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Equipment Ranking 4 options
Compare each option’s strengths, ideal fit, and key details. Read the reviews for the reasons behind the ranking.
| Rank and option | Best fit | Documented focus | Decision detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01Healthmark TOSIBest routine washer challenge | Departments that want a repeatable test of automated washer cleaning performance. | Simulated blood soil couponView source | It challenges the process; it does not directly test every instrument in the load. |
| 02STERIS VERIFY RESI-TESTBest targeted protein check | Teams checking a specific endoscope channel or instrument after manual or automated cleaning. | Protein-residue detectionView source | A sampled area or lumen does not represent every surface on every device. |
| 03ProRevealBest investigation and visual analysis | Quality teams investigating persistent washer failures or detailed instrument soil patterns. | Fluorescence protein imagingView source | The instrument imaging workflow is more involved than a simple routine indicator. |
| 04Healthmark SonoCheckBest ultrasonic cavitation check | Departments monitoring whether an ultrasonic bath is generating cavitation energy. | Cavitation checkView source | It verifies cavitation rather than the full cleaning result. |
The documented focus summarizes a published product, program, or market source linked in each row. More sources and the full assessment appear in the reviews below.
Our take
Healthmark TOSI is the most useful routine washer challenge for a broad SPD. STERIS RESI-TEST adds direct residual-protein checks on devices and lumens. ProReveal provides richer visual protein analysis for investigation, while SonoCheck is the focused check for ultrasonic cavitation.
Healthmark TOSI
TOSI takes first place for the everyday question, “is our washer process still removing a known soil challenge?” Healthmark uses a stainless-steel coupon with simulated blood soil in a holder that creates a box-lock-like cleaning challenge. The test can be placed according to its IFU, run through the selected washer cycle, inspected, and logged. That creates a repeatable signal that a manager can trend across shifts and machines.
A failed TOSI does not identify a single cause by itself. The value comes from the response: check loading pattern, spray arms, chemistry delivery, water, temperature, and the exact cycle, then repeat according to policy. Standardize placement and interpretation so two shifts are testing the same challenge. Use direct device inspection and targeted residue tests alongside it when the concern is one particular instrument or lumen.
It gives a broad department a practical, repeatable washer performance signal.
STERIS VERIFY RESI-TEST
RESI-TEST answers a different question from a washer challenge: is detectable protein residue left on the device you sampled? STERIS describes cleaning indicators used after manual or automated cleaning and before high-level disinfection or sterilization, including the SLIDE-THRU version for lumens. That version gives a qualitative color-change result, with a published 10-second read time and three brush sizes. The brush diameter and length must match the channel being sampled; the brand name alone does not define the right kit. That is valuable when a scope or complex device needs targeted verification after a questionable step.
Sampling technique matters. Choose the correct swab or lumen accessory, train staff on where to sample, and document the device identity and corrective action when a result fails. The test should not be used as a substitute for visual inspection, IFU-required cleaning, or a washer performance check. In a well-designed program it fills a specific gap: residual soil that the process record alone cannot show.
It adds a direct device-level protein check to a process-monitoring program.
ProReveal
ProReveal is the most information-rich tool here for a particular instrument. It uses a reagent and fluorescent imaging to show where protein remains after washer-disinfector processing, with quantitative results and images that can be retained. A team investigating recurring residue on a complex instrument can see a pattern rather than only a pass/fail swab result. That can direct a change in loading, pre-cleaning, or washer configuration.
ProReveal adds a dedicated viewer, reagent spray, and image-review step to the inspection station. The manufacturer describes stored or printed images, localized protein measurements, and exportable history. Those capabilities are especially useful for comparing the same instrument and loading position before and after a process change. Define which instruments or failures trigger testing and how the images will be reviewed. Compare the method with your local standards and validate the workflow for the devices you choose. The best use of detailed measurement is to fix a process, retest, and show that the pattern changed.
It provides location-specific evidence that can guide root-cause work.
Healthmark SonoCheck
SonoCheck belongs in the program because an ultrasonic tank can run a timed cycle without delivering the expected cavitation. Healthmark describes a green-to-yellow test response when cavitation energy is present, with placement governed by the test IFU. Its published log sheet gives the department a starting point for recording repeat checks. It is a focused way to monitor one part of the ultrasonic cleaning process rather than assuming a running machine is an effective machine.
That specificity limits its place in a broad ranking. A passing cavitation check does not prove chemistry dosing, irrigation through every lumen, or cleanliness of a particular instrument. Pair it with the ultrasonic’s maintenance, degassing, and load procedure and with direct inspection or other cleaning checks as indicated. The right question for SonoCheck is simple: was cavitation detected at the tested positions under the specified test conditions?
It catches an ultrasonic-specific failure mode that washer and protein tests do not address.
Write the question beside every test
List each cleaning process and the failure you want to detect. Assign a washer challenge, a device-level residue check, an ultrasonic cavitation check, or an inspection method to that question. Record placement, frequency, acceptance criteria, and what staff do with a failed result.
Why this order
These tools measure different things, so the order reflects how broadly each can support a general SPD quality program. We weighted the clarity of the question answered, repeatability, documentation, and usefulness after a failed result. The strongest monitoring program combines process checks and device-level tests around the department’s instrument inventory and processing instructions.
What we weighted
- Clarity of what is tested
- Fit with routine workflow
- Actionability after failure
- Documentation
- Coverage of high-risk devices and equipment
Product and program facts are linked to their primary sources in each entry. See the full ranking methodology and editorial standards.
Frequently asked
Is a passing washer indicator enough to release every instrument?
No. It is evidence about a defined cleaning challenge. Devices still require the cleaning, inspection, and additional checks specified by their IFUs and the department’s process.
Can a protein test replace visual inspection?
It adds information that visual inspection may miss, while visual and functional inspection still have distinct purposes. Use the methods together as the workflow requires.