What is autoclave sterilization? The simplest explanation is that it is a highly effective method of sterilizing and disinfecting objects through the use of heat — in the form of steam — plus pressure and time.
In an autoclave, objects or instruments that have been exposed to contaminants such as microorganisms, spores or biological material are placed in a chamber. The machine is then pressurized and filled with steam. This pressure raises the temperature of the steam to the required level — typically between 121° C and 134° C — and ensures that every part of the instrument can be sterilized by maintaining the pressure and temperature for a predetermined amount of time.
Autoclaves were developed to clean tools that could not be sterilized with heat or detergents alone. Thanks to the pressurization component of the process, an autoclave can reach steam temperatures higher than normal, which allows them to operate relatively quickly and decontaminate all parts of an instrument. In addition, today’s autoclaves easily facilitate verification of the procedure using temperature-sensitive tape and other indicators.
An autoclave is most frequently used in medical centers and hospitals, dental offices, laboratories, and research facilities. It is also useful, however, in any scenario where reusable equipment must be sterilized. Businesses such as food and beverage proprietors, veterinarians and even barbershops or beauty salons could benefit from an autoclave.
Here, we’ll take a look at the cleaning process, including how to operate an autoclave for sterilization. We’ll also answer some frequently asked questions about the technique.
Autoclaves generally follows these steps:
To answer a few common questions about the autoclave:
An autoclave can be unsuccessful for a number of reasons, most commonly:
Modern autoclaves include verification measures such as temperature-sensitive and/or chemical-indicator tapes, control vials containing biological contaminants and more. By confirming the success of sterilization, operators and facilities can easily detect whether maintenance, calibration or other measures are needed to service the equipment. Many autoclaves come with pre-validated cycles that are proven by the manufacturer to sterilize certain types of loads. Custom cycles can also be validated by the end users for process specific materials and loads.
Technical Safety Services offers assistance to laboratories, medical facilities and other controlled environments to ensure that your equipment is operating properly. Our services include calibration, validation, certification, custom documentation generation, and more. For more information, contact us today.