We were placing loose instruments into pouches for our sterilization protocol before we decided to try the IMS from Hu-Friedy. Achieving proper sterilization with loose instruments in pouches alone can be unpredictable, especially if they develop a puncture or tear. We would spend a great deal of time manually sorting the instruments, and there were a lot of opportunities for a staff member to get a sharps injury.
By switching to the IMS, my periodontal practice has become a safer work environment. This system virtually eliminates hand scrubbing, which cuts down the risk of injuries and exposure to pathogens. It’s also safer to transport the instruments this way. After use at chairside, the instruments are already in place within the cassette, so you just close the cassette and carry it back to the sterilization area.
The IMS cassettes can be customized by procedure, and every instrument has its spot. Everything is color-coded, and cassettes can be clearly marked for certain procedures. They are then cleaned and stored that way. It’s very efficient and well organized—keeping the instruments together like this reduces the chance of misplacing them or getting them mixed up.
When it’s time to process a cassette, the whole thing can be placed directly into the ultrasonic cleaner or instrument washer, then wrapped and placed in the autoclave. We also add one of the Class V Integrator sterilization monitoring strips from Hu-Friedy to each cassette. This gives us assurance that everything has been properly sterilized. We have 2 autoclaves, which run all day long and coordinate very well with the IMS. We go through 15 to 20 sets of instruments every day, and everyone is involved in using the system.
With the IMS, the whole process of infection control is streamlined. Once the protocol is in place, it’s easy for everyone to adhere to it. Keeping instruments together in the cassettes saves times in gathering what’s needed for a procedure. It standardizes the entire workflow.
We chose to go with Hu-Friedy because of the quality of their products and the quality of the service and support. After almost 3 years of using it, I think the IMS is a better way of cleaning, sterilizing, organizing, and maintaining dental instruments.
