dry heat sterylization

[tin23uk]

on a few sites i have read on autoclaves and sterylization i came accross info on dry heat sterylizers, are these things safe and do they work as well as autoclaves if they do wouldnt a cleaned out and disenfected household stove do the same job, i found a few temps and times and they were all below what a standard electric stove is capable of. it seams confusing to me that a good autoclave is so damn expensive and yet one of the most important pieces of equipment in the tattoo industry.

thanks

[Mr. Bill]

Dry heat is not acceptable for sterilization in Tattooing!! If you can't autoclave it (properly), you throw it away. Period!!!!

I would recommend beginning with the course offered by the Red Cross at http://www.redcrossonlinetraining.org/erts/browseOnline.asp?function=2&CourseID=52
It is inexpensive and a good place to gain a basic understanding of Universal Precautions as they apply to the tattoo industry.

It is very important that you fully understand bloodborne pathogens and the concept of cross-contamination before you tattoo anyone, including yourself.

[tin23uk]

i wasnt planning on using it iv just been seeing it pop up now and again when reading about sterylization, as far as i was aware the only fool proof method is to use preassuer steam and heat which you dont get with dry heat, is there a reason why these people are mentioning them, one page i visited even stated dry heat has an advantage over autoclaves because steam tends to dull sharp edges and needles oxidize rapidly in steam, from what what i have always read and been told you never under any circumstances reuse a needle, not even for the same customer at a later date,
well if this guy was right then everyone would be using dry heat instead of steam and preassure

[Mr. Bill]

You would only need to autoclave the needles that you've made yourself, before you use them. You're right... no need to reuse needles. Toss 'em. Although I have heard of some artists who buy premade, sterile needles and autoclave them before use, simply because they don't trust factory sterilization.

[undercover art]

Here is what the Texas law says, I figure they wouldn't specifically mention dry heat if it wasn't suitable for tattooing....
§ 146.011. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. (a) A tattooist or
person who performs body piercing shall use tools and equipment for
tattooing or body piercing that have been properly sterilized and
kept in a sterile condition.
(b) A tattooist or person who performs body piercing shall
sterilize tools and equipment used on one client before using them
on another client.
(c) Tools and equipment shall be sterilized by:
(1) the use of a dry heat sterilizer; or
(2) steam pressure treatment in an autoclave.
(d) All needles and instruments shall be kept in a clean,
dust-tight container when not in use.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 580, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 516, § 11, eff. Sept. 1,
1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1528, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

[tin23uk]

good point how much can some manufacturers be trusted as you said it would be far safer just to autoclave even the pre packaged steryle equipment, kinda un-nerving tho to think about using needles and disposable grips and tubes for people like me with no autoclave

[tin23uk]

yeah that was another place i recall seeing it mentioned, in some state laws, dont think its in all tho

[tin23uk]

im pretty sure dry heat doesnt kill off a few nasties such as hepatitis tho, but if im right then it shouldnt be mentioned in state laws, that would effectively mean that if the health dept walked into a shop in tx and they were using dry heat sterylizers (which is technically an oven) they couldnt be warned about it or shut down. which would be crazy if dry heat doesnt kill hep

[undercover art]

A dry heat sterilizer is not just an "oven" or a "toaster oven", it is a medically approved sterilization device. Logbooks must be kept, spore tests performed, maitnence records,etc...The time it takes to sterilize an object is the drawback, not suitability for tattooing. Sterile means sterile....not half sterile, not almost sterile, not a few "tough" pathogens remaining, Sterile means Sterile!

[tin23uk]

i figured it would have to be keapt in a certain manner as with an autoclave but it is really just heat and nothing else being used to sterylize, i just a few mins ago another site that said any shop that is found with only a dry heat sterylizer and no autoclave would immediatly be shut down in us and uk. it would be nice just out of curiosity to find a definative answer.
i have heard of dry heat sterylizer being used in brewing so i was thinking maybe they are suitable for some applications where the risks arent as great but like you said if it says sterile it must sterylize against everything not all except

[undercover art]

The legal info I posted was off of the Texas State Law page, it did not mention the need for both kinds of sterilizers. i prefer Auto clave because of the time it takes, but my dry heat sterilizer is a nice piece of equipment also.

[jadefoodog]

ok lets take a look at how hospitals take sterilization. hospitals use both steam and dry heat autoclaves BUT they use dry heat ONLY for things that cannot go in a steam autoclave like powder bases and things of that nature for EVERYTHING else they use steam based autoclaves .

reasoning the steam not only lets the paper packaging survive past the temperature of combustion but it also conducts heat faster and more effectivly to the microorganisms also it builds the preassure with further conducts heat letting not only the outer layers of the tubes be streilized but it also helps raise internal temperature so any nook or crannie thats not exsposed to the dry heat autoclave gets permiated

[undercover art]

The dry heat sterilizer raises the temperature of the object being sterilized to roughly 340 degrees, not just the air surrounding it. Therefore it is effective at sterilizing all the nook and crannys and unexposed parts of an object. They make wraps that can survive the heat inside the dry heat sterilizer, but I prefer metal trays, put the objects (tubes, tips, screws,etc..) into the tray, put a lid on it, sterilize it, and the contents of the tray are sterile until you open it. It is a proffesional piece of equipment, and it works just like it should. (I still like the autoclave better though)