ENGLISH
USE
RESPONSE
PERIODICITY
10.3 Bowie&Dick test
It is a physical test (spare code 268/S) enabling to verify steam penetration capability into
porous loads. For the test a "test pack" is used which is standardized and complying with
the technical standards being currently in force.
USE
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The ampoules shall have to be put into the sterilization chamber even
when loaded.
Carry out the cycle and then take out the ampoule by taking care
since it is hot and pressurized.
Leave it cool down for about 10 minutes and then activate it by using
the supplied crusher by taking care so as to keep the ampoule always
upright. The chemical indicator placed on the label of the ampoule will
have changed its colour from blue into black.
Subsequently incubate the ampoule into a biological incubator at
57° C for 48 hours, together with an unprocessed test am poule, that
has anyway be activated through the relevant crusher.
After 48 hours take the processed ampoule out of the incubator and
assess the test result. If the ampoule has changed its colour to yellow
this means that the autoclave has failed the test and there is bacterial
growth. If the ampoule remains purple, this means that there is no
bacterial growth and hence the test succeeded. The test ampoule of
course will always change to yellow since it has not been processed
and will only be used as term of comparison.
At the end of the test dispose of the ampoule in the solid urban waste.
It is anyway advisable to perform another sterilization cycle at 121° C
on the ampoule.
There is no preset testing interval, apart from areas to which specific
regional regulations apply. In any case the biological tests are the
more concrete ones. Hence in order to constantly monitor the
autoclave performance, it is advisable to perform the test at least
once every 90 days.
Perform the test with empty chamber. The Bowie-Dick test pack shall
have to be positioned on the autoclave central tray.
Perform the cycle, indicated in the display of the autoclave, and at
the end remove the pack, open it and check the sheet colour change
through the chemical indicator placed inside.