Description:

The first-generation Midmark / Ritter M7 Speedclave is a gravity-displacement steam sterilizer designed for small clinics and dental or medical offices that need fast turnover without the cost or size of a vacuum unit. Its 7.5-inch-diameter × 15-inch stainless chamber accepts three included trays and is heated by an immersed 1136 W element regulated between 250 °F and 270 °F. A 30-minute mechanical timer, fill/vent lever, and low-water cut-out keep operation purely manual, while the spring-loaded safety door locks under pressure and won’t open until the chamber is fully vented. Because the reservoir is built in (no plumbing needed) and the unit plugs into a standard 120 V outlet, installation is literally “set it on the counter, add distilled water, and go.”

Economic Advantage:

What made the M7 a staple for decades was speed and simplicity at a bargain capital cost. Starting from ambient the unit can finish an unwrapped load in about nine minutes—and in just 6–6½ minutes when already hot—so a small practice could process 30 % more instruments per hour than with typical eight-inch benchtops. With no electronic boards, vacuum pump, or proprietary water hookup, maintenance costs stayed low and downtime rare, delivering one of the lowest total ownership costs in its class.