They took twenty Timesco instruments, representing ten different product families and coated them with Brownes Artificial Test Soil. The solution was spiked with a solution containing a known amount of micro-organisms, yielding between 15 and 150 organisms per ml.

All devices were left to dry for approximately 14 days then taken to the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD). After the cycle all instruments were packed in an autoclaveable bag in an ISO class 8 clean room environment. 10 devices from different product families were subjected to bioburden testing to determine the effectiveness of the decontamination process. The other 10 devices were passed through a validated autoclave cycle at a temperature of 134 – 137 degrees for a minimum of 3 minutes. The devices were then tested for sterility.

The report shows that if Timesco surgical instruments are processed correctly, instruments will be sterile after cleaning and sterilising through normal autoclaving procedures.

You can download and read the full report www.timesco-surgery.co.uk