Ritter Medical storage and sterilization solutions

Sterilization, storage and transport of medical or clinical instruments and sterile goods is governed by various international regulations and protocols. These provide guideline standards including materials to be used, heat resistance, robustness of container and sealing.

Ritter Medical provides validated solutions for secure processing, storage and transportation of sterile goods and for liquid samples.

These include the polysteribox® series of reusable sterilization containers and microTube® racks for sterile storage and handling of samples in conjunction with robotic liquid handling systems and multichannel pipetters.

polySteribox® series

The polysteribox® is a multifunction reusable sterilization, transport and storage containers, available in four different and compatible standardized sizes (SH, M, L and XL) that are compatible with all current sterilization automats, including autoclave and STERRAD® plasma sterilization.

The polysteribox® is formed from plastic material that is transparent, dimensionally stable and temperature-resistant up to 150°C. The polysteribox® is therefore suitable for autoclave vacuum sterilization up to 134°C, following sterilization methods recommended by relevant authorities such as the Robert Koch Institute in Germany.

Over many years, it has also been proven compatible with plasma sterilization (STERRAD®) installations, as well as for gas sterilization (formaldehyde and ethylene oxide) at a maximum of 65°C.

These products are CE-certified according to the Medical Device Directive 93/42/ CEE and manufactured in line with EN ISO 13485 to meet international requirements including DIN EN ISO 11607 and DIN 58953-9 as well as recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute’s Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO). The polysteribox® is validated as packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices according to European Standard EN 868.

User advantages

The boxes are space-saving and stackable, providing a space-efficient solution for storage of sterile goods.

The box lid can be sealed hermetically with the bottom tray, forming an anti-bacterial barrier. All models share a patented safety interlock to prevent accidental opening and are fitted with replaceable PTFE permanent filter system.

Using the polysteribox® system offers a clear set of user benefits, including:

• Reduces continuous purchasing, storage and disposal costs associated with disposable blister packaging
• Easier working processes due to easy handling of boxes
• polySteribox® is maintenance-free with regular visual checks
• Well-suited for automatic cleaning (e.g. in a dishwasher) and disinfection
• Semi-transparent form makes contents visible without opening
• Instruments are well-protected against damage and contamination within the polysteribox®
• Sterilization seals indicate if box has already been sterilized and provide safe labeling and documentation

microTube racks

Ritter Medical microTube® racks, suitable for use with robotic systems and multichannel pipetters, offer safe sample storage with a variety of sealing options including film, plug strips and cap mats. These racks are also ideal for, HTLV-111 testing, RIA and EIA and the transport of reagents or samples.

The alphanumeric marked racks are offered in a 96 tube (8 × 12) SBS footprint format and stackable lids and with 0.6 ml and 1.2 ml tube capacity compatible with most popular robotic systems as well as for individual sample storage. A special bottom plate allows easy handling of each sample, even in frozen conditions down to -85°C. The tubes are available as individual tubes or strips of 8 tubes of 1.2 ml. V-bottom to reduce the dead volume.

The microTube rack can be closed with 96-well cap mats or strips of 8 plug caps with a stackable, transparent SBS format cover with alphanumeric marking that snaps into position turn the rack into a box to form a long term sealed storage or transport solution for reagents or samples. A removable bottom plate fixes and centers the tubes and is ideal for storage and management of frozen blood samples.

Resources

Click on polySteribox for detailed product information.
Click on microTube racks  for detailed product information.
Click on Ritter Medical Clinical Products to download brochure on sterile storage solutions.