Description:

The Pelton & Crane OCM Omniclave is the smallest of the company’s classic gravity-displacement sterilizers, built around a 7-inch-diameter, 14-inch-deep stainless chamber that reaches 250 °F in roughly 12 minutes from a cold start (about five when pre-heated). A three-knob front panel—FILL/VENT valve, temperature-pressure potentiometer, and 0-to-30-minute timer—keeps operation entirely mechanical, so there are no printed-circuit boards to fail. The self-contained 2.5-quart reservoir feeds the boiler without plumbing, while the bolt-latch door locks under pressure and a factory-set 35 psi safety valve provides over-pressure protection. Users can switch between saturated-steam cycles and optional dry-heat sterilization, and the two-tray rack (plus large cassette tray) accommodates most chairside instrument sets. Compact (15 × 18 × 13 in) and just 50 lb, the OCM slides onto any level countertop and runs from a standard 110–120 V outlet.

Economic Advantage:

For small dental and medical offices, the OCM’s all-analog design translated into rock-bottom ownership costs: no vacuum pump, no proprietary printer, and only two inexpensive door gaskets to service. Cycle times as short as three minutes (unwrapped) meant a single unit could turn over five or six loads an hour, boosting instrument availability without investing in a pricier Class B vacuum autoclave. Widely available parts and the unit’s reputation for running decades with little more than weekly cleaning further reduced downtime and service spend, while its 50-lb weight made relocation or resale straightforward.