Sterilization is not difficult; the ‘autoclave’ is not difficult; validation/qualification is not difficult.  However, if no one takes the time to explain this to you, how will you ever get to know?

 

Let’s look at the basics of, ‘the autoclave’, as though we were reading a children’s book.  Children’s books are designed to make things simple - I’ve found I’ve understood things very quickly when things are explained simply.  Let’s try it; don’t be embarrassed - you may be reading this and have no idea what actually happens in that shiny thing called an autoclave in your facility:

 

Then what happens?:

All the air is evacuated from the box (called the ‘Chamber’) and from within the bag and the tubing.  The air is replaced by steam (through the pipes on the side of the box).  When the tube is filled with steam it is hot yes?  The temperature we are looking for in our example is 121C and we are going to allow our tubing to stay at this temperature for 15 minutes.  At the end of our 15 minutes, all the steam will be removed from the tubing and the chamber.  When it is ready, you open the door and take out your dry, now sterile tubing in the bag - ‘Voila; easy peasy!!’

 

Now I know there is complexity underlying the simplicity, but if we approached each part of this complex process simply, this whole thing called ‘moist heat sterilization’ wouldn’t seem so complicated.  I ask the question, “Why is there a lot of theoretical technical stuff about sterilization out there in publication, but not a lot that tells you how to actually do something in practice?”