What is a Dart Test?
The Dart Test is used to ensure that dynamic air removal sterilizers (pre vacuum) are working adequately to remove residual air from the sterilizer chamber. Complete air removal from a sterilizer chamber is essential in order to allow for the direct and intimated contact of the steam sterilant to all surfaces of the sterilizer’s contents .The Dart test should be placed on the lowest shelf over the sterilizer drain in an otherwise empty sterilizer chamber. The sterilizer operating parameters for the Dart Test are 132-134[degrees] C (270 -73[degrees] F) for a 3.5 -4.0 minute cycle based on the temperature setting. The air removal tests are commonly run at the start of each day but it is not an absolute requirement to conduct this test at that time or at the same time each day. Biological indicators are a challenge test which utilizes live spores and are run through a sterilization cycle to ensure that the sterilization conditions, parameters and performance were adequate to destroy all f
