M9- New

This is an overview of your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave monthly maintenance instructions. However, always refer to the appropriate technical documentation for the complete list of instructions, safety alerts and sequence of procedures before conducting any service or maintenance operations.

Every 28 days, Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave will automatically display the “Perform monthly maintenance” message. This is a more thorough cleaning of the unit, and involves multiple steps.

The chamber and the plumbing will need to be cleaned in your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave. With a cool chamber, drain the autoclave’s reservoir and refill with distilled water. Add one ounce of Speed Clean, autoclave cleaner directly to the cool chamber; this is where you load your instruments for sterilization. Run one pouch of cycle, but push the stop button when the drying cycle begins. It’s not necessary for the dry cycle to run during this maintenance.

You will need to drain the reservoir again on your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave, and refill a second time with clean, distilled water for the rinse cycle. Rinse by running one unwrap cycle. Push the stop button when the drying cycle begins. After the cycle has completed, drain and fill the reservoir with clean, distilled water, then allow the sterilizer to cool. Remove the trays and tray rack, and wipe with a damp cloth.

Next, remove and clean filters Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave. Remove filters by pulling upward and twisting slightly. Filters should be cleaned by washing with a mild soap and distilled water solution. Use a small stiff brush, or an ultrasonic cleaner to remove stubborn deposits. After cleaning, rinse the filters with distilled water and set them aside. Wipe the inside of autoclave chamber, being careful not to damage the heating element, steam temperature probe, or water level sensor. Re-insert the filters into the appropriate holes by pushing downward, while twisting slightly. Re-install the tray rack.

Next, remove, and clean the door and door dam gaskets of your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave. Remove the door dam gasket, door gasket, and then the gasket ring from the unit. Clean gaskets and ring with Speed Clean, distilled water and a soft brush. Inspect the gaskets for damage, shrinking or swelling. Replace the gaskets if damage is apparent. Press the door gasket ring into the channel in the door gasket, and place the door gasket back into the door.

The next part of the required monthly maintenance for your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave involves verifying proper operation of the pressure relief valve. Since high-pressure and temperature steam will be vented from under the autoclave during this check, place a rolled towel around the bottom of the autoclave to act as a steam barrier. Press the un-wrap cycle, and then start. Monitor the display, and wait for the pressure to reach 20 PSI.

When 20 PSI is reached on your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave, pull upward firmly on the relief valve lever on top of the autoclave cabin and hold it open for three seconds. Steam should discharge freely from beneath the rear of the unit. Release the lever quickly, and verify that the valve has closed properly by noting that steam has stopped escaping. If the unit is still releasing steam, pull up on the valve lever again and release it quickly, so the valve snaps back into position. Repeat this if necessary, to make sure the valve is seated correctly. Press “Stop” to cancel the cycle, preventing the unit from overheating. Allow the chamber to cool. If excessive force is required to open the valve, or if it will not re-seat properly, contact your Midmark authorized dealer.

When the maintenance is complete on your Ritter M9 Ultraclave and Ritter M11 Ultraclave, the “Perform monthly maintenance” message will go away during your next sterilization cycle. M9 and M11s are designed and tested to provide exceptional reliability throughout their service life. To ensure integrity, performance and safety of all major components, it is the responsibility of the user to have the sterilizer performance and operation verified by a Midmark authorized service provider, at least every 10 years or 10000 cycles, whichever comes first. For more detailed information about maintaining your autoclave, please refer to the M9, M11 installation and operation manual. For further support, contact Sterilizer Autoclave Solutions Technical Support Line 704-966-1650 or visit us on the web at https://statimusa.com/.