How to improve hygiene in a Sterile Processing Department

Hygiene is para­mount in a Sterile Processing Department. You can signi­fi­cantly elevate the hygiene level by auto­mating processes, such as the steri­lization storage.

The foremost task in a Sterile Processing Department is to ensure that surgical instru­ments are cleaned, functional, and, above all, sterile. It’s about patient safety, so it’s not a task taken lightly.

It’s unavoi­dable that there’s a need for humans in a Sterile Processing Department; for example, to check if the instru­ments are functioning. However, there are functions in the Sterile Processing Department that can be advan­ta­geously auto­mated, bene­fiting both staff and patients.

Same task, same result

One of the strengths of automation is that tasks are performed the same way every time. Consequently, with the same outcome.

This can be leveraged when containers or wire baskets need to be washed and placed on washing racks. It’s crucial for hygiene that containers and baskets are properly placed on the washing racks so that all areas are cleaned.

By using a robot for the task, containers and baskets are placed uniformly each time, opti­mizing the use of the washing rack.

Robots can also be used to open and empty case carts with dirty surgical equipment. This way, the staff avoids potential exposure to conta­mi­nation. Additionally, the risk of ergo­nomic strains is mini­mized because the staff doesn’t have to manually remove containers, trays, or baskets.

Automate the storage

Another obvious area to automate is the sterile storage. This is where instru­ments are kept after steri­lization until they are needed again for a new operation.

Therefore, it’s crucial that the area – or the indi­vidual containers or baskets – remains sterile.

This can be achieved by auto­mating the area. In fact, it can be done so that humans don’t need to enter the sterile storage.

The containers with steri­lized instru­ments are trans­ported into the sterile storage using conveyors, where a ware­house robot takes them and places them on avai­lable shelves. Likewise, they are retrieved and trans­ported out of storage when needed for an operation.

This can be combined with a robot placing the containers or baskets in a case cart outside the storage and then closing the cart doors.

This ensures that the sterile environment is main­tained until the operating room.

Of course, there are many other automation possi­bi­lities in a Sterile Processing Department, and they all contribute in one way or another to main­taining or improving the sterile environment necessary in the department.