Galea spring hooks

Cleaning/disinfection

Aesculap® Galea spring hooks

Product-specific safety notes on the reprocessing procedure

Symbols on product and packages

CAUTION

Caution, general warning symbol Caution, see documentation supplied with the product

Damage to the product due to inappropriate cleaning/disinfecting agents and/or excessive temperatures! ► Use cleaning and disinfecting agents according to the manufacturer’s instructions which – be approved for plastic material and high-grade steel, – do not attack softeners (e.g. in silicone). ► Observe specifications regarding concentration, temperature and exposure time.

► Carry out ultrasound cleaning:

Intended use Galea spring hooks are fine hooks which are used as self-retaining retractors for holding and grasping tissue and skin in neurosurgical operations. The fastening element (bulldog clamp) can be fastened for example to the surgical drape during the operation.

Safe handling and preparation CAUTION Federal law restricts this device to sale by, or on order of a physician! ► Ensure that the product and its accessories are operated and used only by persons with the requisite training, knowledge, or experience. ► Read, follow, and keep the instructions for use. ► Use the product only in accordance with its intended use, see Intended use. ► Remove the transport packaging and clean the new product, either manually or mechanically, prior to its initial sterilization. ► Store any new or unused products in a dry, clean, and safe place. ► Prior to each use, inspect the product for loose, bent, broken, cracked, worn, or fractured components. ► Do not use the product if it is damaged or defective. Set aside the product if it is damaged. ► Replace any damaged components immediately with original spare parts. ► Always carry out a function test prior to each use of the product.

– as an effective mechanical supplement to manual cleaning/disinfecting. – as a pre-cleaning procedure for products with encrusted residues, in preparation for mechanical cleaning/disinfecting. – as an integrated mechanical support measure for mechanical cleaning/disinfecting. – for additional cleaning of products with residues left after mechanical cleaning/disinfecting. ► Clean and disinfect microsurgical products mechanically if they can be placed securely in the machine or on the positioning aids.

Validated cleaning and disinfection procedure Validated procedure

Specific requirements

Reference

Manual cleaning with ultrasound and immersion disinfection

■ Suitable cleaning brush ■ 20 ml disposable syringe ■ When cleaning products with

Chapter Manual cleaning/disinfection and sub-chapter:

Note Adhere to national statutory regulations, national and international standards and directives, and local, clinical hygiene instructions for sterile processing.

■ Keep working ends open for cleaning.

■ Drying phase: Use a lint-free cloth or medical compressed air Manual pre-cleaning with brush and subsequent mechanical alkaline cleaning and thermal disinfection

■ Keep working ends open for

► If applicable, rinse non-visible surfaces preferably with deionized water, with a disposable syringe for example. ► Remove any visible surgical residues to the extent possible with a damp, lint-free cloth. ► Transport the dry product in a sealed waste container for cleaning and disinfection within 6 hours.

with a brush

■ Chapter Mechanical alkaline cleaning and thermal disinfecting

opening.

■ The wire or similar object must be made of metal and should be of round cross-section. To avoid rinsing blind spots, do not use plastic materials or elastic tubes (silicone or PVC).

■ Position wire or similar object

Note If there is no final sterilization, then a virucidal disinfectant must be used.

Preparations at the place of use

■ Chapter Manual pre-cleaning

cleaning.

Note Successful processing of this medical device can only be ensured if the processing method is first validated. The operator/sterile processing technician is responsible for this. The recommended chemistry was used for validation.

Dried or affixed surgical residues can make cleaning more difficult or ineffective and lead to corrosion. Therefore the time interval between application and processing should not exceed 6 h; also, neither fixating pre-cleaning temperatures >45 °C nor fixating disinfecting agents (active ingredient: aldehydes/alcohols) should be used. Excessive measures of neutralizing agents or basic cleaners may result in a chemical attack and/or to fading and the laser marking becoming unreadable visually or by machine for stainless steel. Residues containing chlorine or chlorides e.g. in surgical residues, medicines, saline solutions and in the service water used for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization will cause corrosion damage (pitting, stress corrosion) and result in the destruction of stainless steel products. These must be removed by rinsing thoroughly with demineralized water and then drying. Additional drying, if necessary. Only process chemicals that have been tested and approved (e.g. VAH or FDA approval or CE mark) and which are compatible with the product’s materials according to the chemical manufacturers’ recommendations may be used for processing the product. All the chemical manufacturer's application specifications must be strictly observed. Failure to do so can result in the following problems: ■ Optical changes of materials, e.g. fading or discoloration of titanium or aluminum. For aluminum, the application/process solution only needs to be of pH >8 to cause visible surface changes. ■ Material damage such as corrosion, cracks, fracturing, premature aging or swelling. ► Do not use metal cleaning brushes or other abrasives that would damage the product surfaces and could cause corrosion. ► Further detailed advice on hygienically safe and material-/value-preserving reprocessing can be found at www.ak-i.org, link to Publications, Red Brochure – Proper maintenance of instruments.

Chapter Mechanical cleaning/disinfection with manual pre-cleaning and sub-chapter:

■ Use a wire or similar object for

Note Mechanical reprocessing should be favored over manual cleaning as it gives better and more reliable results.

General information

■ Suitable cleaning brush ■ 20 ml disposable syringe ■ Place the product in a tray that is suitable for cleaning (avoiding rinsing blind spots).

Note For patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), suspected CJD or possible variants of CJD, observe the relevant national regulations concerning the reprocessing of products.

Note For up-to-date information about reprocessing and material compatibility, see also the Aesculap Extranet at https://extranet.bbraun.com The validated steam sterilization procedure was carried out in the Aesculap sterile container system.

ultrasound and immersion disinfection

movable hinges, ensure that these are in an open position and, if applicable, move the joint while cleaning.

Validated reprocessing procedure General safety instructions

■ Chapter Manual cleaning with

in the jaw area.

Manual cleaning/disinfection ► Prior to manual disinfecting, allow water to drip off for a sufficient length of time to prevent dilution of the dis-

infecting solution. ► After manual cleaning/disinfection, check visible surfaces visually for residues. ► Repeat the cleaning /disinfection process if necessary.

Manual cleaning with ultrasound and immersion disinfection Phase

Step

T [°C/°F]

t [min]

Conc. [%]

Water quality

Chemical

I

Ultrasonic cleaning

RT (cold)

>15

2

D–W

Aldehyde-free, phenol-free, and QUAT-free concentrate, pH ~ 9*

II

Intermediate rinse

RT (cold)

1

-

D–W

-

III

Disinfection

RT (cold)

15

2

D–W

Aldehyde-free, phenol-free, and QUAT-free concentrate, pH ~ 9*

IV

Final rinse

RT (cold)

1

-

FD-W

-

V

Drying

RT

-

-

-

-

D–W: FD–W:

Drinking water Fully desalinated water (demineralized, low microbiological contamination: drinking water quality at least) RT: Room temperature *Recommended: BBraun Stabimed ► Note the information on appropriate cleaning brushes and disposable syringes, see Validated cleaning and dis-

infection procedure. Phase I ► Clean the product in an ultrasonic cleaning bath (frequency 35 kHz) for at least 15 min. Ensure that all accessible surfaces are immersed and acoustic shadows are avoided. ► Clean the product with a suitable cleaning brush in the solution until all discernible residues have been removed from the surface. ► If applicable, brush through non-visible surfaces with an appropriate cleaning brush for at least 1 min. ► Mobilize non-rigid components, such as set screws, links, etc. during cleaning. ► Thoroughly rinse through these components with the cleaning disinfectant solution (at least five times), using a disposable syringe.