Sterilization Compatibility & Cleaning Guidelines: Keeping Instruments Safe for the Next Surgery

Surgical instruments aren’t just built for precision—they're built to be sterile, safe, and reliable every time they enter the operating room. But getting from the production floor to the surgical tray requires careful handling, thorough cleaning, and validated sterilization.

In this post from the Surgical Instruments 101 series, we’ll explore how surgical instruments are cleaned, sterilized, and validated—and how Dr. Frigz ensures that every instrument, set, or kit arrives ready to perform, safely.

Cleaning Comes First: Why It’s Critical

Before an instrument can be sterilized, it must be cleaned of all residues, including:

• Oils and debris from machining

• Polishing compounds

• Human handling contaminants

Cleaning is done through:

• Ultrasonic baths

• Deionized water rinsing

• Neutral enzymatic detergents

This process ensures biocompatibility and allows sterilization to be effective. If an instrument isn’t cleaned properly, sterilization cannot guarantee safety.

What Is a Cleanroom—and Why It Matters

Once instruments are cleaned and dried, they must be packed in a contamination-free environment.

🧼 Cleanroom Defined:

A cleanroom is a controlled environment where air quality, humidity, and particulate levels are regulated to prevent contamination.

• Measured in ISO classes, with ISO Class 8 being the minimum for medical device packaging.

• Dr. Frigz maintains ISO Class 7 cleanroom standards, offering a higher level of cleanliness and particle control.

💡 Key Features at Dr. Frigz:

• All blister packing for sterile kits and procedure sets is done inside the cleanroom

• Personnel wear controlled garments, and airflow is HEPA-filtered

• Entry is restricted and monitored for compliance

This ensures that once an instrument is cleaned, it is not exposed again to dust, microbes, or handling residue.

Sterilization: EO Is the Standard

While many devices are steam sterilized (autoclaved) at the hospital level, for pre-sterilized surgical instruments, Ethylene Oxide (EO) is the most widely used industrial method.

Why EO?

• Effective at low temperatures, making it safe for all instrument types

• Penetrates complex geometries and packaging

• Works for metal and plastic combinations

💨 Dr. Frigz EO Capabilities:

• Three large EO chambers

• Capacity: 25 cubic meters per batch

• Continuous operation with real-time monitoring of:

  • Gas concentration

  • Temperature and humidity

  • Aeration cycles

Post-Sterilization Testing & Release

After EO sterilization, the process isn’t finished until validation and safety are confirmed.

🧪 What Happens Next:

• Sample instruments from each batch are sent to Dr. Frigz’s in-house lab for:

  • Residual EO gas analysis

  • Biological and chemical indicator testing

• Complete records of cycle parameters (time, temperature, gas levels) are stored digitally and traceable to batch codes

✅ Parametric Release

Dr. Frigz practices parametric release, meaning a shipment is cleared only after all parameters have been verified, including:

• Compliance with customer-specific sterilization protocols

• Adherence to ISO 11135 (for EO sterilization validation)

This method ensures speed without compromising safety—and meets both international regulatory and customer-specific requirements.

Sterilization Compatibility: Material & Design Considerations

For an instrument to be compatible with sterilization, it must be:

• Made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel (e.g., 420J1, 304)

• Free of trapped cavities or surface defects

• Coated or insulated using materials that withstand sterilization cycles

Electrosurgical instruments, for example, require:

• Insulation testing

• Coating thickness verification

• Visual inspection post-sterilization

All of which are part of Dr. Frigz’s internal QA protocols.

Final Thoughts: Clean, Sterile, and Trusted

A surgical instrument’s performance doesn’t end at the cutting edge—it extends all the way to its cleanliness, sterility, and handling safety. Proper cleaning, cleanroom packaging, validated EO sterilization, and post-sterilization testing are what give healthcare providers confidence when they open a sterile tray.

At Dr. Frigz, we don’t leave that to chance. With ISO Class 7 cleanroom facilities, high-capacity EO sterilization chambers, and complete parametric release systems, we make sure every product that leaves our facility is safe, compliant, and ready for surgery.

Coming Up Next in the Series

👉 "Custom Instrument Design: How Surgeons Influence What We Manufacture" We’ll explore how instruments evolve based on surgical feedback, and how manufacturers like Dr. Frigz collaborate on design, prototyping, and production.