Robotic Instrument Reprocessing | STERIS
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Sterilizing robotic surgical instruments

Robotic Instrument Reprocessing

Everything You Need to Succeed

Robotic Assisted Surgeries (RAS) have revolutionized the way healthcare providers deliver care in facilities worldwide, delivering more efficient procedures, reducing recovery time, and attracting new patients.

Whether you are getting your first robotic assisted surgery system or expanding, STERIS products help streamline processes, automate cleaning, and protect your investments.

Overview

78% of U.S. surgeons have expressed a strong interest in adopting surgical robotics technologies*. The design of these robotic instruments with multiple articulation points allows for greater precision and often more patient satisfaction with lower recovery times. However, the intricacy of these instruments may present reprocessing challenges for the Sterile Processing Department (SPD).

From point-of-use processing through sterilization and tracking, STERIS can provide you with products to help optimize the reprocessing of your robotic instruments. For example, when reprocessing two da Vinci robotic instrument sets, you can save OVER 3 hours of reprocessing time with products exclusively offered by STERIS1.

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Robotic Instrument Reprocessing

Robotic Reprocessing Steps

Robotic Reprocessing Steps

Robotic Instrument Point-of-Use Processing

Protect Your Investment - Immediately following a procedure, point-of-use products can be applied in the operating room (OR) to help create a more efficient reprocessing loop.

The Pre-Klenz™ Soak Shield Kit:

  • Immediately starts cleaning to remove stubborn soils during transport
  • Prevents soils from drying for up to 72 hours
  • Keeps instrument sets together during transport while protecting the device tip
Robotic Reprocessing Point of Use
Robotic Instrument Manual Cleaning

Robotic Instrument Manual Cleaning

RAS instrument reprocessing instructions require up to 15 manual cleaning steps and soak times that range up to 30 minutes per instrument. As a result, having efficient, effective products to support reprocessing these instruments becomes even more important. It's beneficial to define a dedicated three-bay reprocessing sink to help streamline reprocessing workflows, and it is important to ensure you choose an instrument cleaning chemistry with excellent cleaning performance that is effective on difficult-to-remove soils to support your robotics program.

  • AMSCO™ 50 Reprocessing Sink features 30-inch wide bays to accommodate da Vinci instruments
  • Prolystica™ HP Enzymatic Manual Cleaner is clinically proven to remove soil faster and more effectively than other brands to help ensure a more efficient cleaning process
  • Toothbrush Style Cleaning Brushes have rigid nylon bristles to help remove soil and bioburden while remaining gentle on the instrument

Robotic Instrument Automated Cleaning

Transform your process when cleaning select da Vinci X/Xi and S/Si instruments using the first and only validated process. Discover the AMSCO 7052HP and 7053HP Washer/Disinfectors with the RAS Cycle, RAS 12 Rack, and Prolystica Ultra Concentrate HP Cleaning Chemistries2.

  • AMSCO™ 7052HP and 7053HP Washer/Disinfectors - The first of its kind, the AMSCO 7053HP Washer/Disinfector delivers a validated process for cleaning reusable da Vinci® X/Xi and S/Si instruments
  • Prolystica™ Ultra Concentrate High Performance Enzymatic & Neutral Cleaning Chemistries are clinically proven to remove soils associated with robotic surgeries

When a validated washer/disinfector is not an option, an ultrasonic irrigator should be part of the process. Although the same time savings cannot be achieved as with the validated RAS cycle, ultrasonic cleaning helps remove soil and is a crucial step in the overall process. The InnoWave™ Pro Ultrasonic Irrigator meets ultrasonic requirements for da Vinci SP, X/Xi, and S/Si instrument instructions for use (IFUs) while being able to process up to 60lbs of instruments in one cycle across three levels.

Robotic Instrument Automated Cleaning
Robotic Instrument Sterilization

Robotic Device Sterilization

Sterilizing robotic devices requires both steam and low-temperature sterilization workflows. When reprocessing da Vinci endoscopes, productivity, and capacity are essential as they are used in every robotic procedure. Avoid delays at this stage in a validated process with the ability to sterilize four endoscopes per hour. Plus, save money because processing two da Vinci Xi Endoscopes in the V-PRO maX 2 Low Temperature Sterilizer Non Lumen Cycle provides 50% sterilant cost savings compared to other brands.3

  • V-PRO™ maX 2 Low Temperature Sterilization System allows you to sterilize four endoscopes per hour, doubling the throughput of da Vinci Xi endoscopes
  • Celerity™ 5 HP Biological Indicators help expedite cycle monitoring with a 5 minute read out time
  • Celerity™ HP Multivariable Chemical Indicator verifies three key parameters of a cycle were met, including time, temperature, and sterilant exposure

AMSCO™ Steam Sterilizers also efficiently reprocess robotic instruments to help your department keep up with OR demands.

  • The AMSCO™ 600 Medium Steam Sterilizer is fully equipped to reprocess RAS instruments, including select daVinci X/Xi and S/Si instruments
  • Robotic Instrument Cards provide structure for robotic instruments while mitigating the risk of puncturing sterile barriers during steam sterilization
Robotic Instrument Steam Sterilization

Save Time – Boost Productivity

142

minutes

saved

AMSCO 7052/53 HP with RAS Cycle

with the RAS 12 Rack,
Prolystica Cleaning Chemistries and AMSCO 7052/53HP with RAS Cycle

vs. 15 manual cleaning steps

30

minutes

saved

V-PRO maX 2 Sterilizer

using V-PRO maX 2 Sterilizer

processes 2 da Vinci endoscopes in 30 minutes, compared to 60 minutes with other brands

10

minutes

saved

Celerity 5 HP Biological Indicator

using Celerity 5 HP BI

vs. other brands requiring 15 minutes      
per read

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Robotic Instrument Tracking Software

SPM for Robotic Assisted Surgical Instruments

SPM™ Workflow Solution & Surgical Asset Tracking Software

Manage and identify the status and location of your surgical instruments and so much more. SPM advances your SPD through digital recordkeeping and automation of the sterilization process.

Reinforce your reprocessing approach every step of the way with guided workflows that help technicians understand IFUs. By tracking reprocessing cycles, you can ensure instruments aren't reprocessed after their use lives have been met, saving valuable time.

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Robotic Reprocessing Resources

Staffing and Education for Robotics Reprocessing

Staffing & Education for Robotics Reprocessing

  • Introducing a complex robotic program can pose a significant challenge to your SPD, with many providers already struggling to keep up with daily tray volumes. STERIS can partner with you to provide dedicated robotics specialists or to educate your current teams to ensure best practices and compliance with the manufacturer's IFUs.
Guide to Reprocessing Robotic Surgery Instruments

Guide to Reprocessing Robotic Surgery Instruments

  • As surgical teams increasingly adopt advanced RAS platforms, dedicated reprocessing technologies and workflows for robotic devices will grow in importance. Learn more about RAS and the critical role reprocessing has for these complex surgical instruments in the STERIS Knowledge Center.
Achieve 510k Clearance for Automated Cleaning Process

Achieve 510(k) Clearance for Automated Cleaning Process for Select da Vinci Instruments

  • Learn about the collaborative effort to earn 510(k) clearance for automated reprocessing of select da Vinci Instruments in this white paper

Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for use when reprocessing robotic instruments.

da Vinci® is a registered trademark of Intuitive Surgical

* Navigating the Next Wave of Surgical Robotics. Bain. Published February 9, 2023. https://www.bain.com/insights/navigating-the-next-wave-of-surgical-robotics/

1 Utilizing 12 da Vinci X/Xi RAS Cycle with RAS 12 Rack, PUCHP Cleaning Chemistries in the AMSCO 7052/53HP Washer/Disinfector allows time savings of 142 minutes. V-PRO maX 2 Sterilizer can reprocess 2 da Vinci endoscopes in 30 minutes, as compared to 1 hour with other brands. Using Celerity 5 Biological Indicator has a read-out time of 5 minutes, which is 10 minutes faster than other brands.

2 The RAS Racks are used in the RAS Cycle of the AMSCO 7052HP Single-Chamber Washer/Disinfector and the AMSCO 7053HP Single-Chamber Washer/Disinfector for the effective cleaning, rinsing, intermediate level disinfection, and drying of reusable da Vinci® X/Xi and S/Si instruments.

3 When sterilizing 2 Xi Endoscopes per 30 minutes.

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