The working principle of the pulsating vacuum sterilizer.
In the field of medical devices, the pulsating vacuum sterilizer is an extremely efficient device, mainly undertaking the critical task of hot and humid sterilization and post-sterilization drying treatment of medical appliances and surgical instruments. The following will elaborate on the pulsating vacuum sterilizer in detail.
Let's first look at its working principle. The pulsating vacuum sterilizer uses saturated steam as the sterilization medium and adopts the unique air exhaust method of mechanically forced pulsating vacuum. Through 3 to 4 times of alternating operation of vacuum pumping and steam injection, the air in the inner chamber can be forced to be exhausted, so that the air exhaust amount can reach more than 99%, which can completely eliminate the cold spots in the sterilization chamber and completely exclude the "dead corners" of temperature. When in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, the protein of microorganisms will undergo denaturation and solidification, and then be inactivated, and the purpose of sterilization will be successfully achieved.
Its characteristics are significant. Firstly, the sterilization is extremely thorough, which can ensure that every corner in the sterilization chamber can reach the set temperature and pressure, and achieve the complete killing of microorganisms. Secondly, the work efficiency is quite high, and the sterilization cycle is relatively short, which is beneficial to improve the work efficiency of medical institutions. Furthermore, it saves energy, and the pulsating vacuum method can reduce steam consumption, thereby reducing energy consumption. Also, the temperature uniformity is excellent, which can ensure the uniform distribution of temperature in the sterilization chamber and prevent local temperature anomalies from causing incomplete sterilization or damage to items. Finally, the degree of damage to items is relatively light. Due to the use of pulsating vacuum, the air in the sterilization chamber is forced to be exhausted, avoiding direct contact between the items and the air, thereby reducing the damage to the items.
Regarding the basic structure and work process, the pulsating vacuum pressure steam sterilizer usually consists of three major parts, namely the main body of the sterilizer, the pipeline system, and the control system. The main body of the sterilizer includes the door and the sterilization chamber, and its material is generally SUS304 stainless steel plate, which will not rust and is pollution-free. The pipeline system is composed of a vacuum pump, pressure gauge, filter, pressure sensor, and various pipelines connected to each other. The control system is mainly responsible for regulating the steam and clean pre-heated air to enter and leave the sterilization chamber, and automatically completing the entire sterilization process. In the work process, the pulsating vacuum is first carried out to allow the inner chamber of the sterilizer to reach a specific vacuum degree; then, saturated steam is charged to promote the inner chamber to rise to the set temperature; in the heat preservation stage, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber; after the sterilization process is completed, cooling and drying treatment are carried out, and finally, the steam is exhausted, thus completing the entire sterilization operation.
In addition, there are some factors that will affect the sterilization effect, such as the vacuum degree. If the vacuum degree is insufficient, it will affect the condensation effect of the steam, resulting in the non-compliance of the sterilization temperature. There is also the quality of the steam, and the saturation and dryness of the steam will affect the sterilization effect. Too wet or too dry steam may have a negative impact on the sterilization effect. Furthermore, the loading of sterilized items, if the loading is improper, it may result in too large or too small gaps between the items, which affects the penetration and distribution of the steam.
In short, as an efficient, energy-saving, and safe medical device, the pulsating vacuum sterilizer has been widely used in the hot and humid sterilization and drying treatment in medical institutions. When selecting and using it, it is necessary to pay attention to its working principle, characteristics, basic structure, and work process and other elements to ensure that it can exert the best sterilization effect.
