Medical instruments clean

In hospitals, operating rooms, medical practices and medical laboratories sterile instruments for examination are an absolute must. On the fair MEDTEC Europe (23. to 25. March 2010, resounds to 6, conditions 1522) in Stuttgart shows Fraunhofer researchers, how a combination of cleaning methods with carbon dioxide releases even smallest interiors of medical instruments from particles and germs. A patient has lengthy stomach complaints. The physician recommends a Endoskopie, in order to be able and the cause for the complaints find to look into the stomach inside. In addition a small hose clears the way by the esophagus of the gotten sick one into the stomach inside. The hollow instrument for examination must be both outside and in its inside absolutely cleanly and germ-free, because an impure hose could cause heavy infections with the patient. With the production of medical instruments reliable cleaning methods must be used, which remove, stress arrears such as dirt particle or oil remainders even from smallest interiors for Markus Rochowicz, group leader contamination control at the institute for Fraunhofer for production engineering and automation IPA. Many manufacturers from the medical technology use ultrasonic baths for the cleaning of their products, and often support these with manual pre and subsequent treatments. Now there is a thorough, careful and time-saving alternative: Rochowicz and its team developed a procedure on basis of carbon dioxide, which is suitable particularly for the internal cleaning of small medical parts. In many ranges of application already cleaning techniques became generally accepted with carbon dioxide , say the scientist. Either the chemically solving characteristics are mostly used by liquid and supercritical CO2, or the thorough and at the same time careful Partikelabreinigung with accelerated CO2-Schnee. For the internal cleaning of medical instruments, like for example endoscopes, the researchers combine now these two cleaning techniques: First we lead supercritical CO2, thus a combination from liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide, into the interior. This is at very high pressure, has a temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius and possesses outstanding solvent characteristics , explains Rochowicz. The supercritical gas replaces an oil film or other remainder coatings of the material and washes it out from the interior of the product. In a second step the CO2 is transformed into a solid state. The snow crystals developing thereby are accelerated, flow through the medical article, and remove thereby thoroughly and carefully dirt particle as well as Keime.Das at the IPA developed procedures have many advantages: Since the CO2-Schnee transforms itself immediately after the cleaning again into gas, the product does not have to be specially dried. By the fast and uncomplicated handling of the procedure manufacturers can integrate it well into their production lines � for example directly before the packing procedure. For the personnel in the manufacturing the cleaning with carbon dioxide, approximately injurious to health contrary to the cleaning with poisonous solvents, is not, and also the environment is not loaded by the employment by climaticneutral carbon dioxide. Stuttgart institutes for Fraunhofer offers customer from the medical technology and from further ranges of application in its laboratories a comprehensive service approximately around the CO2-Reinigung. In the pure space test center and packs the team of the IPA cleans the products of its customers under sterile conditions, and is beyond that expert for the investigation and quality assurance of cleaning result picture:� " Cleaning of interior geometry and other cavities with supercritical CO2 and CO2-Schnee" (Source: Fraunhofer IPA) �

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