How Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used to Provide Effective Infection Control

Invasive surgical techniques are being used more frequently, and the tools and instruments used in these procedures can't be easily cleaned or sterilized with high temperatures. Many of these tools and instruments are hard to clean and many are temperature sensitive. They also have complex shapes and features that can harbor contamination and pathogens.

Manual ultrasonic cleaners are used to clean these kinds of tools and instruments. Ultrasonic cleaning performance is excellent but does not, by itself, guarantee that an instrument or tool is sterile. However when the appropriate amount of disinfectant is added to the cleaning solution, the action of the ultrasonic cleaning forces the liquid into crevices and holes where it can kill microbes on contact. The sound waves clean the surfaces of tools and instruments and the dislodged matter is removed, leaving the disinfected parts. Together with a disinfecting cleaning solution, an ultrasonic cleaner is a better alternative to steam sterilization.

Ultrasonic cleaners work by using an ultrasonic transducer to convert a high-frequency electrical signal to ultrasonic sound waves in the cleaning solution. The transducer (mounted in the tank) vibrates in tune with the electrical signal to create sound waves throughout the cleaning bath. Microscopic cavitation bubbles are created in the low-pressure troughs of the ultrasonic waves and collapse in the high-pressure peaks.

As each of the cavitation bubbles collapses, it creates a powerful suction effect that dislodges microbes and contaminates particles from the parts' surfaces to be cleaned. Once dislodged, the microbes are fully in contact with the cleaning solution's disinfectant and are killed. You can find details of the type of disinfectant that works best for ultrasonic cleaning by referring to the website "Infection Control Today".

Here are the key factors to consider when using medical ultrasonic cleaners to clean surgical tools and instruments:

• Size of the cleaning tank – It should be sized with the largest dimension longer than the length of the largest part. Often, a basket is used to hold the smaller components and keep them from vibrating against the tank's sides.
• Power required – The ultrasonic cleaning system should have enough power to fill the cleaning tank with the ultrasonic waves.
• Frequency – Choosing the wrong frequency can lead to damage to these surgical tools and instruments, many of which contain soft, delicate, or fragile parts and components. Low frequencies produce comparatively bigger cavitation bubbles and a robust cleaning action, which can damage fragile parts.

For more details, read the complete article, “How Ultrasonic Cleaners Are Used to Provide Effective Infection Control.” You may contact Kaijo Shibuya if you would like to set up a free consultation by calling them at 408-676-5575 or sending an email to info@kaijo-shibuya.com.

ROI on Using Sonic Cleaners

Every business manager that buys equipment needs to consider the return on investment (ROI) as part of the decision process. In the case of ultrasonic cleaners, the manager compares the cost of purchasing equipment with the anticipated savings. If the savings over two to three years are equal or greater than the ultrasonic cleaner's cost, the business manager will likely proceed with the equipment purchase. In this case, it means that the cost of purchasing the ultrasonic cleaner is returned after two or three years.

For many ultrasonic cleaner applications, the ROI is expected in much less than two or three years due to the substantial savings on labor and supplies it can provide. The analysis has become more favorable for the cleaners' purchase when the expected lifespan of the equipment is taken into account. After the two or three years are up, and the business has paid back the cost of the purchase from its savings, the ultrasonic cleaners will continue to generate these savings, increasing business profitability.

Apart from financial considerations, the ultrasonic cleaning systems’ performance is superior to most traditional cleaning methods, which also require a lot of work such as scrubbing and soaking of the parts in harsh chemicals. The work is difficult and time-consuming, especially if the parts being cleaned have complex shapes and difficult-to-access areas.

With ultrasonic cleaners, labor costs, and the cost and use of chemicals are significantly reduced. The parts are placed in the cleaning tank, and then the timer is set. After the timer period is up, the parts are now cleaned, with all the contamination completely removed. Supervision is not needed for the cleaning process, allowing the operators to complete other tasks as the ultrasonic cleaner works.

Plus, ultrasonic cleaners deliver rapid and thorough cleaning of parts, which results in increased throughput and improved quality. This means that apart from saving money and improving product quality and customer satisfaction, the use of ultrasonic cleaning is the right one for most businesses.

For more details read the complete article “ROI on Using Sonic Cleaners”. If you have questions or would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your specific cleaning requirements, contact Kaijo at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com.

Why the Medical Industry Has Increased Their Use of Ultrasonic Cleaning

Safe medical practices require a high degree of cleanliness. That's why medical instruments, implants, and other medical devices have to be cleaned thoroughly before use.

Medical instruments and devices may have been contaminated with bodily fluids, while implants may have manufacturing residues that have to be removed. Ultrasonic cleaning uses microscopic cavitation bubbles to break up and dislodge surface contamination quickly and thoroughly.

Medical ultrasonic cleaners work by generating microscopic cavitation bubbles throughout the cleaning bath. When these bubbles collapse, they emit a tiny but powerful jet that dislodges dirt and contamination from the devices' surface to be cleaned. The millions of the tiny cavitation bubbles produce an intense scrubbing action that leaves device surfaces completely clean.

Traditional cleaning methods such as manual cleaning and soaking the parts in chemicals can be time-consuming, costly, unsafe, and, most of all, won't produce the same complete cleaning results as an ultrasonic cleaner does. The traditional cleaning process may also require constant monitoring. Manual cleaning and scrubbing of sharp objects can cause puncturing wounds or cuts, and the process can take a lot of time and effort. Not to mention that manual cleaning can be difficult, especially if the device has complex shapes or hard-to-clean openings and crevices.

On the other hand, soaking the parts requires chemicals that have to be purchased, stored, delivered, and (when they're no longer needed) disposed of properly. These harsh cleaning chemicals can pose a significant environmental hazard if not handled properly.

Many of these medical tools and devices are delicate that they cannot withstand high temperatures. For instance, cleaning them with hot water may cause damage and, in turn, compromise their efficiency. Optical devices such as parts of fiber optics may have delicate surfaces that manual scrubbing can damage them. Medical ultrasonic cleaners can be designed to deal with these issues and thoroughly clean fragile electronic and optical devices

Ultrasonic cleaning, therefore, may help address these issues. The parts are placed in a basket immersed in the cleaning bath that can be plain water or solution with only mild detergent or disinfectant. After a timed period of ten to twenty minutes, the clean parts can be removed from the bath. No manual cleaning or scrubbing, use of chemicals, and supervision of the cleaning process are needed. The result is clean objects that can be sterilized without fear that hidden contamination may protect microbes and pathogens against sterilization.

For more details read the article, “Why the Medical Industry Has Increased Its Use of Ultrasonic Cleaning”. As a leader among ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers, Kaijo Shibuya provides extensive experience with a broad product line and outstanding customer support to address your industrial cleaning requirements. Contact them at info@kaijo-shibuya.com or call 408-675-5575.

What Medical Applications Require High Frequency Ultrasonic Cleaning?

Ultrasonic cleaning is the ideal solution for many medical applications because medical ultrasonic cleaners deliver rapid and complete cleaning without using hazardous chemicals. They can even clean parts with complex shapes, interior cavities, or cracks and ridges wherever the cleaning solution can penetrate. Medical applications, such as implants, surgical instruments, and other medical devices, must be clean and sterile in ultrasonic bath with a disinfecting solution.

Choosing the right type of frequency in an ultrasonic cleaner will result in optimum cleaning performance. For medical devices with soft or delicate parts, or those that may have parts with delicate structures, the best cleaning performance is achieved by gentle cleaning at high frequencies. Low frequencies produce a powerful cleaning action that can dislodge contaminants effectively, causing pitting of soft surfaces or damage to fragile components.

Ultrasonic systems generate microscopic bubbles in the cleaning solution. When the bubbles burst, they produce energetic jets that dislodge contaminants from the medical devices' surfaces. Higher frequencies produce smaller bubbles and less energetic jets, which are ideal for cleaning fragile and delicate parts such as parts of medical devices. Such components could be damaged very easily by powerful mechanical cleaning. High-frequency medical ultrasonic cleaners deliver thorough but gentle cleaning action, which is suitable for medical devices.

Specific medical instruments – such as those that take readings of a patient's condition – can't be sterilized with heat because their circuitry and material are heat-sensitive. In this case high-frequency ultrasonic cleaning technology can clean such instruments in a solution of disinfectant, which will sterilize and clean them at the same time.

For more details, read the complete article “What Medical Applications Require High Frequency Ultrasonic Cleaning.” If you have questions, or would like to set up a free consultation to discuss how an ultrasonic cleaner can be used to meet your cleaning needs, contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email to info@kaijo-shibuya.com.

Which Ultrasonic Frequencies Are Used in Automotive Parts Cleaning?

Automotive parts typically have hard surfaces and are comparatively rugged, allowing ultrasonic cleaning to take place at the low-frequency spectrum in an ultrasonic cleaner. Within that lower range, there is still room for optimizing the cleaning performance by matching the automotive ultrasonic cleaner frequency exactly to the automotive parts to be cleaned.

Low frequencies can clean solid, rugged steel parts rapidly and thoroughly. Higher frequencies can clean more delicate parts or parts with special coatings.

Ultrasonic cleaners work by using ultrasonic generators to produce microscopic cavitation bubbles as the ultrasonic sound waves pass through the cleaning solution. The bubbles form in the low-pressure troughs and collapse in high-pressure peaks. As the cavitation bubbles bust, they produce tiny, high-energy jet that impacts the surface of the part being cleaned which dislodges and removes contaminants.

The size of the bubble and the energy of their jets depends on the ultrasonic frequency. Lower frequencies produce larger bubbles and more powerful jets. High frequencies produce smaller bubbles and less energetic jets. The ideal match between the frequency and the parts to be cleaned uses a frequency powerful enough to dislodge dirt, but not too powerful to cause pitting or damage part surfaces, coatings, plating, or small structures.

Typical parts cleaned with automotive ultrasonic cleaners include brake parts, injector nozzles, cylinder heads, carburetor and differential components. In each case the frequency selected depends on the part material and surfaces, the amount of contaminating material and the contaminants' composition.

Kaijo helps customers select the right ultrasonic cleaners from their extensive line of ultrasonic cleaning equipment to achieve effective automotive part cleaning results.

Read the complete article, “Which Ultrasonic Frequencies Are Used in Automotive Parts Cleaning?” for further details on using ultrasonic cleaners for automotive parts cleaning. If you would like to get a free consultation on your cleaning requirements, contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com.

 

Why Medical 3D Printing Uses Ultrasonic Cleaning

Medical 3D printing is used to produce instruments, implants, and prostheses that must be completely cleaned before being used. Since 3D-printed medical implants and instruments are inserted into the body, they must be cleaned to meet medical requirements. Any contamination can result in serious infections, and ultimately, failure of the implant procedure.

Medical ultrasonic cleaners can help ensure that the 3D-printed products and parts are clean, sterile, and free from contaminants. 3D-printed medical parts may contain traces of support material, dirt that may have been picked up during transportation and storage, or pathogens that may have been transferred onto the part during handling in the hospital. 

Medical ultrasonic cleaners can remove bacteria, viruses, or other organic contamination from all of these sources and provides an excellent solution to cleaning medical 3D parts.

Ultrasonic cleaning works by generating microscopic cavitation bubbles in a cleaning solution inside a cleaning tank. The bubbles are produced by the ultrasonic sound waves when they pass through a liquid. The bubbles collapse and direct tiny powerful jets onto the surfaces of the parts to be cleaned. These jets dislodge dirt and contamination on the underlying surface.

Ultrasonic cleaning cleans medical 3D parts fast and completely. It can even clean around complex shapes, dead-end holes, and inside threads of the medical parts to be cleaned. With the right frequency, it does not cause damage to the delicate parts. Using Kaijo’s ultrasonic cleaners saves time, money, and labor. It doesn’t require heavy mechanical scrubbing and harsh cleaning chemicals. It uses only water, and sometimes a mild detergent or disinfectant, depending on the contamination of the medical parts.

Kaijo offers a free consultation for ultrasonic cleaning applications and has the experience and expertise to design and build systems for cleaning specific types of medical devices. For more details read the complete article, “Why Medical 3D Printing Uses Ultrasonic Cleaning”. Contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com if you have questions or would like to set up a free consultation.

How Ultrasonic Cleaners Reduce Labor Costs and Improve Employee Safety

Ultrasonic cleaning technology is a fast and safe way to clean various parts without heavy mechanical brushing or harsh cleaning chemicals. By using ultrasonic cleaners, the cleaning process is faster, more thorough, and efficient – even complicated shapes and hard-to-reach areas can be cleaned effectively. 

Ultrasonic cleaning technology involves the generation of microscopic cavitation bubbles by channeling ultrasonic sound waves through water. When the bubbles burst, they direct small but powerful jets of liquid at the part's surface to be cleaned. These jets dislodge foreign material from the part surfaces and deliver highly effective cleaning action.

The use of ultrasonic cleaning technology provides a significant reduction in costs and labor. Ultrasonic cleaners only require a cleaning solution of water or solution with mild detergent, so there's no need to use harsh cleaning chemicals. There's also no need for mechanical scrubbing or soaking of parts in chemicals which provides a significant reduction of labor.

With ultrasonic cleaners, the operator places the parts to be cleaned in the cleaning tank, sets a timer, and leaves the machine to do its work. Ultrasonic cleaners are completely safe and do not need monitoring. In addition to reduced costs of human resources, there are also big savings from the elimination in the handling, and disposal of toxic and hazardous cleaning chemicals. The elimination of chemicals also results in a much more environmentally friendly operation.

A mild detergent added to the water will speed up the cleaning process for cleaning parts with oily or greasy residues. For cleaning parts with heavy contamination (such as hard, baked-on grime), heating the solution can soften the contaminant and make cleaning more comfortable and faster. These methods are still safer and more efficient compared to traditional cleaning.

Kaijo’s ultrasconic parts cleaners are designed to provide both safety and low cost of ownership. For more details read the complete article, “How Ultrasonic Cleaners Reduce Labor Costs and Improve Employee Safety.” For a free consultation or a quote, contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com