Woodhouse Laboratories

Category: Uncategorized

  • Industry Spotlight: Body Art

    Industry Spotlight: Body Art

    <- Back to Learning Center

    There are over 21,000 tattoo studios throughout the 50 states. 40 states + DC require studios to perform monitoring of their sterilizer. Most of those require that such testing be performed by a 3rd party. Insufficient monitoring means the tattooist jeopardizes both their license and the health of their clients.

    Most states require monthly testing, but there are a few exceptions. Missouri and Ohio have the strictest laws, both requiring weekly monitoring of sterilizers in tattoo facilities, which puts them on par with most state’s dental regulations. Florida and Kansas require only quarterly testing (every 3 months). State regulations are subject to change with political tides, and many local municipalities have their own regulations, so always review your local laws and codes to verify your current regulations.  To see your state’s requirements, check out our map of all state’s tattoo regulations which includes links to regulatory documents.

    However, just because a state doesn’t require testing does not exempt a tattoo studio from sterilizer monitoring.  Many municipalities have their own regulations which are more strict and/or a higher frequency than those of the state level agencies.  For example, the state of Maryland has no regulations regarding tattoo studio sterilizer monitoring but Allegany and Calvert county each require monthly testing.  So always check with your county and city governments health department or equivalent agency to verify that you are in compliance.

    How much monitoring is enough?

    Legally speaking, the tattooist needs only meet their state/municipal regulations. However, the CDC guidelines state “Spore tests are the most accepted method for monitoring the sterilization process. Correct functioning of sterilization cycles should be verified by the periodic use (at least weekly) of Biological Indicators.” So while the bare minimum may be legally sufficient,  many offices opt to test weekly to ensure infection control.

    What about disposables?

    It is important to remember that 21,000 tattooists doesn’t mean 21,000 sterilizers.  Today, most tattoo studios use only pre-sterilized disposable equipment, so a sterilizer may not be necessary. However, most tattoo studios do not limit their services exclusively to ink – many also perform piercings, which means they still need a method of sterilizing body jewelry.
    If you are a tattooist, or a patron of a tattooist, and you have any questions about your local regulations, you can always call or email the experts Woodhouse Labs for a free consult.

    Need a third party lab to perform your regular spore testing? SporeAlert is a mail-in sterilizer monitoring service that makes it convenient for you to do your routine testing. All you have to do is run the strip through your sterilizer and drop it in the mail. We take care of the rest! For more information click here.

    Related Articles

  • Steam vs Dry Heat vs Chemical Sterilizers – What’s the difference?

    Steam vs Dry Heat vs Chemical Sterilizers – What’s the difference?

    <- Back to Learning Center

    Instrument sterilization is essential to the functioning of many industries. There are several accepted methods that are used to ensure that instruments are sterilized properly. Below we describe 3 of the most common types of sterilizers used in the medical field.

    Regardless of the type of sterilizer you use, the CDC recommends verifying the proper functioning of your instrument using a weekly spore test. Find out more information at www.WoodhouseLabs.com.

    Steam

    Also referred to as an autoclave, steam sterilizers are the most common popular type of sterilizer, due to their versatility and ease of use. There are two common types of autoclave, gravity displacement or pre-vacuum-type, however both rely on a combination of high temperature, high pressure, and time.

    Sterilization times range from 4-30 minutes depending on the temperature and the load type (wrapped vs unwrapped instruments, liquids vs solids, etc). Most autoclaves include a drying cycle which can last from 25-40 minutes. See your manufacturer’s instructions for exact requirements.

    Common manufacturers of steam sterilizers include: 

    • Midmark
    • Harvey (not including the Harvey Chemiclave)
    • Pelton & Crane
    • Renton
    • Validator (Plus)
    • Ultraclave
    • Statim
    • Magnaclave
    • Kavoklave
    • Tuttnauer
    • Ritter

    Dry Heat

    Dry heat sterilizers are often preferred by clinics exclusively sterilizing metal instruments, as these sterilizers do not require steam which may cause corrosion and dulling of metal equipment. Dry heat sterilizers rely on high temperatures and extended time to destroy microorganisms.

    Sterilization times range from 12-150 minutes, depending on temperature and manufacturer’s instructions.

    Common manufacturers of dry heat sterilizers include:

    • Harvey
    • Dentronix
    • Cox
    • Sterident
    • SteriSURE
    • Wayne

    Chemical/Vapor

    Chemical sterilizers are the least common form of sterilization, due to their cost and potential hazards if handled incorrectly. However, when used properly, chemical sterilizers offer the benefits of both steam sterilizers and dry heat sterilizers – resulting in the reduced wear of metal instruments while requiring a shorter sterilization time. Chemical sterilizers use either Ethylene Oxide (EtO), or a combination of alcohol, formaldehyde, ketone, acetone, and water to create a chemical vapor for sterilizing. Like steam sterilizers, they also rely on a combination of high temperature, high pressure, and time.

    Sterilization times typically range from 20-40 minutes, similar to that of steam sterilizers.

    Common manufacturers of chemical sterilizers include:

    • Harvey (Chemiclave)
    • Vapor Steril

    Need a third party lab to perform your regular spore testing? SporeAlert is a mail-in sterilizer monitoring service that makes it convenient for you to do your routine testing. All you have to do is run the strip through your sterilizer and drop it in the mail. We take care of the rest! For more information click here.

    Related Articles

  • What’s in your spore test? Meet our microbes!

    What’s in your spore test? Meet our microbes!

    <- Back to Learning Center

    One of the most common questions we get is “What kind of bacteria do you use? Will it make me sick?!” Here we’ve added a brief description of the 2 strains of bacteria that we use for sterilizer monitoring, and some interesting facts on each.

    Geobacillus stearothermophilus

    Geobacillus stearothermophilus was first discovered in 1920, and was originally classified as a member of the genus Bacillus. Until the discovery of archaebacteria in hot springs, G. stearothermophilus was the most heat-resistant organism known to man. It is classified as a thermophile (heat-loving bacterium) and will grow within a temperature range of 30-75 degrees Celsius.

    It has been observed to have to survived temperatures as high as 130 degrees C, making it an ideal specimen for verifying proper sterilization temperatures in steam autoclaves.

    G. stearothermophilus is widely distributed in soil, hot springs, ocean sediment, and is a cause of spoilage in food products. It has not been observed to be pathogenic to any host – which makes it a safe option for sterilizer monitoring! We use G. stearothermophilus to test steam and chemical vapor sterilizers.

    Bacillus atrophaeus

    The majority of Bacillus atrophaeus cultures that we use today are from a lineage of B. atrophaeus that originated at a United States Army Medical Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland in the 1950s.

    The US military used B. atrophaeus as a surrogate for anthrax, as it is non-pathogenic while still being similar to the bacterium Bacillus anthracis for study. The endospores of B. atrophaeus are extremely resistant to stresses, such as chemicals (they can even survive 95% EtOH).

    We use B. atrophaeus to test dry heat and ethylene oxide sterilizers.

    References:

    1. DONK P.J.: A highly resistant thermophilic organism” Journal of Bacteriology 1920; 5, 373-374.
    2. J.E. Thwaite, H.S. Atkins, in Medical Microbiology (Eighteenth Edition), 2012
    3. Nazina, T.N.; Tourova, T.P.; Poltaraus, A.B.; Novikova, E.V.; Grigoryan, A.A.; Ivanova, A.E.; Lysenko, A.M.; Petrunyaka, V.V.; Osipov, G.A.; Belyaev, S.S.; Ivanov, M.V. Taxonomic study of aerobic thermophilic bacilli. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2001, 51, 433-446.
    4. Gibbons, Henry; et al. (25 Mar 2011). “Genomic signatures of strain selection and enhancement in Bacillus atrophaeus var. globigii, a historical biowarfare simulant”. PLoS ONE. 6 (3): e17836. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017836. PMC 3064580 Freely accessible. PMID 21464989.

    Need a third party lab to perform your regular spore testing? SporeAlert is a mail-in sterilizer monitoring service that makes it convenient for you to do your routine testing. All you have to do is run the strip through your sterilizer and drop it in the mail. We take care of the rest! For more information click here.

    Related Articles