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One option that may not always be considered is the customization of controls on processing equipment to meet special applications. Autoclaves in the vivarium serve one of two functions; either they sterilize caging and materials prior to their entry into a barrier or they decontaminate cages and materials coming out of a containment area. Sometimes the autoclave is placed in the wall of the barrier or containment area. In some cases, that location is adjacent to the cage wash area as well (Figure 1).
However, if the demands of the facility do not warrant more than one autoclave, there is another option. The autoclave can be placed in line with the other cage wash equipment (Figure 2). In these situations, it is important to remember that unlike the tunnel washer and the rack washer which are loaded on one end and unloaded from the other end, the autoclave will be used as if it were two single door units.
Using the autoclave as two single door units means that potentially contaminated materials will be loaded and unloaded from the dirty side of the cage wash as they still require being placed in the washing equipment after sterilization. Equipment that is being sterilized for use in a barrier will be loaded and unloaded from the clean side of the cage wash. Therefore, when you order your autoclave, make sure that it comes equipped with controls at both ends of the unit and let the manufacturer know that it is going to be used as a single door unit from either side; otherwise, the door sequencing may not function properly.
Interestingly enough, the rack washer could also be set up to be used as two single door units. Why might you want to do that? In one particular case, a portion of the vivarium was going to be renovated for non-human primates (NHP) and the area of choice was located on the clean side of the cage wash area. The vivarium staff wanted to segregate the travel of NHP caging from the rest of the facility and as such, the clean side of the rack washer was converted to the NHP wash area and the dirty side was renovated to act as a clean/dirty area for the main facility. The rack washer was designed with controls at both ends so that NHP caging could be loaded and unloaded from one end (within the NHP area) and caging from the main facility could be loaded and unloaded from the other end. In addition, as the NHP area was a secure zone, the washer was modified to allow the doors to be locked when the power was turned off so that no one could enter the NHP area through the rack washer (Figure 3).
One can be quite creative when thinking about how to use processing equipment in the vivarium; however, it is important to ensure your control packages are in line with the usage and placement in the design.