Industries that use Autoclaves

An autoclave is a device used to sterilize items by subjecting them to high temperatures in a pressurized environment.  Autoclaves are used in diverse fields from medicine and mushrooms to rocket science! They make procedures safer and products better.

Here are a few industries that put this sterilizing method to good use.

1. Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Offices

Autoclaves kill germs, bacteria, and viruses. So, they are ideal for cleaning medical equipment that is reused on other patients. Items that are typically autoclaved are surgical or dental instruments and glassware for lab specimens, but what makes an autoclave more useful than a standard hot-air oven is that it can disinfect not only metal instruments but also more fragile substances that could not withstand high temperatures in hot air ovens. These include rubber and fabric (for scrubs, exam gowns, and human and animal bedding).

2. Body Modification Studios

For all the same reasons that autoclaves contribute to safety in medical environments, they are useful for tattooing and piercing applications. Needles and clamps can be sterilized and used again without concern for disease transmission. Piercing jewellery is sterilized for safety (even new jewellery can pick up bacteria that may be dangerous in a fresh piercing) before insertion.

3. Industrial Manufacturing

Very large and highly specialized autoclaves, many more than four feet wide, have been designed for industrial use. The autoclave is a critical element in vulcanizing rubber; high heat and pressure realign the polymer chains in the material to make it elastic and durable. This is known as a thermoplastic process, or making something moldable by applying heat. Using extremely high temperatures and pressures high enough to keep water in its liquid state (at this extreme, the autoclave is referred to as a hydroclave).

4. Mycology

Autoclaves are used in the study and growth of fungi. Strains of mushrooms, both edible and toxic, are carefully prepared in sterile dishes and then autoclaved to remove any undesirable bacteria. The steam heat and pressure do not affect the mushroom spores, which then can be fruited without fear of contamination from other sources.

5. Pre-treatment of Hazardous Medical Waste

Finally, an autoclave is an elegant solution to the problem of medical waste that carries dangerous pathogens. Bedding, wound dressings, gloves, and any material that has come into contact with a diseased person or animal can be sterilized and then disposed of like any other waste. This can include cages and bedding from laboratory test animals as well as human medical waste. Unlike other methods, it poses no risk of vaporizing pathogens into the air, which makes the sterilizing process much safer and less work for workers.

In its simplest expression, an autoclave is just an industrial dishwasher, but one that is capable of washing some dishes that are quite literally out of this world. So the next time you see a body piercing or a NASA rocket launch, just remember: it was the use of an autoclave that helped make it happen.

Why sterilizers are important in the medical field

Some pieces of routine, surgical, and other medical equipment are intended for only one single use. Others are designed for reuse, but before that can happen, they must be decontaminated through a three-step process in which instruments are cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized. Medical waste must also be decontaminated before it can safely be disposed of without the threat of spreading disease.

“Autoclave” is the industry term for a medical sterilizer, but autoclaves are used by more than just the medical, veterinary, chiropractic, and dentistry fields. Autoclaves can also be found in tattoo and body piercing parlours, nail salons, prosthetics manufacturing, and microbiology and mycology labs. In addition to surgical instruments, patient utensils, and lab equipment, autoclaves are sometimes used to sterilize medical waste and single-use equipment before it’s safely disposed of.

The Risk of Infection from Equipment

The risk of infection from used medical equipment is classified into one of three categories that help determine the method of decontamination to be used.

•    Low-risk items are routine office equipment such as stethoscopes that don’t normally come into contact with open wounds. Low-risk items may be cleaned with hot, soapy water or a mild disinfectant and seldom need to be sterilized in an autoclave.

•    Intermediate-risk items include tools such as thermometers and respiratory equipment that do not penetrate the skin or come into direct contact with open wounds, but may come into contact with mucus membranes and be near open wounds. Intermediate-risk items usually need to be cleaned and disinfected with a high-level disinfectant. A medical washing machine with a disinfectant cycle can usually do the trick.

•    High-risk items penetrate into the body’s sterile tissues and cavities, causing a high risk of infection if any of these items are contaminated with a microorganism that’s introduced to the body. Examples include catheters and surgical instruments. High-risk items must be properly cleaned and disinfected before they are sterilized in an autoclave and packaged for reuse.

Some high-risk medical items can’t take the heat of the autoclave, or they are simply single use and must be thrown away once opened or used. These include needles, syringes, medical gloves, and tongue depressors—many of the items you’ll find at a routine doctor’s visit. But some of these items, such as needles, penetrate the skin’s surface and may contain infectious microorganisms once used, so they must be sterilized before bring properly disposed of.

Take a look at the Supply Doctor website for a wide range of medical equipment and medical supplies. Here you can find a high-quality autoclave machine and whatever else you may need.