An ultrasonic cleaner greatly facilitates the work of health care providers by helping them to pre-clean various surgical and medical instruments.
Ultrasonic technology is nowadays widely used in the medical and surgical world. An ultrasonic cleaner can also be used in other fields: industrial parts, electronic objects or also at home for cleaning various items such as jewelry.
In the healthcare field, an ultrasonic cleaner greatly facilitates the work of health care providers by helping them to pre-clean various surgical and medical instruments.
This method is not new and is totally trustworthy, it allows complete sterilization of medical instrumentation and allows in other fields to achieve a cleaning even in the most difficult cases!
What is an ultrasonic cleaner?
An ultrasonic cleaner or ultrasonic tank is a device that is used to clean and sterilize various materials such as ceramics, glass, rubber, metals, hard plastic ...
The ultrasonic technique allows the removal of certain "contaminants" (grease, oil, dust, dirt, fingerprints ...) on all types of objects.
An ultrasonic machine includes 3 elements:
Ultrasonic tank: This is the container (a tank with a basket) that is specially designed to hold the liquid as well as the object(s) to be cleaned.
Ultrasound generator: This is the system that transforms alternating electrical energy into ultrasound frequency.
Ultrasonic transducer: As the name suggests, the transducer is a device that converts the electrical ultrasonic signal into mechanical energy.
In which sectors are ultrasonic tanks used?
In the medical field for cleaning: surgical instruments, medical instruments, in dentistry, optics and ophthalmology for example.
In laboratories, in watchmaking, in jewelry, in industry, in electronics, for weapons...
How ultrasonic cleaning works
Ultrasonic cleaning works by using the principle of cavitation. This is a physical effect that is caused by ultrasonic waves passing through a liquid and "hitting" an object. Each time these waves pass through an object, they create millions of small bubbles. These bubbles collapse instantly because they are not filled with air, producing jets of plasma energy.
The object to be cleaned is immersed in a liquid and it is these jets of energy on the surface of the object that activates this mechanism. Dirt and contaminants are thus destroyed. The advantage of ultrasonic cleaners is that they clean with great efficiency and depth. This means that the entire surface of the object is cleaned, even holes and tiny cracks. This is why it is almost indispensable in the medical field.
FAQs
Why invest in an ultrasonic cleaner? What are its advantages?
When used properly and with the right additives, an ultrasonic cleaner outperforms all other cleaning and sterilization methods. The removal of contaminants, germs, impurities, rust, dirt and dust from metals and medical instruments requires a lot of effort. Let's see all the reasons to buy an ultrasonic cleaner
Cleans and disinfects effortlessly: it cleans deeply even the most difficult dirt. During the cleaning time, you will be able to do other things! In the medical field, it is even more important, because, in addition to cleaning, it disinfects the object.
Goodbye toxic steam and solvents that can attack the skin: without this device, you will have to handle the objects by hand and clean them with chemical and potentially dangerous products.
Save time: doing this step by hand is long and tedious. That's why most professionals have already invested in this kind of device. You will save time and save some people from thankless tasks.
How to clean surgical instruments with an ultrasonic cleaner?
Before sterilizing surgical instruments, it is imperative to make sure that a first cleaning is done to remove all organic matter such as blood or tissue. Otherwise, this may interfere with the microbial action and potentially compromise the sterilization process.
An ultrasonic tank should be used in combination with detergents and enzymatic cleaners. It is possible to use only water, but for quality cleaning, a detergent should be used, especially in medical settings. When choosing your ultrasonic cleaning concentrate, make sure that :
It is compatible with the metals and other materials of the components you will be cleaning. The second thing to check is the type of organic material you will be removing. To facilitate the cleaning of organic matter, there may be specific enzymes in the detergent such as proteases.
In the formulation of detergents, there are certain enzymes that attack proteins, fats, blood and other tough organic matter. For example, liquid solutions may contain lipases (to destroy fat) and amylases (to destroy starches).
Once the cleaning is done by the device, the surgical instrument should be rinsed to remove the cleaning residues and then left to air dry. Also, remember to rinse the device well between each use as well as the basket and the tank of the device.
Jensen Instrument Technologies is a long-established company distributing precision surgical instrumentation across Australia and New Zealand. Our company specialises in the supply of maintenance of precision mechanical, optical and power surgical instruments for surgical theatres. Learn more about us here.
