Tabletop Class B autoclave: Small yet powerful

Working in a dental practice, it is vital to ensure that the operating room is properly set up to provide the most sterile environment possible. This is perhaps more acutely felt during the COVID-19 era when dental hygiene and infection control protocols in dental practices are placed in the spotlight and scrutinised more than ever. Dental sterilization is a critical component of infection control and hygiene measures.

A class b sterilizer for the preparation area is necessary if you are going to be using instruments and materials which require sterilisation before use. The main reason why this is important is because of the risk of cross contamination between patients. In addition, there may also be an increased risk of cross contamination from staff members who have been exposed to SARS CoV2 or other respiratory viruses such as influenza A H1N1 2009 virus.

If you’re in the market for an affordable desktop or mobile Type B autoclave, this article will provide some pointers on what you should be considering before making that all-important buying decision.

Different types of autoclaves

Before we do that, it’s important to distinguish between the different sterilizer autoclave classes on the market. There are three main types of autoclave categories available: N, S and B.

Class N autoclave: This is a low cost option with limited functionality. It is suitable for sterilising unwrapped, solid and raw material items. The sterilisation cycle is typically 30 minutes at 134°C/266°F. However, some manufacturers say it can also be used to sterilise wrapped products if they have been preheated prior to wrapping.

The letter “N” stands for “naked solid products”. That simply means this type of autoclaves cannot be used to sterilise porous, hollow or textile items or products in pouches.

It’s ideal if your business has only one machine but it can’t handle large batches at once. The advantage here is that they are easy to use and maintain. They come equipped with temperature control systems which means there’s no need for manual adjustments.

Top 5 Dental Autoclave Sterilizers for Every Budget

Class S autoclave: These machines are more expensive than the N models. They offer greater flexibility in terms of their ability to process larger quantities of goods and sterilise more complex instruments. They are capable of handling single-packed and multilayer packed instruments, which is not possible with N type autoclave sterilizer. An intermediate class between N and B, it is also able to operate continuously without having to stop or cool down between sterilization cycles. It typically features a vacuum pump that can be used as an alternative to steam pressure.

Popular models include the Melaquick 12+, which belongs to the range of Melag Class S steam sterilisers.

The quick steam steriliser helps reduce practice expenses and promote time efficiency by cleaning handpieces that conform to the hygiene code standards. Handpieces and turbines, instruments and other traditional practice instruments – as long as no more than 20 cm– can be sterilised between treating patients, in about seven minutes.

Class B autoclave: This type of machine has been designed for use in hospitals and large clinics – also tattoo studios and beauty parlours – where there may be more than one patient being treated at any given time. It allows multiple patients to be processed simultaneously by using two separate chambers that have their own heat source and cooling system.

They work by removing air from the chamber through a vacuum pump before heating up the instrument load with steam or hot water vapour. The air removal pump creates a negative pressure that forces steam to enter the autoclave chamber, which is then heated to sterilise instruments.

Considered as the most advanced steam steriliser autoclaves, the class B air removal sterilizers autoclave meet all the safety requirements as well as sanitary and epidemiological standards. They can sterilise items such as medical instruments, surgical equipment, dental tools, laboratory glassware, food packaging materials, etc., with an efficiency rate up to 99%.

Table top Class B autoclave

The Class B table top autoclave uses a vacuum pump to remove air from the sterilization chamber instead of relying on the gravity created by a steam or boiler to push the air out.

In the past, a Class B sterilizer not suitable for general practice or small businesses because they required too much space and cost too much money. However, steriliser manufacturers have come up with tabletop versions of these machines that are compact enough to fit in a corner of any office.

These steam sterilization models are ideal for use by dentists, doctors, optometrists, veterinarians, pharmacists, laboratories, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, nursing homes, clinics, pharmacies, etc.

Let’s look at some of its common features:

Compact size

Desktop steam sterillization autoclaves can usually fit into a standard office desk space and are ideal if your business has limited floor space. They typically come with one door which opens up onto a work surface where items are placed prior to being sterilised. The steam sterilizer is then closed off from the rest of the room via another door.

This type of machine is also known as an “open-top” or “closed top”. Some desktop units include a built-in sink so you don’t need to purchase separate equipment. These steam sterilizer autoclaves have been used for many years in commercial kitchens and other industries such as healthcare facilities. However, they were not widely available until recently when manufacturers began producing them at affordable prices.

Heating mechanism

Different to Class N and Class S autoclaves, the Class B table top autoclave uses a vacuum pump to remove air from the sterilization chamber instead of relying on the gravity created by a steam or boiler to push the air out. The removal of air using a vacuum pump has the significant advantage of forcing the entry and penetration of steam into the load.

This is particularly useful where there are large quantities of items that need sterilising because it allows more efficient use of heat energy than would be possible with a conventional system. In addition, this method can also reduce the risk of fire due to the fact that no hot water is required.

Load types

While the letter “B” on Class B devices stands for “Big” – as in not as compact as the rest – you can now refer to the “B” as to mean “big on performance”, given the advent of tabletop units.

Able to take on all types of load, a Class B vacuum steam sterilizer can sterilise porous materials, products in pouches, hollow items (i.e. turbines, wands and tips) and even textiles. It has been used successfully by many hospitals, laboratories and pharmaceutical companies around the world. The most common applications are sterilisation of medical equipment such as endoscopes, surgical instruments, dental tools etc.

Cycle Times

A typical Class B tabletop dental autoclave features different two sterilization cycles: Standard and Delicate.

The standard cycle of a mobile Class B unit lasts about three minutes and reaches 134℃. This sterilization time applies to standard materials including porous, hollow, glassware, textile, metal solids items.

Selecting the delicate mode, the cycle lasts fifteen minutes but operates at the lower temperature of 121℃. As the name suggests, this mode is intended for delicate materials such as plastics and other flimsy items that are not recommended for the standard cycle.

To obtain adequate results for a Class N unit, the steam sterilizer must be heated to 121° Celsius for about 30 minutes using saturated steam at not less than 15 psi of pressure. The duration of the cycle is a function of the size and composition of the item being sterilised.

Required pressure

As compared to the Class N and Class S autoclaves, the required pressure of a CLass B autoclave is higher than those two classes. The minimum working pressure in a class B autoclave is 20-25 PSI depending on the material used.

This means that it takes more time to heat up the steam sterilizer chamber and maintain the temperature during the sterilization process. However, once the desired temperature has been reached, the heating rate will increase significantly.

Popular Class B Autoclave Models

Check out these table top autoclave class B sterilizers:

Tuttnauer T-Edge10: This unit offers fast steam sterilization cycles (36 minutes for wrapped instruments) with complete cycle, including drying. It features a user-friendly touch screen panel that displays cycle times, water levels and other programs. Loading is easy and convenient with a single door that opens up to 110˚. The T-Edge10 device features 4 preset cycle modules, along with 2 standard diagnostic test assessments.

Enbio S Class B Autoclave: Touted as the smallest in the market, this steam autoclave unit will fit any interior space due to its compact size (63.5cm x 40.6cm x 142cm) while still affording ample space to accomodate all the standard tools. At 7 minutes cycle, enbio pro autoclaves offer easily one of the faster sterilisers on the market. The class B model is CE certified and registered as a medical device. Meeting all the sanitary requirements, it designed for sterilisation of all reusable instruments, including complex constructions, whether packaged or not. Operation is whisper quiet at only 32dB. The 15-kg lightweight unit is also easily transportable.

Melag Vacuklav 40 B+ Evolution: This reliable steam sterilization autoclave is designed for practices seeking a unit that quickly sterilises both wrapped and unwrapped items. its Quick Program B takes 20 minutes to sterilise wrapped instruments and only 10 for unwrapped instruments. Both cycle times feature fractionated pre-vacuum and drying. The all-new melag DRYtelligence is an intelligent drying system that uses specially developed algorithms to adapt the drying cycle to the load. This is said to help with shortening the operating times. An extra large colour-touch display allows for quick and easy program location and selection – not to mention intuitive navigation between parameters. The good thing about melag autoclaves is that they are widely used in dental practices, so you are likely to find more online help and advice from your peers using the same brand.