References

Prosthodontic Associates in Melbourne. The trailblazer for highest-level instrument decontamination relies on the MELAG System. Prosthodontic Associates is a highly-skilled prosthodontic team in Australia, with a focus on reconstructive and implant dentistry. Located in the centre of Melbourne, the state-of-the-art dental clinic is tastefully furbished and equipped with cutting-edge technology.

A patient centred approach: Prosthodontic Associates primary focus is the overall oral health and wellbeing of the patient. Patient safety is of paramount importance. As such, having been extremely satisfied with the existing MELAG steam sterilizers, the clinic decided to extend the infection prevention concept with the integrated MELAG System Solution including software for documentation, load-management and batch-approval.

Streamlining our instrument decontamination process with the MELAG System
Without additional effort it is so easy to benefit from the use of the MELAG System. Our entire instrument decontamination process is more efficient and safe. The easy-to-use device interfaces and the fast cycle times of our MELAG steam sterilisers and washer-disinfector enable us spending more time treating our patients.

Our decontamination room is equipped with a fully validated integrated system solution: MELAtherm 10 for automatic cleaning and disinfection of our instruments. MELAtherm 10 provides the best possible protection against infection for patients and staff. We are highly satisfied with the cleaning and drying results. The rotary sealing device MELAseal Pro provides superior sterility maintenance of all packaged reusable medical devices (RMD). Two Premium-Class MELAG steam sterilisers ensure safe sterilisation. The compact nature, reliability and ease of producing water for our two steam sterilisers and the thermal disinfector via MELAdem has eliminated quality issues, handling and storing issues. MELAtrace, the software for documentation, load-management and batch-approval, accounts for all our regulatory document requirements in a highly secure manner. Our entire reprocessing workflow is carefully documented with MELAtrace. Each MELAG device is attached to the software and the protocol of the device cycle is integrated in one proof pdf document for the batch approval. Printed barcode labels facilitate traceability of the individual load elements. The labels are subsequently scanned and added to the patient administration system.

The easiest and most reliable concept of infection protection
The MELAG system streamlines all instruments and equipment management via a fully validated and integrated system. This results in complete accountability and reproducibility in cleaning, packaging, sterilising, tracking and associated documentation. The integrated system reduces manual handling, it provides tracability and accounts for all instruments at every stage of reprocessing and patient use. The recording of critical processes and parameters digitally has simplified the sterilization and clinical workflows.

With state-of-the-art technology the MELAG System produces safe and efficient reprocessing workflows. The integral solution of a single manufacturer helps us to save valuable time and provides peace of mind for the practice ensuring reliable infection prevention and control.

We have treated patients here in the Göttingen Ostviertel for over 20 years specializing in aesthetic dentistry. We also practice preventative medicine, paediatric dentistry, conservation, prosthetics, implantology and periodontics. We put innovative equipment and state-of-the-art technology to its best use, so as to ensure a focus on patient well-being.

MELAtherm and MELAtrace as constituent parts of the MELAG system solution
Our first aim while redesigning our decontamination room was to ensure the safest-possible instrument decontamination process so as to maximize patient safeguarding. This explains our choice of the MELAtherm 10: it ensures better and safer instrument decontamination following manual treatment, thereby improving our hygiene workflow. The cleaning outcomes are excellent and the integrated drying is a great success. The practical automatic metering function of the device means that we always use the right amount of liquids. The MELAG washer-disinfector saves considerable time and effort for our specialist staff who work day- in day-out to ensure the constant availability of sterile instruments. The MELAtherm effects a significant reduction in the danger of injury, as the individual instruments are no longer cleaned and disinfected manually. This provides our team with much better protection against infection.

The MELAtrace documentation system ensures secure instrument traceability right up to each patient, ensuring legal security. Overall, the use of this software means a considerable step forwards, as it ensures complete documentation, thereby enabling us to plan the loading and the devices and issue instrument approval. The optimal processes provided by MELAtrace are reflected in our practice routine. The attractive and clearly-arranged user interface of the device means intuitive and easy control of the complete decontamination process using the touch display.

The intelligent integration of the MELAG system solution incorporating the Vacuklav 40-B, MELAtherm 10, MELAtrace, MELAseal 100+ and MELAprint 60 brings considerable time savings and improves safety. This produces a highly efficient decontamination process with minimal input and short instrument availability time. We now have more time to concentrate on our patients.

Our dental practice in the centre of Osnabrück focuses on the fields of periodontology, endontology, implantology and dental prostheses. Our practice is visited by an average of 35 to 40 patients a day.

MELAG as a partner
When redesigning the decontamination room, the new hygiene requirements in accordance with RKI guidelines must be taken into account. At the same time, the option of optimising the workflow in a manner that saves work and time needed to be reconsidered. We decided to use MELAG devices - MELAtherm 10, Vacuklav 40 B+ and MELAseal Pro. The devices are exclusively operated by qualified experts who were involved in the planning from the start. In addition to this, the documentation that was previously done manually has been replaced. For economic and organisational reasons, we decided to use the documentation and approval software MELAtrace. All devices are connected to MELAtrace, documentation and approval is achieved in an entirely paperless manner in digital form in just a few clicks. The program structure is self-explanatory, operation is simple and clear.

The scope and type of loading can be freely selected. The documentation makes it clear who prepared the instruments and at what point they did so. The technical parameters of the decontamination process are allocated and stored independently when the respective cycle is approved. Barcode labels can now be printed out using the label printer MELAprint 60 after preparation of the instruments. These are stuck on wrapped and sterile instruments, enabling an allocation to the patients treated. The standardisation of the instrument decontamination brings safety to patients and the practice team alike. At the same time, the additional procurement of instruments can also be necessary.

The personnel cost is lower than for manual decontamination, but disinfection and sterilization using machines under validated conditions still requires time. Initial concerns about the complexity of the MELAtrace software were soon alleviated.

MELAtrace is safe and enables documentation of the decontamination of medical products in compliance with the laws. It is good that other devices can be connected in MELAtrace too, such as the DAC Universal.

Our orthodontic practice was founded in February 2014. We are two attending physician with a focus primarily on the correction of malocclusions, jaw therapy and prevention. We have planned our practice in a manner that allows us to treat 60-70 patients per day. When founding in a practice, both the treatment rooms and the entire implementation of the decontamination room are important factors. Where spaces are small, these must be used as effectively as possible. Together with our specialist dealers, we planned the room and devices perfectly for our needs. We chose the MELAG system with the washer disinfector MELAtherm 10, the steam sterilizer Vacuclav 40 B+, the sealing device MELAseal 200, which can be validated, and for documentation and approval the software MELAtrace - combined with the label printer MELAprint 60. Instrument decontamination in practice should be carried out in accordance with the latest technology and also ensure complete documentation that corresponds to the guidelines. In addition to complying with the legal requirements, it was also important to us to use a piece of software that is intuitive and self-explanatory. The approval of the MELAtherm 10 and Vacuklav 40 B+ can be achieved with just a few clicks and is archived securely. With MELAtrace, it is also possible to define the load. We can track which instruments are prepared how and by whom.

After sterilization labels are printed using the MELAprint 60 label printer to mark the wrapped instruments. By using a barcode scanner, we can read the labels before treatment and link these to the patient files. The entire decontamination chain can therefore be fully tracked and securely documented. The use of MELAtrace means no further effort is required with regard to documentation, everything is fully digital.

Conclusion
As the founders of a new practice, it was particularly important for us to organise our instrument decontamination in accordance with the latest technology. In addition to this, documentation and tracing should be as simple as possible. We are very happy with the MELAG devices and the software tailored to use with these devices and are well positioned for the future.

Our dental practice in the heart of Berlin has served its patients for over 20 years. Today, we focus on oral surgery and implantology. On busy days, we can treat up to 35 patients.

MELAG as your partner for instrument treatment
MELAG is and has always been a reliable partner in the instrument treatment process. We use MELAtherm 10, Vacuclav 40 B and the new MELAseal 200 for instrument treatment. Documentation and labelling was previously done by hand. This required hand-written clearance documentation; the packaging was labelled using the labeller MELAdoc. We now use the new documentation and clearance software MELAtrace in connection with the MELAprint 60. This saves time.

MELAtrace for the digital documentation
MELAtrace enables the digitalization of all documentation processes.The MELAtherm and Vacuklav 40 B clearance process takes only a few clicks. We are also now able to define each individual load, enabling easy traceability of instrument treatment times, the method used and the operators involved. Concluding the treatment process, the MELAprint 60 label printer prints the labels for the sterile instruments. MELAtrace is easy to understand and is structured in accordance with the practice work sequence. Simple and user-friendly operation enables secure software operation. Its attractive design enables an excellent overview. Labelling the sterile instruments with MELAprint 60 enables us to use a bar code scanner to link the treatment process with the patient.

Summary
Although we were initially a little wary of using MELAtrace, we are now entirely satisfied - its highly intuitive operation saves time which can be used for documentation.