Over the past 400 years or so, the field of medicine has enjoyed some major breakthroughs that advanced science greatly. The discovery of cells in the 1600s is just one example, and in the late 1700s, Edward Jenner pioneered vaccines to help protect people from deadly viruses such as smallpox. Then, by the 1800s, germ theory allowed doctors to take the fight to diseases and viruses properly, and this gave rise to much better medicine and surgical practices that greatly reduced loss rates during surgery and other medical care. It is not enough to simply wash off a used scalpel or needle; this removes the blood and other substances, but pathogens will remain. In fact, bloodborne pathogens may remain on a scalpel for days on end and survive, and this can result in the serious transmission of disease. So, sterilization techniques have been used since the mid 1800s or so to prevent that, and autoclaves, such as table autoclaves, are doing that work today. An autoclave for veterinarian offices, for example, allows vets to operate on dogs and cats cleanly, and tattoo parlor and human hospitals do much the same. A table autoclave, in particular, is small enough to sit right on a table or countertop for work.
The Work of Sterilization
Sterilization is done today with the likes of M9 UltraClaves and Tuttnauer autoclaves and similar brands, and this concept dates back to the 1800s or so. Autoclaves were not invented until later, but the idea of sterilization is well over 150 years old. In the mid 1800s, a French chemist named Louis Pasteur realized that he could kill pathogens on medical devices by heating them to a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, making them safer for medical use. He often did this by using fire or inserting the items into boiling water, and that would kill off bacteria and microscopic parasites. The idea persisted, and many years later, modern autoclaves took over the duty of killing pathogens on medical devices. A table autoclave may easily do this anywhere, for example, as some autoclaves are small and lightweight.
How does this work? Autoclaves use more than boiling water to sterilize scalpels and needles. Rather, these devices are shaped somewhat like small toaster ovens or washing machines, complete with a door that can be opened on the front. Medical implements can be placed inside, and once the autoclave is closed and turned on, it uses pressurized, heated steam to kill off all harmful pathogens inside. Such steam may be 250 to 270 degrees Fahrenheit, and pressurized to 30 psi or so. This efficiently kills everything inside, even in a petite table autoclave. When a hospital, vet’s office, or tattoo parlor is being set up and will soon open, it is important that the staff turns to local wholesalers who can provide autoclave models for use, since no hospital or tattoo parlor can operate safely without sterilization hardware on hand.
Buying Autoclaves or Hiring Autoclave Repair Services
Autoclaves are machines like any other, and they come in a variety of brand names, prices, features, sizes, and more. The staff at a hospital or a vet’s office may look through the online catalogs that wholesalers have to offer, and find an autoclave model whose size, price, and weight match their needs. A small tattoo parlor may need only a little table autoclave, while a busy hospital may need several larger ones to meet its sterilization needs for medical equipment. These devices may also be found on the secondary market, where buyers may find gently used models at a discount price. Buyers might want to look over these used autoclaves in person first, though, and perhaps perform a test run. It is unacceptable for pathogens to survive an autoclave’s sterilization process.
If an autoclave is damaged or worn out, such as through human error or years of use, the owner may look for autoclave repair services nearby. These specialized repair crews can be found through the Internet and phone books, and the repair experts might in fact be sent from the original manufacturers in some cases. These experts may get an autoclave up and running again. In extreme cases, the time has come to buy a replacement.