Why is a steam sterilizer called an autoclave?
The term autoclave is French, and is derived from the Greek word auto, or automatic, and the Latin word clavis, which means key – hence the term “automatic lock,” an important feature of an autoclave. As the cycle begins, the sterilizer automatically locks shut to prevent the door from opening accidentally when the pressure rises. I hope that you find these questions and answers helpful in your practice. If you have questions that have not been addressed here, please send them to me for future columns: govonim@aol.com. Mary Govoni, CDA, RDH, MBA, is the owner of Clinical Dynamics, a consulting company based in Michigan. She is a member of the Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures and is a featured speaker on the ADA Seminar Series. She also writes a column for Dental Equipment & Materials magazine. She can be contacted at govonim@aol.com.
