A Fast, Smart, and Reliable Sterilizer—What More Could You Want?

About 25 years ago, Dr. Larry Leibowitz invested in a SciCan STATIM 2000 cassette autoclave for his Virginia Beach dental practice. “It was a smaller model, and I really liked how it sterilized our instruments quickly and efficiently,” he said. “It was different than a lot of other sterilizers at the time that would run for roughly 45 minutes per cycle. The STATIM was just so much faster.”

After many years of success using this unit, he decided a few years ago to upgrade to the STATIM 5000 G4, the newest generation from the STATIM line of fast, reliable cassette autoclaves designed to meet the needs of every dental practice.

“We knew we wanted to have the bigger model this time,” Dr. Leibowitz said. “And it followed the same principles as our previous STATIM. It’s a nice piece of equipment that works well, and it’s very simple to use.”

Exceptional Sterilization…and Fast!

Hygienist Kristi Evansen shared a similar success story, recalling that her Kaukauna, WI, dental practice adopted the STATIM 5000 G4 in May 2020.

“We had been using another STATIM for quite a long time, but when it came time to replace it, our team chose to purchase the G4,” she said. “We use it regularly throughout the day, particularly for items such as x-ray holders, rubber dam clamps, hemostats, burs, and scissors. It’s a great option when we need something a little faster.”

Compact Size, Ample Impact

Using only a small amount of water for each sterilization cycle, the STATIM G4 can heat and convert to steam in seconds, and its innovative design with a fully removable chamber allows for quick heating and cooling. Both available models—the STATIM 2000 G4 and STATIM 5000 G4—employ SciCan’s proprietary Dri-Tec technology as well.

“We put most of our instruments in cassettes during sterilization,” Dr. Leibowitz said. “First, my assistants put them through the ultrasonic and get any debris off, and then depending on the instruments, they put them into pouches and into the STATIM G4. We run that machine more than 10 times a day, especially since we aren’t completely filling it all the time, keeping the instruments readily available.”

The STATIM 2000 G4 can hold up to 5 pouches, with wrapped cycles including drying being completed in 35 minutes and unwrapped cycles taking just 6 minutes. Alternatively, the STATIM 5000 G4 allows up to 12 pouches, with wrapped cycles including drying completed in 40 minutes and unwrapped cycles taking 9 minutes.

“The 5000 model is significantly bigger than the 2000, so you can get a pretty fair amount in there,” Dr. Leibowitz assured. “It’s not as big as some conventional sterilizers, but the 5000 does well for a busier practice.”

A Simple, Practical Digital Display

“Using our STATIM is pretty straightforward, and it’s nice having the digital display,” Evansen added. “The symbols there show us whether we’re doing a wrapped or unwrapped cycle, and its notifications tell us when it’s time for the cassette seal to be replaced, which helps simplify maintenance.”

The touch screen menu options will also notify users if the water is of sufficient quality or quantity to proceed with sterilization, as well as if the cassette has been properly inserted into the unit. By default, sterilization cycles will not begin if there is an error message visible on the screen.

“It’s definitely a step up from our previous STATIM," Leibowitz said. "When there occasionally was a problem, it just gave an error code. The G4, on the other hand, gives us way more information.”

The Way of the Future

“The STATIM G4 been running smoothy and is an excellent system for us to have in our sterilization protocols,” Leibowitz concluded. “And it doesn’t have a large footprint; it’s sleek. I would definitely buy it again in the future.”

Ultimately, Evansen summed it up saying, “It’s quick, it’s efficient, and you always know your items are sterile.”