Why the Medical Industry Has Increased Its Use of Ultrasonic Cleaning

Because a high degree of cleanliness is essential for safe medical practice, implants, medical instruments and other medical devices have to be cleaned thoroughly before use. Medical instruments and devices may have been soiled with bodily fluids while implants often have manufacturing residues that have to be removed. Ultrasonic cleaning uses microscopic cavitation bubbles to break up and dislodge surface contamination quickly and completely. Cleaned objects can be sterilized without fear that hidden contamination may protect pathogens against sterilization.

Ultrasonic Cleaning is Safe and Effective

Medical ultrasonic cleaners generate microscopic cavitation bubbles throughout the cleaning bath. When these bubbles burst, they emit a tiny but powerful jet that dislodges contamination from the surface of the devices to be cleaned. The millions of bubbles produce a strong scrubbing action that leaves device surfaces completely clean.

Compared to manual scrubbing and cleaning, ultrasonic cleaners are safer, quicker and more effective. Manual cleaning of sharp objects such as scissors can lead to puncture wounds or cuts and the process can be slow and labor-intensive. With ultrasonic cleaning, the parts are placed in a basket immersed in the cleaning bath that can be pure water or a solution with a mild detergent or disinfectant. After a timed period of ten to twenty minutes, the clean parts can be removed from the bath. No supervision of the cleaning process is required.

Cleaning medical devices manually or by soaking is especially difficult if the device has a complex shape or hard-to-clean openings and crevices. The bubbles produced by ultrasonic cleaners act wherever cleaning solution is present. The solution and the bubbles can clean inside dead-end holes, along cracks, across rough surfaces and within the threads of nuts and bolts. Through quick and effective cleaning, medical ultrasonic cleaners save time and money while delivering superior cleaning performance.

Ultrasonic Cleaners Can Clean Temperature-Sensitive and Delicate Devices

Modern medical instruments increasingly incorporate delicate electronics or optical components that can’t withstand heat. These instruments can’t be cleaned in the traditional way with steam and hot water because high temperatures damage the devices. Optical components such as parts of fiber optics may have delicate surfaces that can’t be cleaned by scrubbing. Many of these devices have intricate surfaces that are difficult to clean manually. Medical ultrasonic cleaners can be designed to address these issues and to clean even the most fragile optical and electronic devices.

The strength of the cleaning action of an ultrasonic cleaner depends on the size of the cavitation bubbles. Smaller bubbles mean less energetic cleaning jets when the bubbles burst. The size of the bubbles depends on the system frequency, with higher frequencies producing smaller bubbles. For delicate devices, a correspondingly high ultrasonic frequency ensures that cleaning takes place gently and without damaging the device. Medical ultrasonic cleaners can clean most medical devices, instruments and implants faster than traditional methods and they can clean more completely while reducing the risk of damage to the devices.

Kaijo Can Satisfy Customer Medical Device Cleaning Requirements

As a leader among ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers, Kaijo has extensive experience in the ultrasonic technology field. The company offers free consultation for ultrasonic cleaning applications and can help choose the system most suited for specific medical cleaning tasks.

Selecting the right system is important for optimal cleaning performance. Kaijo can help with system configuration including selection of the frequencies, the power, and the ultrasonic transducer type. Once Kaijo has helped customers define their specific needs, the company can recommend components, ultrasonic cleaners or complete turnkey systems from its line of ultrasonic cleaning equipment. With unmatched expertise in medical ultrasonic cleaning, Kaijo can ensure that the purchased equipment satisfies the specified cleaning requirements.