Sterilization of instruments for diagnostics and for smaller therapeutical surgeries is a hygienic service to ensure safety of patients and personnel.
In practice it has to be decided whether disinfection is sufficient or if sterilization is required. Basically the following applies: Measures that penetrate mucous membrane or blood barriers require sterile instruments.
Re-usable instruments must then be "prepared", i. e. sterilization takes place after disinfection, cleaning and care.
Another important aspect is the sterile storage. For this the instruments must be sterilized in single or double sterile wrapping.
Autoclaving today means:
High precision steam sterilization.
Saturated steam at high pressure (2 bar overpressure) generates the necessary dampf heat at 134°C, which destroys bacteria and spores.
Prior to that air must be removed from all cavities, canals and crevices of the instruments.
The "fractionated vacuum process" is the most secure method to achieve this.
At the end of the sterilization the instruments must be dry (wrapped and unwrapped).
The question whether a steam sterilizer can sterilize hollow instruments such as canulas, hoses endoscopic accessories etc. properly can be answered by using the helix test with chemo-indicators.
The helix is a test device which simulates hollow instruments which are difficult to sterilize.
(Please read also "Sterilization Control").
Low-Temperature-Sterilization today means:
WEBECO-LTSF-Process
15 pre-vacuum steps and 25 post-vacuum steam flushing steps guarantee a secure sterilizsation free of residuals.
Practice has proven thousandfold that WEBECO-FA90 Steam Sterilizers sterilize complex instruments securely at low temperatures.
The question whether a steam or LTSF-sterilizer can sterilize hollow instruments as well as complex designed surgical instruments (e. g. MIC-instruments and inflexible as well as flexible endoscopes with flushing and instrument channels) properly can be answered by using the helix test with chemo-indicators.
The helix is a test device which simulates hollow instruments which are difficult to sterilize.
(Please read also "Sterilization Control").
WEBECO offers the small steam sterilizer A35-B for the general practice and for practices specialized in diagnostics :
