The reconditioning protocol includes an important step that consists in cleaning the surfaces of the instruments after each use on patients. This operation can be carried out manually or using specific equipment, e.g. ultrasound cleaning devices. This equipment is designed to remove any organic or inorganic residue before moving on to the next phases.
However, if performed manually, this step can be potentially dangerous and requires the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
To reduce the risks, a safe option is using special equipment to achieve the same results that would be obtained with a manual process. Ultrasound cleaning is the answer to this need.
Ultrasound washing: how it works
In actual practice, a device that uses ultrasound consists of:
- a treatment tank filled with water, with a special product or with a solution that is a mix of the two;
- an ultrasound generator system (transducers) externally to the tank;
- a liquid heating system;
- a set of accessories to efficiently allocate the instruments.
The transducers generate high frequency sound waves which, through the tank, hit the liquid, generating a phenomenon known as cavitation.
Cavitation forms air bubbles in the liquid which, with an action similar to that of the brush used in the manual method, will remove any residues sticking to the surface of the instruments.
This action can also reach into:
- very small ducts;
- slots;
- cavities;
- hollows;
- knurls;
- blind holes.
This result is difficult to achieve manually; instead, Tethys H10 Plus is able to autonomously perform this operation.
The cavitation effect can be magnified by:
- heating the liquid;
- using special detergents.
The detergent contains ingredients that reduce surface tension, enhancing the cavitation effect that makes the ultrasound action more effective. The temperature increase allows the effectiveness of the water-detergent solution to be maximised.
Tethys H10 Plus, in this phase, heats the water mixed with detergent up to 45°.
The Tethyclean detergent has been specifically designed to clean instruments used in dental surgeries.
Tethys H10 Plus performs accurate rinsing, necessary to eliminate detergent residues, and effective drying of the instruments.
Thanks to ultrasound washing, the process is simpler, more functional and safer: some manual operations and the potential risks associated with them are eliminated.
Time savings and fewer risks for operators!
Additionally, Tethys H10 Plus is a thermal disinfector capable of treating the instruments automatically, by carrying out a 90° thermal disinfection cycle, guaranteeing high safety standards before moving on to the subsequent reconditioning process phases.
There are 4 phases in the automated disinfection-sterilisation cycle.
There are 4 phases in the automated disinfection-sterilisation cycle.
The use of the thermal disinfector during the reconditioning process guarantees clean and disinfected instruments, ready to be sterilised in an autoclave. Additionally, it replaces some of the manual operations typically carried out in the phases preceding sterilisation, reducing staff requirements and the risks to which the staff is potentially exposed.
Tethys H10 Plus, with its HMD accessory and Handpiece cycle, cleans and thermally disinfects the external surfaces and internal ducts of turbines, micromotor handpieces and scaler tips in 34 minutes.
At the end of the cycle, the operator will have clean, thermally disinfected and dry handpieces ready for the next steps.
The advantages of ultrasound cleaning with Tethys H10 PLUS
Reduction of manual operation requirements and related potential risks, safely standardised repeatability of the steps, and optimisation of the workflow during the disinfection-sterilisation cycle are the pluses that Tethys H10 Plus can offer to technologically advanced dental practices, where the focus is on the effectiveness and efficiency of their unique operating procedures.
