Autoclave Autoclave An autoclave is a pressure chamber used to carry out industrial processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure different from ambient air pressure. Autoclaves are used in medical applications to perform sterilization and in the chemical industry to cure coatings and vulcanize rubber and for hydrothermal synthesis. They are also used in industrial applications, especially regarding composites, see autoclave (industrial). Many autoclaves are used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to pressurized saturated steam at 121 °C (249 °F) for around 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the load and the contents. The autoclave was invented by
Sterilization law in the United States mentally disabled girl for reasons of medical necessity. The Division recommended more stringent procedures; however, the Superior Court dismissed the issue as moot because the girl was already sterilized. In 1983, the New York Supreme Court authorized the sterilization of an incompetent person. In 2002, a New York County Court authorized the sterilization of a woman with an intellectual disability who gave informed consent to the procedure. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 35A-1245, a mentally ill or mentally retarded patient who is unable to give informed consent may be sterilized with an order of the clerk or court after