Automation, standardization and maximum sterilization in less time
Steris AMSCO® 7052HP washers have standardized and automated processes, which leads to shorter proceeding times. Manual washing of instruments consists of 14 steps. AMSCO 7052 HP and 7053 HP thermal disinfectors save time, reducing the over 50 minutes of direct labor and the more than 90 minutes spent on sterilization equipment use.
They use a high-impact wash, where the power of spray of pressurized water and detergent outside the instruments play a vital role during the process to decrease the manual procedure steps. In addition, water sprayers rotate at high speed and exert strong pressure, minimizing the processing time due to the increased mechanical action.
These washers are specifically designed to automate the sterilization of robotic equipment such as Da Vinci.
Automated cleaning guarantees the proper sanitization of the instruments.
Manual washing of instruments requires the allocation of human resources for 150 minutes per set of 4 instruments to perform the procedure properly, while AMSCO thermal disinfectors, on the other hand, ensure instruments’ cleanliness and obtain up to 25% reduction in manual process time.
AMSCO thermal disinfectors result in savings of more than 60 minutes of work per set of instruments, which allows to reassign staff to critical bottlenecks in the department and perform more robotic procedures without damaging the devices.
In addition, each step of the manual washing process has several requirements with tight and prolonged times. As a result, the time spent on instrument reprocessing is long and, when speeding up the process, the use instructions are not complied with, thus damaging the instruments’ useful life.
Automation and reallocation of resources.
Healthcare institutions joining the digital transformation to implement new technologies has multiple benefits.
The automated process reduces soaking time and eliminates several manual steps such as rinsing and drying, which are performed by the washing machine. Also, HP ultra-concentrated detergents offer numerous advantages over those used in manual cleaning: they generate less foam, which helps to maintain a steady cleaning pressure throughout the cycle. If the detergent produced more foam, it could prolong the duration of the cycle or extend the exposure time.
Mechanical action in conjunction with detergent action causes the cycle time to be accelerated. This ensures detergent contact with the instruments in full, as the pressurized water and detergent pass through a series of connectors to clean the channels.
Why invest in thermal disinfectors?
On several occasions, institutions invest in manual cleaning because it is a critical process, but they forget other parts that are also fundamental and even today must be done manually, such as inspection and subsequent assembly. When institutions rely on AMSCO’s automation and trust in the excellence of automated washing, the professionals who perform manual washing could be reassigned to do the verification. So, they can avoid unpleasantness in the operating rooms and adverse events caused by using instruments that are not fit for use.
The automation of a process as critical as this one generates additional benefits by reallocating the resource towards where it is most needed. In addition, it releases the ultrasound for use on other items such as hard-to-clean orthopedic devices.
This equipment also offers an advantage over manual washing in terms of infection control by reducing the usage of antimicrobials. As it is a certified process, it reduces the risk for patients, guarantees their safety and raises the quality of care in healthcare institutions.
Another benefit of being a replicable and documented process is that it facilitates the presentation of information for audits.
Having this type of instrumentation implies an investment, of course. Yet, the standardization of the washing process is key to extending the useful life of all the instruments.
