Precision Sterilization Verification for Guaranteed Patient Safety
3M Comply Sterigage Strips are advanced chemical indicator strips designed to provide immediate, visible verification that items have been processed through a steam sterilization cycle. These essential Class 5 integrating indicators are the gold standard for monitoring the critical parameters of steam sterilization—time, temperature, and the presence of saturated steam. Engineered for reliability and compliance, these strips offer healthcare facilities the confidence that their sterilization processes are effective, helping to meet stringent infection control protocols and ensure the safety of every patient.
Key Features & Benefits:
Class 5 Integrating Indicator: Monitors all critical parameters of a steam sterilization cycle (time, temperature, steam saturation) to provide a comprehensive pass/fail result.
Clear, Visible Color Change: Features a distinct, irreversible color change from beige to black when exposure conditions are met, enabling instant visual verification at the point of use.
3M Trusted Technology: Backed by 3M's legacy of innovation in infection prevention, ensuring consistent, high-quality performance you can rely on.
Convenient & Easy to Use: Simply place the strip inside a package or tray prior to sterilization. The color-coded end makes it easy to identify and use correctly.
Documentation & Traceability: The bold "3M" marking and consistent response provide a physical record for quality assurance and process documentation.
Wide Compatibility: Designed for use in standard gravity displacement and pre-vacuum (dynamic air removal) steam sterilizers (autoclaves).
Therapeutic & Safety Benefits:
Enhanced Patient Safety: Provides a critical checkpoint to help prevent the use of improperly sterilized instruments.
Process Compliance: Supports adherence to international sterilization standards (like ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11140) and facility accreditation requirements.
Risk Reduction: Acts as an immediate visual alert for potential sterilization process failures.
Quality Assurance: Integrates seamlessly into a comprehensive Sterilization Quality Assurance program.
How to Use:
Placement: Before wrapping or packaging, place one Sterigage Strip inside each instrument pack or surgical tray that requires monitoring. Place it in the area considered most challenging for steam to penetrate (e.g., center of a dense pack).
Processing: Run the pack through a complete, validated steam sterilization cycle in your autoclave.
Interpretation: After the cycle and cool-down, check the strip. A uniform, dark black color across the indicator windows confirms the critical conditions were met. Any other result (light, mottled, or unchanged color) indicates a process failure—the contents must NOT be used and the load should be recalled.
Documentation: The used strip can be affixed to patient or sterilization load documentation as a physical record.
⚠️ CRITICAL MEDICAL ADVISORY:
Sterigage Strips are a monitoring tool and are NOT a replacement for biological indicators (spore tests) as part of a complete Sterilization Quality Assurance program. Always use these products in accordance with your facility's infection control policies and standardized procedures. Interpretation of results must be performed by trained personnel. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for use (IFU) for complete details and follow your healthcare provider's or sterilization technician's protocols.
