Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) Sterile Processing Technician Practice Exam

What is the mechanical action in the automated cleaning process that involves sound waves and bubbles?

1. Cavitation

2. Sonication

3. Filtration

4. Agitation

The correct answer is: Cavitation

The correct answer is cavitation, which refers to the formation, growth, and implosion of bubbles in a liquid due to the action of sound waves. In the context of the automated cleaning process, particularly in ultrasonic cleaning, sound waves create alternating high and low-pressure cycles. During the low-pressure cycles, microscopic bubbles are formed, and as the high-pressure cycles follow, these bubbles collapse violently. This implosion generates a powerful shock wave that effectively dislodges contaminants from the surfaces of instruments and equipment, ensuring a thorough cleaning action without the need for harsh scrubbing. While sonication is closely related to this process, particularly as it pertains to the use of sound waves for cleaning, the term specifically designated for the phenomenon of bubble formation and collapse is cavitation. Filtration refers to the physical process of removing particles from a liquid but does not involve sound waves or bubbles, and agitation typically involves moving the cleaning solution around to aid in the cleaning process but is not defined by the specific action of sound waves and bubbles. Thus, the term cavitation distinctly describes the mechanism at play during the automated cleaning process involving sound waves and bubbles.