Modeling of electrodynamic parameters of microwave sterilizer

Abstract

For the sterilization of medical instruments, a technology for their immersion heat treatment with intense microwave radiation at the frequency of 2,45 GHz is analyzed. The advantages of this technology in comparison with traditional methods are shown. An electromagnetic model of a microwave sterilizer for surgical tools was built, taking into account the temperature dependence of the complex dielectric permittivity of the immersion medium (water). A rectangular cavity with a waveguide excitation was used as its basic unit. With the help of a numerical model on the finite element method, the values of the reflected and absorbed power, as well as the heating rate of water in the sterilizer for an operating power of 600 W, were determined. The analysis of thermal processes, performed according to a simplified method, showed a rather high efficiency of such device, which provides a high heating rate at a given frequency.