Why Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used in the Medical Industry

Since medical devices are often delicate and have high cleaning standards, industrial ultrasonic cleaners provide an ideal solution, offering gentle cleaning and complete removal of contaminants.

Medical devices that include surgical instruments and medical implants are used inside the body and are subject to extremely high standards of cleanliness and sterility. In addition, medical devices have complex structures that mean intricate surfaces, tiny crevices, dead-end holes and even inside slots and threaded holes.

Many medical devices cannot be exposed to heat, harsh cleaning chemicals and intense scrubbing which are typically used in traditional cleaning methods. Not only these methods costly and cause potential damage to medical devices, but they also do not guarantee that they provide complete cleaning.

Industrial ultrasonic cleaners rely on sound waves, which produce microscopic cavitation bubbles in the cleaning solution. The formation and collapse of these bubbles agitate the cleaning solution near the medical device surfaces to dislodge any dirt or contamination that may be present.

Low ultrasonic frequencies produce comparatively large bubbles with an intense cleaning action for rugged devices. High ultrasonic frequencies, on the other hand, produce smaller bubbles with a gentle cleaning action which is the frequency used to clean delicate parts such as medical devices.

No matter how complex medical devices are, once they are immersed in the cleaning solution, the microscopic cavitation bubbles are formed inside the tiniest crevices and dislodge any contaminants, cleaning down to the original surface. A complete cleaning is extremely important, especially for implants. If these implants still have leftover contaminants due to improper and incomplete cleaning, it could result in the rejection of the implants.

 While industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems effectively remove contaminants, they do not, by themselves, kill or eliminate bacteria. Thus, adding a sterilizing solvent to the cleaning solution helps the cleaning action process and the action of the cleaning bubbles heightens the sterilizing effect as well.

For more information read the complete article, “Why Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used in Medical Industry”. Contact Kaijo for a free consultation or quote by email info@kaijo-shibuya.com or call 408–675–5575 to discuss your cleaning requirements.

Selecting the Right Ultrasonic Tank and Transducer for Your Application

An ultrasonic cleaning system consists of several different components:

• Ultrasonic generator – Produces the electric ultrasonic frequency;
• Transducer – Converts the electric signal to sound waves; and
• Tank – Holds the cleaning solution and the parts to be cleaned.

Choosing the right ultrasonic cleaning tank and transducer for your specific application helps ensure that the ultrasonic cleaning system works as expected and satisfies the requirements of your cleaning application.

When selecting the right tank, you need to consider several characteristics:

• Size – the tank must be large enough to hold the cleaning solution and the parts to be cleaned and not over-sized which results in inefficient operation.
• Basket – the basket holds the smaller parts, so that they won't be damaged against the tank’s bottom and walls from the vibration caused by the ultrasonic frequency.
• Heating – some cleaning applications will benefit from a tank that can distribute heat in the cleaning solution.
• Thickness of tank material – the thickness of the tank enhances the sound distribution and prevents cracking.

Ultrasonic cleaning transducers are sealed metal containers that can be either immersible, bolt-on, or directly mounted types:

• Immersible ultrasonic transducers – are the most flexible type of transducers because they can be moved and placed in any tank. It is waterproof and is attached to a cable, which is then plugged into the ultrasonic generator. It can be suspended in the cleaning solution to produce the ultrasonic sound waves.
• Bolt-on transducers – are fixed to the bottom or sides of the cleaning tank. Bolt-on transducers can be exchanged but they are not as flexible as immersible transducers.
• Mounted transducer – it is fixed to the bottom or sides of the cleaning tank. Mounted transducers often come with turnkey systems and are integrated into the ultrasonic cleaning system.

 It is also important to choose the right ultrasonic cleaning tank and transducer combination. Kaijo provides expert advice for ultrasonic cleaning installations to ensure your system delivers the performance you expect.

Read the complete article “Selecting the Right Ultrasonic Tank and Transducer for Your Application” to learn more. Contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com if you have questions or want a free consultation on choosing the right ultrasonic system for your needs.