The AMA Compact Ecofill Toploading Autoclave provides the ultimate in resource-efficient vertical autoclaves. Removal of the BioSafety Level 3 (BSL3) / Containment Level 3 (CL3) capability from the AMA Compact Classic Toploader allowed for integration of the Astell Ecofill system to produce the AMA Compact Ecofill. The result is a vertical autoclave with lower energy and water demands, faster processing times, and lower manual labour requirements.

While Classic models keep the water used in steam sterilization in their sterilization chamber, Ecofill stores it in an external reservoir. When required, water enters the chamber to be converted to sterilizing steam. When the sterilization stage is complete, the heated water and water vapour is returned to the Ecofill reservoir. This process reduces water loss, decreasing the unit’s demand for water. As such the need to refill the toploader’s water supply is also reduced, and can run up to fifteen cycles before refilling, reducing water maintenance labour by 93%.

This process saves energy too. During sterilization, heat and pressure are generated within the autoclave chamber, which must be reduced before the chamber door can be opened. For autoclaves heating water inside their chamber, this demands either cooling the water – a time-consuming process due to water’s capacity for retaining heat – or removing it from the chamber. While many autoclave designs opting for the latter method expel the water into the drain, the Ecofill instead transfers it to the reservoir. This allows for the hot water to be reused, providing the following sterilization cycles with pre-heated water, reducing the energy required to heat it to >121°C sterilization temperatures. The faster the time between cycles, the more energy is saved.

As hinted, this method reduces the process time also. Cooling time is greatly reduced by transferring the water to the reservoir, and heating times are shortened by its reuse. When compared to an equivalent autoclave without Ecofill, the processing time when running from cold is up to 31% faster in an Ecofill autoclave, and when water in the Ecofill reservoir is hot –up to 39.98% faster.

Through the inclusion of Ecofill, the portability of the AMA Compact Toploading Autoclave is also enhanced. Where the Classic Compact AMA channels condensate into either a condensate bottle or a drain, the AMA Compact Ecofill Toploading returns condensate to the Ecofill reservoir for reuse. As only the autoclave needs moving, relocating the device is simplified to unplugging, wheeling to the new location, and plugging back in again. While both the Classic and Ecofill AMA Compacts are part of the Astell Plug and Play range, the Ecofill variant pushes the concept to its zenith. Compare the Ecofill with the Ecofill Dry and the Classic here.

The requirements of the Ecofill system mean this version of the Compact AMA cannot sterilize CL3 / BSL3 materials, for which a Classic Compact AMA is recommended. The device also cannot dry the peal packs, pouches, and fabric-wrapped sterile packs as commonly used in surgical applications, which demand the drying functionality of either the AMB Ecofill Dry Benchtop autoclave, or an autoclave in the “Customizable & Versatile” or “Maximum Capacity, Maximum Adaptability” ranges. For most other laboratory steam sterilization purposes, the AMA Compact Ecofill Toploading Autoclave is perfect. From laboratory instruments, to Liquids and growth media, to discard and waste, the Compact Ecofill can process the modern laboratory staples quickly and efficiently. Glass and autoclavable plasticware also provide no challenge, and sterilizing them in the already lightning-fast Compact Ecofill can be enhanced further by the inclusion of a Nelldorn Glassware Dryer ensuring your containers are rapidly ready to be pressed back into service.

The AMA Compact Ecofill Toploading Autoclave comes equipped, like all Astell autoclaves, with a touchscreen control computer. Uniquely developed for the rigors of the modern laboratory, the water-resistant computer can be operated with a press of any object, whether gloved or bare fingers, a stylus, or any rigid object. Capable of storing up to 50 cycles, easily user-generated and modified by access-approved users through an intuitive interface, the control computer allows users to make the most of every inch of the AMA Compact Ecofill hardware. And with storage capacity onboard for the data from 5000 cycles, easily transferred to other systems by USB or ethernet, record-keeping is made easy.

This powerful, portable autoclave finds use across a panoply of sectors, including in research, healthcare, food and beverage, and industrial and manufacturing, to mention just a few. With its special capacity for relocation, it is the perfect device for temporary laboratories or for facilities where the primary site of autoclaving is liable to change. For many, it is the speed and resource efficiency that makes the AMA Compact Ecofill their choice of Toploading Autoclave.