Posts Tagged ‘medical instrument cleaning’
Maximize Performance of your Ultrasonic Bath
If you have invested in an ultrasonic bath you have an appreciation of how these units contribute to fast, safe and efficient removal of contaminants from virtually any product that can be safely wetted in a biodegradable ultrasonic bath. In this post we provide recommendations on maximizing the performance of your ultrasonic bath, thereby contributing to the efficiency of your ultrasonic cleaning operations.
Points covered include:
- Selecting the correct cleaning bath chemistry
- Cleaning time and cleaning temperature
- Tips on extending the effective life of ultrasonic baths
Ultrasonic Cleaning Bath Chemistry
There is a wide variety of formulations available to support ultrasonic cleaning operations. Some manufacturers term these ultrasonic cleaning solutions, others use an overall category called soaps. One can’t argue with that because using soaps conjures up images of cleaning, whether in the car wash, clothes washer or shower.
Regardless of nomenclature, these formulations are designed to perform specific cleaning … Read the rest
How to Prepare Samples Rapidly and Safely
Sample preparation to transform analytes into measurable form can involve complex processes. It is important that the transformation or extraction process avoids chemical degradation that can be caused by excessive heat or mechanically induced damage.
Ultrasonic energy is a proven technique to achieve fast, safe sample preparation. As an example it is a method often specified in USP monographs to extract active pharmaceutical ingredients from carriers for content uniformity and potency assay tests. The ultrasonic process is also ideal for dissolving, dispersing, emulsifying, homogenizing and mixing.
Sample Preparation Steps
Samples to be analyzed are placed in flasks along with a recommended solvent. Flasks are partially immersed in a sonicator bath containing a surfactant. The 37 kHz Elmasonic S Select 150 ultrasonic bath available from Tovatech is especially designed to quickly and safely accomplish sample preparation. The inside dimensions of the shallow basket, (LxWxH) 17.9 x 9.8 x 2.2 … Read the rest
Deionized Water Rinsing after Ultrasonic Cleaning
We’ll start this post by stating that it is not always necessary to rinse products after ultrasonic cleaning. Engine parts such as gears and carburetors are examples where cleaning solution residues may be tolerable. If not, then rinsing cleaned parts with fresh water should usually suffice. There are other areas, however, where thorough rinsing is essential and where deionized water rinsing after ultrasonic cleaning is strongly recommended.
These are applications where the slightest bit of remaining contaminants or cleaning solution residues can impact performance. Electronic components such as printed circuit boards, optics, and medical and surgical instruments, are examples. These are applications where spot-free drying is the goal, and in this context “spots” relate to dissolved minerals in regular water that remain as residues when the water evaporates.
Removing dissolved minerals in water is generally accomplished by two methods. Deionization is a process that produces deionized water (DI water) by … Read the rest
Ultrasonic Cleaning Delicate Surgical Instruments
Ultrasonic cavitation is a proven technique for removing contaminants from surgical instruments prior to disinfecting or sterilizing steps. This is accomplished in an ultrasonic cleaner when microscopic bubbles created by the unit’s ultrasonic transducers implode on contact with surgical tools. The process effectively strips away blood, tissue and other deposits resulting from surgical procedures.
Balancing Ultrasonic Cleaner Frequency with Cleaning Effectiveness
Higher frequency ultrasonic cleaners operating at 80 to 130 kHz are often used for delicate or highly polished parts in order to avoid potential damage caused by the imploding bubbles. Higher frequencies equate to smaller bubbles, which while safe for delicate parts are less effective in removing gross contaminants associated with microsurgery instruments. Instead, an ultrasonic cleaner operating at 37 kHz such as the Elmasonic Select series available from Tovatech is generally recommended for surgical instrument cleaning.
There are, however, instances … Read the rest