Corrosion Susceptibility of Surgical Stainless Steels in Instrument Reprocessing for LMICs: Influencing Factors and Accelerated Testing

Master Thesis (2024)
Author(s)

A.C. van Gulik (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)

Contributor(s)

J. Dankelman – Mentor (TU Delft - Medical Instruments & Bio-Inspired Technology)

R.M. Oosting – Mentor (TU Delft - Medical Instruments & Bio-Inspired Technology)

Faculty
Mechanical Engineering
More Info
expand_more
Publication Year
2024
Language
English
Graduation Date
08-11-2024
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
['Biomedical Engineering']
Faculty
Mechanical Engineering
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

This study investigates surgical stainless steels 304, 410, and 420 corrosion susceptibility under manual reprocessing conditions typical of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cleaning protocols using sodium hypochlorite and the enzymatic agent Sanizyme were compared alongside an accelerated Salt Mist Test to explore predictive value for corrosion. Results show that sodium hypochlorite causes rapid corrosion across all steel types. In contrast, Sanizyme significantly delays corrosion onset and reduces the affected surface area, with stainless steel 304 demonstrating the most outstanding resilience. Minor differences between 410 and 420 were observed, with no significant performance distinction.
Including 2-hour rest periods, intended to activate stainless steel’s self-healing properties, did not significantly impact corrosion resistance. Additionally, the Salt Mist Test showed limited correlation with corrosion development observed under manual reprocessing conditions, indicating the need for refined predictive methods. These findings suggest that gentler enzymatic cleaning protocols enhance the longevity of surgical instruments in LMIC contexts, while accelerated corrosion tests may require adjustments to simulate clinical reprocessing better.

Files

License info not available