GLOBAL
INTERMED USA
Autoclaves
The two most
common manufacturers of autoclaves in the podiatry profession are Midmark/Ritter
and Pelton Crane. There are several others like Tuttnauer, AMSCO, Castle and
American Sterilizer. However, they represent a relative few in the used
podiatry autoclave market. The Midmark/Ritter M7, M9 and M11 units are all
fully automated
and often referred to as "one-touch" autoclaves. The Pelton Crane Validator
10 and Validator Plus series are very analogous as they are also "one-touch"
units. But, the most common of all of them is the Pelton Crane OCM and
OCR units. One dealer referred to them as the Harley Davidson of autoclaves.
They have been around for decades and a great number continue to provide
dependable service. Parts are inexpensive and readily available from
alternative sources and qualified repair services are readily available
throughout the US.
When choosing
an autoclave, the first thing to consider is the size that will be needed to
meet the practice needs. If the intention is to autoclave only hand
instruments, the Pelton Crane OCM or Midmark/Ritter M7 should be more
than adequate. They will cycle faster than the larger units and use less
electricity. If the practice includes office surgery that employs surgical
power sets, a larger unit will be needed. The Pelton Crane Validator 10,
Validator Plus, OCR, OCR+ and Midmark/Ritter M9 or M11 units will be
required.
Generally, good used Midmark/Ritter
autoclaves will cost from $200 to $1000 more than comparable Pelton Crane
units although both of the manufacturers' products can be expected to
provide dependable service for many years if properly cared for. The costs
of repairing the Midmark/Ritter autoclaves can be significantly more
expensive than the corresponding Pelton Cranes because of the ready
availability of Pelton
Crane
parts from sources other than the manufacturer. In addition, autoclaves that
incorporate electronic control boards are always more expensive to repair
than those with more simplified circuitry. Recently, I had significant
difficulty locating an electronic control board for an M9. My tech told me
that Midmark/Ritter is no longer providing support for their older units.
This can be a real problem if you purchase a used autoclave without a
warranty.
In fact, I can't stress enough that the key to saving money with used
podiatry equipment lies in the nature of the warranty in terms of time and
the capacity to provide support throughout the warranty period and after.
Yes, you can purchase equipment from fellow doctors for what appears to be a
very good price only to have it break down a month or two later. The costs
of repairs in the field are not small and what was once thought to
be
a good deal can turn into a nightmare in an instant. I can still recall when
I was working in anesthesia a Senior Attending told me that in our field,
"Careers are built over a period of decades and destroyed in seconds".
Working with used podiatry equipment day-to-day, I marvel at how difficult
it would be to support the equipment we sell without our knowledge base and
superior technical support personnel.
Global
Intermed warrants all of our equipment for 1 year, 100% parts & labor or
replacement and supports it after that. We also provide support for all of
our doctors' equipment when and where we can regardless whether they
purchased it from GI or someone else. Feel free to call to let us know how
we can help. Ask for Mark or Sue.
Global Intermed
19876 Henry Rd.
Fairview Park, OH 44126
Tel: 440.333.0007
Fax: 440.333.4902
parkhaven@hotmail.com
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