Final answer:
Sterilisation methods for medical equipment include moist-heat sterilisation with autoclaves, dry-heat sterilisation using ovens or microincinerators, filtration, lyophilisation, and chemical or radiation techniques depending on the equipment's stability and required microbial control level.
Step-by-step explanation:
Methods Available for Sterilisation of Medical Equipment
Sterilisation is a critical process in the medical field, aimed at the complete removal or killing of all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses on medical equipment. One of the primary methods used is moist-heat sterilisation, which employs devices such as autoclaves to achieve temperatures above the boiling point of water, effectively sterilising items like surgical equipment. Another method is dry-heat sterilisation, which includes the use of flaming loops or microincinerators for items such as microbiological media, and heat-stable medical and laboratory equipment that can withstand direct application of high heat or extended exposure to high temperatures in a dry-heat oven. For heat-sensitive materials, ionizing radiation such as gamma irradiation is used, while nonionizing radiation like ultraviolet light serves for surface sterilisation.
Other methods include filtration, lyophilisation, and the use of chemical sterilants, all of which have particular applications depending on the nature of the equipment being sterilised and the level of microbial control required. For example, filtration is suitable for sterilising heat-sensitive liquids and gases, whereas lyophilisation is used for the long-term storage of food and lab materials.