An autoclave is a thick-walled metal container with a tight seal that allows working with high-pressure, high-temperature water vapor, used to sterilize medical or laboratory equipment. This computer is capable of inactivating most viruses and bacteria. The autoclave was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879.
Autoclaves are equipment used mainly in sterilization applications and in the chemical industry, and today thanks to its effectiveness and low cost, it remains one of the most used methods of sterilization, because it produces greater volume of sterile material, destroys in a shorter time the infectious matter present and does not damage the material to be sterilized (provided that the latter is suitable for autoclavado).
What’s an autoclave for?
The autoclaves serve to sterilize equipment and materials by subjecting them to saturated water vapor at high pressure at 121°C for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the load and content.
Steam sterilization (the principle used by the autoclave) is the most effective method, in terms of cost and time. Because water vapor under pressure above the atmosphere affects microorganisms, causing a coagulation or solidification of their protoplasmic mass, stopping their vital processes and causing cell death.
Structure of an autoclave
An autoclave is made up of an airtight chamber made of stainless steel, quadrangular or cylindrical in shape, arranged horizontally or vertically. This chamber can be provided with a single door for loading and unloading materials or two doors located in the loading and unloading areas of materials.
The autoclave door has a mechanism that allows its hermetic sealing to the chamber and prevents its opening during the sterilization process. In two-door autoclaves this mechanism also prevents simultaneous opening of the same at all times to avoid communication of two different areas.
Types of autoclaves
- By Gravity: In these autoclaves the air is removed by gravity, when the vapor enters the chamber, the cold air that is in it tends to leave through the duct that is located in the bottom of the chamber. This process is very slow and favors residual air remaining in the chamber.
- From Prevacio: These autoclaves have a vacuum pump that quickly removes all air from the chamber, so that steam is introduced faster inside the chamber, increasing the efficiency of the autoclave by removing air bags and increasing the speed of the process. It is a much more efficient type of autoclave than others.
Precautions when using an autoclave
Autoclaves are instruments that use high-pressure, high-temperature steam for sterilization. The risks are potential and therefore it is necessary to follow certain precautions:
- Before starting the sterilization process, it is necessary to remove all air from the autoclave chamber, otherwise the required sterilization conditions cannot be reached because the internal chamber of the equipment cannot be saturated by water vapor.
- The sterilization time should start counting once the autoclave internal chamber has reached 121ºC.
- If materials such as surgical instruments, equipment are to be sterilized, they should not be covered with water-resistant materials such as aluminum foil, because aluminum foil does not allow steam access to the material and thus sterilization will not be achieved.
- When the material to be sterilized is placed inside the equipment, the free circulation of water vapor around all the material must be ensured.
What does Kalstein offer you?
Kalstein is a manufacturer of medical and laboratory equipment of the highest quality and the best technology at the best PRICES in the market, so you can make your PURCHASE confidently with us, knowing that you have the service and advice of a company specialized in the field and committed to provide you with safe, economical and effective options to perform your functions in the right way.
This time we present our Automatic Vertical Sliding Door Horizontal Pulsing Vacuum Autoclave YR053580 // YR053583-1. This innovative equipment with cutting edge technology has the following features: HERE
- Low Water Cutting Sensor
- Mechanical pressure relief safety valve for chamber and liner
- Overpressure protection device
- Overtemperature protection device
- Door safety protection measuring device.
- Interlock Function Device
- Door security interlock device: The program cannot start when the door is not properly closed. When the chamber pressure is not 0, the door cannot be opened. The door cannot be opened when the machine is running.
- Perfect fault alarm and fault self-diagnosis function
- Emergency stop button
- You can’t open two doors at the same time.
For more information we invite you to take a look at: HERE