Single use drills/burs are supplied sterile and should be properly disposed of after each procedure. Reusable drills/burs and instrumentation are supplied nonsterile and must be sterilized prior to use. Nonsterile items must be removed from the packaging before sterilization.

Multiple sterilizations may affect the flow of fluid through internally irrigated drills. The drills should be checked following each sterilization cycle to determine if fluid flows through the irrigation ports. Although the surgical drills are constructed of stainless steel, these should be adequately dried prior to packaging for sterilization and again after the sterilization cycle.

To extend the useful life of 3i’s instruments, certain procedures should always be followed:

Cleaning:

1. After use, place drills into a beaker of plain water, mild soap or specialized cleaning solution.

2. Rinse with tap water for a minimum of two minutes while brushing with a soft bristled brush to remove visible debris. Clean the interior lumen with a thin wire to remove any remaining debris.

3. Place instruments in an ultrasonic bath containing enzymatic detergent for five minutes.* Scrub the instruments again with a soft bristled brush and ream interior lumen to remove any remaining debris.

4. Rinse and flush the instruments for one minute using tap water.

5. Inspect visually for any remaining bone fragments or debris and scrub as necessary.

Sterilization: 

6. Remove the bur block from the surgical tray. Scrub the surgical tray and block with a soft bristled brush and mild soap. Rinse thoroughly.

7. Place the components into the surgical tray and pour ethyl alcohol (do not use rubbing alcohol) over the burs and tray to remove soap residue and minerals from the water. This step is important to help prevent corrosion and spotting. Let the components dry before wrapping.

8. Wrap the surgical tray in paper or autoclave-approved bags twice to prevent a tear of the outer packaging from contaminated instruments.

9.  Steam gravity sterilize for forty minutes at a temperature of 270°–275°F (132°–135°C).

Notes:

1. Multiple sterilizations may affect the flow of fluid through internally irrigated burs. After each use, ream the burs individually with wire to remove any bone fragments or debris that will prevent the flow of water. This is done prior to the sterilization cycle.
2. Do not remove drills, instrumentation or surgical tray from the autoclave until the “dry cycle” is complete. Very Important!
3. These guidelines DO NOT apply to the cleaning and sterilization of your powered instrumentation. Please follow your powered instrumentation manufacturer’s instructions.

Please refer to ART630 for complete instructions on the sterilization and care of stainless steel.

*ENZOL enzymatic detergent was used to validate this process, per the manufacturer’s dilution recommendation.