice of the appropriate process for a given dosage form or component requires a high level of knowledge of sterilization techniques and information concerning any effects of the process on the material being sterilized.1
Steam Sterilization
The process of thermal sterilization employing saturated steam under pressure is carried out in a chamber called an autoclave. It is probably the most widely employed sterilization process.2 The basic principle of operation is that the air in the sterilizing chamber is displaced by the saturated steam, achieved by employing vents or traps. In order to displace air more effectively from the chamber and from within articles, the sterilization cycle may include air and steam evacuation stages. The design or choice of a cycle for given products or components depends on a number of factors, including the heat lability of the material, knowledge of heat penetration into the articles, and other factors described under the validation program (see above). Apart from that description of sterilization cycle parameters, using a temperature of 121, the F0 concept may be appropriate. The F0, at a particular temperature other than 121, is the time (in minutes) required to provide the lethality equivalent to that provided at 121 for a stated time. Modern autoclaves generally operate with a control system that is significantly more responsive than the steam reduction valve of older units that have been in service for many years. In order for these older units to achieve the precision and level of control of the cycle discussed in this chapter, it may be necessary to upgrade or modify the control equipment and instrumentation on these units. This modification is warranted only if the chamber and steam jacket are intact for continued safe use and if deposits that interfere with heat distribution can be removed.
Dry-Heat Sterilization
The process of thermal sterilization of Pharmacopeial articles by dry heat is usually carried out by a batch process in an oven designed expressly for that purpose. A modern oven is supplied with heated, filtered air, distributed uniformly throughout the chamber by convection or radiation and employing a blower system with devices for sensing, monitoring, and controlling the critical parameters. The validation of a dry-heat sterilization facility is carried out in a manner similar to that for a steam sterilizer described earlier. Where the unit is employed for sterilizing components such as containers intended for intravenous solutions, care should be taken to avoid accumulation of particulate matter in the chamber. A typical acceptable range in temperature in the empty chamber is ±15 when the unit is operating at not less than 250.
In addition to the batch process described above, a continuous process is frequently employed to sterilize and depyrogenate glassware as part of an integrated continuous aseptic filling and sealing system. Heat distribution may be by convection or by direct transfer of heat from an open flame. The continuous system usually requires a much higher temperature than cited above for the batch process because of a much shorter dwell time. However, the total temperature input during the passage of the product should be equivalent to that achieved during the chamber process. The continuous process also usually necessitates a rapid cooling stage prior to the aseptic filling operation. In the qualification and validation program, in view of the short dwell time, parameters for uniformity of the temperature, and particularly the dwell time, should be established.
A microbial survival probability of 10–12 is considered achievable for heat-stable articles or components. An example of a biological indicator for validating and monitoring dry-heat sterilization is a preparation of Bacillus subtilis spores. Since dry heat is frequently employed to render glassware or containers free from pyrogens as well as viable microbes, a pyrogen challenge, where necessary, should be an integral part of the validation program, e.g., by inoculating one or more of the articles to be treated with 1000 or more USP Units of bacterial endotoxin. The test with Limulus lysate could be used to demonstrate that the endotoxic substance has been inactivated to not more than 1/1000 of the original amount (3 log cycle reduction). For the test to be valid, both the original amount and, after acceptable inactivation, the remaining amount of endotoxin should be measured. For additional information on the endotoxin assay, see Bacterial Endotoxins Test 85.
Gas Sterilization
The choice of gas sterilization as an alternative to heat is frequently made when the material to be sterilized cannot withstand the high temperatures obtained in the steam sterilization or dry-heat sterilization processes. The active agent generally employed in gaseous sterilization is ethylene oxide of acceptable sterilizing quality. Among the disadvantages of this sterilizing agent are its highly flammable nature unless mixed with suitable inert gases, its mutagenic properties, and the possibility of toxic residues in treated materials, particularly those containing chloride ions. The sterilization process is generally carried out in a pressurized chamber designed similarly to a steam autoclave but with the additional features (see below) unique to sterilizers employing this gas. Facilities employing this sterilizing agent should be designed to provide adequate post sterilization degassing, to enable microbial survivor monitoring, and to minimize exposure of operators to the potentially harmful gas.3
Qualification of a sterilizing process employing ethylene oxide gas is accomplished along the lines discussed earlier. However, the program is more comprehensive than for the other sterilization procedures, since in addition to temperature, the humidity, vacuum/positive pressure, and ethylene oxide concentration also require rigid control. An important determination is to demonstrate that all critical process parameters in the chamber are adequate during the entire cycle. Since the sterilization parameters applied to the articles to be sterilized are critical variables, it is frequently advisable to precondition the load to achieve the required moisture content in order to minimize the time of holding at the required temperature before placement of the load in the ethylene oxide chamber. The validation process is generally made employing product inoculated with appropriate (BIs) such as spore preparations of Bacillus subtilis. For validation they may be used in full chamber loads of product, or simulated product. The monitoring of moisture and gas concentration requires the utilization of sophisticated instrumentation that only knowledgeable and experienced individuals can calibrate, operate, and maintain. The BI may be employed also in monitoring routine runs.
As is indicated elsewhere in this chapter, the BI may be employed in a fraction negative mode to establish the ultimate microbiological survivor probability in designing an ethylene oxide sterilization cycle using inoculated product or inoculated simulated product.
One of the principal limitations of the ethylene oxide sterilization process is the limited ability of the gas to diffuse to the innermost product areas that require sterilization. Package design and chamber loading patterns therefore must be determined so that there is minimal resistance to gas diffusion.
Sterilization by Ionizing Radiation
The rapid proliferation of medical devices unable to withstand heat sterilization and the concerns about the safety of ethylene oxide have resulted in increasing applications of radiation sterilization. It is applicable also to drug substances and final dosage forms. The advantages of sterilization by irradiation include low chemical reactivity, low measurable residues, and the fact that there are fewer variables to control. In fact, radiation sterilization is unique in that the basis of control is essentially that of the absorbed radiation dose, which can be precisely measured. Because of this characteristic, new procedures have been developed to determine the sterilizing dose. These, however, are still under review and appraisal, particularly with regard to the need, or otherwise, for additional controls and safety measures. Irradiation causes only a minimal temperature rise but can affect certain grades and types of plastics and glass.
The two types of ionizing radiation in use are radioisotope decay (gamma radiation) and electron-beam radiation. In either case the radiation dose established to yield the required degree of sterility assurance should be such that, within the range of minimum and maximum doses set, the properties of the article being sterilized are acceptable.
For gamma irradiation, the validation of a procedure includes the establishment of article materials compatibility, establishment of product loading pattern and completion of dose mapping in the sterilization container (including identification of the minimum and maximum dose zones), establishment of timer setting, and demonstration of the delivery of the required sterilization dose. For electron-beam irradiation, in addition, the on-line control of voltage, current, conveyor speed, and electron beam scan dimension must be validated.
For gamma radiation sterilization, an effective sterilizing dose that is tolerated without damaging effect should be selected. Although 2.5 megarads (Mrad) of absorbed radiation was historically selected, it is desirable and acceptable in some cases to employ lower doses for devices, drug substances, and finished dosage forms. In other cases, however, higher doses are essential. In order to validate the efficacy particularly of the lower exposure levels, it is necessary to determine the magnitude (number, degree, or both) of the natural radiation resistance of the microbial population of the product. Specific product loading patterns must be established, and absorbed minimum and maximum dosage distribution must be determined by use of chemical dosimeters. (These dosimeters are usually dyed plastic cylinders, slides, or squares that show color intensification based directly on the amount of absorbed radiation energy; they require careful calibration.)
The setting of the preferred absorbed dose has been carried out on the basis of pure cultures of resistant microorganisms and employing inoculated product, e.g., with spores of Bacillus pumilus as biological indicators. A fractional experimental cycle approach provides the data to be utilized to determine the D10 value of the biological indicator. This information is then applied in extrapolating the amount of absorbed radiation to establish an appropriate microbial survivor probability. The most recent procedures for gamma radiation sterilization base the dose upon the radiation resistance of the natural heterogeneous microbial burden contained on the product to be sterilized. Such procedures are currently being refined but may provide a more representative assessment of radiation resistance, especially where significant numbers of radiation-resistant organisms are present.4 These range from inoculation with standard resistant organisms such as Bacillus pumilus to subprocess (sublethal) dose exposure of finished product samples taken from production lines. Certain hypotheses are common to all these methods. Although the total microbial population present on an article generally consists of a mixture of microorganisms of differing sensitivity to radiation, the step of subjecting the article to a less than totally lethal sterilization dose eliminates the less resistant microbial fraction. This results in a residual relatively homogeneous population with respect to radiation resistance and yields consistent and reproducible results of determinations with the residual population. The amount of laboratory manipulation required is dependent upon the particular procedure used.
One such procedure requires the enumeration of the microbial population on representative samples of independently manufactured lots of the article. The resistance of the microbial population is not determined, and dose setting is based on a standard arbitrary radiation resistance assigned to the microbial population, derived from data obtained from manufacturers and from the literature. The assumption is made that the distribution of resistances chosen represents a more severe challenge than the natural microbial population on the product to be sterilized. This assumption, however, is verified by experiment. After verification, the appropriate radiation sterilization dose is read from a table.
Another and, more elaborate method does not require the enumeration of the microbial population but uses a series of incremental dose exposures to allow a dose established to be such that approximately one out of 100 samples irradiated at that dose will be nonsterile. This is not the ultimate sterilization dose, but it provides the basis on which to determine the sterilization dose by extrapolation from the dose yielding one out of 100 nonsterile samples, using an appropriate resistance factor that characterizes the remaining microorganism-resistant population. A periodic audit is conducted to check that the findings continue to be operative.
More elaborate procedures, requiring more experimentation and including the isolation of microbial cultures, include one in which, after determining the substerilization dose (yielding one out of 100 nonsterile samples), the resistance of the surviving microorganisms is used to determine the sterilizing dose. Another is based on different determinations, starting with a substerilization incremental dose that results in not more than 50% of the samples being nonsterile. After irradiation of sufficient samples at this dose, a number of microbial isolates are obtained. The radiation resistance of each of these is determined. The sterilization dose is then calculated using the resistance determinations and the 50% sterilizing dose initially determined. Audit procedures are required for these methods, as for the others described.
Where the required minimum radiation dose has been determined and delivery of that dose has been confirmed (by chemical or physical dosimeters), release of the article being sterilized could be effected within the overall validation of sterility assurance (which may include such confirmation of applied dosage, the use of biological indicators, and other means).
Sterilization by Filtration
Filtration through microbial retentive materials is frequently employed for the sterilization of heat-labile solutions by physical removal of the contained microorganisms. A filter assembly generally consists of a porous matrix sealed or clamped into an impermeable housing. The effectiveness of a filter medium or substrate depends upon the pore size of the porous material and may depend upon adsorption of bacteria on or in the filter matrix or upon a sieving mechanism. There is some evidence to indicate that sieving is the more important component of the mechanism. Fiber-shedding filters, particularly those containing asbestos, are to be avoided unless no alternative filtration procedures are possible. Where a fiber-shedding filter is required, it is obligatory that the process include a nonfiber-shedding filter introduced downstream or subsequent to the initial filtration step.
Filter Rating— The pore sizes of filter membranes are rated by a nominal rating that reflects the capability of the filter membrane to retain microorganisms of size represented by specified strains, not by determination of an average pore size and statement of distribution of sizes. Sterilizing filter membranes (those used for removing a majority of contaminating microorganisms) are membranes capable of retaining 100% of a culture of 107 microorganisms of a strain of Pseudomonas diminuta (ATCC 19146) per square centimeter of membrane surface under a pressure of not less than 30 psi (2.0 bar). Such filter membranes are nominally rated 0.22 µm or 0.2 µm, depending on the manufacturer's practice.5 This rating of filter membranes is also specified for reagents or media that have to be sterilized by filtration (see treatment of Isopropyl Myristate under Oils and Oily Solutions or Ointments and Creams in the chapter Sterility Tests 71). Bacterial filter membranes (also known as analytical filter membranes), which are capable of retaining only larger microorganisms, are labeled with a nominal rating of 0.45 µm. No single authoritative method for rating 0.45-µm filters has been specified, and this rating depends on conventional practice among manufacturers; 0.45-µm filters are capable of retaining particular cultures of Serratia marcescens (ATCC 14756) or Ps. diminuta. Test pressures used vary from low (5 psi, 0.33 bar for Serratia, or 0.5 psi, 0.34 bar for Ps. diminuta) to high (50 psi, 3.4 bar). They are specified for sterility testing (see Membrane Filtration in the section Test for Sterility of the Product to be Examined under Sterility Tests 71) where less exhaustive microbial retention is required. There is a small probability of testing specimens contaminated solely with small microorganisms). Filter membranes with a very low nominal rating may be tested with a culture of Acholeplasma laidlawii or other strain of Mycoplasma, at a pressure of 7 psi (0.7 bar) and be nominally rated 0.1 µm. The nominal ratings based on microbial retention properties differ when rating is done by other means, e.g., by retention of latex spheres of various diameters. It is the user's responsibility to select a filter of correct rating for the particular purpose, depending on the nature of the product to be filtered. It is generally not feasible to repeat the tests of filtration capacity in the user's establishment. Microbial challenge tests are preferably performed under a manufacturer's conditions on each lot of manufactured filter membranes.
The user must determine whether filtration parameters employed in manufacturing will significantly influence microbial retention efficiency. Some of the other important concerns in the validation of the filtration process include product compatibility, sorption of drug, preservative or other additives, and initial effluent endotoxin content.
Since the effectiveness of the filtration process is also influenced by the microbial burden of the solution to be filtered, determining the microbiological quality of solutions prior to filtration is an important aspect of the validation of the filtration process, in addition to establishing the other parameters of the filtration procedure, such as pressures, flow rates, and filter unit characteristics. Hence, another method of describing filter-retaining capability is the use of the log reduction value (LRV). For instance, a 0.2-µm filter that can retain 107 microorganisms of a specified strain will have an LRV of not less than 7 under the stated conditions.
The process of sterilization of solutions by filtration has recently achieved new levels of proficiency, largely as a result of the development and proliferation of membrane filter technology. This class of filter media lends itself to more effective standardization and quality control and also gives the user greater opportunity to confirm the characteristics or properties of the filter assembly before and after use. The fact that membrane filters are thin polymeric films offers many advantages but also some disadvantages when compared to depth filters such as porcelain or sintered material. Since much of the membrane surface is a void or open space, the properly assembled and sterilized filter offers the advantage of a high flow rate. A disadvantage is that since the membrane is usually fragile, it is essential to determine that the assembly was properly made and that the membrane was not ruptured during assembly, sterilization, or use. The housings and filter assemblies that are chosen should first be validated for compatibility and integrity by the user. While it may be possible to mix assemblies and filter membranes produced by different manufacturers, the compatibility of these hybrid assemblies should first be validated. Additionally, there are other tests to be made by the manufacturer of the membrane filter, which are not usually repeated by the user. These include microbiological challenge tests. Results of these tests on each lot of manufactured filter membranes should be obtained from the manufacturer by users for their records.
Filtration for sterilization purposes is usually carried out with assemblies having membranes of nominal pore size rating of 0.2 µm or less, based on the validated challenge of not less than 107 Pseudomonas diminuta (ATCC No. 19146) suspension per square centimeter of filter surface area. Membrane filter media now available include cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, fluorocarbonate, acrylic polymers, polycarbonate, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl, nylon, polytef, and even metal membranes, and they may be reinforced or supported by an internal fabric. A membrane filter assembly should be tested for initial integrity prior to use, provided that such test does not impair the validity of the system, and should be tested after the filtration process is completed to demonstrate that the filter assembly maintained its integrity throughout the entire filtration procedure. Typical use tests are the bubble point test, the diffusive airflow test, the pressure hold test, and the forward flow test. These tests should be correlated with microorganism retention.
ASEPTIC PROCESSING
Although there is general agreement that sterilization of the final filled container as a dosage form or final packaged device is the preferred process for ensuring the minimal risk of microbial contamination in a lot, there is a substantial class of products that are not terminally sterilized but are prepared by a series of aseptic steps. These are designed to prevent the introduction of viable microorganisms into components, where sterile, or once an intermediate process has rendered the bulk product or its components free from viable microorganisms. This section provides a review of the principles involved in producing aseptically processed products with a minimal risk of microbial contamination in the finished lot of final dosage forms.
A product defined as aseptically processed is likely to consist of components that have been sterilized by one of the processes described earlier in this chapter. For example, the bulk product, if a filterable liquid, may have been sterilized by filtration. The final empty container components would probably be sterilized by heat, dry heat being employed for glass vials and an autoclave being employed for rubber closures. The areas of critical concern are the immediate microbial environment where these presterilized components are exposed during assembly to produce the finished dosage form and the aseptic filling operation.
The requirements for a properly designed, validated, and maintained filling or other aseptic processing facility are mainly directed to (1) an air environment free from viable microorganisms, of a proper design to permit effective maintenance of air supply units, and (2) the provision of trained operating personnel who are adequately equipped and gowned. The desired environment may be achieved through the high level of air filtration technology now available, which contributes to the delivery of air of the requisite microbiological quality.6 The facilities include both primary (in the vicinity of the exposed article) and secondary (where the aseptic processing is carried out) barrier systems.
For a properly designed aseptic processing facility or aseptic filling area, consideration should be given to such features as nonporous and smooth surfaces, including walls and ceilings that can be sanitized frequently; gowning rooms with adequate space for personnel and storage of sterile garments; adequate separation of preparatory rooms for personnel from final aseptic processing rooms, with the availability if necessary of devices such as airlocks and air showers; proper pressure differentials between rooms, the most positive pressure being in the aseptic processing rooms or areas; the employment of laminar (unidirectional) airflow in the immediate vicinity of exposed product or components, and filtered air exposure thereto, with adequate air change frequency; appropriate humidity and temperature environmental controls; and a documented sanitization program. Proper training of personnel in hygienic and gowning techniques should be undertaken so that, for example, gowns, gloves, and other body coverings substantially cover exposed skin surfaces.
Certification and validation of the aseptic process and facility are achieved by establishing the efficiency of the filtration systems, by employing microbiological environmental monitoring procedures, and by processing of sterile culture medium as simulated product.
Monitoring of the aseptic facility should include periodic environmental filter examination as well as routine particulate and microbiological environmental monitoring and may include periodic sterile culture medium processing.

Sterility Testing of Lots
It should be recognized that the referee sterility test might not detect microbial contamination if present in only a small percentage of the finished articles in the lot because the specified number of units to be taken imposes a significant statistical limitation on the utility of the test results. This inherent limitation, however, has to be accepted, because current knowledge offers no nondestructive alternatives for ascertaining the microbiological quality of every finished article in the lot, and it is not a feasible option to increase the number of specimens significantly.
The primary means of supporting the claim that a lot of finished articles purporting to be sterile meets the specifications consists of the documentation of the actual production and sterilization record of the lot and of the additional validation records that the sterilization process has the capability of totally inactivating the established product microbial burden or a more resistant challenge. Further, it should be demonstrated that any processing steps involving exposed product following the sterilization procedure are performed in an aseptic manner to prevent contamination. If data derived from the manufacturing process sterility assurance validation studies and from in-process controls are judged to provide greater assurance that the lot meets the required low probability of containing a contaminated unit (compared to sterility testing results from finished units drawn from that lot), any sterility test procedures adopted may be minimal, or dispensed with on a routine basis. However, assuming that all the above production criteria have been met, it may still be desirable to perform sterility testing on samples of the lot of finished articles. Such sterility testing is usually carried out directly after the lot is manufactured as a final product quality control test.7 Sterility tests employed in this way in manufacturing control should not be confused with those described under Sterility Tests 71. The procedural details may be the same with regard to media, inocula and handling of specimens, but the number of units and/or incubation time(s) selected for testing may differ. The number should be chosen relative to the purpose to be served, i.e., according to whether greater or lesser reliance is placed on sterility testing in the context of all the measures for sterility assurance in manufacture. Also, longer times of incubation would make the test more sensitive to slow-growing microorganisms. In the growth promotion tests for media, such slow growers, particularly if isolated from the product microbial burden, should be included with the other test stains. Negative or satisfactory sterility test results serve only as further support of the existing evidence concerning the quality of the lot if all the pertinent production records of the lot are in order and the sterilizing or aseptic process is known to be effective. Unsatisfactory test results, however, in manufacturing quality control indicate a need for further action (see Performance, Observation, and Interpretation).
DEFINITION OF A LOT AND SELECTION OF SPECIMENS FOR STERILITY TEST PURPOSES
Articles may be terminally sterilized either in a chamber or by a continuous process. In the chamber process, a number of articles are sterilized simultaneously under controlled conditions—for example, in a steam autoclave—so that for the purpose of sterility testing, the lot is considered to be the contents of a single chamber. In the continuous process, the articles are sterilized individually and consecutively (for example, by exposure to electron-beam radiation), so that the lot is considered to be not larger than the total number of similar items subjected to uniform sterilization for a period of not more than 24 hours.
For aseptic fills, the term “filling operation” describes a group of final containers, identical in all respects, that have been aseptically filled with the same product from the same bulk within a period not longer than 24 consecutive hours without an interruption or a change that would affect the integrity of the filling assembly. The items tested should be representative of each filling assembly and should be selected at appropriate intervals throughout the entire filling operation. If more than three filling machines, each with either single or multiple filling stations, are used for filling a single lot, a minimum of 20 filled containers (not less than 10 per medium) should be tested for each filling machine, but the total number generally need not exceed 100 containers.
For small lots, in the case of either aseptic filling or terminal sterilization, if the number of final containers in the lot is between 20 and 200, about 10% of the containers should usually be tested. If the number of final containers in the lot is 20 or less, not fewer than 2 final containers should be tested.

Performance, Observation, and Interpretation
The facility for sterility testing should be such as to offer no greater a microbial challenge to the articles being tested than that of an aseptic processing production facility. The sterility testing procedure should be performed by individuals having a high level of aseptic technique proficiency. The test performance records of these individuals should be documented.
The extensive aseptic manipulations required to perform sterility testing may result in a probability of non-product-related contamination of the order of 10–3, a level similar to the overall efficiency of an aseptic operation and comparable to the microbial survivor probability of aseptically processed articles. This level of probability is significantly greater than that usually attributed to a terminal sterilization process, namely, 1 in 1 million or 10 –6 microbial survivor probability. Appropriate, known-to-be-sterile finished articles should be employed periodically as negative controls as a check on the reliability of the test procedure. Preferably, the technicians performing the test should be unaware that they are testing negative controls. Of these tests, a false-positive frequency not exceeding 2% is desirable.
For aseptically processed articles, these facts support the routine use of the test set forth under Sterility Tests 71 or a more elaborate one. The production and validation documentation should be acceptable and complete. For effectively terminally sterilized products, however, the lower microbial survivor probability may direct the use of a less extensive test than the compendial procedure specified under Sterility Tests 71, or even preclude altogether the necessity for performing one. This added reliability of sterility assurance of terminal sterilization depends upon a properly validated and documented sterilization process. Sterility testing alone is no substitute.
Interpretation of Quality Control Tests— The overall responsibility for the operation of the test unit and the interpretation of test results in relation to acceptance or rejection of a lot should be in the hands of those who have appropriate formal training in microbiology and have knowledge of industrial sterilization, aseptic processing, and the statistical concepts involved in sampling. These individuals should be knowledgeable also concerning the environmental control program in the test facility to ensure that the microbiological quality of the air and critical work surfaces are consistently acceptable.
Quality control sterility tests (either according to the official referee test or modified tests) may be carried out in two separate stages in order to rule out false positive results. First Stage. Regardless of the sampling plan used, if no evidence of microbial growth is found, the results of the test may be taken as indicative of absence of intrinsic contamination of the lot.
If microbial growth is found, proceed to the Second Stage (unless the First Stage test can be invalidated). Evidence for invalidating a First Stage test in order to repeat it as a First Stage test may be obtained from a review of the testing environment and the relevant records thereto. Finding of microbial growth in negative controls need not be considered the sole grounds for invalidating a First Stage test. When proceeding to the Second Stage, particularly when depending on the results of the test for lot release, concurrently, initiate and document a complete review of all applicable production and control records. In this review, consideration should be paid to the following: (1) a check on monitoring records of the validated sterilization cycle applicable to the product, (2) sterility test history relating to the particular product for both finished and in-process samples, as well as sterilization records of supporting equipment, containers/closures, and sterile components, if any, and (3) environmental control data, including those obtained from media fills, exposure plates, filtering records, any sanitization records and microbial monitoring records of operators, gowns, gloves, and garbing practices.
Failing any lead from the above review, the current microbial profile of the product should be checked against the known historical profile for possible change. Records should be checked concomitantly for any changes in source of product components or in-processing procedures that might be contributory. Depending on the findings, and in extreme cases, consideration may have to be given to revalidation of the total manufacturing process. For the Second Stage, it is not possible to specify a particular number of specimens to be taken for testing. It is usual to select double the number specified for the First Stage under Sterility Tests 71, or other reasonable number. The minimum volumes tested from each specimen, the media, and the incubation periods are the same as those indicated for the First Stage.
If no microbial growth is found in the Second Stage, and the documented review of appropriate records and the indicated product investigation does not support the possibility of intrinsic contamination, the lot may meet the requirements of a test for sterility. If growth is found, the lot fails to meet the requirements of the test. As was indicated for the First Stage test, the Second Stage test may similarly be invalidated with appropriate evidence, and, if so done, repeated as a Second Stage test.
1  A number of guidelines dealing particularly with the development and validation of sterilization cycles and related topics have been published. These include, by the Parenteral Drug Association, Inc. (PDA), Validation of Steam Sterilization Cycles (Technical Monograph No. 1), Validation of Aseptic Filling for Solution Drug Products (Technical Monograph No. 2), and Validation of Dry Heat Processes Used for Sterilization and Depyrogenation (Technical Monograph No. 3); and by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PMA), Validation of Sterilization of Large-Volume Parenterals—Current Concepts (Science and Technology Publication No. 25). Other series of technical publications on these subjects by the Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA) include Validation of Sterilization Systems (Report No. 78-4.1), Sterilization Cycle Development (Report No. 78-4.2), Industrial Sterility: Medical Device Standards and Guidelines (Document #9, Vol. 1), and Operator Training . . . . for Ethylene Oxide Sterilization, for Steam Sterilization Equipment, for Dry Heat Sterilization Equipment, and for Radiation Sterilization Equipment (Report Nos. 78-4.5 through 4.8). Recommended practice guidelines published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) include Guideline for Industrial Ethylene Oxide Sterilization of Medical Devices—Process Design, Validation, Routine Sterilization (No. OPEO-12/81) and Process Control Guidelines for the Radiation Sterilization of Medical Devices (No. RS-P 10/82). These detailed publications should be consulted for more extensive treatment of the principles and procedures described in this chapter.
2  An autoclave cycle, where specified in the compendia for media or reagents, is a period of 15 minutes at 121, unless otherwise indicated.
3  See Ethylene Oxide, Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemical Analysis, 1971, 12, 317-340, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and Use of Ethylene Oxide as a Sterilant in Medical Facilities, NIOSH Special Occupational Hazard Review with Control Recommendations, August 1977, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Criteria Documentation and Standards Development, Priorities and Research Analysis Branch, Rockville, MD.
4  Detailed descriptions of these procedures have been published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) in the document entitled Process Control Guidelines for Radiation Sterilization of Medical Devices (No. RS-P 10/82).
5  Consult “Microbiological Evaluation of Filters for Sterilizing Liquids,” Health Industry Manufacturers Association, Document No. 3, Vol. 4, 1982.
6  Available published standards for such controlled work areas include the following: (1) Federal Standard No. 209B, Clean Room and Work Station Requirements for a Controlled Environment, Apr. 24, 1973. (2) NASA Standard for Clean Room and Work Stations for Microbially Controlled Environment, publication NHB5340.2, Aug. 1967. (3) Contamination Control of Aerospace Facilities, U.S. Air Force, T.O. 00-25-203, 1 Dec. 1972, change 1-1, Oct. 1974.
7  Radioactive Pharmaceutical Products—Because of rapid radioactive decay, it is not feasible to delay the release of some radioactive pharmaceutical products in order to complete sterility tests on them. In such cases, results of sterility tests provide only retrospective confirmatory evidence for sterility assurance, which therefore depends on the primary means thereto established in the manufacturing and validation/certification procedures.

Auxiliary Information— Staff Liaison : Radhakrishna S Tirumalai, Scientist
Expert Committee : (MSA05) Microbiology and Sterility Assurance
USP29–NF24 Page 3041
Pharmacopeial Forum : Volume No. 30(5) Page 1729
Phone Number : 1-301-816-8339