Empty-chamber test
Test with no load; carried out to assess the performance
of the sterilizer without the influence of a load; allows the
temperatures and pressures reached to be checked
against the specified settings. [DIN EN 285]
Conductivity
The reciprocal of the electrical resistivity; its unit is
microsiemens/centimeter (µS/cm); the more material
dissolved in the water, the better it conducts electrical
current and therefore the higher its conductivity. Distilled
water ideally has a conductivity of zero.
Conductivity test
Measurement of the conductivity
Air leak—Testing for leakage of air
Air leakage is a leaky point through which unwanted air
can penetrate or escape; the air leak test is used to
verify that the volume of the air penetration into the
sterilizer chamber during the vacuum phase does not
exceed a value that prevents the penetration of steam
into the sterilizer load and that the air leakage is not a
possible cause of renewed contamination of the sterilizer
load during drying.
Solid
Without hollow cavities or spaces, compact, dense,
closed
Solid load—Testing with a solid load
Used to verify that for the values set on the controls the
required sterilization conditions are reached within the
entire load. The load must represent the greatest mass
of solid instruments that the sterilizer as defined by DIN
EN 285 is designed to sterilize. [DIN EN 285]
Multiple wrapping
For example, instruments sealed or wrapped in film are
also in a container or a container wrapped in textiles.
MPBetrieb
German Medical Device Operators Ordinance that
applies to setting up, operating, using, and maintaining
medical devices in accordance with §3 of the German
Medical Devices Act with the exception of medical
devices for clinical trials or performance evaluations
Standard compliant
Compliance with all relevant standards
Porous
Permeable to liquids and air, e.g., textiles
Porous small elements
Made of materials that can absorb fluids (e.g., liquids)
Porous part load—Testing with porous part load
Used to verify that for the values that are set on the
controls the steam rapidly and evenly penetrates the
defined process challenge device [DIN EN 13060]
Porous complete load—Testing with porous
complete load
Used to verify that for the values set on the controls the
required sterilization conditions are reached within
porous loads with the maximum density that the sterilizer
as defined by DIN EN 285 is designed to sterilize [DIN
EN 285]
Process evaluation system
Also self-monitoring system—observes itself, compares
sensors during a running program with each other
Self-monitoring system
Process evaluation system
Separate steam generator
The steam generator is located outside the sterilization
chamber. This protects the sterilization chamber from
overheating.
Retardation of boiling
The phenomenon whereby under certain conditions
liquids can heat up to temperatures above their boiling
point without boiling; this state is unstable; only a slight
vibration can lead to the very rapid formation of a large
gas bubble which expands explosively.
Feed water
Required to generate the steam for the sterilization;
guide values for the water quality defined in DIN EN
13060, Annex C
Sterile barrier system
Closed minimum packaging that prevents the penetration
of microorganisms; e.g., by sealing of closed bags,
closed re-usable containers, folded sterilization wraps,
etc.
Sterile load
Also referred to as a batch, items that have been
sterilized, therefore sterile items
Sterilization chamber
Interior of a sterilizer, holds the items to be sterilized
Items to be sterilized
Non-sterile, items that are yet to be sterilized
TCP
Transmission Control Protocol; refers to a standard
protocol for connecting computers and networks.
Vacuum
Colloquial: space without material;
in the technical sense: volume with reduced gas
pressure (at least air pressure)
Vacuum drying
Gentle drying; the items to be dried are subjected to
negative pressure which lowers the boiling point and
thus leads to evaporation of the water even at low
temperatures.
VDE
Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und
Informationstechnik e.V., German Association for
Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies
Soft sterilization wrapping
For example, paper bag or transparent sterilization wrap
Glossary
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