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One of the best methods used for Florida bio-medical waste management today is autoclave, or sterilization. Basically, these two terms mean the same thing. The difference only comes from where they are used. As such, sterilization is a term more common in medical applications, while “autoclave” is more common to laboratories.
An autoclave is a machine that contains dry saturated steam. The steam is created by removing the air from the load and the chamber in one of the following ways:
• The more effective method is to remove the air with a vacuum system. Here, vacuum is gained in the chamber prior to steam being introduced. This method removes the air before vacuum pulsing or free-steaming. Once the air is removed from the load and the chamber successfully, the temperature in the autoclave reaches a pre-determined temperature. Usually, this is 121 Celsius. For this temperature to be achieved, the steam needs to be pressurized at a minimum of 1.1 Bar G.
• Another method of using autoclave for bio-medical waste management is to remove the air from high mass low surface area. This is done mainly with solid surfaces that have little or no air pockets. With this method, the air can leave the chamber via vents as steam enters through from either an external supply (downward displacement) or from an internal source (upward displacement). Furthermore, this method can be improved with the aid of “free-steaming”. This includes opening the vent for a set amount of time to allow the steam to pass through the vent and force the air out of the autoclave.
How Can the Proper Temperature Within the Autoclave be Reached?
There are three ways to reach the required temperature within the chamber:
1. Injecting the steam via an internal steam source.
2. Injecting it through on-site, through a direct steam source
3. Some autoclaves have built-in heaters at their base that allows the water to heat to the point of boiling, this creating steam.
What is the Main Advantage of Steam Sterilization?
The main advantage of using an autoclave for medical waste removal is that it reduces cycle times. This is because steam is almost immediately available. Most autoclaves today are connected to a water supply, thus automatically keeping the optimal water level. On the other side, with older models, the top has to be removed so that water can be poured in manually.
Once the requested temperature is obtained, the steam supply within the autoclave stops in one of two ways. Either the steam supply can be cut off, or the power to the heater can be stopped. When this happens, the pressure and the temperature within the chamber slowly start to drop.
Finally, in vacuum systems the vacuum pump can be used to remove the steam. This is done when drying is needed.
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