{"id":116757,"date":"2026-02-07T21:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T20:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/?p=116757"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:20:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T07:20:34","slug":"autoclave-class-b-vs-n-which-one-to-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/autoclave-class-b-vs-n-which-one-to-choose\/","title":{"rendered":"Class B, S or N: Which autoclave is really mandatory for your medical specialty?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#1-la-classe-n-le-piege-du-pas-cher-naked\">1. The N-Class: The \u201cNaked\u201d trap<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-la-classe-b-l-exigence-absolue-big-best\">2. Class B: The Big\/Best Requirement<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#3-le-match-france-vs-afrique-le-pont-geographique\">3. The Match: France vs Africa (The Geographic Bridge)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-conclusion-ne-jouez-pas-avec-les-lettres\">4. Conclusion: Don't play with letters<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#besoin-dun-avis-dexpert\">Need expert advice?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Autoclave Class B or N? This is the question most frequently asked of our technical teams: <em>\u201cDo I really need to invest in a Class B autoclave, or will a cheaper model (Class N) suffice?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer doesn't depend on your budget, but on your instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing the wrong class is like buying a parachute that opens \u201cevery other time\u201d. Visit <strong>France<\/strong>, EN 13060 is a strict standard. At <strong>Africa<\/strong>, regulatory uncertainty often leads clinics to purchase unsuitable sterilizers that endanger their patients (and their liability, see our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/nosocomial-infection-cost-clinical-profitability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article on legal risk<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let's make the final selection so you can never go wrong again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-la-classe-n-le-piege-du-pas-cher-naked\">1. The N-Class: The \u201cNaked\u201d trap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The letter \u201cN\u201d stands for \u201cNaked\u201d. These autoclaves are simple steam sterilizers, with no vacuum pump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What they do:<\/strong> They sterilize solid instruments, <strong>unpacked<\/strong> and not hollow (e.g. a simple metal scalpel placed on a tray).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Danger:<\/strong> If you put your instruments in a bag, <strong>sterilization fails<\/strong>. The air remains trapped in the bag, preventing the steam from touching the instrument.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For whom?<\/strong> Only for podiatrists or small treatments not requiring sterile storage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nimedix Medical verdict:<\/strong> We strongly advise against Class N for any surgical or dental activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-la-classe-b-l-exigence-absolue-big-best\">2. Class B: The Big\/Best Requirement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the hospital \u201cGold Standard\u201d. The letter \u201cB\u201d stands for \u201cBig Small Sterilizers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology:<\/strong> They use a <strong>fractional vacuum pump<\/strong>. The machine draws air from the tank (and from inside the instruments). <em>before<\/em> to inject steam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What they do:<\/strong> Everything. Hollow instruments (turbines, cavernous bodies), porous loads (gowns, compresses) and above all <strong>bag-packed instruments<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Why it's mandatory:<\/strong> If you're a dentist, ophthalmologist or surgeon, you use instruments with cavities. Only the Class B fractionated vacuum can get to the bacteria hidden inside.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Our selection :<\/strong> At Nimedix, we've chosen safety. All our models, from the\u2019<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/product-category\/sterilization\/autoclaves-horizontaux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Europa B Evo (the robust one)<\/a><\/strong> to the\u2019<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/product-category\/sterilization\/autoclaves-horizontaux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Euronda E10 (the connected one)<\/a><\/strong>, are exclusively from <strong>Class B<\/strong>. We don't sell \u201chalf-measures\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-le-match-france-vs-afrique-le-pont-geographique\">3. The Match: France vs Africa (The Geographic Bridge)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In Europe :<\/strong> The EN 13060 standard makes it virtually impossible to use anything other than Class B for a dental or medical practice. In the event of an ARS inspection, a Class N autoclave on pouches will result in closure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In Africa :<\/strong> Although controls are rarer, the physiology of bacteria is the same! With tropical heat and humidity, the risk of re-contamination is higher. Use a Class B with vacuum drying (as on our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/our-catalog\/autoclave-hydra-evo-avec-imprimante-15-litres-230v\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hydra Evo<\/a><\/strong>) is the only effective barrier for storing your bagged instruments for 30 days without risk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-conclusion-ne-jouez-pas-avec-les-lettres\">4. Conclusion: Don't play with letters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you sterilize bagged instruments (which is the basis of modern hygiene), <strong>Class B is not an option, it's a technical requirement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know you need a B-Class. But the market offers two giants: should you choose the legendary ruggedness of the Europa or the tactile technology of the Euronda?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The duel at the summit :<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/euronda-e8-vs-europa-b-evo-autoclave-comparison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Euronda E8 vs Europa B Evo: Which 24L autoclave is right for your workload?<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"besoin-dun-avis-dexpert\">Need expert advice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Choosing an autoclave is complex (standards, volume, budget). Don't be left on your own when faced with catalogs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Talk directly to a technical specialist <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/33699237823\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nimedix Medical on WhatsApp<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We'll help you identify the right model for your clientele and send you the corresponding Technical Data Sheets \/ Quotations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ne vous trompez pas de norme. La Classe N est interdite pour les instruments emball\u00e9s. D\u00e9couvrez pourquoi la Classe B (Euronda\/Europa) est obligatoire pour les dentistes et chirurgiens.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":98802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1320],"tags":[1327],"class_list":["post-116757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sterilisation-hygiene","tag-autoclave-classe-b"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116757"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116798,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116757\/revisions\/116798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nimedixmedical.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}