Buying a new steriliser

Midmark and Euronda Sterilisers Making Best Friends with Users from All Around the World!

Sterilisers can be expensive, however irrelevant of the cost, the objective of a steriliser is to ensure that after the process the products being sterilised are free from bacteria or other living microorganisms.

Known as autoclaves or sterilisers, over the years they have evolved from being ergonomically practical all the way to advanced state-of-the-art equipment and are essential in all healthcare environments.

Different environments have different requirements and needs and there is a make, model and size available to suit every application. Purchasing a new steriliser can be a daunting task, however there a few questions you need to ask yourself to assist in making the process easier:

1. What am I going to be sterilising?
2. How often and what quantity will I be processing?
3. What features/option do I really need?
4. Return on Investment?
   
   

What am I going to be sterilising?

Sterilisers are available as S or B Class models with some B Class models offering a number of S Class cycles. The cycle required is determined on whether the instruments are for example solid, hollow, hollow wrapped or porous. You may only require an S Class steriliser which will result in a lower cost.

How often and what quantity will I be processing?

This will determine which size/volume steriliser you will need. You will need to look at what size instruments you are processing and the quantity of instruments you possess. Instrument quantity will assist in determining on how many cycles a day you will need to perform to process your instruments.

What features/option do I really need?

There are many models available from basic to high end with numerous features and options. The question is how many of these do I really need for my business. Here a few to consider:

Do I need a printer to record my cycle data or am I happy to have an internal data logger which I can then download onto my PC or server and store the information electronically?

Is a printer that prints barcode labels the best option for my business?

Do I want to have the option of programming a cycle start time?

Do I want to manually fill the steriliser with water or do I want to connect the steriliser to an RO system and have auto filling and draining? Perhaps an integrated RO system inside the steriliser?

Do I need traceability with each operator having their own pin code to operate the steriliser?

Do I need the ability to have extra drying if needed?

How easy is the software to use if I store my cycle records electronically?

Return on Investment

As the purchase of a steriliser can be expensive looking at the return on investment over a 5 year period can be a useful tool. What appears to be a cheap purchase may in some cases actually cost more in the long term. Some points worth considering:

• Cost of a service and how often is the service required
• Cost of parts
• How long will be parts be available for
• Warranty
• Technical support
  
  

The Best Friends that Users Need!

Midmark and Euronda as manufacturers in the healthcare industry have over 150 years of experience between them! Whilst Midmark is one of the biggest healthcare equipment supply companies in the US, their B & S class sterilisers are designed and manufactured in Europe.

The Midmark steriliser range is designed and built to provide the user with a user friendly, reliable, cost-effective steriliser ranging from 6 to 60 litres in capacity. The Midmark sterilisers are characterized by fast and advanced patented technology resulting in reliability and rapid cycle times.

Euronda are one of the top 3 steriliser manufacturers in Europe and offer a wide range of sterilisers with 18 and 24 litre capacity including the E10 with all the latest features including full traceability. The E10 is ergonomic, interactive, fast, and superbly user-friendly capable of meeting the requirements of even the most advanced professional needs. There is even an EXL model with a 29 litre capacity for those larger instruments.

With the Midmark and Euronda range of sterilisers, healthcare practitioners have a complete range of sterilisers to choose from.