Complete elimination of air, particularly from the sterilized goods, is an essential prerequisite for proper steam penetration of all surfaces to be sterilized and thus for safe and validatable steam sterilization.
Vacuum unit with vacuum pump, water ring pump motor-driven. Prevacuum for improved air removal prior to the sterilization process, particularly for waste sterilization with air pockets in waste bags, or for sterilization of porous materials, filters, textiles, pipette tips and boxes, tubing and other hollow bodies.
The control system allows selection of either simple vacuum or fractional prevacuum. The fractional prevacuum with up to 5 vacuum cycles ensures complete air removal, enabling safe sterilization of virtually all hollow bodies.
In combination with the standard integrated steam generator separated from the sterilization chamber and this vacuum unit, multiple vacuum cycles followed by steam generation above atmospheric pressure safely eliminate air from the autoclave and hollow bodies.
- Prevacuum value adjustable between 50 and 850 mbar
- Prevacuum time adjustable from 0 to 99 min
- Number of vacuum cycles adjustable from 0 to 5
Drying:
Post-vacuum for drying of sterilized goods such as solid materials, glassware, pipette tips and boxes, textiles, cellulose or filters etc.
After completion of the sterilization phase, a vacuum is created. Through the residual heat of the well-insulated sterilization chamber and the sterilized goods in combination with the vacuum in the chamber, a drying effect is achieved. This causes condensate to evaporate from the sterilized goods and is removed via the vacuum pump. This ensures that surfaces of sterilized goods, e.g. empty glassware or plastic articles, etc. can be removed from the autoclave with low moisture content.
To optimize drying efficiency, a pulsating vacuum can be selected. The post-vacuum is periodically interrupted by intake of sterile-filtered ambient air. This method has the advantage that more heat energy is supplied to support the evaporation process. The supplied heated air can also absorb more moisture, which is removed via the vacuum pump. For absolutely safe drying and deep drying, even of porous goods, the additional installation of a jacket heating system to intensify drying (Art. No. 9606 "Superdry") is recommended. Post-drying time adjustable from 0 - 99 min.
This article includes an additional vacuum test program and a Bowie-Dick test program to verify proper air removal in the prevacuum phase. Since the vacuum unit must handle air, steam and water, a water ring pump is used for this purpose. Membrane vacuum pumps would fail during continuous operation. The vacuum unit is integrated in the autoclave housing.
The following media are required for operation:
- Cooling water tap 1/2" (The vacuum pump can be operated with normal tap water if water hardness does not exceed 10° dh = 300 µS/cm. Otherwise, a water softening system must be connected upstream.
- Drain hose connection 3/4
