An autoclave is a cylindrical instrument, vertical or horizontal, designed to work with a high internal pressure, and used to sterilize materials and instruments using water vapor at high pressure and temperature. This equipment consists of a metal container with thick walls and hermetic closure, which allows sterilizing under high pressure, ensuring maximum disinfection of all clinical, laboratory, and dental materials.

Its main objective is to eliminate microorganisms and spores settled in this type of instrumentation, coagulating their proteins and thus avoiding the spread of any type of infection or damage of raw materials and laboratory tests. Therefore, it is considered essential equipment to ensure the safety of patients and professionals in clinics, hospitals, and dental offices, since through its use, the required instruments are sterilized in these places. There are different models and types of autoclave, classified by the type of instruments to be sterilized, in this article we will focus on:

Class N autoclaves

They are small instruments used for cleaning simple and flat instruments. They are equipment that does not reach high enough temperatures to ensure an absolute penetration of the vapor, so the instruments that are introduced in this equipment must be for non-sterile applications, that is, only to prevent cross contamination, since they do not make any previous vacuum. There are some of this kind that perform a final vacuum with the sole purpose of drying the material.

These instruments are designed to carry out the sterilization of simple and unpacked materials. The letter “N” comes from “naked” in the expression bare solid products. Therefore, they are not effective in sterilizing tissues, porous loads, cannulated elements or even products in sachets, as cycles do not have the appropriate characteristics to pass specific physical tests. These N-type autoclaves work only with positive pressure; without vacuum-generating devices, they do not have the possibility of creating vacuum.

Class B autoclaves

Type B autoclaves are ideal for sterilizing any type of instruments, including: packaged materials, textiles, utensils with cannulas and gaps or porous loads. They are instruments that provide high performance and great effectiveness when sterilizing, since any type of load can be sterilized in a class B autoclave. These equipments have a device to perform negative pressure, in order to eliminate air bubbles inside the stainless steel chamber, before the sterilization phase and vacuum drying after sterilization.

Thanks to these three voids prior to sterilization, type B autoclaves achieve that water vapor reaches all corners of the chamber and that absolutely all the gaps and porosities presented by the instrument are sterilized. They are devices that provide the highest standards of quality and safety and have the ability to sterilize a larger load volume.

How to choose the correct autoclave?

First of all, you should keep in mind that the ideal autoclaves are type B autoclaves because they are those that perform the sterilization process in a more complete and safe way, but they are more expensive than type N autoclaves.

Also, a series of characteristics must be evaluated to find the most suitable model, according to the determined needs, such as the internal volume of the autoclave chamber, since, depending on this, the apparatus will have a greater or lesser capacity of sterilization, as well as the material to be sterilized must also be taken into account.

What does Kalstein offer you?

Kalstein is a manufacturer of medical and laboratory equipment of the highest quality and the best technology at the best PRICES in the market, so you can make your PURCHASE confidently with us, knowing that you have the service and advice of a company specialized in the field and committed to provide you with safe, economical and effective options to perform your functions in the right way. HERE

This time we present our Portable Pressure Vapor Autoclave YR053631 // YR053633. This innovative equipment with cutting edge technology has the following features:

• SUS304 high quality stainless steel.
• Electric heating system.
• Silicone Seal.
• The double scale indicates the gage.
• Double safety valve to ensure safety.
• High pressure tap drain water.
• Overtemperature protection.
• Overpressure protection.
• Protection against water scarcity.
• Easy to operate, safe and reliable.

For more information we invite you to take a look HERE