Operating instructions

36 UP/BP/ULP/SLP 400 - 800
14 Sterilisers
14.1 Application
The apparatus is used for sterilising medical materials by employing dry heat through hot
air at atmospheric pressure
14.2 Instructions for sterilisation in MEMMERT hot-air sterilisers.
There are many different specifications for hot air sterilisation; they cover temperatures
and sterilisation times to be selected as well as the packaging of the sterilisation goods.
The actual details depend on the nature of the goods to be sterilised and on the type of
germs to be deactivated. Please make yourself familiar with the appropriate specification
for your application before carrying out a sterilisation with your MEMMERT unit.
Some examples of the correct preparation of different medical instruments are shown in
the following table:
Load Preparation
Instruments with no soft-
soldered parts
Place the cleaned instruments double-wrapped in aluminium foil
(recommended)
Sharp instruments or
blades
Place the cleaned instruments, twin-packed in aluminium, foil
(recommendable)
Modern syringes Place barrel and plungers (separately) double-wrapped in aluminium
foil (recommendable)
Glass and glass
instruments
Disassemble the cleaned glass containers and glass syringes. Place on
trays and cool down slowly
Bottles and similar items must be sterilised with the opening pointing downward in order to
prevent the development of cold air pockets. Organic materials (e.g. cork) must not be
used as closing material for containers.
180°C is usually recommended as sterilising temperature (cf. e.g. German Pharmacopoeia
DAB 10 or other national standards).
In sterilisation, set-point- dependent operation should always be used in accordance with
example 14.2. The total hold time consists of the equilibration time (i.e. the time it takes
until the desired temperature is reached at every point inside the working chamber),
together with the actual sterilisation time and an additional safety time.
The following table shows guidance values for the hold time to be set on the controller,
depending on the weight of the sterilising load, for units with and without fan. Please note
that these data apply only for correct and loose loading. Information on the correct loading
of the unit are given in this operation manual and on the adhesive label directly on the unit.
Sterilisation Weight of the load
temperature 180°C low medium high
Unit size without fan with fan without fan with fan without fan with fan
400 1.10 h 1.00 h 1.50 h 1.20 h 2.00 h 1.50 h
500 1.10 h 1.00 h 1.50 h 1.20 h 2.00 h 1.50 h
600 1.30 h 1.00 h 2.20 h 1.30 h 2.20 h 2.20 h
700 1.30 h 1.00 h 2.20 h 1.30 h 2.20 h 2.20 h
800 1.40 h 1.10 h 2.20 h 1.40 h 2.50 h 2.20 h
The sterilisation time has to be multiplied by approximately 4 if a sterilisation temperature
of 160°C is selected.
With large units and heavy loads, the use of wire trays (option) is recommended instead of
the perforated shelves.