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The History of Medical Instrument Sterilization and the Autoclave

November 29th, 2024 in Educational Content and Guides
The History of Medical Instrument Sterilization and the Autoclave

The history of medical instrument sterilization and the use of the autoclave is typically credited to Charles Chamberland in 1879. However, the real history is more complicated than that. In today’s blog article, we would like to give you slightly fuller explanation of how sterilization with autoclaves evolved. 

The Autoclave 

Technically, the autoclave was actually invented in France by the physicist, Denis Papin, who first discussed it at the Royal Society in London in 1679. However, Papin’s “pressure cooker” was not intended to sterilize instruments, but rather to be used for other applications like cooking. 

Sterilization 

The concept of sterilizing things was virtually non-existent (with a few exceptions) until Pasteur came up with the germ theory of disease in the late 1800s. Pasteur and Koch had the idea that disease was transmitted by microorganisms, and therefore could be spread between patients without careful attention to stopping that transmission. 

Lister was the British surgeon who pioneered using carbolic acid to sterilize instruments for surgery and to clean wounds in 1860. 

Keep in mind, however, that there have been some notions of disinfection since ancient times, and some people, such as physicians in Italy, were trying to clean their medical instruments in the fourteenth century. 

Autoclave for Sterilizing 

However, it was definitely Chamberlain--who worked with Pasteur--who figured out that using the autoclave for sterilization was superior to other methods of sterilization. There were two reasons for this: first, the pressure pushed the heat and steam into nooks and crannies of instruments, and, second, the steam and pressure raised the temperature to make it more effective against more microorganisms. These first autoclaves were the gravity-fed type. 

Autoclaves for sterilization evolved from there, although they were not commonplace until well into the twentieth century. 

If you need help choosing, repairing, maintaining, installing, operating, or validating an autoclave, this is our business and area of expertise for many years. Give us a call, in western Canada at (888) 818-4847. We can help with every aspect of autoclaves including choosing the right one for you. 

Alpha Scientific supplies, installs, and services medical equipment in western Canada. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about medical equipment, please call our toll-free number, (888) 818-4847, or email us at sales@alphascientific.ca.

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