A-A-51218B
31 August 1987
SUPERSEDING
A-A-51218A
16 June 1986
COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION
TEST PACK, AIR REMOVAL, STEAM STERILIZER
The General Services Administration has authorized the use of this commercial item description.
This commercial item description covers a once-a-day, single-use, disposable, Bowie & Dick type box of 30 air removal test packs. This substitutes for the hand-assembled Bowie & Dick type towel packs.
Salient characteristics:
The test pack shall be disposable and ready-to-use in testing the efficacy of the vacuum system in prevacuum high-temperature sterilizers.
The test pack shall be capable of detecting deficiencies in a sterlizer’s ability to generate vacuums with air removal and maintaining vacuums without air leaking back into the chamber.
The test pack shall be capable of obtaining results comparable to that obtained by the use of the hand-assembled Bowie-Dick type towel pack as described by the Association for the advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) “Good Hospital Practice: Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance”. The indicator sheets from the disposable test packs shall show comparable sensitivity to air abbreviated cycle times, reduced vacuums, and leaks as the sheets removed from hand-assembled test packs. The results shall be confirmed by laboratory tests on sterilizers modified to permit variable control of cycle times, vacuums and leaks generated. Results are considered valid when taken from at least ten cycles for each set of conditions for either type of pack (for a total of 20 cycles per single condition).
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
For Parts Inquires call Parts Hangar, Inc (727) 493-0744
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