What Is an Autoclave Sterilizer?
An autoclave is a device used in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications to sterilize instruments and supplies by means of moist heat. This involves adding pressurized saturated steam at a temperature of approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The purpose of an autoclave is to kill bacteria and other microorganisms, thus sterilizing surgical instruments, bottles and other implements.
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Advantages
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When compared with another common sterilization method, dry heat, moist heat has the advantage of requiring lower temperatures and less time to achieve the same results. This is important because the lower temperature allows for the sterilization of materials that cannot withstand the higher temperatures required for dry heat sterilization (at least 320 degrees Fahrenheit), and shorter times increase the productivity of the machine.
Types
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Autoclaves are classified depending on the way they remove the air from the sterilization chamber at the beginning of the process: The vapor can force it out when added (positive pressure displacement) or it can be removed with a vacuum pump (negative pressure displacement). Regarding their capacity, the smallest and simplest ones are the so-called stovetops, which require an external source of heat and are relatively inexpensive and small, and for industrial or high-volume uses there are large, built-in models available. These are usually programmable so that different cycles can be used, depending on the material to sterilize.
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Sterilization Cycle
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The three main factors in the sterilization cycle are temperature, pressure and time. By adjusting them, the user can achieve sterilization at lower temperatures in order to protect materials that are sensitive to high temperature, such as rubber. The drawback is that this lower temperature must be maintained for longer periods of time, reducing the amount of material processed.
Uses
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Traditionally, autoclaves have been used in sterilizing clean material to be used in the future to avoid infection of a patient or tattoo recipient. In recent years, their use in sterilizing pathogenic waste has grown. In this application, contaminated material is sterilized before being disposed of, ensuring that no pathogenic organisms are released to the environment. One special issue with this use is that many of the waste materials contain body fluids (blood, vomit) that protect bacteria, and for this reason sterilization cycles are generally longer than otherwise required.
Warnings
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Autoclaves work at high temperatures and pressures, and this makes them potentially very dangerous. Remember that after a sterilization cycle is finished, the autoclave chamber and its contents are very hot. It is good practice to let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before opening the autoclave, and to wear heat-resistant gloves. Additionally, if there is a tear hazard (as when surgical instruments have been sterilized), then the gloves should also be cut-resistant.
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