Air Removal:
Complete elimination of air on and especially from the sterilized goods is an essential prerequisite for flawless steam penetration of all surfaces to be sterilized and thus for safe and validatable steam sterilization.
Vacuum system with vacuum pump, water ring pump motor-driven.
Pre-vacuum 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, tubes and other hollow bodies.
The control system allows selection of both simple vacuum and fractional pre-vacuum. Fractional pre-vacuum with up to 99 vacuum cycles achieves 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 system, air is safely eliminated from the autoclave and hollow bodies through multiple vacuum cycles followed by steam generation up to above atmospheric pressure.
▪ Pre-vacuum value adjustable between 30 kPa and 400 kPa.
▪ Pre-vacuum time adjustable from 0 to 99 minutes.
▪ Number of vacuum cycles adjustable from 0 to 99.
Drying:
Post-vacuum for drying of sterilized goods, such as solid materials, glassware, pipette tips and boxes, textiles, cellulose or filters, etc.
Following completion of the sterilization phase, a vacuum is generated. Through the residual heat of the well-insulated sterilization chamber and 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 be removed via the vacuum pump. This ensures that the surfaces of sterilized goods, for example empty glassware or plastic items, etc., can be removed from the autoclave with low moisture content and dry.
To enhance drying effectiveness, a pulsating vacuum can be pre-selected. In this process, the post-vacuum is periodically interrupted by the introduction of sterile-filtered room air. This method has the advantage that more thermal 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, including of porous goods, the additional installation of a jacket heater to intensify drying "Superdry" is recommended.
Post-drying time adjustable from 0 to 99 minutes.
This article includes an additional vacuum test program and a Bowie-Dick test program for verifying proper air removal in the pre-vacuum. The vacuum system is integrated in the autoclave housing.
The following media are required for operation:
▪ Cooling water tap 3/4" (The vacuum pump can be operated with normal tap water if water hardness does not exceed 10° dh = 300 µS/cm. Otherwise, water softening must be installed upstream.)
▪ Drain hose connection 3/4"
According to DIN 58951, Table 6, Column 2, this is required, among other things, from protection level S1 and higher for dry and wet waste.
