Autoclave tape is a specialized tape product used in packages of materials placed in an autoclave. The tape has high heat and pressure sensitive chemical strips that change color when exposed to high enough heat and pressure, indicating that a package of materials has been autoclaved. This tape product does not necessarily indicate that the contents of a package are sterile, as the tape may be exposed to the proper conditions without the inside of the package reaching a sufficiently high level of pressure and temperature. It is important to operate an autoclave correctly and periodically check the autoclave to confirm that it is working.
Several companies manufacture autoclave tapes for use in laboratories, hospitals, clinics, and other facilities where instruments, tools, and other materials are autoclaved. Classically, autoclave tape is made with a series of stripes that appear light beige under normal conditions and darken in the autoclave. Other tapes may have text that appears after a trip through the autoclave, which says "autoclave."
Also known as an autoclave indicator tape, the autoclave tape is generally required by the protocol when placing something in an autoclave. The use of autoclave tape is one of many steps designed to ensure safety when it comes to handling sterile materials. If a package of materials does not have autoclave tape, it is assumed to be non-sterile, which means it must be autoclaved before it can be used.
When the materials are packaged for the autoclave, the tape is added last and most people include a date stamp on the tape. The tape is designed to adhere despite high heat and steam in the autoclave. With the use of the autoclave tape, people can determine whether or not packages of material have passed through the autoclave, and can also see how recently the supplies were sterilized by referring to the date indicated on the tape.
Several manufacturers have historically used lead-based inks for their chemical strips. Some labs have raised concerns about this, arguing that people dispose of autoclaved tape without realizing that it may contain dangerously high levels of lead. Some companies have chosen to manufacture lead-free autoclave tape in response to these concerns, with the tape sometimes clearly labeled on the package as lead-free. Lead-containing tape must be disposed of in the same way as other lead-containing hazardous materials; One of the best ways to do this is to designate a container for the collection of autoclave tape and other lead-containing materials, requesting a hazardous materials collection when the container is full.