The Last Line of Defense Against Dangerous Pathogens

PRI Bio Effluent & Tissue Sterilization Systems Support Research Growth And Defense Against Dangerous Pathogens

PRI Bio develops environmentally-conscious, efficient systems for the sterilization of biologically hazardous material. PRI Bio Effluent and Tissue Sterilization systems support a valuable, growing research economy for public health, animal health, agro-defense and pharmaceutical development. As researchers study harmful diseases which threaten the human and agricultural populations and develop solutions to combat these threats, research facilities produce both liquid and solid waste.

“PRI’s systems allow us the freedom to pursue research without limitation while maintaining the safety of our staff, our facility and our community.” – Director, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

In most cases, due to the dangerous and highly contagious nature of these pathogens, the waste material must be sterilized prior to leaving the facility.  In the case of large animals, such as livestock, the entire animal carcass must be sterilized, to protect the environment and the general public.

This safety requirement has created the need for sterilization and disposal systems, known in the industry as Tissue Digesters.  Tissue Digesters are the best technology for the job and were developed because the alternatives were not viable.  Cells within an infected organism must be treated to kill the harmful pathogens that could potentially live inside it, to prevent the spread of disease.  In the early stages of high containment research, incineration was used; however, air quality regulations and public protests regarding the smoke have prevented new incinerators from gaining approval.

Tissue Digesters were developed in the 1990’s, using a caustic chemical-heavy process called alkaline hydrolysis to break down tissues and gather the bones in a steel collection basket to be autoclaved.  In the early stages, the companies who developed these systems were unstable, unreliable, and the systems were poorly functional, resulting in bankruptcy and closure.  PRI Bio recognized a need for functional, reliable technology and developed a more efficient type of digester, called the Thermal Tissue Digester.  This patented technology uses heat and agitation and does not require caustic chemicals to break down and sterilize tissue, reducing equipment operational costs.  Additionally, the agitation of the Thermal Tissue Digester from PRI Bio allows the system to break down tissue and bones in such a way as to eliminate the need for a bone collection basket.

“PRI’s Thermal Tissue Digester™ has made all other digesters obsolete” – Lead Process Engineer, International Laboratory Design Firm

Without equipment such as the Thermal Tissue Digester, research facilities would not be able to maintain the critical research around the globe, expanding their research capabilities for the study of emerging infectious pathogens, viruses, bacteria, and genetically modified organisms. Laboratory expansion into these areas requires biowaste sterilization and disposal equipment that is reliable and flexible enough to accommodate ongoing process changes with biosafety confidence. By extending their research into these exciting areas of study, research and diagnostic facilities are finding a competitive advantage to attract leading scientists to their institutes, enhancing the overall prestige of the community, and growing the local businesses in their regions.

PRI Bio is the global leader in containment biohazardous waste systems, and 9 out of 10 BSL-4 Containment Facilities have selected PRI Bio for their biowaste treatment systems in the United States.  For more than 30 years, PRI has advanced the science in hazardous liquid and solid waste treatment, specializing in the design and manufacture of sterilization and digester equipment. PRI’s thermal products are currently used in over 35 countries worldwide, with over 3,000 units installed.