What is the different between B class and N class Autoclave?

Autoclaves are also known as steam sterilizers and are commonly used for health or industrial applications. Autoclave sterilizes medical or laboratory devices by heating above the boiling point. There are many types of autoclaves for different uses - small, medium and large for sterilization and disinfection in desktop or floor models. In the following article, we will help you choose the right autoclave.

What is the B class Autoclave?

Class B autoclaves are versatile and suitable for sterilizing all load categories, making them the preferred choice in settings where a wide range of instruments and materials need sterilization, such as hospitals, dental clinics, and scientific laboratories.

A distinction must be made between sterilization of vessels and sterilization of liquids and sterilization of metal vessels.

Sterilization of metal tools by dentists and surgical instruments: Better autoclave with a vacuum (CLASS B).

Its advantages:

- Performs sterilization and disinfection in the smallest parts.

-Dries the dishes and prevents the accumulation of water droplets.

-Dentists, doctors and surgeons, pedicurists will purchase an autoclave with a vacuum.

What is the N class Autoclave? 

The “N” in N-type autoclaves stands for “naked solid products”. As such, this sterilizer class can only be used to treat flat, unwrapped, solid medical tools. NO hollow or textile items, porous loads, or wrapped medical items in pouches, which greatly hurts their versatility.

The “N” in N-type autoclaves stands for “naked solid products”. As such, this sterilizer class can only be used to treat flat, unwrapped, solid medical tools. NO hollow or textile items, porous loads, or wrapped medical items in pouches, which greatly hurts their versatility. There, we cannot recommend these for facilities like large hospitals, which certainly need to treat more types of loads in their day-to-day activities.

Class N autoclaves cannot guarantee full steam penetration because of the way steam is introduced inside their chamber. These sterilizers use a process called gravity displacement, which gradually pushes the air out of the autoclave’s chamber. Air is one of the greatest obstacles for efficient sterilization, and without the vacuum pump used by more advanced models, this process is slower, but also cannot remove 100% of the air inside.

This also affects the drying process (or lack of a proper one),as instruments may still come out wet from the autoclave.

Despite all this, these sterilizers can still be a great choice for facilities that don’t need to treat that many types of medical items, and are looking for the cheapest autoclaves available on the market. If you primarily deal with non-packaged solid instruments, type N may suffice.