The purpose of this study was to evaluate the durability of insulated probes designed to be used with the Endocater Apex Locator when put through multiple cleaning and autoclaving cycles. The manufacturer has reported that the plastic coating on the probes is reliable with normal use and sterilizable up to a maximum of three cycles. The quality of the seal provided against electrical conductivity by the coating was evaluated using 60 probes of various sizes (10, 15, 20, 25, 40) before and after autoclaving. Visual and electrical field methods were used to detect any leakage in the insulated coating. Defects were detected electronically before they could be detected visually. Statistically significant differences in millimeters of coating lost were found between the original evaluation and after each autoclaving cycle. The size 40 probes lost statistically significantly more coating than did any of the other sizes. The loss of coating seemed to be related to the millimeter markings. The quality of the probes as they came from the manufacturer was excellent; no defects were found in the coating prior to autoclaving.
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