Skytron Blog

There was a time when Sterile Processing in an ambulatory surgery center could be relatively simple. A small team, a sink or two, a few sterilizers, and an instrument inventory built around a fairly predictable procedure mix.

But ASCs aren’t performing the same mix of procedures they were ten years ago, and case volumes have exponentially increased.

In our last edition of The Sky is the Limit, we looked at how ASC growth is changing case mix, technology, and infrastructure. Higher-acuity procedures, including total joint replacements, spinal fusions, and cardiovascular procedures, continue to shift from the hospital setting to ASCs, while the number of ORs per ASC has increased over the past decade.

That growth doesn’t stop at the OR doors. It changes what Sterile Processing is being asked to support.
 

Start With the Workload

More cases mean more instruments to process, but case volume alone doesn’t tell you what that workload might look like.
The case type, number of trays, and instrument requirements all come into play. A growing orthopedic or spine program, for example, can introduce additional trays and more specific processing requirements.
A 2025 ASC Focus article on Sterile Processing capacity put the change plainly:

“The concept of an SPD with one sink, one washer, one sterilizer and one technician to handle everything is no longer a reasonable or working solution.”

The article recommends calculating instrument tray volume by time of day based on the procedures being performed, then reviewing the requirements of those service lines and the IFUs for the instruments being processed.

It also provides nine questions for reviewing organizational capacity. Three are particularly relevant when evaluating the physical department:

1. Does each step have adequate capacity to handle hourly requirements while meeting instrument IFUs and regulatory standards?
2. Does the physical infrastructure meet the requirements of each processing area?
3. Is technology available that could improve Sterile Processing operational effectiveness?

The full ASC Focus organizational capacity review includes more questions covering additional areas such as water quality, staffing, competencies, instrument inventory, and maintenance.
 

Put Some Numbers Behind It

Once you know what is reaching Sterile Processing and when, the next step is comparing that demand with what each part of the department can handle.

A simple way to begin is:

1. Find your peak hourly tray volume. How many trays reach Sterile Processing during the busiest hour?
2. Calculate what each processing step can handle during that hour. Consider equipment capacity per cycle and cycle time.
3. Compare required volume with available capacity.Where required volume exceeds what a step can process, you’ve identified a constraint.
4. Repeat the calculation using projected case volume. This shows where future surgical growth could exceed today’s capacity.

For a simple example, say 20 trays arrive in decontamination during the busiest hour. If the ultrasonic equipment can accommodate those 20 trays during that hour, but the washers can process only 12, adding ultrasonic capacity won’t solve the problem. The washer step is the constraint.

The broader concept is known as line balancing: evaluating capacity across the reprocessing sequence so one step does not limit the rest of the process.

The same exercise can be applied to future volume. If planned surgical growth increases that peak from 20 trays to 25, calculate again using 25. Now the facility can see where existing equipment has enough room to absorb the increase and where additional capacity may be required.

Building Capacity for What’s Next

Once current workload and capacity are understood, equipment decisions can be informed by that data. Instead of simply knowing that the department is busy, leaders can identify where additional processing capabilities are needed and use those numbers to support capital planning.

If that calculation identifies an equipment need, Skytron has options.

From the FLEX Ultrasonic Washer Disinfector, which can process up to 125 pounds of instruments per cycle, to high-throughput Integrity Sterilizers and space-saving Sterling Washer-Disinfectors, our equipment is designed to support your Sterile Processing capacity needs.

Skytron offers a full line of Sterile Processing solutions for facilities planning new departments, expanding existing capacity, or preparing for future surgical growth.

An ASC doesn’t need to build a hospital-sized Sterile Processing department simply because its surgical program is growing. It does need to understand what that growth will require from the department supporting it.

Establishing the baseline now gives leaders a way to identify where additional capacity will be needed and plan for it before projected surgical growth becomes today’s workload.
 

 
Resources
1. ASC Focus. Numbers That Tell the ASC Story. March 2026.
2. ASC Focus. Building Sterile Processing Organizational Capacity: How to Support Surgical Growth in Your ASC. May 2025.