Sponsored – Midmark
By Laura Schulte, Marketing Manager, Midmark
Helping Customers Make Informed Decisions
As conversations around sterilization continue to evolve, sales professionals are increasingly being asked more technical questions. The key is education: helping customers understand how different sterilizers work and how to select the right solution for their needs.
When evaluating sterilizers, confirm the sterilizer meets applicable ANSI/AAMI ST55 requirements and that its FDA-cleared indications, validated cycles, and labeling align with the instrument manufacturer’s IFUs and the facility’s actual load types.
Understanding Air-Removal Technologies
Steam sterilizers use one of two approaches to remove air from the chamber:
- Gravity displacement – uses steam to naturally push cooler, heavier unsaturated air out of the chamber through a vent
- Dynamic air removal – actively removes air from the chamber using either a vacuum pump and steam or alternating bursts of steam and pressure above atmospheric pressure
Within dynamic air removal, there are two primary technologies:
- Pre-Vacuum Sterilization
Often associated with European “Class B” terminology — a European classification, not an FDA category — pre-vacuum sterilizers use a vacuum pump to remove air from the chamber before steam is introduced. These systems rely on vacuum integrity and require additional monitoring and testing, including routine Bowie-Dick testing to verify proper air removal. - Steam Flush Pressure Pulse (SFPP)
SFPP sterilizers achieve dynamic air removal using alternating steam flushes and pressure pulses. Like pre-vacuum systems, SFPP technology is designed to remove air and support effective steam penetration.
SFPP systems can provide the benefits of dynamic air removal while reducing some complexity associated with vacuum-based systems. This includes vacuum-related maintenance requirements, less testing and simplified workflow management
Importantly, both pre-vacuum and SFPP technologies are dynamic air-removal methods. The key question is not which technology sounds more advanced, but whether the sterilizer’s FDA-cleared indications, validated cycles and labeling align with instrument IFUs.
Drying Matters
Whether a sterilizer uses open-door or closed-door drying, the cycle must be validated, completed as intended and result in dry packs before handling or storage. Wet packs should always be considered compromised and reprocessed.
Conversation Starters
Key questions:
- What instruments need processing?
- What do the instrument IFUs require?
One sterilizer is not universally “better,” nor should the right choice be determined by a classification label or buzzword. Position the decision around instrument mix, IFUs, workflow needs and validated, FDA-cleared performance.
Leading with education rather than technology comparisons can help customers make informed, evidence-based decisions that support efficiency, compliance and patient safety.