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ACHEMA
LTE Scientific will be exhibiting at ACHEMA, Frankfurt Messe, 11-15 May 2009.
Medica
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Touchclave-R Autoclave
The Touchclave-R range of general purpose autoclaves contains an exceptional level of standard equipment designed to enhance cycle performance and safety.
These include:
- Pneumatic door lock and seal - No levers or bolts
- 8-program touchscreen control system
- Air ballast system for fluid cycles
- Load-sensed process timer
- Fan assisted cooling system
- Operating temperatures from 105°C to 136°C
- Available in 40, 60, 120 and 160 litres models. All but the 40 litre unit are available as either front or top loading models
Submerged heaters within the chamber generate steam. The chamber water can be topped up periodically, either manually or automatically.
Sensors within the chamber prevent the cycle from starting or continuing if there is insufficient water.
A safety microswitch is fitted to the door which will only allow the cycle to start if the door is properly closed and locked.
At the end of the cycle, the door will not be released until both temperature and pressure have reached safe pre-set levels.
Four chamber sizes are offered, including one bench top model. The three floor standing models are offered in either top or front loading configuration. All floor standing models are easily moved on castors.
Touchclave-R models can be modified to suit specific requirements such as running off customers steam supplies or being fitted with an external steam generator.
Specifications and Ordering Information
| Model | Chamber litres | Loading | Chamber dims, mm Dia x D |
Overall dims, mm HWD |
Weight, kg |
Shelves/ positions |
| TCR/40/H | 40 | Front | 350 x 415 | 710 x 580 x 720 | 120 | 1/1 |
| TCR/60/H | 60 | Front | 350 x 625 | 1400 x 550 x 970 | 205 | 1/1 |
| TCR/60/V | 60 | Top | 350 x 625 | 1000 x 710 x 540 | 210 | 1/1 |
| TCR/120/H | 120 | Front | 500 x 610 | 1680 x 700 x 1170 | 260 | 2/2 |
| TCR/120/V | 120 | Top | 500 x 610 | 1200 x 890 x 650 | 265 | 1/1 |
| TCR/160/H | 160 | Front | 500 x 825 | 1680 x 700 x 1170 | 290 | 2/2 |
| TCR/160/V | 160 | Top | 500 x 825 | 1200 x 890 x 650 | 295 | 1/1 |
Site Services
Water – Potable water with a maximum hardness of 50ppm CaCo3 is acceptable. Otherwise check with LTE for suitability. For automatic water fill versions, connection is via a 15mm diameter water inlet.
Drain – Not required on standard units although we would always recommend connection to 100mm drain where possible. For models fitted with auto-drain and/or vacuum a 100mm drain is required. See site services sheet for full details.
Electrical – See Table Below. Prices based on 220/240V (1-Phase) and 380/440V (3-Phase), 50Hz. For other voltages/frequencies, see options or check with LTE.
| Front Loading Models | Top Loading Models | ||||||
| TCR/40/H | TCR/60/H | TCR/120/H | TCR/160/H | TCR/60/V | TCR/120/V | TCR/160/V | |
| 1-Phase | 2.5Kw | 5.5Kw | 7.5Kw | 8.5Kw | 5.0Kw | 6.5Kw | 7.5Kw |
| 1-Phase Boosted | 3.5Kw | 7Kw | N/A | N/A | 6.0Kw | N/A | N/A |
| 3-Phase | N/A | N/A | 9Kw | 10.5Kw | N/A | 8Kw | 9Kw |
Options & Accessories
| Capacity/Loading | 40-litre | 60-litre | 120-litre | 160-litre | |||
| Front | Front | Top | Front | Top | Front | Top | |
| Standard | TCR/40/H1 | TCR/60/H1 | TCR/60/V1 | TCR/120/H1 | TCR/120/V1 | TCR/160/H1 | TCR/160/V1 |
| Enhancement Packages | |||||||
| Boosted Heaters | TCR/40/H1B | TCR/60/H1B | TCR/60/V1B | TCR/120/H1B | TCR/120/V1B | TCR/160/H1B | TCR/160/V1B |
| Pre/Post Vacuum System | TCR/40/H5 | TCR/40/H5 | TCR/60/V5 | TCR/120/H5 | TCR/120/V5 | TCR/160/H5 | TCR/160/V5 |
| Boosted Heaters and Pre/Post Vacuum System | TCR/40/H5B | TCR/40/H5B | TCR/60/V5B | TCR/120/H5B | TCR/120/V5B | TCR/160/H5B | TCR/160/V5B |
| TC/TDP/01 | Thermal data printer |
| TC/INK/01 | Ink data printer |
| TC/IDA/01 | Internal data archiving* |
| TC/RDA/01 | Remote data archiving with RS232 connection (PC to be supplied by others)* |
| TC/RDA/02 | Remote data archiving with RS485 connection (PC to be supplied by others)* |
| TC/SEN/01 | Sentinel Independent Monitoring System (2 x temp, 1 x pressure)* |
| TC/FIL/01 | Automatic water fill* |
| TC/ADD/01 | Automatic drain for chamber water* |
| TC/CON/01 | Water cooled condensate unit* |
| TC/CON/02 | Air cooled condensate unit* (included on vacuum models) |
| TC/FIL/01 | Cat. 3 effluent retention upgrade (including 0.2micron exhaust filter)* |
| TC/KWF/01 | Media keep warm facility * |
| TC/AFP/01 | Upgrade of standard probe to armour-flex probe |
| TC/MEM/01 | Increased Cycle Memory (20 programs)* |
| TC/MOD/01 | Modem Link* |
| TC/CBD/01 | Lockable storage cupboard/support stand for TCR/40/H, including 4 x castors |
| TC/HST/01 | Electric hoist for all top loading models* |
| TC/VOL/05 | Conversion to 60Hz electrical supply (non-vacuum models)* |
| TC/VOL/06 | Conversion to 60hz electrical supply (vacuum models)* |
| TC/MOR/R1 | Morrison discard box for TCR/60/H |
| TC/MOR/R2 | Morrison discard box for TCR/120/H |
| TC/MOR/R3 | Morrison discard box for TCR/160/H |
| TC/MOR/R4 | Morrison discard box for TCR/60/V |
| TC/MOR/R5 | Morrison discard box for TCR/120/V |
| TC/MOR/R6 | Morrison discard box for TCR/160/H |
| TC/BAS/R1 | Basket for TCR/60/H |
| TC/BAS/R2 | Basket for TCR/120/H |
| TC/BAS/R3 | Basket for TCR/160/H |
| TC/BAS/R4 | Basket for TCR/60/V |
| TC/BAS/R5 | Basket for TCR/120/V |
| TC/BAS/R6 | Basket for TCR/160V |
Items marked * are factory fit options.
Options Explained
When choosing your autoclave, careful consideration needs to be given to the options you may need in order to optimise the autoclave’s performance and safety. Below, we briefly explain the purpose of the more popular options.
Vacuum. Provides efficient air removal at the beginning of the cycle, ensuring that steam will penetrate deep into the load and not be affected by trapped air pockets. Vacuum air removal is considerably faster than gravity systems. During the cooling stage, vacuum can be used to help dissipate heat from the load and also aid in the drying process – fitted as standard on Touchclave Systems-MP models and as an option on all other models.
Air Ballast. Fluid loads, especially sealed container, normally need to be cooled slowly in order to prevent breakage or volume loss. Air ballast provides an over pressure in the chamber during cooling which allows the fluids to be cooled faster and with a greatly reduced risk of breakage or volume loss – fitted as standard on all Touchclave-R and Systems-MP models and available as an option on other ranges.
Water Jacket Cooling System. Speeds up the cooling stage of the sterilization cycle - fitted as standard on all Touchclave-Lab “K” Series and Systems-MP models and as an option on Touchclave-Lab “F” Series models.
Steam Jacket. This feature is standard on Touchclave Systems-MP models and can be added to Touchclave-Lab “K” Series models when fitted with a constant standby steam generator. The steam jacket keeps the chamber hot in between cycles, and assists during the drying stage by flashing-off residual water in or around the load.
Constant Standby Steam Generator. Maintains the steam generator at pressure, ensuring that steam is available on demand, even for the first cycle of the day. Can also prove more economical than continually heating generator water from cold or warm.
Modem Link. This is a useful feature which allows real time information to be viewed by our technical and service team, thus minimizing potential down time.
Water Conservation. All “K” Series models and water-jacketed “F” Series models incorporate a water tank, which re-circulates the cooling water until it reaches a pre-set temperature when it is then drained and replaced. This feature significantly reduces water usage during the cycle.
Exhaust Condensate Unit. A re-circulating exhaust condensate unit is fitted on all “K” models, enabling discharge water temperatures to be kept below 70°C to avoid damage to plastic pipes and the environment. On vacuum models this feature also serves to protect the vacuum pump from live steam.
Effluent Retention. Used when processing potential or known P3 pathogens. Provides operator safety by filtering all non-condensable gases through a 0.2 micron filter prior to exhaust, whilst returning liquids to the chamber for sterilization, ensuring that nothing is exhausted without first being either filtered or sterilized.
Touchclave Touch Screen Systems® at the Heart of Every Touchclave-Lab Sterilizer
Touchclave-Lab sterilizers are equipped with a control system which incorporates a powerful PLC combined with an easy to use touch-screen through which all commands, cycle data, program data and alarms are inputted and displayed.
This versatile system gives users a choice of selecting from a menu of load-specific cycles or developing their own cycle profile. 8 cycles can be stored into the memory as standard, and optional memory expansion is available to increase the number of available cycles to 20.
Load Specific Cycles - Load-specific cycles are selected by pressing the appropriate on-screen cycle title icon and then following the on-screen instructions. The cycles are pre-programmed to optimize air removal and cooling profiles for each load type. The only parameters which then require operator input are : sterilizing temperature, hold time, safe load temperature, start/stop print, and print intervals. There is also the option to change the cycle title.
Developing Customised Cycles - Instead of a pre-programmed load specific cycle, users can develop a customised cycle profile by touching the “create own cycle” icon, which will lead them through a series of easy-to-follow screens, allowing the chosen parameters to be programmed, before storing them in any one of the available cycle number locations.
Once the programs are stored in the memory, starting the cycle could not be easier. A cycle menu is brought up on screen, allowing the required cycle to be selected. For those who need their cycles to be traceable, there is a facility to input operator ID and Batch information at this stage. There is also a facility to program a delayed cycle start, which is particularly useful for maximising the use of the sterilizer. “F” models also incorporate a keep warm feature. During the cycle, information is constantly displayed on the touch-screen. Every stage of the cycle carries a different information screen.
A fully integrated thermal paper printer, tractor printer or chart recorder is available as an option if, in addition to the electronic data archiving, a hard copy printout is required of relevant cycle information.
On completing a successful cycle, the screen will show the “Passed” display. If a fault occurs during the cycle, “Failed” will be displayed on the screen, with details of the fault conditions highlighted on a separate screen which can be accessed by the operator but only acknowledged by those with a supervisor access code. All fault conditions will also be printed where applicable.
Touchclave Touch Screen Systems incorporate a self-diagnostic system which will highlight any abnormality in the cycle. As an option, a modem can be fitted to the control system which will allow our technical team to view real-time cycle data from a remote location, enabling us in many cases to advise quickly on operational issues, thus minimising possible down-time.
