Sterilization (microbiology) equal to the probability of a non-sterile unit. For high-risk applications, such as medical devices and injections, a sterility assurance level of at least 10 is required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A widely used method for heat sterilization is the autoclave, sometimes called a converter or steam sterilizer. Autoclaves use steam heated to under pressure. To achieve sterility, the article is placed in a chamber and heated by injected steam until the article reaches a temperature and time setpoint. Almost all the air is removed from the chamber, because air is undesired in the moist
Sterilization law in the United States in the best interest of the incompetent. Arkansas Code section 20-49-101 to -207 provides the guidelines for sterilizing an incompetent patient. In 1991, the Arkansas Supreme Court held the part of the Arkansas sterilization statute that allowed sterilization of an incompetent through direct medical channels, rather than approval from a court, to be unconstitutional because it denied the patient procedural due process. In 2013, the 4th District Court of Appeal held that a developmentally disabled adult with "mild mental retardation" may be reproductively sterilized if the court determines there is clear and convincing evidence that the procedure is medically necessary