Use of Hot Air Oven in Laboratories

Hot Air Oven

Hot air furnaces are electrical devices that use dry heat to sterilize them. Originally developed by Pasteur. Generally, it can be operated from 50 to 300 ° C, using a temperature regulator to control the temperature.

The double wall insulator keeps heat and maintains energy, and the inner layer is a poor connector and a metal outer layer. There is also a full area of ​​air to help in isolation. The air circulation fan helps in the uniform distribution of heat. These are equipped with adjustable wire shelves or aluminum trays and can have an on / off switch, as well as indicators and temperature control and maintenance time. The capacities of these furnaces vary. The energy supply needs vary from country to country, depending on the voltage and frequency (Hertz) used. Temperature-sensitive tapes or biomarkers that use bacterial germs can be used to control the effectiveness of the device during use.

Pros and cons

It does not need water and there is not much pressure inside the oven, unlike autoclave, making it safer to work with. This makes them more suitable for use in a laboratory environment. They are much smaller than the autoclave, but they are still effective.

It can be faster than autoclave and can compare high temperatures compared to other media. Because they use dry heat instead of wet heat, some living organisms, such as prions, can not kill them each time, according to the principle of thermal disruption through oxidation.

Dry Sterilisation

is primarily used for this technique. This technique is suitable for articles like glassware, powders, oil containing materials, metal equipment. Hot air oven works in a manner so that items placed inside the oven don & rsquorsquo; t catch fire or meltdown. It basically works on the principle of construction where heat travels on the surface of the material and then to the center of the item. It is called dry sterilization process because the treatment is done by using the hot air. As the air becomes hot, it becomes lighter and moves towards the ceiling of the chamber. When air crashes with the chamber it moves towards the ground of the chamber. This creates circular motion of air in the chamber. This circular flow ensures the appropriate and consistent heating throughout the chamber. This is comparative a long process than autoclaving or moist sterilization. Therefore, a few organizational skills are required if it is used in the medical laboratory, so that operator can make a schedule of sterilization process.

Moist Sterilisation

Autoclave is a device used in dry sterilization. It is very similar to the pressure boiling process. The autoclave is filled with water fumes that are created by heating water to a boiling point. Pressure is created inside the chamber to make the process faster. The advantage of using wet sterilization is to get rid of organisms like prions very easily. But this method is avoided because of the vapors’ effect on equipment separately over time.

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