Medical Design Briefs - December 2021 - 32

fluid for hundreds of times before it needs to
VAPOR DEGREASER
be refreshed or replaced. This helps reduce
the cost of hazardous waste removal. After a
typical cleaning cycle of about 6-20 minutes,
the parts come out clean, rinsed, dried, and
ready for the next stage of production.
FREEBOARD
CHILLING COILS
PRIMARY
CONDENSING
COILS
WATER TO DRAIN
FOR TREATMENT
PRIMARY
WATER
SEPARATOR
SOLVENT
CONDENSATE
RETURN LOOP
■ Uncompromised Cleaning
Effectiveness
FILTER
HEAT COILS
U/S TRANSDUCERS
©2017 MicroCare® Corp., All Rights Reserverd. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly forbidden.
After a vapor degreasing cycle of about 6-20 minutes, parts are clean, rinsed, dried, and ready.
(Credit: MicroCare)
have a lower boiling point, which reduces the amount of energy
needed to heat the cleaner inside the vapor degreaser. The result
is less fossil fuel consumption, a lower total carbon emission, and
less greenhouse gas output. In addition, the vapor degreasing
process uses zero water, helping ensure future populations will
have enough of this vital non-renewable resource.
■ How It Works
A typical vapor degreasing system consists of two chambers,
both filled with a modern cleaning fluid. In one chamber, the
cleaning fluid is heated to a boil, which then generates a vapor
cloud that rises to meet cooling coils. These cause the vapors
to condense and return to their liquid state. This liquid is then
channeled back to the rinse chamber.
Soiled parts are immersed in the continuously filtered and
distilled cleaning fluid inside the vapor degreaser to dissolve or
lift the soils from the parts surface. As the parts are lifted from
the cleaning fluid, they undergo a brief vapor rinse and drying
process. The vapor degreaser recycles and reuses the cleaning
■ Vapor Degreasing Does More Than Clean
Using a vapor degreaser not only cleans effectively, but also
creates the opportunity for manufacturing efficiencies. For
example, it is possible to combine the vapor degreasing cleaning
process with a second-step surface treatment for the application
of medical-grade lubrication or a specialty film. The
versatility of the vapor degreasing cleaning process means
parts are cleaned and coated in seconds, streamlining the
overall process significantly.
■ A Trend Setter
As the trend toward miniature external medical devices continues,
designing and manufacturing them becomes more
challenging. Devices continue to shrink in size and weight,
while growing in complexity. Elaborate geometries, awkward
shapes, and internal blind holes are now common features of
the designs. These intricacies can affect long-term performance
and functionality.
Cleaning is an effective step in which to ensure reliability; however,
achieving thorough cleaning is more difficult. Therefore,
medical device manufacturers are opting for new methods and
tools. Modern cleaning fluids and vapor degreasing equipment
offer better cleaning flexibility. They provide effective and consistent
cleaning to meet cleanliness standards and strict performance
guidelines, both now and in the future.
This article was written by Jay Tourigny, Senior Vice President at
External health devices are becoming smaller and more discrete. (Credit:
MicroCare)
32
Cov
MicroCare Medical, New Britain, CT. For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/79420-343.
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ToC
Medical Design Briefs, December 2021
PUMP
Modern vapor degreasing fluids feature
excellent materials compatibility, making
them well-suited for cleaning delicate plastic
parts or mixed-material devices. They also
have low surface tensions and high liquid
densities, meaning they penetrate parts to
clean them thoroughly. Even more importantly,
the cleaning fluids dry quickly without
leaving any moisture inside the devices that
can cause corrosion or lead to bioburden
issues. Medical device designers find this
benefit of modern fluid cleaning to be of
utmost importance because it doesn't limit
the complexity of the product design.
Also, vapor degreasing systems are not
geometry-sensitive, meaning that if the component fits in the
machine, the machine will clean it, without the need for extra
fixtures or equipment. This is beneficial because it maximizes
valuable production floorspace, especially in cleanrooms.
Vapor degreaser cleaning is a well-engineered process that is
simple, predictable, and repeatable, making it easy to qualify
and validate for cleanroom medical device manufacturing.
BOIL SUMP
RINSE SUMP

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Medical Design Briefs - December 2021

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