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
Is It Time to Upgrade or Replace Your Autoclave? Written by: Jason Thompson Autoclaves are often a mission-critical tool and, like all machinery, do experience wear and tear as a result of frequent use. Inevitably, there will come a time when you replace your unit to ensure consistent autoclave performance. Here are some guidelines around when it may be time to upgrade or replace your autoclave: The autoclave […] Tweet Like Share
Your Go-To Guide for Autoclave Safety [w/ Free Checklist!] Written by: Scott Mechler Autoclaves, also known as sterilizers, are designed to disinfect, decontaminate, and sterilize laboratory equipment using incredibly hot, pressurized steam. As a result, there are a number of potential risks associated with operating an autoclave, such as steam burns, hot fluid scalds, and hand and arm injuries when closing the autoclave door. In order to avoid […] Tweet Like Share
Decontaminating N95 Masks with Steam Sterilization Written by: Amit Gupta Can N95 Masks be steam sterilized for reuse? This article attempts to answer this question by giving a review of the current literature and taking a closer look at N95 filter types and materials of construction. The ability to autoclave N95 masks would be ideal because autoclaving is a proven sterilization process and existing autoclave […] 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
7 Common Autoclave Problems You Should be Aware Of Written by: Scott Mechler In an ideal world, laboratory autoclaves would always work exactly as intended. Unfortunately, issues can and do arise — the key to resolving them is knowing what to look for. In this article, we’ll outline seven of the most common autoclave problems and how to identify them. 1. The sterilizer won’t reach the temperature set-point. […] Tweet Like Share
Autoclave Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): How to Safely Operate an Autoclave (+SOP Template) Written by: Scott Mechler Autoclaves, also known as steam sterilizers, use pressurized steam to kill any microbial life that may be present on a contaminated item. For this reason, autoclaves are most commonly used in laboratories, hospital operating rooms and food production facilities in order to sterilize goods and instruments. Autoclaves are extremely powerful and can be a bit […] Tweet Like Share
Decontamination, Disinfection & Sterilization: What You Need to Know Written by: Scott Mechler Written by Scott Mechler with Support from Amit Gupta. With news relating to the COVID-19 pandemic reaching a fever pitch, there’s been increased attention on what we as individuals and organizations can do to prevent transmitting the virus, which can last on surfaces anywhere from several hours to several days. As a result, deep-cleaning services […] Tweet Like Share
53 Items Every Autoclave Maintenance Plan Should Include [+ Free Log Sheet!] Written by: Mike Peters Here at Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, we’re of the mind that the importance of routine preventative autoclave maintenance really can’t be understated. After all, preventative maintenance reduces system downtime, improves processing performance, eliminates the need for costly repairs, and ensures workplace safety — and that’s only the start of it. Bearing that in mind, we’ve put […] 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 […]
