Do You Need a Large Capacity Autoclave? [Or Do You Just Think You Do?] Written by: Arthur Trapotsis The definition of the word “large” can be subjective — what one person considers massive, another might find diminutive. In the world of steam sterilization, the commonly held wisdom is that any autoclave that requires a pit or is big enough to walk inside of, is considered a “large capacity autoclave” or a “bulk autoclave.” […] Tweet Like Share
How to Clean Your Autoclave’s Chamber Drain Strainer [w/ Video] Written by: Arthur Trapotsis Have you ever, after getting out of the shower, grabbed a piece of tissue and used it to quickly clear the drain of any hair, soap residue or other debris? If you have, you know firsthand that taking a few moments to clean up after yourself can prevent bigger issues further down the line — […] Tweet Like Share
Autoclave Basics: Chamber Cleaning Instructions [w/ Video] Written by: Arthur Trapotsis The idea of cleaning your autoclave’s chamber on a regular basis might seem counterintuitive — after all, autoclaves are designed to sterilize lab equipment. Wouldn’t it naturally follow that the chamber is also sterilized each time you run a cycle? The reality is that, without routine cleaning, the moisture, high temperatures, and pressure that make […] Tweet Like Share
Bioreactor Sterilization: What You Need to Know Written by: Arthur Trapotsis Bioreactors — vessels designed to promote the growth of organisms such as yeast, bacteria or animal cells under controlled conditions — are a critical component in biotechnology companies, and a common device used in both established firms and startups. In order to prevent contamination, which can be incredibly costly in by time lost and money […] Tweet Like Share
1 Year Later: How CSS Contributed to Fighting COVID Written by: Arthur Trapotsis March 11, 2021, marked the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s announcement officially declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. In the days, weeks and months following the announcement, the world seemed to turn upside down and everyone, including we here at Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, struggled to adapt to what has been deemed “the […] Tweet Like Share
Consolidated Introduces First-Ever Remote Validation Service Written by: Arthur Trapotsis If you are the owner or operator of a laboratory or medical autoclave, it’s in your best interest to ensure that your unit is operating at optimal performance levels at all times. To that end, it’s important to validate your autoclave, both upon initial installation and on a routine basis. In this blog post, we’ll […] Tweet Like Share
Sterilizing Medical Equipment Written by: Arthur Trapotsis Medical professionals are legally obligated to provide patients with a standard of care. One of the key requirements for meeting this standard of care is the proper sterilization of medical equipment. Healthcare organizations are audited by various groups; chief among them are The Joint Commission, DNV-GL and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). […] Tweet Like Share
University Laboratory Doubles Throughput with Tower Units Written by: Arthur Trapotsis Challenge A core research lab at a Southeastern-based university approached ARES Scientific, a long-standing sales partner for Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, with the need to increase sterilization throughput without adding a second core room. During initial meetings, the client explained to Ryan Coutant, Vice President of ARES Scientific, that they wanted to add sterilization capacity to […] Tweet Like Share
Consolidated Autoclave Installation at BSL-3 Coronavirus Laboratory Written by: Arthur Trapotsis With researchers around the world hard at work to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, also known as the novel coronavirus, an increasing number of research facilities are working to achieve BSL-3 certification in order join the fight to find a cure. In order to conduct research using coronavirus isolates or cultures, laboratories must receive biosafety […] Tweet Like Share
N95DECON Scientific Consortium Compiles Critical Research on N95 Mask Written by: Arthur Trapotsis April 2, 2020 – The ongoing shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 masks, during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has forced many hospitals, care centers, and first responders to reuse their limited supply of critical resources. This lack of protective devices puts healthcare workers at increased risk of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which […] Tweet Like Share
7.12.23 Cordyceps Sterilization: How to Kill “The Last of Us” Parasite → In HBO’s recent adaptation of “The Last of Us,” a popular action-adventure video game, life as we know it is upended by a parasitic fungus that transforms its human hosts into zombies. The culprit? Cordyceps, a real-life genus of fungus which is best known for infecting insects (most famously ants) in much the same manner […]
6.30.23 Top 13 Sterile Processing Mistakes in Hospitals → When it comes to ensuring patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) is among the last lines of defense. It’s this department’s sole responsibility to make sure that reusable instruments and devices are properly decontaminated, sterilized, and ultimately safe to use in future procedures — protecting patients from […]
6.22.23 Sterilization vs. High-Level and Low-Level Disinfection [a 3-Point Comparison] → In a 1939 paper, microbiologist Earle H. Spaulding introduced a system for determining which medical devices and instruments needed disinfection and which ones required sterilization. In it, he proposed that critical instruments would need to be subjected to more stringent disinfection protocols than non-critical patient care items. Today, this framework is fittingly known as Spaulding […]
