The 3M Attest Mini Auto-reader 490M provides sterilization monitoring results in 24 minutes, according to the company, meaning dental teams no longer have to wait for results and will now know that their sterilizer cycle parameters have been met. It incubates and reads 3M Attest Super Rapid Readout Biological Indicators 1491 and 1492V for a final fluorescent result.
“Routine monitoring using super-rapid biological indicator technology can help reduce the risk of patient exposure to contaminated dental instruments,” said Eric Wenzel, director of the 3M Oral Care Solutions Division. “And the compact size and competitive price of the Attest Mini Auto-reader makes in-office monitoring not just possible but practical for dental offices.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, biological indicators, or spore tests, are the most accepted method for monitoring the sterilization process and are recommended at a minimum on a weekly basis. These tests monitor the killing of a large population of resistant microorganisms and assure dental practices that their sterilization cycle parameters have been met.
The results of other biological indicator testing of sterilizers in dental offices via in-office monitoring or mail-in service can take from 24 hours to one week, 3M said. During that wait time, a malfunctioning sterilizer could be used to process instruments used on patients, the company added. With the Attest Mini Auto-reader, 3M said, dental practices now can access the same rapid 24-minute sterilization monitoring speed used in hospitals to better serve patients.
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