How to Choose an Autoclave Sterilizer
Hospitals, dentist’s offices and other businesses--including tattoo and piercing shops--use autoclave sterilizers. This piece of equipment sterilizes disposable items--like gauze--and sterilizes instruments for surgeries and medical procedures. An autoclave uses a combination of steam, heat and pressure to sterilize the contents of the load. All contents that are removed from an autoclave are handled with clean gloves to avoid compromising the sterile pouch with oils or bacteria from the hands.
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Instructions
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Determine your budget for purchasing the autoclave. Autoclaves cost, on the low side, just over $1,000. Large floor models can cost around $15,000.
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Check with local agencies, such as the Board of Health, for any specifications or regulations regarding the size and type of autoclave you need for your business, before purchasing a model. For example, in some states tattoo shops are not permitted to use top-loading autoclaves.
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Autoclaves are available in rectangular and round-shaped chambers that vary in size. Pick a style or model based on the instruments or contents that will be sterilized in the autoclave. Nalgene bottles, for example, take up more room in an autoclave's chamber than flat instruments such as scalpels or hemostats.
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Consider the length of the autoclave's cycle. A flash sterilizer, which takes only several minutes to sterilize its contents, is expensive, but saves time for the owner. Autoclaves that take 20 minutes for a cycle are considerably cheaper.
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Ask the distributor or wholesaler about what accessories come with the autoclave. Trays, replacement door seals and autoclave cleaner are added bonuses that could cut down on future costs if bought in a package deal.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase a used autoclave if necessary, but be sure to have the previous owner run a cycle in front of you to ensure the machine is performing correctly.
Run a spore test in the autoclave before attempting to use any instruments that have been run in the autoclave.
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