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
Medical Unit, Self-contained, Transportable Medical Unit, Self-contained, Transportable Medical Unit, Self-contained, Transportable (MUST) was a type of medical equipment system developed for field hospitals in the United States Army in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The system used inflatable shelters for ward and patient care space, and expandable shelters for operating rooms and other sections. They were powered by auxiliary power units which used JP-4 as fuel, producing power and air conditioning for the hospital in addition to air to keep the shelters inflated. A 60 bed surgical hospital in Vietnam could use up to 3,000 gallons of JP-4 per day to keep