Molded from attractive, translucent ABS, this part was manufactured for Triax Technologies for their Proximity Trace device, which during the COVID-19 pandemic helped companies do contact tracing in the workplace.
Feeling a little apprehensive about that upcoming medical procedure? It’s understandable, but you’ll have far less to worry about knowing that the instruments will be sterile and free of microorganisms. Physicians began realizing the importance of sterilized equipment more than 150 years ago, but it wasn’t until 1879 that the French microbiologist Charles Chamberland invented a device to deliver it.
How Autoclaves Work
An autoclave works much like the pressure cooker some people use to pickle cucumbers and eggs. The instruments are first placed in a sealed chamber, after which a pump removes all air from within. The temperature is raised to at least 250°F (121°C), and pressurized steam is applied for 30 to 60 minutes.
Other sterilization methods are available, among them dry heat, radiation and ultraviolet light, ethylene oxide gas, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide, but this article will focus on autoclaving; more importantly, it will describe some of the materials and surface treatments able to resist the heat and moisture in this common form of sterilization.
