Sterilization is a process that is essential
for removing all the contaminants, such as microorganisms, from the surface of
surgical instruments and for ensuring the cleanliness of the surgical process.
Sterilization is in fact the highest and final stage of the instrument cleaning
process, preceded by cleaning through rinsing to remove visible contaminants
and soiling and by disinfection to break down the bacteria, bacilli and viruses
that might have remained on the instruments after rinsing.
The sterilization of surgical instruments is
usually performed by introducing the rinsed and disinfected instruments into a
special device that uses high heat, autoclaving or other technologies to ensure
the perfect germ-free and soiling-free cleanliness of the instruments.
The sterilization performs predefined processes
on the orthopedic instruments introduced. Different types of instruments are sterilized
with different protocols selected on the device’s control panel, but any
instrument placed into the sterilization device needs to be in the open
position to allow the proper sterilization of any hinges and openings. Each
sterilization cycle is different in terms of duration and sterilization
technique, but each of them involves the usage of high temperatures and high
pressure, so each process should end with a drying and cooling cycle before the
sterilized instruments are removed from the device.
