During the past two decades, sterilization containers have replaced wrapped trays and even peel pouches. Containers come in a full range of sizes and configurations that meet the specifications of the devices to be sterilized. When compared to disposable wrap and peel pouches, containers save money, contribute to the bottom line, and provide the ultimate in instrument protection and sterility maintenance, but how long do they last...

Misinformation is information that is spread intentionally or unintentionally, that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time. Consider the last few years during the pandemic when scientific data was questioned, and all types of remedies were rapidly disseminated on the internet...

Recently, I read a book about Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, an Austro-Hungarian-born American actress and inventor. She was a film star during Hollywood's Golden Age. In 1942, she received a patent with composer George Antheil for a “frequency hopping, spread-spectrum communication system” designed to make radio-guided torpedoes harder to detect or jam during World War II. She never received a dollar for her invention, which was dismissed by the military because they couldn’t accept the intelligence of a woman...

Monday, one of our sales reps reported a wash indicator failure at a local facility currently using our cleaners and our Case Soil indicator. We knew it was an opportunity to solve a problem and possibly improve their process. The wash indicator is supposed to fail when something in the wash sequence isn’t right. It’s your first alert that something is wrong...

Shorter cycles, less rinses have been discussed for some time at AAMI working groups and amongst healthcare professionals. Most agree that adequate contact time and rinsing is good practice for manual and automated processes. Detergents lift but rinsing removes the soil. Now manufacturers of new washer/disinfectors have gone even further by promoting cycles preset in their new machines which eliminate rinse steps and rinse times

As a subscriber to Case Medical’s weekly blog, you know the we’ve been preparing to host a live online event, “Sustainable Cleaning Chemistries for a Healthier World”. Now we’d like to introduce to you the panelists who have so generously volunteered to share their time and knowledge with us all. Each panelist brings experience and perspective from a variety of vantage points.

The world is a fast-moving place, and keeping up, staying on top of things, being aware of all the thats going on around you, can seem impossible. There are the daily demands of work, the backlog of items which need attention before moving on to the next stage, or the hecticness of providing fresh, clean, and sterile items when a schedule changes.

What you can count on to consistently provide best outcomes? All things being equal, washer/disinfectors are all very efficient. We all want clean dishes at home and decontaminated instruments in healthcare facilities.  In both scenarios, we want them done with the least amount of effort. That's why dishwashers are so prized in the kitchen and automated washers in decontam. But sometimes, they don't produce the best results.