Features of air sterilizers

In medical institutions, cosmetology clinics and beauty salons all instruments must be sterilized. Sterilization is a process during which pathogens, such as fungus and spores, are completely destroyed from the surface of products. It is possible to sterilize instruments using physical and chemical methods. The most commonly used are dry heat and steam sterilizers. The most effective device for disinfection is the so-called air sterilizer (dry heat cabinet).Consider what it is good and how it works.

Principle of operation

In many laboratories and medical institutions sterilization is widespread. hot steam under pressure, which is implemented in special devices - autoclaves.

Autoclaving is an expensive method of sterilization, but at the same time effective: microbes are destroyed at a temperature of about 135 ° C.

Functioning air sterilizers is a product processing dry hot air. This sets a higher temperature than with steam sterilization (about 180-190 ° C), otherwise the destruction of pathogenic bacteria will be incomplete.

The dry air sterilizer consists of the following parts:

1. Sterilization chamber with heating element inside.
2. Electrocontact thermometers inside the cabinet of a dry-heat cabinet.
3. Grates or grids on which sterilized instruments are placed.
4. Lid with lock.
5. Panel with timer for timing, adjustable temperature, alarm devices for continuous monitoring of the process.

In addition, the air sterilizer provides ventilation system, allowing evenly and in a short time to fully heat the sterilization cabinet from the inside. To get started, you need to set only the basic parameters: temperature, time and the desired program (this option is not available in all models).Then the process will start automatically. If you set the temperature to 160 ° C, the sterilization time will be about two hours. When heating the air sterilizer to 180 ° C, the duration of the procedure will be reduced to one hour.

It can be said that sterilization is a process completely controlled by the unit itself. It is all about the presence of microcontrollers that provide a stable temperature level and do not allow the cabinet to overheat. There is also a backup component in the form of a thermostat that functions independently of the main system.

Modern models of sterilizers are equipped with a device for connecting to a computer, so that the user has the opportunity to document the work process and make changes to the parameters.

Benefits

An air sterilizer or a dry heat agent actively used in medicine (especially in dentistry), cosmetology, industry, chemical laboratories is quite simple to use. Like steam sterilizers, air dry heat appliances have their undeniable advantages:

1. Disinfecting with dry hot air does not harm the material from which the tools are made.For example, during steaming, steel and metal products are subject to severe corrosion, which is not the case with the dry heat process. Therefore, it is possible to extend the service of tools in this way, by sterilizing them an unlimited number of times.
2. In an air dry heat sterilizer the possibility of erosion of glass surfaces is excluded.
3. The cost of these devices is lower than autoclaves, therefore, costs are reduced when using.
4. Thanks to a convenient ventilation system, the installation of additional ventilation elements is not required to control the temperature inside the dry-heat cabinet.
5. They are relatively easy to operate and use, do not require specific care, consume less electricity than autoclaves.

The negative side can be attributed to higher temperatures, which are required for processing products (in autoclaves, they are much lower). Before loading the instruments into the sterilizer it is best to make sure in their heat resistanceBecause not all materials withstand high temperatures. For example, in a dry heat oven accessories made of rubber, textiles, polymers are not allowed.Without negative consequences, the processing procedure transfers, perhaps, only glass.

The disadvantage is considered and long sterilization process, reaching in some cases two or more hours. This significantly slows down the work in laboratories, especially if the number of tools used is limited. Some items require special packaging before starting sterilization. As a rule, it is moisture resistant impermeable paper.

What else you need to know

In order for all sterilized instruments to fully pass through the processing technology, a constant free circulation of air inside is necessary. There is not enough built-in ventilation system: it is important to be respected. correct download items. With a uniform load, a moving stream of hot air is formed, which will ensure the qualitative destruction of all pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses.

In medical institutions, sterilization is not only important tools, but also the entire room. For these purposes, they usually use a convenient ultraviolet air sterilizer, which is a wall-mounted electrical appliance with a built-in germicidal lamp.

Ultraviolet radiation is completely harmless to humans, but it will completely clear the air of harmful bacteria and microorganisms, as well as unwanted impurities. The air itself in this case passes through a special filter inside the device, is initially cleaned, and then enters the treatment chamber, where it is instantly exposed to ionization and disinfection. As a result, the ionized, purified air flow is released into the room, and the process repeats.

Conclusion

Drying oven and air sterilizer - those devices, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern medical center. If poor-quality sterilization is performed, this can be fraught with serious consequences, for example, diseases of the human skin and respiratory tract. Therefore, when equipping a laboratory or a cosmetologist's office, special attention should be paid to the issue of sterilization and to take care of the necessary expenses in advance.