Why Medical Manufacturers Are Using Ultrasonic Cleaners

New technologies have made medical devices and equipment harder to clean, that’s why medical manufacturers must explore better ways to clean and sterilize them. 

Certain cleaning methods may compromise the functionality of medical devices, and even damage them. High-pressure cleaning and autoclave sterilizing can’t be used for devices with electronics or other temperature-sensitive components. Manual scrubbing may remove heavy contamination but may also scratch fragile optical parts and surfaces with delicate coatings.

Medical manufacturers need effective but gentle and low-temperature cleaning methods that can sterilize as well. And this is where medical ultrasonic cleaners become the better alternative to traditional cleaning methods.

They operate at room temperature and can easily clean medical devices with complex shapes or hard-to-reach areas.

Ultrasonic cleaners work by generating microscopic cavitation bubbles in the cleaning solution. The bubbles form and burst in time with the ultrasonic frequency being applied. When they burst, they create tiny, intense jets of liquid that impact the surfaces of the parts to be cleaned and dislodge contaminants.

Since the cavitation bubbles are present wherever the cleaning solution can penetrate, medical ultrasonic cleaners can clean devices with complex shapes, openings, dead-end holes, rough areas, and interior spaces that are normally hard to clean with manual scrubbing. Devices with light contamination can be cleaned as little as ten minutes.

The choice of frequency is a key element for achieving optimal cleaning performance. Low frequency ultrasonic cleaners produce comparatively large cavitation bubbles that deliver an intense cleaning action. Higher frequencies, on the other hand, produce smaller bubbles and cleaning action is gentler. The cleaning intensity of ultrasonic cleaners can be adjusted from robust cleaning for certain devices, such as implants, to gentle cleaning action for delicate instruments. When a disinfectant is added to the cleaning solution, it renders the clean parts sterile.

To achieve a successful ultrasonic cleaning, an experienced ultrasonic cleaner manufacturer can advise customers on the right frequency for their cleaning application while also addressing cleaning tank size and system power. When the medical ultrasonic cleaner is matched correctly to the cleaning application, the cleaning performance is excellent.

Read Kaijo’s complete article, “Why Medical Manufacturers are Using Ultrasonic Cleaners”, for further information. If you have questions or would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your ultrasonic cleaning needs, contact Kaijo by email at info@kaijo-shibuya.com or by calling 408-675-5575.

Why Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used by Food and Drug Companies

 

Ultrasonic cleaners are excellent alternatives to traditional cleaning methods as they can clean parts and components with complex shapes and impossible-to-reach blind holes and crevices.

More industries, including food and drug industries, are choosing industrial ultrasonic cleaners to clean equipment used in producing and manufacturing their products. Industrial ultrasonic cleaners use a mechanically based cleaning method that can be enhanced with other cleaning agents (such as the use of heat in the cleaning solution or adding mild and benign solvents). The resulting cleaning performance is better compared to traditional cleaning methods, such as scrubbing or soaking in harsh cleaning chemicals.

When equipment used by food and drug companies has to be cleaned, the need for effective and complete cleanliness runs into the requirement to avoid contamination with aggressive and toxic cleaners. Strong cleaning chemicals and agents may easily remove some dirt but may leave harmful residues that can contaminate food and medicine products.

Industrial ultrasonic cleaners do not need such harsh and harmful cleaning chemicals and agents. They rely on the cavitation bubbles produced by the ultrasonic sound waves in the cleaning solution.

Industrial ultrasonic cleaners typically require a simple water bath in an ultrasonic cleaning tank to clean parts. They work by using ultrasonic generators to produce a high-frequency electric signal. Transducers immersed in water convert the electric signal to ultrasonic sound waves. As the sound waves travel through the water, they generate millions of microscopic cavitation bubbles that form and collapse in tune with the ultrasonic frequency.

As the bubbles collapse, they produce a tiny but energetic jet of water that hits the surface of the components being cleaned inside the tank, dislodging food and drug residues. The surface is cleaned quickly and completely, while the cleaned-off parts can be rinsed away.

Unlike cleaning the parts using harsh chemicals, industrial ultrasonic cleaners leave no harmful residues that can contaminate food and drug products.

While chemicals are not needed for effective ultrasonic cleaning, mild non-toxic cleaning agents can help speed up the cleaning process. For parts with heavy deposits of oil, fat, and grease, heating the cleaning tank to soften the residue can also improve cleaning performance.

Discover additional information by reading our recent article, Why Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used by Food and Drug Companies. You may call Kaijo at 408-675-5575 or send an email to info@kaijo-shibuya.com, if you have questions or would like to set up a free consultation.