Instrument care, cleaning & sterilization

1. Point of use

   Wipe off blood and tissue immediately with a damp, lint-free cloth. Do not let soil dry on the instrument. Never soak in saline.

2. Transport

   Move instruments to reprocessing in a closed container, kept moist. Protect micro tips with tip guards.

3. Preparation

   Open box locks and ratchets; disassemble multi-part instruments (e.g. removable suction cannulas, sliding-shaft instruments where designed to open).

4. Manual cleaning

   Use a neutral or mildly alkaline enzymatic detergent and soft nylon brushes. Flush lumens and suction tubes with a syringe or water gun. Never use steel wool, wire brushes or abrasive powders.

5. Ultrasonic cleaning

   Clean in a fresh ultrasonic bath per the detergent maker’s instructions. Keep instruments open, do not overload, and do not mix titanium with stainless steel in the same load.

6. Rinsing

   Rinse thoroughly, finishing with purified (deionized or RO) water to avoid spotting and staining.

7. Drying

   Dry completely, including joints and lumens — use filtered compressed air where available.

8. Inspection

   Check under magnification: tip alignment, serrations, TC inserts, cutting edges, box-lock cracks, ratchet function and corrosion. Withdraw damaged instruments for repair.

9. Lubrication

   Apply a water-soluble, steam-permeable instrument lubricant to hinges and box locks. Do not use oils or silicone sprays.

10. Packaging

    Place in trays or pouches with tip guards on fine instruments; do not stack heavy instruments on micro instruments.

11. Sterilization

    Steam sterilize using your facility’s validated cycle (for example pre-vacuum at 134 °C). Instruments must be clean and dry before sterilization.

12. Storage

    Store dry, in a clean area, away from chemicals. Let instruments cool to room temperature before use or storage.

Avoid

• Leaving instruments soiled or soaking for long periods
• Saline, bleach, chlorine or iodine solutions — they cause pitting
• Steel wool, wire brushes or abrasive cleaners
• Using needle holders with sutures heavier than their rating
• Cutting wire, plastic or suture material with fine tissue scissors
• Dropping or throwing instruments into trays

Special notes

Micro & spring-handle instruments

Clean with tips closed in a protective rack or with tip guards on; inspect tips under magnification after every cycle.

Tungsten-carbide jaws and blades

TC inserts are very hard but brittle: avoid impact and avoid closing jaws on hard objects.

Titanium instruments

Clean separately from stainless steel. Colour changes on anodized titanium are cosmetic.

Long-shaft MIS / VATS instruments

Flush the shaft through the flush port where present, and work the mechanism during cleaning.