Touchclave - R/PL Series

Touchclave-R/PL: the New 60, 120-litre and 160-litre cylindrical-chambered porous load sterilizer range from LTE Scientific. Designed to provide efficient autoclaving of clinical loads at an affordable price.

The Touchclave-R/PL range of low-cost cylindrical-chambered medical autoclaves has been designed specifically for use as a porous load sterilizer. Standard features include:

Cylindrical Chamber - Made from 316L grade stainless steel. Fully compliant with the European pressure equipment directive 97/23/EC. Independently certified to PD5500:2000 Cat. 3. The chamber if fully insulated.

Touchscreen Control System - This system is the standard operating platform across the whole LTE autoclave range. It incorporates a state-of-the-art touch-sensitive screen. Using a series of on-screen prompts and icons, the system is both versatile and simple to use. See below for further details.

Integral Steam Generator - A high performance stainless steel steam generator is fitted under the chamber which delivers steam quickly and effectively to the chamber and load, minimizing re-heat times between negative pulsing and speeding up cycle times.

Vacuum System - Our vacuum system incorporates an efficient liquid ring pump capable of delivering vacuum levels below 50mbarA, ensuring effective air removal and fast drying.

Steam Jacket - Drying of the load is achieved by means of combination of vacuum and heat. A fully insulated copper coil steam jacket is provided as standard which effectively heats the chamber and load during the vacuum drying stage, dissipating any remaining moisture and ensuring a dry load at the end of the cycle.

Three cylindrical chamber sizes are offered: 60, 120 and 160-litres, all of which are front loading. These floor-standing models are moved on castors and will fit through a standard door.

Specifications and Ordering Information

Options & Accessories

Options Explained

Printer – Our thermal data printer will keep a record of all cycle stages and display all relevant status messages.

Data Archiving – Many customers have an increasing need for long-term storage of thermometric records of sterilization processes. By adding the internal Data Archiving option, you can store up to 5000 cycle profiles internally on a single flash card which can be printed off at any time.

Modem Link – A modem allows the LTE technical team to connect directly to the autoclave and view real-time data, enabling us to carry out rapid diagnosis of particular issues and offer the appropriate advice. This can significantly reduce autoclave downtime.

Touchclave Touch Screen Systems® at the Heart of Every Touchclave-R/PL

Touchclave-R/PL 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.

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 drying profiles for each load type. Parameters within each cycle template can of course be changed by authorized personnel with the necessary access level to suit individual applications. Cycle titles can also be changed.  

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. 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.

Data Archiving

As an option, all Touchclave-R/PL models can be fitted with automatic electronic data archiving.

The long-term storage of thermionic records for sterilisation operations is an area of growing concern to both operators and administrators. The internal data storage facility allows up to 5000 cycles to be stored on a single flash-card.

Main features of internal Touchclave data archiving:

• Cycle data and status are stored within the PLC Controller. Dependent on the configuration, up to 5000 cycles may be recorded here. The internal storage medium is easily replaced either periodically or when full.
• The recorded cycle data and status include “checksum” data to facilitate data validation.
• A new cycle cannot be started until the data from the previous cycle have been recorded.