As times progress and human beings come up with inventions, everyone learns to adapt. The same can be said about all the scientists, and researchers working in laboratories.
One of the most important parts of their jobs is making sure all the equipment’s safe and free of germs. For this job, various methods are available, the two most famous ones being Autoclaves and Sterilizers.
Let’s take a look at what both of them have to offer.
What Is An Autoclave?
An autoclave with the help of water, pressure, and heat, can eradicate microorganisms and spores. All of this is done with the help of the superheated steam that the above-mentioned components create.
It’s used to sterilize surgical equipment, laboratory instruments, pharmaceutical items, and a long list of other materials.
When it comes to the size and shapes of the equipment it can cater to, we have solids, liquids, hollows, and other forms of equipment of any size or form.
When talking about its description, a basic autoclave will resemble a simple pressure cooker.
Steam is the main sterilization agent for an autoclave and that is why it’s ideal for destroying microorganisms.
To do an effective job, an autoclave must be able to remove all the air around and in the particular object that’s being sterilized.
Different Types of Autoclave
Autoclave comes in various forms. The top three are:
Class N Autoclaves
These are relatively simple creatures, used to sterilize uncomplicated objects. The N stands for ‘Naked Solid Items’, which indicates that this class of autoclave can’t sterilize textiles, hollow goods, or pouched products, along with porous loads.
The autoclave is directly dependent upon the creation of the vacuum at the start of the whole sterilization process.
Class B Autoclaves
Such sort of autoclaves is deceiving in the sense that they have a small exterior but come power packed with energy from within.
The alphabet B represents ‘big small sterilizers’ as they’re machines that are built with limited resources but have immense power. This type of autoclave can sterilize any type of load, especially those that Class N can’t.
Class S Autoclaves
Class S autoclaves cover all types of autoclaves out there. It is said to be an intermediate class between the two types mentioned above.
Their specifications, strengths, and even weaknesses can only be determined by the manufacturer and are established after the clave goes through a specific test.
Advantages of Autoclave
Using an autoclave for the job of sterilization comes jam-packed with a long list of advantages. These benefits include
- An efficient tool for the eradication of all microorganisms. Steam is one of the most effective ways for getting rid of germs. Hence, the popularity of autoclaves as they come with a great ability to infiltrate and destroy bacterial cells using steam.
- Sterilization via autoclaves is a relatively quick solution. Steam can kill off bacteria rapidly due to its ability to transport heat over other mediums and a variety of ranges. Steam can kill bacteria in about 5 minutes at 134°C.
- If you’re looking for an affordable yet effective option, autoclaves are the one for you. Steam only requires two components, water, and heat, both of which are easily accessible. Every laboratory already has these two materials, and the autoclave doesn’t require any other chemicals.
What Is A Sterilizer?
Many of the instruments and equipment being used in medical laboratories require slow and stable heat that wipes them clean of any dirt.
Over time, this sensitivity to heat has further increased demanding something that can easily sterilize all the equipment without damaging them.
Sterilization comes with the ability to destroy every microorganism, lurking beneath the surface, completely eradicating the transmission of diseases from one instrument to another.
Sterilization tends to use ultraviolet and ionizing radiations that are effective biocides, that disrupt the microorganisms slowly bet completely.
The difference between sterilization and other agents such as disinfection, sanitization, and pasteurization is that where sterilization removes bacteria, all these other methods reduce it.
After equipment or a product has been sterilized it is referred to as being sterile or aseptic.
Types of Sterilization
Sterilization can be done in various ways that include:
Steam Sterilization
Steam sterilization is known to be effective, fast, and safe. Steam sterilization is one of the forms of autoclaving which is mentioned above.
Sterilization via steam is the most economical and environmentally friendly sterilization choice made available in the market. A steam sterilizer can also be used by a beginner as it is easy to control and operate.
Dry Heat Sterilization
Dry heat sterilization is the process of thermal processing option which extracts moisture content from coatings and other materials.
Dry heat sterilization requires high amounts of electricity to operate. However, it should be noted that this method of sterilization takes longer due to the issues of heating air with very little moisture content.
Ethylene Sterilization
This sort of sterilization focuses on gas as its main component. The gas helps to disrupt cell growth and division which eventually leads to the killing of microorganisms.
All of this is done in a dry heat oven. Ethylene sterilization is a great method to remove bacteria that are present in moisture-sensitive environments.
Advantages of Sterilizer
Following are the benefits of using a sterilizer:
- Using heat as the main component for a sterilization process is beneficial in terms that it is non-toxic and fully safe for humans, even those who come in contact with it or are carrying out the process.
- Dry heat sterilization comes with the advantage of being extremely cost-effective as it has low operating costs along with a beneficial environmental impact.
- Ethylene oxide comes with the ability to penetrate packaging showcasing the strength of such a formula. Moreover, it can infiltrate every sort of material without distorting any of it or destroying its functionality.
The Final Verdict
Type B autoclave is known to be best for dentist equipment while Type S works well with every sort of equipment.
What does this mean? It means that every piece of equipment out there is made of different materials and components that require different solutions.
Hence, for some types of equipment out there an autoclave steam sterilization would work the best.
Whatever your product is if in need of an autoclave or a sterilizer, hop onto AKW Medical. Our 30 years of experience and prestigious reputation won’t disappoint you!
