Jesiska Tandy, MS, is a lead material science engineer at Metrex Research, LLC, in Orange, CA. Email:
Kathy Hanhquynh Le, BS, is an associate engineer at Metrex Research, LLC, in Orange, CA. Email:
Biomed Instrum Technol. 2022 Apr 1;56(2):29-36. doi: 10.2345/1943-5967-56.2.29.
The surface finish of reusable medical devices often is a consideration during design, with attention paid to utility, aesthetics, and cost. To study the cleanability of metal surfaces of varying roughness and finish, soil made of bovine blood and egg yolk was placed on nickel alloy surface of varying average roughness (Ra) values (nominal values of 2-500 μin) and finishes (lapped, ground, milled, profiled, and shape turned). A commercially available wipe consisting of quaternary ammonium compound and less than 20% alcohol was applied for a total of eight wipe cycles to remove the soil. The wipe was applied in both horizontal and vertical directions. Evaluation methods for cleanliness include visual inspection and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurement. Rougher surfaces above nominal Ra of 250 were found to have higher ATP readings when wiped in both horizontal and vertical directions. In addition, different surface finishes have different cleanabilities despite similar nominal Ra. To ensure optimal cleaning, surfaces should be cleaned in multiple directions. In the future, similar studies will be coupled with efficacy studies and surfaces made with other materials will be investigated.
医疗器械的表面光洁度通常是设计时需要考虑的因素，需要兼顾实用性、美观性和成本。为了研究不同粗糙度和光洁度的金属表面的清洁度，将由牛血液和蛋黄制成的污垢放置在具有不同平均粗糙度（Ra）值（名义值为 2-500 微英寸）和光洁度（研磨、研磨、铣削、成型和车削）的镍合金表面上。使用一种含有季铵化合物和少于 20%酒精的商用擦拭布进行总共 8 次擦拭循环，以去除污垢。擦拭布以水平和垂直方向两种方式施加。清洁度的评估方法包括目视检查和三磷酸腺苷（ATP）测量。在水平和垂直方向擦拭时，名义 Ra 值大于 250 的粗糙表面的 ATP 读数较高。此外，尽管具有相似的名义 Ra 值，但不同的表面光洁度具有不同的清洁度。为了确保最佳清洁效果，应在多个方向上清洁表面。未来，类似的研究将与功效研究相结合，并将研究使用其他材料制成的表面。
