Video of a test sterilization by request of a client.
Do you really need a vacuum autoclave?
The answer is you probably do. If the autoclave is used in an industrial setting (or even in hospitals), productivity is everything.
Normal (or gravity) sterilization (at 121 °C) is probably fine for the lab, but it is considered slow, where the CDC recommends that process itself takes at a minimum of 30 minutes (we recommend 45 minutes, just to be safe). That's not counting your prep time, where trained operators would probably need somewhere under 30 minutes.
Whereas sterilization with vacuum cycles (at 132 °C) normally only need 15 minutes (CDC recommends a minimum of 4 minutes). In terms of productivity, this is a huge time savings, since the time taken to do a batch of normal sterilization would equal at least two batches of vacuum distillation!!!
However it should be noted that not all materials or loads are safe to be sterilized at 132 °C. For instance, its not recommended to put glassware in those elevated temperatures.
Contact us to find the right sterilization process for your needs!
Sources:
American CDC Steam Sterilization - An Overview (2008):
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/steam.html#:~:text=Recognized%20minimum%20exposure%20periods%20for,prevacuum%20sterilizer%20(Table%207).