Author: OSR Medical Technology & Vanessa 17 Jan. 2025 Category:  Sterilizer

Steps and plans for using the sterilization cabinet correctly

Sterilizer are an integral part of our pharmaceutical companies, biological experiments, and medical product sterilization processes. They are used to sterilize items such as work clothes, instruments, and culture media, as well as to purify biohazardous materials.

When using an sterilizer, high temperatures and pressures are involved, so safety regulations must be followed. Sterilizer should be regularly maintained and must be certified annually after the product is put into use. Additional safety checks should be performed, such as checking the door gasket for cracks and signs of aging and replacing it as needed, checking the sterilizer door’s pressure safety interlock for proper operation, and checking the pressure indicator and safety relief device for regular inspection and calibration.

Let’s take a look at the correct and safe use of a moist heat sterilizer. Remember that you will also receive operation and safety training for the moist heat sterilizer before use.

Precautions for the use and operation of the sterilizer

1. Precautions for the operation of the door

• (1) The front and rear doors are interlocked. When opening the front door, the rear door must be in the fully closed state, and when opening the rear door, the front door must be in the fully closed state.
• (2) When opening the door, the door ring must be under vacuum. The door can be opened only after the door ring is in vacuum.
• (3) Before closing the door, check whether the door seal is cracked, damaged or dirty. Check whether the contact surface between the cylinder and the door seal material is damaged or dirty. Clean the seal, cabinet and door body in time. Check whether the door seal is protruding too much. If so, press the door ring vacuum and draw the door ring vacuum to make the seal go in.
• (4) The front and rear doors are momentary switches. Please note: a. If there is an abnormal sound or state when opening and closing the door, please release it in time. If it does not work, please turn off the power; b. When opening and closing the door, please check the fit between the door rack and the cabinet rack to see if it meets the door fit standard.
• (5) When the door is fully matched and staggered, there is an indication that the door is in place. If not, press the door operation key and the door will continue to work. Please ask the process personnel or maintenance personnel to check the door control switch.
• (6) The door can be opened and closed only when the door is in the closed state.
• (7) When opening and closing the door, press the door panel with one hand and press the door closing button with the other hand
• (8) When opening and closing the door, it is best to press the door ring vacuum button first to confirm whether the door ring vacuum indication is in place before operating the door.

2. Precautions for door ring vacuum operation

• (1) The pressure in the inner room is about -10kpa to 10kpa. If it is greater than 10kpa, please press the exhaust button on the manual interface. If it is less than -10kpa, please press the air replenishment button on the manual interface.
• (2) The front door ring vacuum button must be pressed without other operations. The rear door ring vacuum can be pressed in the end state of the automatic interface, and can be used as a stop button while the door ring is vacuumed.
• (3) When the inner room pressure is greater than the door opening pressure, the door ring vacuum button does not work.
• (4) Press the door ring vacuum button to check the touch screen door operation interface to see if there is an indication that the door ring vacuum is in place. Make sure that the door opening operation is under the indication that the door ring vacuum is in place.

3. Door ring sealing operation:

The door ring seal can be pressed only when the front and rear doors are closed and in place.

4. Program selection and parameter setting

There are five sets of programs for customers to choose from, including sterile clothing, culture medium, tools, BD program, and pressure maintenance program. Each program has its own function.

Each program has its own parameter setting, and the process engineer can set the parameters and select the program. The operator can view the parameters and select the program. If there is something wrong, the process engineer can adjust the parameters. The manager can adjust various alarm parameters, temperature and pressure display parameters, and time.

5. When operating automatically, manually, and maintaining pressure, please pay attention to various parameters in real time:

whether the temperature and pressure indications meet the requirements and whether they are the same as the pressure gauge display. Please frequently confirm the indication of the pressure gauge. When the pressure reaches 0.25Mpa or more, close the steam valve and exhaust steam in manual mode. Ensure that the pressure in the interlayer and cabinet is within a certain range, and check the steam supply pipeline and electrical cabinet.

6. Alarm:

When the touch screen displays an alarm and the alarm light alarms! Please pay attention to and eliminate the alarm. If an abnormal situation occurs (such as excessive pressure in the interlayer and inner layer, excessively high or low temperature in the inner room). If the pressure is too high and cannot be controlled, please close the steam valve. Manually exhaust steam. Ensure that the pressure in the interlayer and the cabinet is within a certain range.

7. Is the ventilation condition of the sterilization cabinet space good?

8. Is the supply of various energy sources normal?

9. Do not use wet acidic substances to scrub the screen.

10. Before using it every day, please check whether there is dirt on the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder exhaust port.

If there are debris piled on the filter net, the sterilization will be incomplete or poorly dried.

11. When putting in or taking out the sterilized items, please be careful not to get burned.

At OSR, you should first arrange for your company’s equipment manager or equipment supervisor to participate in training.