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What is Ultrasonic Cleaning and How Does it Improve Medical Cleaning Practices

Medical tools and devices can get really dirty. These medical and surgical instruments vary in sizes and shapes and can pose challenges when it comes to cleaning, sterilizing, disinfecting process after use.

What is Ultrasonic Cleaning and How Does it Improve Medical Cleaning PracticesUltrasonic cleaners are some of the most effective tools to remove grime from your piece without causing damage to it. Ultrasonic cleaners come in a variety of different sizes to fit your medical needs with capacities to hold a few pieces up to dozens at a time. It is good to know that a lot of medical supplies provider, such as Emech Medical, sells highly effective and efficient ultrasonic cleaners that help in the cleaning process of laboratory glassware and instruments.

Ultrasonic cleaners use high-frequency sound waves within a solution or solvent where medical instruments are submerged in a tank with solvent, which is then hit with high-frequency sound waves. The sound waves produce a gentle yet powerful scrubbing brush action in the fluid that completely removed the grimes from all surfaces of the objects including deep pores and crevices.

Importance of Ultrasonic Cleaning

Cleaning is an integral component in the medical and scientific industry. It is a standard operating procedure to ensure the minimum requirement is observed as the industry is imbued with public interest.

Many studies have shown and demonstrated the efficiency and reliability of ultrasonic cleaning through the years. These researches have established the effective performance of ultrasonic cleaning in standardizing the cleaning process by removing whole blood, dried serum and viruses from contaminated medical tools and instruments.

Because endoscopic tools may remain to contain with patient debris even after manual scrubbing with water and soup, most health regulations require using ultrasonic energy to completely remove fine debris that might be inaccessible and remain on the instrument. Unless this process is effectively executed, the sterilization phase is likely to be in vain.

How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?

Ultrasonic cleaning is the fastest and most effective way of removing deposits from any kind of surface and is useful for cleaning instruments before the sterilization. But how does ultrasonic cleaning actually work?

The integral part of the ultrasonic cleaning process is the operating frequency. In this process, bubbles are created by sound waves as waves move through the water. Ultrasonic energy causes the rapid formation and collapse of small bubbles in the liquid and when this is used with a solvent or solution, the contamination from parts and instruments will be separated. This process is called cavitation.

Ultrasonic energy is formed by transducers seated on the outside of the ultrasonic cleaner’s processing basin, which is usually made of stainless steel. These transducers expand and contract at a very high frequency when powered by an electric generator, converting to ultrasonic waves of energy from electric energy.

These sound waves travel at a very high frequency which ranges between 20 and 120 kHz throughout the processing basin. To maximize the full efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning, it is suggested to immerse the stained instruments in the right liquid medium, such as a detergent solvent or solution.

As the waves travel through water, tiny cavitation bubbles rapidly form and repeatedly implode upon any surface they encounter, removing even microscopic dirt particles. These cavitation bubbles reach and clean cracks, grooves and hidden crevices more efficiently than other alternative methods. One good thing about ultrasonic cleaning technology is it does not require toxic chemicals or hands-on work, but can be used with only water-based solutions.

Conclusion

Ultrasonic cleaners have made a significant change in the medical cleaning process by a great deal, offering more effective and efficient form of cleaning than manual brushing, which is often arduous, difficult to standardize and whose results are often incomplete and unpredictable. Ultrasonic cleaning is a quintessential process of any medical procedure. If the cleaning procedure was not satisfactorily complied with on a used medical tool, there will be a higher risk of spreading harmful microorganisms- exposing future patients and customers in danger.

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