The CPAC RH-Pro Series: RapidHeat Generates Rapid Attention Leave a comment
Let’s be honest, tell us how many times you’ve seen the phrase “game changer” slapped onto an ad in hopes that you’ll believe it? And out of those, how many times was it actually proven true? Well nowadays “game-changer” is nothing but a mouthful of buzzwords 90% of the time. But in this article, we’re going to ditch the buzz words and show you what a game-changer really looks like. If you haven’t heard of CPAC before, then let us tell you why you’ll want to remember them. CPAC has manufactured a new autoclave that looks promising enough to change the way sterilization as a whole goes forward. They’re looking to expand the way sterilization can be done in a bold, fast new way. Their line of the RH-Pro series autoclaves are here, and they’re not messing around.
The RH-Pro series are looking to do sterilization a whole new way with CPAC’s own RapidHeat™ sterilization system. And we’ll be blunt, we raised our eyebrows at this too. Mainly because it involves almost none of the sterilization methods we’ve been shown. In fact, they were so confident in their idea, that they decided that they don’t even need water to sterilize anything. Instead, the RapidHeat™ system uses high-velocity hot air, which they say means “no water, no corrosion, no drying and no maintenance.” At this point, we’re sure you have questions, but don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. And if you just want to talk to someone for any questions you may have, call our Free Tech Support at 704-966-1650 Option 3.
But let’s start with the most prevalent question you probably want to ask.
What Exactly Is Their RapidHeat™ System?
CPAC defines their Rapid heat system or HVHA (high-velocity hot air) as such: “HVHA dry heat sterilization employs uniform, high velocity hot air (375° F) within the sterilization chamber that allows rapid heat transfer for maximizing microbial kill. Unlike static dry heat sterilizers which rely on gravity or low velocity fans to distribute heated air, RapidHeat sterilizers employ HVHA that can sterilize instruments in minutes rather than hours required for static dry heat sterilization.” And a fun fact: the RapidHeat™ system was evolved from an early NASA system to decontaminate space transport in an ecologically safe yet efficient way!
Simply put, the RapidHeat™ process circulates high velocity hot air through a sealed chamber at 200 to 300 air exchanges per minute. This kind of output lends itself to start-to-finish sterilization cycles in as short a time as 12 minutes. Not only that, but CPAC has a low-temperature cycle format to help with items that are prone to deteriorate at higher temperatures during sterilization.
And this system is being utilized by the new RH-Pro9 and RH-Pro11 tabletop autoclaves.
What Are The RH-Pro9 and RH-Pro11?
CPAC’s RH-Pro series of autoclaves are the new hot-ticket item in the form of the RH-Pro9 and RH-Pro11 Tabletop Autoclaves. They’re both utilizing the aforementioned RapidHeat™ System, featuring high and low temperature cycle options to fit any of your sterilization needs. But they both also have a special N95 FFR Mask cycle option that carefully but effectively sterilizes surgical masks for extended use and reuse. During the times we’re in, still struggling with the effects of the pandemic, that feature is an absolute front-and-center selling point with the constant risk of medical supply shortage.
And all of these cycles you’re doing with whatever materials you may need can all be tracked perfectly with the CPAC CIR™ Thermal Sensor.
Displayed on the screen by way of a graph, this new thermal sensor was optimized to defeat dependency of standard chemical indicators that can leave room for failure in some cases. This CIR™ sensor has benefits in the form of the following:
- Independent confirmation of each cycle time- temperature profile
- Eliminates dependency on fallible chemical indicators
- Confirms the time-temperature required to achieve
spore inactivation - Demonstrates correlation with sterilizer-controlled time-temperature
With this, you have a general idea as to what these autoclaves come equipped with and you may be starting to get an idea as to what they can do for you. And for that we’re going to share with you some specs about both of them.
We’ll be starting with the RH-Pro9.
The CPAC RH-Pro9
Starting off with the smaller of the two units, the RH-Pro9 tabletop autoclave is equipped for handling smaller loads, but is just as capable of doing so well as the RH-Pro11 is for handling its own maximum limit. Below are the dimensions of the Pro9, compared to the 11, it sports half the tank size and chamber capacity, sheds just over 20 lbs off of the Pro11, but overall is not that much smaller on the outside.
DIMENSIONS
Weight
68.2 pounds (31 kg)
Width (OD)
19.63” (572mm)
Depth (OD)
20.00” (508mm)
Height (OD)
13.75” (349mm)
Chamber Dimension
9.5” (241mm) W - 15.6” (396mm) D 7.85” (199mm) H
Chamber Capacity
1163 cubic inches - (5 gal/19 liters)
Instrument Tray (ID)
7.3” (76mm) W - 12” (305mm) D - 0.85” (22mm) H
Instrument Tray Capacity (Total)
223 sq. inches (3 Trays)
Sterilization Time
It has standard high-temp sterilization times almost similar to the RH-Pro11, but as you’ll see later, differs towards the lower-temp cycles.
STERILIZATION CYCLE TIMES (HIGH)
Unwrapped
6 Minute Cycle; 14 Minutes
Handpieces 8 Minute Cycle; 16 Minutes
Wrapped/Pouched
12 Minute Cycle; 21 Minutes
Wrapped Cassettes
12 Minute Cycle; 36 Minutes
STERILIZATION CYCLE TIMES (LOW)
320°F (160°C)
36 Minute Cycle
300°F (149°C)
56 Minute Cycle
280°F (138°C)
126 Minute Cycle
N95 FFR MASK DECONTAMINATION
175°F (79.5°C)
30 Minute Cycle
Chamber Capacity
Below are the capacity limits of all kinds of instrument types fit for sterilization in the RH-Pro9.
INSTRUMENT CAPACITY
Unwrapped
2.4 kg; 120 Dental Instruments
Handpieces (Unwrapped)
15 Handpieces; 5 per Tray
Wrapped Instruments
2 kg; 8 Dental Instruments/Pouch; 4 Pouches/Tray; 3 Trays/Load
Total Instruments/Load: 96
WRAPPED CASSETTES
5.5” x 8” x 1.5”
3 Cassettes (Total: 24 Instruments)
6” x 8” x 1.5” (2-Tier)
3 Cassettes (Total: 54 Instruments)
8” x 11” x 1.5”
No 8” x 11” Cassettes
These are the specifications of the CPAC RH-Pro9, now let’s show you the specs of the RH-Pro11.
The CPAC RH-Pro11
Now we’re here at the RH-Pro11, the bigger and essentially powerhouse comparison to the RH-Pro9 in terms of size and capacity that is. Both are outstanding units, but the Pro11 is your go-to for big offices with a sizable influx of patients. This results in a sizable influx of instruments in need of sterilization. The chamber capacity is twice as big as the Pro9. This, coupled with its combination of depth and size, the Pro11 chamber can hold quite a bit. And coming in at just around 90 lbs as a whole, this unit is something to behold.
As before with the RH-Pro9, below are the units dimensions:
DIMENSIONS
Weight 90 pounds (41 kg)
Width (OD)
22.5” (572mm)
Depth (OD) 22.5” (572mm)
Height (OD)
19.5” (495mm)
Chamber Dimension
11” (279mm) W • 17.75” (433mm) D 11.75 (299mm) H
Chamber Capacity
2294 cubic inches • (10 gal/38 liters)
Instrument Tray (ID)
9” (229mm) W • 15” (381mm) D • 1” (28mm) H
Instrument Tray Capacity (Total)
540 sq. inches (4 Trays)
Sterilization Time
As mentioned before, the high-temp sterilization times are comparable to the Pro9 by a small margin but they both differ in the low-temp cycle.
STERILIZATION CYCLE TIMES (HIGH)
Unwrapped 6 Minute Cycle; 14 Minutes
Handpieces 8 Minute Cycle; 16 Minutes
Wrapped/Pouched 12 Minute Cycle; 21 Minutes
Wrapped Cassettes 12 Minute Cycle; 40 Minutes
STERILIZATION CYCLE TIMES (LOW)
320°F (160°C)
42 Minute Cycle
300°F (149°C)
58 Minute Cycle
280°F (138°C)
126 Minute Cycle
N95 FFR MASK DECONTAMINATION
PRO 11
175°F (79.5°C)
30 Minute Cycle
Chamber Capacity
Below is the chamber capacity specifications for specific load types the RH-Pro11 can handle. Which are quite impressive in terms of numbers.
INSTRUMENT CAPACITY
PRO 11
Unwrapped
3.2 kg; 160 Dental Instruments
Handpieces (Unwrapped)
24 Handpieces; 6 per Tray
Wrapped Instruments
3.2 kg; 8 Dental Instruments/Pouch; 5 Pouches/Tray; 4 Trays/Load
Total Instruments/Load: 160
WRAPPED CASSETTES
5.5” x 8” x 1.5”
8 Cassettes (Total: 64 Instruments)
6” x 8” x 1.5” (2-Tier)
No 2-Tier Cassettes
8” x 11” x 1.5”
4 Cassettes (Total: 80 Instruments)
Final Thoughts
By this point I’m sure you have an idea as to how impressive both of these units are. And with that said, we’d like to offer our final thoughts to you on CPAC’s new machines. The RH-Pro9 and RH-Pro11 are nothing short of incredible but not just due to their use of the new RapidHeat system. The fact that these machines can also sterilize medical masks for reuse without damage is an excellent feature. And having an environmentally conscious system that can do anything the steam sterilizers can do but with significantly faster cycle times is a no-brainer.
Both units have such an ease of operation thanks to the simplicity of the high-velocity hot air cycles. With this much range in temperature options, cycle options and quick work times, the CPAC RH-Pro9 and RH-Pro11 are definitely a worthy addition to the facility staff. They’re speedy, sleek, modern, powerful and the perfect way to introduce a new take on the future of sterilization moving forward.
If you have any questions about this procedure or any other CPAC RH-Pro9 or RH-Pro11 Tech Issues please contact us and let us help.
As always if you have any questions about this process or anything else please feel free to contact us and take advantage of our “FREE TECH SUPPORT.”
We also offer FREE VIRTUAL TECH SUPPORT to “See and Talk” with a “Real Time Live Technician” for any problems you may be in need of help with.
You can also use our “FREE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM”. Take the guesswork and worrying about what unit is due for maintenance and which maintenance cycle it is time for. We will keep track of all your autoclaves and let you know when it’s time for anything.