Autoclave sterilization is a process that uses steam under pressure to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores on items placed inside a pressure vessel. The items are heated to an appropriate sterilization temperature for a given amount of time, and the moisture in the steam efficiently transfers heat to the items to destroy the protein structure of the bacteria and spores. This method is widely used in healthcare, industrial, scientific research, and pharmaceutical industries to sterilize medical devices, laboratory instruments, and other materials
. The basic principle of steam sterilization, as accomplished in an autoclave, is to expose each item to direct steam contact at the required temperature and pressure for the specified time. The two basic types of steam sterilizers (autoclaves) are the gravity displacement autoclave and the high-speed prevacuum sterilizer
