Breathing Circuit Cleaning with Ultrasound

by | Sep 15, 2017 | CNC Machine Shop

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Ultrasonic cleaning is an important process used in many industries today. With the help of sound waves, dirt, grime and a number of contaminants can be removed from items, making them clean and sanitary. In fact, a special process is used for breathing circuit cleaning and this is very important for the anesthesiology industry.

What Are Breathing Circuits?

A breathing circuit is a necessary part of the anesthesia process. While the patient is unconscious it provides oxygen needed for respiration and at the same time, is able to remove carbon dioxide from the system. This can be accomplished with a washout method using FGF (free gas flow) or soda lime.

It can be difficult to clean anesthesia equipment with conventional methods. They contain tubes, machined parts and blind areas which simply cannot be reached with standard cleaning tools. Using an oxygen cleaning method, breathing circuits can be effectively cleaned. Here is how O2 cleaning works:

A transducer unit (outside of the area to be cleaned) produces high frequency sound waves. This creates very tiny bubbles which are microscopic in size. The sound continues to vibrate and the bubbles grow larger and larger. As they continue to expand, they eventually explode inside the unit with very high pressure. This creates a very efficient breathing circuit cleaning method.

Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning

More and more companies are miniaturizing and this creates special needs for cleaning as things get smaller. This process is used in the medical, electronics, food processing, disaster recovery and aerospace industries. Here are some important benefits ultrasonic cleaning provides.

Gentle Yet Effective Cleaning

Many parts today are very delicate and harsh chemicals or even simple scrubbing could cause serious problems. Ultrasonic cleaning can be used on the most delicate of materials because is takes place on such a small scale.

Saving Time

Cleaning with sound waves is not only extremely efficient, it is also quick. In fact, it is much faster than most standard cleaning methods. In business today, time is money and the more time you save the greater your efficiency becomes.

Versatility

Ultrasound is one of the most versatile cleaning methods you can use. Besides breathing circuit cleaning, it will remove all kinds of materials including dirt, wax, grime, sand, metal shavings, carbon, soot and many other contaminants.

Eco Friendly

Many types of cleaning systems require circulation pumps and high pressure machines. They also may utilize a number of cleaning chemicals which can harm the environment. Ultrasonic cleaning is a very clean process.

Energy Efficient

Cleaning with ultrasound can save on electric power. This makes is a very cost effective solution for a wide range of cleaning problems.