Overview

NCA X-CLEAN INDICATORS

NCA have researched in house a new formula that complies directly with ISO15883-1 in accordance with test soil removal. NCA have taken the top 30 harshest bio-soils and have developed a synthetic card that replicates the top 30 test soils. The measurement of the X-Clean Indicators is based on efficacy of detergent and mechanical force used within a multi-channel of cleaning machines such as:

• Hospital batch washers
• Under bench washers (dishwashers)
• Ultrasonic cleaners
• Pan sanitisers

The international competition within this space only carry one type of card and most of them are not of a synthetic nature, hence not being in compliance with ISO15883-1:2006, referenced in AAMI standards and also not providing a challenge to the cleaning process as animal and human blood based cards wash off too quickly, hence not providing enough evidence of validation to the process. The competition cards also rarely measure effective detergent efficacy and focus more on the mechanical force of spray arms and ultrasonic waves to remove the soils from the card.
In the healthcare industry there are 4 main types of detergent cleaning solutions:

• Enzymatic
• Neutral
• Alkaline

Glutaraldehyde /Formaldehyde (used only for outbreak cases such as SARS/CJD etc)
One card cannot measure each level of detergent. There needs to be a different card for each level. NCA has developed 4 types of cleaning indicators for each detergent used as each hospital will vary in detergents used.
A good example of this would be the enzymatic card commonly used by the competition. Enzymes are the most simple soil remover on a domestic level, therefore the enzymatic card will wash too quickly, forcing a false-positive result in the washer. If the facility is using an alkaline detergent with a high pH level, then the enzymatic card will be removed well before its actual validation cycle, hence causing a false-positive resulting in a non validated washer. This in itself could be the most important factor in providing evidence that a patient had not been infected by a procedure within the healthcare sector, commonly known as a “Nosocomial Case”. This is what every facility should be avoiding at all costs.
The NCA X-Clean Cards will measure every level of the washing process and confirm validation of each washer and ultrasonic alike, providing assurance of the cleaning process as successful with scientific evidence.