Priorclave power-door stays put even in a power failure

Priorclave, based in London, UK, has launched a range of rectangular section vertical (RSV) power-door Priorclaves, featuring a "stay-put" hydraulic drive system for the operation of its sliding door.

The safety features of the patent-pending stay-put locking geometry ensure that the pressure door remains totally locked and sealed, even in the event of complete hydraulic or electrical failure. Should such a power failure occur, the door can be opened only by trained staff through a manual procedure that overrides the hydraulics. The mechanism is further limited by thermal and pressure locks. The company says that the system offers the advantage of using a moving door to compress the seal, rather than having to move a more vulnerable seal to form a seal against the door. This delivers greater safety and efficiency with minimal gasket replacement and less associated downtime. All RSV units feature space-saving, compact frames with large, rectangular chambers delivering capacities from 230-700 litres. They are designed and manufactured to ISO BS EN 9001:2000, as are all other autoclaves in the company's portfolio. They are also as versatile as the Tactrol Priorclave microprocessor control system; and are available with steam and water jackets, and as stand-alone or built-in units. They are ideally suited to laboratory sterilisation of media preparation and apparatus, or healthcare procedures and non-sterilisation procedures across many industries. A three-year warranty is provided on the door-sealing gasket.