Cleaning of Laparoscopic Instruments
All used laparoscopic instruments, regardless of size, should be completely immersed in distilled water before leaving the operating room. The first step of the high-level disinfection process is a thorough cleaning. Cleaning removes debris, mucous, blood, and tissue (bioburden) which would interfere with the action of the disinfectant. Current recommendations specify the disassembly of most laparoscopic equipment prior to sterilization. If the surgical assistants are unfamiliar with the proper assembly of laparoscopic instruments, it may cause patient injury from equipment malfunction. Because of the intricate internal parts of laparoscopic instruments, questions have been raised about the efficacy of cleaning and sterilization techniques. In the instruments which can not be dismantled there is a separate channel to irrigate water under pressure to clean it properly. At least 300 ml of water should be flushed through these instruments to clean it properly.
READ ABOUT LAPAROSCOPIC EQUIPMENT STERILIZATION
Incomplete cleaning can result in accumulation of coagulated protein inside the channel of the instrumentApproximately 99.8 percent of the bioburden can be removed by meticulous cleaning. Cleaning may be accomplished via manual or mechanical washing.
Ultrasonic Technology for Cleaning
Ultrasonic laparoscopic instrument cleaner
• Energy from high-frequency sound waves
• Vigorous microscopic implosions of tiny vapor bubbles
• Millions of scrubbing bubbles do the job of cleaning
• Ultrasonic cleaners facilitate the removal of organic material, decreasing the risk of contaminants.
The cleaning agent selected should be:
• Able to remove organic and inorganic soil
• Able to prevent water-borne deposits
• Low foaming
• Able to be rinsed completely
• Compatible with the materials being cleaned.
Enzymatic Laparoscopic Instrument Cleaner
Safe and effective for Enhanced Manual Pre-cleaning of Laparoscopic Instruments
Enzyme based cleaner has an enzymatic detergent solution. The solution gets into hard-to-reach parts of your equipment for thorough cleaning. The enzymatic cleaning detergent has the following advantages.
✓ Increased activity on proteins (like blood, feces and mucous) with protease enzyme
✓ Advanced formulation quickly and thoroughly penetrates organic matter
✓ The safe, biodegradable base is easy on you and the environment
Following cleaning, items to be disinfected must be rinsed thoroughly to remove any residual detergent. After cleaning, instruments are subjected to sterilization.
