AAMI

The items that can affect the energy transfer are “wet” steam (i.e., too much condensed water in the steam usually caused by contamination in the steam) or steam that is superheated (steam that is too dry because it has been heated beyond its saturation point) creating a dry heat process. Both can result in a lack of sterilization.

At the Kilmer 2025 Conference in Orlando, a compelling discussion unfolded on the transformative impact of research grants provided by the AAMI Foundation. The conversation, hosted by Brian Stallard, director of AAMI News, featured Ralph Basile of the AAMI Foundation and guest Dr. William Levia, a two-time Kilmer grant recipient whose research is pushing boundaries in infection prevention and medical device safety.

Transportation of medical devices between facilities is increasingly the norm. Health care facilities often send instruments to offsite reprocessing centers miles away from the point of care. Keeping medical devices and medical device packaging intact and sterile during transportation can be a struggle.

That’s according to Dr. William Rutala, director of the Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina. At the 2025 edition of the KILMER conference, Rutala took a wide-lens view of his field. Drawing on his decades of experience and more than 700 scientific publications, he discussed new sterilization technologies, surface disinfection, endoscope sterilization, ethylene oxide, and more.

Whether a material is compatible with different sterilization methods is a serious concern for medical device manufacturers and sterile processing professionals. After all, cleaning or sterilization should not damage medical products. An updated AAMI guidance addresses this issue by clarifying how sterilization affects products and packaging.

AAMI is pleased to announce that the application cycle for the 2025 AAMI Awards has officially begun. These awards are AAMI’s way of recognizing its community for what it is – a vibrant set of professionals, scientists, and advocates who support the safe and effective use of health technology.