This article is about defining autoclave uses and their meaning. Autoclaves are being used more and more by hospitals around the world. They present a practical, and effective solution to sterilize medical waste and tools. But what is the reason behind the popularity of this sterilization technology?
Read on and find out!
Autoclave meaning – What is a steam sterilizer?
According to Oxford’s English dictionary, an autoclave’s meaning is “a strong heated container used for chemical reactions and other processes using high pressures and temperatures, e.g. steam sterilization.”
Essentially, they look like pressure cooker machines and come in different types and sizes. They have a hollow chamber where certain types of medical tools and waste can be loaded unto trays, with different levels. In a way, it is a bit similar to how you would arrange oven racks when baking.
Still, the “source” is the same in all cases. All autoclaves use high-pressure and high-temperature steam to sterilize, which is the meaning behind the steam sterilization process. The combination of pressure, high temperature and steam allow autoclaves to kill all manners of foreign materials and bacteria present on the surface of medical tools, as well as certain types of waste.
Autoclave uses – One of the key elements of hospital waste management
Now that you know the meaning of autoclaves, time to learn more about their uses and benefits!
What makes the use of autoclaves so popular in hospitals is their reliability. By raising the boiling point of steam over 100 degrees Celsius (ranging between 121 and 134 degrees) autoclaving is a much more reliable method to treat tools compared to disinfection, as they can deal with heat-resistant bacteria as well.
They can also easily be incorporated within the waste management system of a hospital as an on-site waste treatment solution. By sterilizing hospital waste on-site, autoclaves can eliminate infection risks associated with storing and transporting medical waste to off-site locations, as sterilized hospital waste can be thrown away like regular trash.
Autoclaves can be used to sterilize materials like:
- Hospital linens, textile materials, paper
- Latex gloves, vinyl
- Metallic medical tools, surgical instruments
- Stainless steel
- Contaminated solid items
- Culture media solutions
- Biological tissue culture flasks and plates
- Plastic pipette tips
- Polypropylene and polycarbonate plastics
- Glassware
Autoclaves used by hospitals – The meaning and benefits of class B steam sterilizers
In the healthcare industry autoclaves are also present in smaller clinics as well. Autoclaves used by hospitals are usually larger with bigger capacity chambers -some models’ capacity can go as high as 880 liters.
Hospital steam sterilizers are one of the most widespread types of autoclave, as hospitals deal with a great variety of medical waste generated on-site, and need to use (and re-use) a huge number of medical tools each day.
Class B hospital autoclaves are the most advanced models used by medical facilities. The meaning behind this classification is greater versatility – being able to sterilize more types of materials – as well as a faster operation time. Not to mention their steam sterilization process is completely automated, and they are equipped with extra safety features as well.
