Sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (STERILE VH2O2)
The standard’s wording, as the sources below reproduce it:
“Indicates a medical device that has been sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide.”
ISO 15223-1:2021, 5.2.10
What it means for you
The device was sterilised with hydrogen peroxide vapour, a low-temperature method used for heat-sensitive devices. The mark was added in the 2021 edition of the standard, so older packs of the same kind of device may name another method.
Whether a device is right for you is a question for your pharmacist, nurse or doctor.
- What it looks like
- A STERILE box with a second cell holding the letters VH2O2 (the 2s are sometimes set as subscripts).
- Where you see it
- Heat-sensitive single-use devices and kits, some implants and instruments with electronics.
- Other names
- STERILE VH2O2; VHP sterilised; hydrogen peroxide sterilization
What it does not tell you
It names the method only. It does not say the device can be sterilised again, or that it is still sterile once the pack is opened or damaged.
Often confused with
Indicates a medical device that has been sterilized using ethylene oxide.
More symbols in “The word STERILE”
Sources
ISO 15223-1 is a paid standard, so the wording above is quoted as 3 publishers’ public documents reproduce it. Each was fetched and read on the date shown:
- Ethicon: Symbols glossary (100584677 Rev.8) — Shows the STERILE | VH2O2 box for 5.2.10: “Sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide — Indicates a medical device that has been sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- STERIS: STERIS Product Labeling, SCS-145, Exhibit A: Symbol Glossary — Lists the STERILE | VH2O2 box, I.S. EN ISO 15223-1:2021 5.2.10, with the same explanatory text. Checked 2026-09-28.
- MedTech Europe: Use of Symbols to Indicate Compliance with the MDR, version 3.0 (November 2021) — Lists “Sterilized using vaporized hydrogen peroxide” among the symbols developed for the EU MDR, under MDR Annex I 23.2(l) (method of sterilization). Checked 2026-09-28.
Plain-language parts are in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.