Sterlization

Big

Show Success.

By Ken McCarty

in Sterilizers

THE 29th ACHEMA exhibition in Frankfurt am Mein is now regarded by many as one of the most successful shows in history. For five straight days in May 2009, over 173,000 people from nearly every country around the world visited 3,767 different exhibitions at the conference. The focus of the tradeshow was the latest developments in laboratory and pharmaceutical technology. One of the companies displaying their wares at ACHEMA was the MMM Medcenter. They showcased their innovative sterilization equipment.

MMM Medcenter specializes in supplying heat technology products for drying, incubating, and hot air sterilization. They cater to companies doing applied research & development, production & manufacturing, quality assurance, and process data monitoring. In addition to laboratory ovens and incubators, their product line includes various sizes of steam sterilizers and hot air sterilizers.

MMM Medcenter Products

The STERICELL hot air sterilizer reaches temperatures of between 160 degrees Celsius and 180 degrees Celsius for 30 to 60 minutes depending on the required application. The exact temperature can be specified by the operator. Sterilizing dry air is forced to circulate in an even and controlled manner during the exposure time. The technique for forced circulation is patented. The whole process is isolated in a closed pressure chamber that is manufactured of stainless steel.

At the ACHEMA 2009, the Medcenter concentrated on presenting samples of their new and increasingly popular Venticell 111 laboratory oven and sterilizer with a door window and interior lighting; CO2CELL 170 standard laboratory incubator with high temperature decontamination; and Vacucell with Vacustation, a chemical resistant vacuum pump. Other innovations highlighted were the fully programmable lighting system for the Climacell and Friocell, the steam generator for the Climacell, and their latest version of the data monitoring system called WARMCOMM.

Many of their newest innovations are now options available to customers at no additional cost. The company began offering these add-ons during the summer of 2009. These helpful features will allow MMM Medcenter to meet the needs of future customers and better serve current clients.

More About ACHEMA

ACHEMA has been and continues to be a premier worldwide exhibition for innovation and technology development. It is held once every three years and the first convention occurred in 1920. Initially the primary focus was related to chemical engineering. Over the years, it has been expanded to include Environmental Protection and Biotechnology. Technically speaking, ACHEMA is the largest venue for the exchange of information between academics and industry, customer and vendor, and industry and government.

The market leaders in laboratory, medical, and chemical manufacturing/distributing all attend this exhibition. The connections and relationships developed here provide a solid foundation for future partnerships. The information shared promotes further advances in technology. Participating industries gain insight on ideas and products that they should be marketing. This is where science is turned into practical, real world applications. The next event is scheduled for 2012 and vendors are already marking the event on their calendars.

Planning for the purchase of new, improved autoclave equipment can be exciting. However, you don’t have to wait for a trade show to come to town to buy your new steam sterilizer. You can explore your available options right now with the help of our free report.

Varieties of

Autoclave



AN autoclave is used to sterilize medical, beautician and other equipment such as tattooing and piercing paraphernalia, and its basic function is to kill bacteria.

This is achieved through application of extreme heat, steam and pressure to articles placed in the sterilization chamber, and accomplished by the removal of air from the sterilization chamber to create a vacuum, then superheated steam is applied.

There are several types of autoclave in use:


Downward Displacement

The downward displacement autoclave is also referred to as a gravity displacement unit. This is because of the method of air removal in the sterilization chamber. A heating element is submerged in a pool of water, which when heated becomes steam.

As steam is lighter than air, it forces the air in the sterilization chamber downward and out through a drain hole. Once the temperature in the sterilization chamber is sufficient, the drain hole is closed automatically and the sterilization process begins.


Positive Pressure Displacement

A positive pressure displacement autoclave is an improvement upon the design of a downward displacement unit. Steam is created in a second, separate chamber and held until the proper amount to displace all of the air in the sterilization chamber is accumulated.

The steam is then released into the sterilization chamber in a pressurized blast, forcing the air out through the drain hole and starting the sterilization process. This has the effect of a more accurate displacement of air than a downward displacement unit can achieve.


Negative Pressure Displacement


A negative pressure displacement autoclave is one of the most accurate types of unit available. Once the sterilization chamber door is closed, a vacuum pump removes the air, while steam is created in a second, separate chamber.

Once the air has been completely removed from the sterilization chamber, the steam is then released into the sterilization chamber in a pressurized blast much like that of a positive pressure displacement unit. The negative pressure displacement unit is able to achieve a high "Sterility Assurance Level" (SAL), but the system can be quite large and costly.


Triple Vacuum Autoclave


A triple vacuum autoclave is set up in a similar fashion to a negative pressure displacement unit in that there is a vacuum pump to remove air from the sterilization chamber and steam is created in a second, separate chamber or unit. The process begins by the vacuum removing the air, then a pulse of steam. This is repeated three times, hence the name "triple vacuum" autoclave. This type of autoclave is suitable for all types of instruments and is very versatile.


Type "N" vs. Type "B"


Each autoclave can be classified as a type "N" unit or a type "B" unit. Type "N" units do not use a vacuum to remove air from the sterilization chamber, whereas type "B" units do use a vacuum pump. The difference in operation means type "N" autoclaves are suitable for a specific type of load--for solid, unwrapped instruments. Type "B" autoclaves can be used on wrapped and hollow instruments, which means a piece of equipment can be sterilized now for later use.