How to Load a Medical Automatic Washer

Some companies even tell the user that their instruments in certain cases should not be exposed to a medical automatic washer: “Standard spray type washer/disinfectors are not recommended for devices in graphic cases as the spray generally cannot penetrate the graphic case with the requisite pressure to be effective.”⁹ This company also states that “the user is responsible for validating their specific cleaning using their specific equipment.”¹⁰ This raises the question, how many hospitals are really verifying their cleaning process and know their sonic, medical automatic washer and their manual process is really doing the job?

Regarding tray design, here are some pointers:¹¹

Rounded corners and modern, space-age looks also are permeating designs.

Manufacturers say their original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) want delivery systems that will catch a surgeon’s eye when a sales representative walks into the doctor’s office.

Even if an OEM has spent millions developing implants, the first thing the surgeon is going to see is the delivery system.

Aside from aesthetics, the most important factor is how well the system performs in terms of facilitating effective sterilization.

Sterilization is probably the most important consideration in designing a system. You want to make sure the cases and instruments inside are sterile.

This list of considerations suggests that the designers of these complicated trays may not be adequately concerned about the challenge to proper cleaning, but rather are focused primarily on the sterilization cycle. For example, holes that will allow steam penetration may still prevent the cleaning solution and rinse water from reaching the inner compartments of the tray.