Steam sterilizer -5

Theory of operation 5.1

Items to be sterilized are cleaned to remove contaminants, such as

feces, dried blood, and sputum, and rinsed with distilled or
demineralised water to remove any detergent or tap-water residues.
The higher the temperature, the less time needed to achieve
sterilization; the typical sterilization temperature range is 121° to
.(135°C (250° to 275°F
Air acts as a barrier against the penetration of steam into a pack
.and therefore must be removed from the sterilizer chamber
Steam sterilizer operates by using steam under high pressure which
enables it to reach high temperature, thus increasing its heat
.content and killing power
Most of the heating power of steam comes from its latent heat of
vaporization. This is the amount of heat required to convert boiling
.water to steam
When the steam contacts with a cooler surface, it immediately
condenses to water. The condensation cause 99% decrease in its
volume and thus creates negative pressure at the point of
condensation and draws more steam to the area . Condensations
continues so long as the temperature of the condensing surface is
less than that of steam; once temperatures equilibrate, a saturated
.steam environment is formed
The presence of high and even moisture content in the steam-air
.environment is gives higher effectiveness to the sterilizing
Steam is one of the most effective carriers of heat. Because of the
air which carries heat is directly related to the amount of moisture
present in the air , so the more moisture present, the more heat can
.be carried
Steam therefore also results in the efficient killing of cells, and the
coagulation of proteins. Moist heat is thought to kill microorganisms
by causing coagulation of essential proteins. Another way to explain
this is that when heat is used as a sterilizing agent, the vibratory
motion of every molecule of a microorganism is increased to levels
that induce the cleavage of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between
.proteins
After the sterilization cycle is complete, the steam is exhausted with
the aid of a partial vacuum, and the sterile items are dried using
radiant heat from the chamber and the evaporative effect of the
.vacuum methods
‫تعريف عمليه التعقيم ‪:‬‬
‫هى عبارة عن إزالة الملوثات مثل الدم المتجلط و اللعاب والفيروسات ‪.‬‬

‫للحصول على اقل وقت لتمام عملية التعقيم فإن هذا يتطلب رفع درجة الحرارة‬
‫المستخدمة والتى تتراوح بين ‪ °121‬إلى ‪ °135‬مئوية ‪.‬‬

‫يستخدم جهاز التعقيم ‪ :‬بخار تحت ضغط عالى يمكنه من الوصول إلى درجه حرارة‬
‫عالية وبذلك تزيد قوته على قتل الملوثات ‪ .‬وتنتج معظم طاقته الحرارية من الحراره‬
‫الكامنة للتبخير والتى تلزم لتحويل الماء المغلى لبخار‪.‬وفور تقابل البخار مع سطح بارد‬
‫يتكثف ويقل حجم البخار بنسبه ‪ %99‬مما يولد ضغط منخفض عند نقطة التكثف وهذا‬
‫يتطلب دفع كمية اخرى من البخار فى مكان التعقيم‪.‬وتستمر عمليه التكثف إلى أن‬
‫تتساوى درجه حرارة البخار و السطح المراد تعقيمه ‪ .‬ووجود رطوبه عالية فى مكان‬
‫التعقيم يعطى كفاءه اعلى لعملية التعقيم ‪.‬‬

‫يعتبر البخار من أفضل الوسائل لنقل الحرارة ‪.‬وهذه الحرارة هى المسئوله عن قتل‬
‫الكائنات الدقيقه الغير مرغوب فيها عن طريق التسبب فى تجلط البروتينات‬
‫الساسية‪.‬‬

‫و بطريقة اخرى ‪:‬لن الحرارة عامل اساسى فى عملية التعقيم فهى تعمل على زيادة‬
‫الحركة الهتزازية لكل جزئ فى خليا الكائنات الدقيقه مما يؤدى إلى تكسير الرابطه‬
‫الهيدروجينة بين البروتينات مما يؤدي الى قتلها‪.‬‬

‫بعد إتمام دورة التعقيم يتم طرد البخار للخارج وتجفف المواد التى تم تعقيمها بواسطة‬
‫الشعاع الحرارى‪.‬‬
 :Clinical usage 5.2
Create a standardized workflow -1
.process

Load sterilizer in accordance with the equipment manufacturer’s -2

.recommendations

.Check setting -3

.Choose the mode he wants -4

.Check date/ time -5

.Check paper tape roll -6

.Check printer cartridge -7

Open the autoclave door and allow the contents to dry before -8
.removing them

Store the instrument packages in a controlled, dry location until -9

.use
 :Reported problems 5.3
The most notable problem is occasional false-positive biological
indicators, which can occur even though the steam sterilizer is
.functioning properly

The biological indicators, or the way in which they are handled-1

or incubated may be at fault. Variability among biological
.indicators can also cause false-positive results
A common problem with vacuum steam sterilizers is-2
inadequate air removal from the sterilization chamber, which
can usually be traced to a worn door gasket or to problems
.with the vacuum system
One sterilizer explosion resulted from improper maintenance-3
of the electric steam generator beneath the sterilizer (a
.(pressure-relief valve was wrongly replaced with a plug
Other reported problems involve worn parts affecting the-4
mechanical integrity of the chamber door and defective circuit
.boards causing smoke and fires within affected units
Wet steam can cause sterilization problems, including wet or-5
damp packs, standing water on packs, stained wrapper
materials and pack contents, and deteriorated pack wrappers.
(Wet steam is commonly defined as steam with a water-vapour content
≥3% (i.e., a% dry steam) and is primarily caused by condensation in steam
lines; other sources of wet steam include improper operation of steam
traps or the hospital’s boiler. As steam travels from the boiler to the
sterilizers, condensation forms, causing an increase in the water-vapour
content. Sterilizers supplied with their own electric steam generator
.(usually have fewer wet-steam problems
The type of wrapper material, pack density, and chamber--6
.loading technique can contribute to pack damage
Staining can result from rust contamination of the steam-7
supply lines, chemicals used to treat the boiler feed water
carrying over into the steam, and interaction of minerals and
chemicals in the hospital’s main water supply with boiler-
.treatment chemicals

:Comment about the technology 5.4

Steam sterilizer (autoclave) use high technology software that -
.enables the user to adjust new programs

.It has the ability to save the data during run -

.Allowing you to view the sensor values during the test -

It has the ability to calibrate the vacuum transducers, pressure -

.transducers and thermocouple

The following parameters are monitored and documented

:for each cycle

(Length of cycle (minutes -

Temperature during cycle -

- Pressure during cycle

:Comment in the hard ware

. There is portable version