You are Here: Home \ Blog

Ultrasound in the Medical Field

November 6th, 2010 by Frank Pedeflous

Cleaning surgical instruments with ultrasonicsDid you know that the tools and instruments used in surgical operations are re-used! You would think all the bodily fluids, germs and bacteria they have accumulated would be make them too un-sanitary to operate again. There are actually special laws and regulations about the sterilization process and cleaning of surgical instruments.

It was not long ago, that hospitals used to pay outside agencies to clean their surgical instruments while individual doctors and clinics used to do it by hand. Other than taking a painfully long time, this process never guaranteed 100% of the blood, tissue and grime would be completely removed.

None of these options result in the same level of effectiveness and cleanliness as the alternative: ultrasonic cleaning.

Ultrasonic cleaning is 15x faster than manual cleaning for surgical parts. Specifically, ultrasonic cleaning is essential for cleaning parts that have hinges and joints, areas that are almost impossible to reach by hand.

Soaking instruments in a neutral pH solution for up to 30 minutes enhances the cleaning of surgical parts. Because of the intricacies of surgical parts, when placing them inside an Omegasonics machine, be sure to extend the joints and hinges all the way so more surface are is exposed.

After running the cycle for 10-15 minutes comes the most important part. The contaminants removed by the ultrasound are still swimming inside the bath; it is crucial you immediately take your instruments and dry them in an autoclave.

Removing microscopic sized bacteria is no longer a time-consuming chore thanks to ultrasound and Omegasonics. If you are in the medical field and are not yet using ultrasound technology, you are not operating at maximum efficiency.

Call us at (805) 583-0875 to see how we can improve your overall customer care.