Autoclave for sterilizing a tattoo tool: protection against potential infections

Tattoo autoclaves are an important part of any tattoo parlor's overall sanitation program to keep both clients and the artist safe from potential infections. An autoclave is a pressure-operated device designed to heat aqueous solutions above the boiling point to achieve complete sterilization. The autoclave was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879. The term autoclave is also used for industrial machines that use high temperature and pressure to process materials.

Using an autoclave to sterilize tattoo tools and equipment

Under normal conditions, in an open vessel and at normal pressure, water cannot be heated to a temperature exceeding 100°C (99.99°C at 101.325 kPa, 99.62°C at 100 kPa). Further heating causes the water to boil and evaporate, but does not increase the temperature of the water, at least of its liquid phase. However, when water is heated in a sealed vessel such as an autoclave, due to the fact that under pressure the boiling process starts at higher temperatures, the water can be heated to temperatures well over 100°C.

As the container heats up, the pressure in the closed container rises (see the ideal gas law). The boiling point of water shifts upward as the amount of energy needed to form steam at higher pressures increases. Removal of air When the task of autoclaving is to ensure sterility, it is very important that the air is removed. The reason for this is that hot air is less effective than hot steam in achieving sterility. For example, steam at a temperature of 134°C can achieve the same level of sterility in 3 minutes as hot air can achieve in two hours at a temperature of 160°C. Autoclaves can remove air by various means. One of them is a simple displacement, the so-called displacement of the gravitational type.

It happens like this: the steam entering the system fills the chamber in the upper area, because. vapor is less dense than air. Under the influence of compressed steam, the air in the lower part of the tank is forced out through the drain valve. A special device reacts to hot steam and closes the drain valve after the air has been expelled.

Another type of autoclave for sterilizing tattoo equipment works on the principle of a pulsating profile. Such autoclaves achieve the removal of air by means of a series of steam pulses in which the chamber is alternately pressurized and then reduced to close to atmospheric pressure.

In addition, vacuum pumps are used, which pump out air from the working chamber before starting autoclaving and only then turn on the heating.

In addition to the above methods of autoclaving, there are other, even more complex ones. But in this article we will not consider them due to their narrow specificity.

Use of autoclaves

Autoclaves are widely used in microbiology, medicine, for sterilization of piercing and tattoo instruments, in veterinary medicine, dentistry and even in metallurgy.

A medical autoclave is a typically stationary device that uses high temperature (superheated) steam to sterilize medical instruments, equipment, clothing, and the like. Of course, during autoclaving, all biological objects: bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores are inactivated, in other words, they die. However, BSE prions (BovPrPSc, PrPbse), which are associated with mad cow disease in cattle, cannot be destroyed in an autoclave at the usual 121 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or 134 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes, but can be destroyed for a longer sterilization cycle: at a temperature of 134 degrees Celsius for 18 minutes. Autoclaves are found in almost all medical facilities and other places where it is required to ensure the sterility of materials or instruments, or other objects. However, today it is very common to use instruments and accessories that are sterilized at the time of manufacture and are supplied sterile in sterile packaging. Therefore, many specialists, including tattooists, use a disposable sterile instrument, and do not sterilize a reusable instrument.

This happened for the first time with a well-known syringe, more precisely with an injection needle, and today many surgical instruments (such as forceps, needle holders, scalpels, pens, etc.) are disposable, not reusable instruments. However, the autoclave can not be used in all cases. Because the autoclave uses high temperatures, heat-labile substances (such as some plastics) cannot be sterilized in this way. The fact is that they can simply melt and become unusable. Some instruments, equipment, or accessories that can be damaged by steam must be sterilized or otherwise protected from biohazards. Autoclaving is often used to sterilize medical waste before it is disposed of with municipal solid waste. This decision was made as an alternative to incinerating contaminated material for environmental reasons, to reduce the environmental impact of incineration, and to protect public health from combustion by-products emitted from incinerators, especially from smaller incinerators typically installed in individual hospitals. Incineration or similar thermal oxidation processes are still mandatory for some pathological waste and other highly toxic and/or infectious medical waste.

Chemiclaves (Chemiclaves)

In contrast to the humid environment in a conventional autoclave, conventional steam is obtained, in a chemoclave, due to the unsaturated chemical vapor phase process, the humidity of the process is very low. In this regard, a laborious drying phase is not required, for the simple reason that nothing gets wet. The time of this fixture is shorter than most steam sterilizers and the heaters remain in "stand by" between cycles to minimize warm up time and increase tool turnover. However, the steam autoclave remains the only acceptable tool for sterilizing tattoo equipment. There are different types and styles of autoclaves, all of which are acceptable for use in sterilizing tattoo equipment. If your client asks you if you have an autoclave, do not refuse him, show that you care about his health. It's a good idea to ask to see the autoclave. Is it possible to remove such things from the eyes of the client? More importantly, the salon staff is happy to show their sterilization corner to the client. and explain how it works. Also, keep in mind that having an autoclave does not mean effective sterilization. Autoclaves should be checked regularly to make sure they are working properly. Ask the staff of the nearest medical laboratory to test for bacterial spores. And further. Some non-professional tattoo artists may try to convince you that a pressure cooker is also an autoclave and boiling the tool in a pressure cooker is a sufficient way to protect against infection and is perfectly acceptable to use it to sterilize tattoo equipment. This is not true. A conventional pressure cooker does not create the pressure and temperature required to effectively kill all pathogens. Do not trust anyone to use pressure cookers as sterilizers. Only medical sterilizers are specifically designed to kill viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.