3M unveils Attest Mini Auto-reader 490M, a 24-minute in-house sterilization monitoring solution

July 3, 2020

Designed with patient safety in mind, dentists now have more incentive to bring monitoring in-house.

Press Release

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, biological indicators, or spore tests, are the most accepted method for monitoring the sterilization process, and are recommended, at minimum, on a weekly basis. These tests monitor the killing of a large population of resistant microorganisms and provide assurance to a dental practice that their sterilization cycle parameters have been met.

In its current state, biological indicator testing of sterilizers in dental offices, via in-office monitoring or mail-in service, can take anywhere from 24 hours to one week for results to be obtained. During that wait time, a malfunctioning sterilizer could be used to process instruments used on patients.

With the new 3M Attest Mini Auto-reader 490M, sterilization monitoring results are now available in just 24 minutes. Dental teams will no longer have extensive waits for results and will now know that their sterilizer cycle parameters have been met.

“Routine monitoring using super rapid biological indicator technology can help reduce the risk of patient exposure to contaminated dental instruments,” says Eric Wenzel, director, 3M Oral Care Solutions Division. “[T]he compact size and competitive price of the Attest Mini Auto reader makes in-office monitoring not just possible but practical for dental offices.”

For more than 30 years, 3M has been a global leader in providing biological indicator sterilization assurance solutions to hospitals worldwide. Now with the small, easy-to-use Attest Mini Auto-reader, dental practices can access the same rapid 24-minute sterilization monitoring speed used in hospitals to better serve patients. The product is designed to incubate and read 3M Attest Super Rapid Readout Biological Indicators 1491 and 1492V for a final fluorescent result in 24 minutes.

To learn more about the 3M Attest Mini Auto-reader 490M, visit go.3M.com/490M.

Editor's note: This article is an edited version of a press release issued by 3M on July 1, 2020.