The autoclave is a team designed to sterilize material and contaminated means, in order to reliably eliminate microorganisms that would otherwise be present in objects that are used in diagnostic, treatment or research activities in hospitals and laboratory health institutions . It is a metallic container of thick walls with airtight seal that allows to work with water vapor at high pressure and temperature.

This equipment inactivates all the viruses and bacteria, since the joint action of temperature and steam produces the denaturation of the microorganisms proteins, including the essentials for the life and reproduction of these, a fact that it entails its destruction. His inventor was Charles Chamberland in 1879.

For a laboratory or facility of modern research, controlling infections and achieving a sterile work environment is a central priority. Therefore, the autoclaves are indispensable in this field. These devices guarantee the destruction of unwanted and harmful microorganisms. In general, steam sterilization autoclaves are used in laboratories. They use the strong steam heat to create a pressure inside the device and, therefore, kill the bacterial spores through the denaturation and coagulation of their cellular proteins by hydrolysis.