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Autoclave
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For other uses, see Autoclave (disambiguation).

An example of a Square Chamber Autoclave

Square Section Autoclave
Uses
Sterilization
Inventor
Charles Chamberland
Manufacturer
Astell Scientific
Model
Square Section
Related items
Waste autoclave
An autoclave is a device used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high
pressure saturated steam at 121 C for around 1520 minutes depending on the size of the
load and the contents.[1] It was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879,[2] although a
precursor known as the steam digester was created by Denis Papin in 1679.[3] The name
comes from Greek auto-, ultimately meaning self, and Latin clavis meaning keya selflocking device.[4]

Contents

1 Uses

2 Air removal

3 Autoclaves in medicine

4 Autoclave quality assurance

5 References

Uses
Autoclaves are widely used in microbiology, medicine, tattooing, body piercing, veterinary
science, mycology, dentistry, chiropody and prosthetics fabrication. They vary in size and
function depending on the media to be sterilized.
Typical loads include laboratory glassware, surgical instruments, medical waste, patient pair
utensils, animal cage bedding, and lysogeny broth.[5]
A notable growing application of autoclaves is the pre-disposal treatment and sterilization of
waste material, such as pathogenic hospital waste. Machines in this category largely operate
under the same principles as conventional autoclaves in that they are able to neutralize
potentially infectious agents by utilizing pressurized steam and superheated water. A new
generation of waste converters is capable of achieving the same effect without a pressure
vessel to sterilize culture media, rubber material, gowns, dressing, gloves, etc. It is
particularly useful for materials which cannot withstand the higher temperature of a hot air
oven.
Autoclaves are also widely used to cure composites and in the vulcanization of rubber. The
high heat and pressure that autoclaves allow help to ensure that the best possible physical
properties are repeatably attainable. The aerospace industry and sparmakers (for sailboats in
particular) have autoclaves well over 50 feet long, some over 10 feet wide.

Air removal
It is very important to ensure that all of the trapped air is removed from the autoclave before
activation, as hot air is a very poor medium for achieving sterility. Steam at 134 C can
achieve in three minutes the same sterility that hot air at 160 C takes two hours to achieve.[6]
Methods of achieving air removal include:
Downward displacement (or gravity-type): As steam enters the chamber, it fills the upper
areas first as it is less dense than air. This compresses the air to the bottom, forcing it out
through a drain which often contains a temperature-sensing device. Only when air evacuation
is complete does the discharge stop. Flow is usually controlled by a steam trap or a solenoid
valve, but bleed holes are sometimes used, often in conjunction with a solenoid valve. As the
steam and air mix it is also possible to force out the mixture from locations in the chamber
other than the bottom.

Steam pulsing: air dilution by using a series of steam pulses, in which the chamber is
alternately pressurized and then depressurized to near atmospheric pressure.
Vacuum pumps: a vacuum pump sucks air or air/steam mixtures from the chamber.
Superatmospheric cycles: achieved with a vacuum pump. It starts with a vacuum followed
by a steam pulse followed by a vacuum followed by a steam pulse. The number of pulses
depends on the particular autoclave and cycle chosen.
Subatmospheric cycles: similar to the superatmospheric cycles, but chamber pressure never
exceeds atmospheric pressure until they pressurize up to the sterilizing temperature.

Autoclaves in medicine
A medical autoclave is a device that uses steam to sterilize equipment and other objects. This
means that all bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores are inactivated. However, prions, such as
those associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, may not be destroyed by autoclaving at the
typical 134 C for three minutes or 121 C for 15 minutes. Also, some recently-discovered
organisms, such as Strain 121 microbes, can survive at temperatures above 121 C.
Autoclaves are found in many medical settings, laboratories, and other places that need to
ensure the sterility of an object. Many procedures today employ single-use items rather than
sterilizable, reusable items. This first happened with hypodermic needles, but today many
surgical instruments (such as forceps, needle holders, and scalpel handles) are commonly
single-use rather than reusable items (see waste autoclave).
Because damp heat is used, heat-labile products (such as some plastics) cannot be sterilized
this way or they will melt. Paper and other products that may be damaged by steam must also
be sterilized another way. In all autoclaves, items should always be separated to allow the
steam to penetrate the load evenly.
Autoclaving is often used to sterilize medical waste prior to disposal in the standard
municipal solid waste stream. This application has become more common as an alternative to
incineration due to environmental and health concerns raised because of the combustion byproducts emitted by incinerators, especially from the small units which were commonly
operated at individual hospitals. Incineration or a similar thermal oxidation process is still
generally mandated for pathological waste and other very toxic and/or infectious medical
waste.

Autoclave quality assurance

Sterilization bags often have a "sterilization indicator mark" that typically darkens when the
bag and its contents have been adequately processed. Comparing the marks on an
unprocessed bag (L) and on a bag that has been properly cycled (R) will reveal an obvious
visual difference.
There are physical, chemical, and biological indicators that can be used to ensure that an
autoclave reaches the correct temperature for the correct amount of time.
Chemical indicators on medical packaging and autoclave tape change color once the correct
conditions have been met, indicating that the object inside the package, or under the tape, has
been appropriately processed. Biological indicators contain spores of a heat-resistant
bacterium, Geobacillus stearothermophilus. If the autoclave does not reach the right
temperature, the spores will germinate when incubated and their metabolism will change the
color of a pH-sensitive chemical. Some physical indicators consist of an alloy designed to
melt only after being subjected to a given temperature for the relevant holding time. If the
alloy melts, the change will be visible.
Some computer-controlled autoclaves use an F0 (F-nought) value to control the sterilization
cycle. F0 values are set for the number of minutes of sterilization equivalent to 121 C
(250 F) at 100 kPa (15 psi) above atmospheric pressure for 15 minutes . Since exact
temperature control is difficult, the temperature is monitored, and the sterilization time
adjusted accordingly.

Stovetop autoclavesthe simplest of autoclaves

The machine on the right is an autoclave used for processing substantial quantities of
laboratory equipment prior to reuse, and infectious material prior to disposal. (The
machines on the left and in the middle are washing machines.)

References
1.

^ Microbiology, Jacquelyn Black, Prentice Hall,1993 pg 334

2.

^ "Chronological reference marks - Charles Chamberland (18511908)".

Pasteur Institute. Archived from the original on 19 December 2006. Retrieved 200701-19.

3.

^ Hugo WB (July 1991). "A brief history of heat and chemical preservation
and disinfection". J. Appl. Bacteriol. 71 (1): 918. doi:10.1111/j.13652672.1991.tb04657.x. PMID 1894581.

4.

^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2012-06-04.

5.

^ "Sterilization Cycles". Consolidated Machine Corporation. Retrieved 200906-30.

6.

^ AS NZS 4815-2006 P33&P35

[hide]

Laboratory equipment

Glassware

Beaker

Boston round (bottle)

Bchner funnel

Burette

Cold finger

Condenser

Conical measure

Cuvette

Dean-Stark apparatus

Dropping funnel

Eudiometer

Evaporating dish

Gas syringe

Graduated cylinder

Pipette

Petri dish

Pycnometer

Separatory funnel

Soxhlet extractor

Ostwald viscometer

Watch glass

Flasks

Bchner

Dewar

Erlenmeyer

Fernbach

Fleaker

Florence

Retort

Round-bottom

Schlenk

Volumetric

Boiling

Ignition

NMR

Test

Thiele

Thistle

Tubes

Other

Agar plate

Aspirator

Autoclave

Biosafety cabinet

Bunsen burner

Calorimeter

Chemostat

Colony counter

Colorimeter

Laboratory centrifuge

Crucible

Eyewash

Fire blanket

Fume hood

Glove box

Homogenizer

Hot air oven

Incubator

Laminar flow cabinet

Magnetic stirrer

Meker-Fisher burner

Microscope

Microtiter plate

Picotiter plate

Plate reader

Retort stand

Safety shower

Spectrophotometer

Static mixer

Stir bar

Stirring rod

Stopper

Scoopula

Teclu burner

Thermometer

Vacuum dry box

Vortex mixer

Wash bottle

See also: Instruments used in medical laboratories

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This page was last modified on 17 January 2013 at 14:51.

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