CS CONNECTION
and not delivering cleaning solutions to all areas of the load, the decontamination process will be compromised.
• Conductivity Control: When the quality of the final rinse water needs to be monitored and controlled, this option is used to measure the conductivity of the water. High levels of chloride and metals in the water allow electrical current to easily pass through the water. The washer will repeat the final rinse up to three times using fresh DI/RO water attempting to achieve a measurement of 500 µS/cm or less. After three consecutive rinses, the control system alerts the operator if the conductivity remains too high.
Reliability, ease of use and safety “We consistently hear that reliability and ease of use are the two most significant con- siderations,” said Nies. “Down time is costly, in many ways, so a reliable washer makes a huge difference in the activities of the SPD and the OR. With the almost universal acceptance of electronics such as smartphones, and their intuitive use, users expect an easy to use washer – select the cycle and go.”
Tobias Brodowski, Group Product Man ager for Wash- ing Systems, STERIS Cor- poration, points out how intuitive controls are critical to eliminating the risk of im- proper operation that leads to insufficient cleaning. “If the interface is too com-
plicated to choose the cor- rect cycle, it can cause staff
STERIS AMSCO 7053L washer/disinfector
frustration,” said Brodowski. “STERIS offers true-color touch screens with large icons to select cycles to guide users through the deci- sion making process. A cycle can be started with a single click, and once initiated the most important information, including the remain- ing cycle time, is displayed in large digits.” For ease of use, he recommends CS/SPD staff select washers featuring manifold racks that allow unique water flow and complete loading from either side. With this feature, staff can load every shelf entirely from any side. STERIS manifold racks feature cool- touch handles that allow the handling of the racks immediately after the cycle is complete. The chambers can be emptied safely without risk of injury to staff, even when the handles are hot.
The STERIS AMSCO 7053L is the only washer/disinfector offering the full load ca- pacity of a long, rectangular chamber, while providing corner coverage on each level of the rack. Combine this coverage with its outstanding drying system, AMSCO 7053L has a cycle time of less than 30 minutes. It is a
time-efficient unit with optimized utility con- sumption, including low water-usage spray arms and an efficient drying system. “Technology advancements have in- creased the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of today’s washers,” said Tina Cole, Marketing Manager for Medisafe America. “Detailed traceability provides the staff with the reassurance that the instruments are safe to handle on the clean side. Some systems are able to notify the user if any part of the cycle parameters is not met. Load carrier recognition assists the staff on program selec- tion for the carrier being loaded.” Medisafe’s Niagara SI PCF simplifies daily processes and dra- matically reduces cleaning time, (reprocesses 144 complex instru- ments in as little as 29 minutes), increases staff safety, productivity and saves on overall reprocessing costs. The Niagara SI PCF has a built in ultrasonic cham- ber for Sonic Irrigation cleaning of 48 lumened or 20 robotic instruments. Its unique delivery system ensures high-pressure fluid is fed to each and every lumened instrument, while the unique combina- tion of Sonic Irrigation and conventional washing coupled with the company’s Pulsed Flush System achieves an excep- tionally high standard of cleaning. For the CS/SPD that requires a so- lution for cleaning da Vinci robotic instruments, Geddis offers its patented SurgiSonic 1211X dual hook-up method, which utilizes two different types of suction chambers and two indepen- dent suction systems. It was developed to independently address the cleaning needs of the distal jaw/pulley end and the shaft/ control box end of a da Vinci robotic instru- ment, which are separated from one another by a tight seal. The SurgiSonic dual cleaning method independently cleans both segmented areas of a robotic instrument at the same time, including the Xi.
Geddis SurgiSonic 1211X dual cleaning method for da Vinci instruments Automation
Implementation of automated loading and unloading systems for instrument washers is growing as facilities seek to boost pro- ductivity and maximize existing resources, says Christopher Sillet, Managing Director of Steelco USA. He notes how automated washers facilitate standardized processes, reduce manual steps and save space by minimizing access requirements. Further-
24 January 2016 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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Overcoming the challenges of drying
Ensuring instruments are dried effectively is a significant challenge to the CS/SPD as instruments become more complex, feature hard to access components, and are comprised of various materials that cannot withstand high temperatures. We asked manufacturers to provide their advice on how to facilitate proper drying. Here are their responses:
Medisafe Niagara SI PCF
more, automated program selection reduces false alarms. The Steelco US 1000 Ultrasonic Washer ultrasonically cleans surgical instruments prior to loading them into the washer/dis- infector via mechanical automation. With loaded multi-level instrument racks from the washer/disinfector, the US 1000 executes a fully automated ultrasonic cleaning of up to 15 instrument trays in a 10-minute cycle. Once the clean- ing cycle is completed, the rack will automatically load into the washer/ disinfector. Each wash rack has magnetic coding which identifies the need for an ultrasonic washing phase. When no ultrasonic cleaning is required, the US 1000 will bypass that rack automatically without manual input by the operator. “Automation plays a significant
part in every CSSD, and as it con- tinues to evolve it will allow staff to focus on added value actions including inspect- ing instruments or assembling sets,” said Brodowski. “Conveyor belts are being used today to allow staff to manage peak times most effectively. Here, finished racks can continue the process even when all washer/ disinfectors are in use, without delaying staff from completing their tasks.”
According to Cole, there is a growing need for automation as more complex instruments come to market: “Reprocessing these items manually is
time-consuming. An automated way of re- processing these new complex instruments is a benefit for the staff and their department.” Nies feels automation is very useful in the right situation. He has seen more medium to larger facilities transitioning to automation, most often with washers. He states: “The workload in the decontamination side
of the sterile processing department is not steady so an automated washer system, with a queue, allows personnel to pre-clean and load instruments on the wash rack without being slowed down by washers that are full and running.”
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