High cleanliness standards in the medical industry, as well as patient health and safety concerns, makes proper cleaning of medical parts essential. Thorough, specialized cleaning methods are needed, as is the use of a controlled cleanroom environment.
Though it seems fairly obvious, the cleanliness of medical equipment is extremely important. Without proper care in the cleaning process, medical parts and components can be affected by any number of potential contaminants which can adversely affect the health and safety of patients and compromise the success of surgeries and other medical procedures. Therefore, it is key that all medical parts be cleaned thoroughly and in ideal conditions.
Medical Parts Cleaning Methods
A number of different cleaning processes can be used effectively for medical parts cleaning. Each method offers unique advantages that may make it better suited for use with certain part types or materials. Some of the most commonly used medical parts cleaning methods include:
Electropolishing: Thisprocess utilizes a combination of rectified electrical current and a chemical electrolyte bath to remove imperfections, impurities, and contaminants from the surface of the part being cleaned. It results in a highly polished finish that is clean, smooth, and easy to sterilize. Electropolishing can also be used to remove small surface burrs.
Ultrasonic Cleaning: In ultrasonic cleaning, high frequency vibrations created by electronic transducers in a prepared cleaning solution essentially “scrub” surface contaminants and impurities away by creating masses of cavitation bubbles. Ultrasonic cleaning eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals in the cleaning process.
Stainless Steel Passivation: This medical parts cleaning method uses a highly specialized chemical solution to remove extraneous iron or iron compounds from part surfaces. Stainless steel passivation prevents the formation of “rust spots” on stainless steel, and also improves corrosion resistance.
The Importance of the Cleanroom
To meet the high standards for cleanliness required by the medical industry, it is necessary for medical parts to be cleaned in an approved cleanroom environment. A cleanroom offers the best possible controlled environment for medical parts cleaning, as the entire atmosphere of the work area is precisely regulated to minimize or completely eliminate airborne particles and other potential contaminants. Cleanrooms pipe in highly purified air, and used purified water for cleaning purposes.
All medical parts cleaningspecialists should have a Class 1,000 or higher cleanroom available for their cleaning processes. Be sure that your cleaning services company uses a properly rated cleanroom and other approved equipment and processes for medical parts cleaning.
Nearly anyone can clean medical parts and components, but just “clean” is not good enough. For the thorough, complete, deep clean required by medical industry regulations, “cleanroom clean” is the necessary standard.
