6 Important Questions to Ask When Purchasing a Refurbished Autoclave Written by: Jason Thompson Purchasing a refurbished autoclave can be a smart investment — especially if you’re a fledgling laboratory or startup biotech company with limited funding. While going with a used autoclave may be less of an expenditure compared with a new purchase, selecting a refurbished autoclave should not be taken lightly. For example, it’s important to ensure […] Tweet Like Share
What to Know About Sterilizer Manufacturers When Designing a Laboratory Written by: Amit Gupta Designing a laboratory requires an incredible amount of forethought, knowledge, and planning. Not only must architects properly lay out the floor plan for the equipment, but they must also ensure the specifications for the equipment are accurate. The more complex the equipment (e.g. an autoclave) the more challenging these design efforts can be. From the […] Tweet Like Share
How to Validate an Autoclave: Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) Written by: Scott Mechler A steam sterilizer, whether used for pharmaceutical or laboratory sterilizing applications, is designed to use steam under pressure as the sterilizing agent. When constructed, installed and operated correctly, a steam sterilizer should function properly and sterilize your load. But, how does a sterilizer manufacturer ensure the unit they’ve built is assembled properly and is in […] Tweet Like Share
How to Choose a Steam Source for Your Autoclave Written by: Scott Mechler Autoclaves, by nature, require steam to operate. However, there are several possible autoclave steam generator sources to choose from when it comes to laboratory sterilizers; everything ranging from building steam (also known as house steam) to steam from an on-board electric steam generator. The following guide explores some of the most common steam sources for […] Tweet Like Share
The Real Deal on How to Handle Red Bag Waste in Your Laboratory Written by: Arthur Trapotsis Red bag waste is a necessary evil in today’s bio-medical field. Every day, hospitals and universities alike confront the continual burden of how to handle, sterilize and properly dispose of this bio-hazardous waste — especially within a laboratory setting. However, despite this widespread challenge, there remains no universal guideline on how laboratories should properly handle […] Tweet Like Share
Autoclave Chamber Material: Stainless Steel vs Nickel-Clad Written by: Amit Gupta Current, state-of-the-art laboratory autoclave chambers are manufactured using stainless steel. In the past, autoclave manufacturers constructed sterilizers using nickel-clad, a highly corrosion-resistant material. The industry has shifted due to the rising cost of “cladding” over the last 10-15 years, heading in the direction of primarily 316L stainless steel. Why should you care? Because while stainless […] Tweet Like Share
How To Validate an Autoclave: Operational Qualification (OQ) Written by: Amit Gupta Every laboratory strives for consistency and repeatability in its sterilization processes. But this doesn’t come easily. In order to ensure your autoclave operates efficiently it’s critical that you validate the sterilization process and verify that the equipment is working safely and properly. This is known as Operational Qualification (OQ), and it’s one of the most […] Tweet Like Share
Canopy Hood Designs: An Important Consideration for Your Lab Written by: Scott Mechler You have a lot of choices when it comes to ventilation solutions for your autoclave and some are better than others. Canopy hoods are an optimal solution for handling odors, steam moisture and low-levels of chemical vapors. The following are guidelines from the National Institute for Health for the design of autoclave door canopy hoods. The […] Tweet Like Share
Lab Ventilation Systems for Your Autoclave Written by: Scott Mechler The need for a proper lab ventilation system when running a sterilization cycle in your laboratory autoclave cannot be understated. Ventilation for autoclaves assures that the various odors, steam moisture and low-levels of chemical vapors that come from the sterilization process do not escape further into the laboratory setting. When not regulated correctly with an […] Tweet Like Share
Autoclaves for BSL-3 Facilities—Part 3: Effluent Decontamination Systems Written by: Scott Mechler This is the final article of a three-part series describing BSL-3 autoclaves, also commonly known as biocontainment sterilizers. These types of sterilizers are essential in handling microbes that can lead to serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation. Links to our first and second article can be found here: Part 1: The Bio-Seal Part 2: Autoclave […] 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 […]
