Chemically Heated Field Autoclave

A portable sterilizer for medical and dental instruments is needed to enhance forward medical capabilities. Because current tabletop autoclaves draw in excess of 1000 watts of electrical power, a large and heavy supporting electrical generator is needed to power the autoclave. In designing a replacement technology for field use, light weight is desired but ruggedness and low power consumption are especially important. Furthermore, as a practical matter, the Army and other Services will only use medical sterilizers registered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so regulatory approval must be considered early in the analysis of potential new technologies. TDA Research, Inc. therefore proposes to develop a chemically heated field autoclave that requires no external power and that will have the maximum probability of gaining FDA approval as a sterilizer for medical instruments. In Phase I, we will design the field autoclave and it's control system, then construct and test a prototype.