CAMDR ACRDM 2026

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Medical device reprocessing (MDR)

The validated cycle of cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization that returns a reusable medical device to a safe state for the next patient, together with the documentation and transport steps around it.

2

MDRD / CSSD

The Medical Device Reprocessing Department (also called Central Sterile Supply Department). It is the hospital unit where soiled instruments are received, decontaminated, assembled, sterilized, and stored before return to the operating room or clinic.

3

MDRT

Medical Device Reprocessing Technician. The regulated-scope role in Canada that performs decontamination, inspection, tray assembly, sterilization, and documentation; CAMDR administers the national certification examination for the role.

4

CAMDR

Canadian Association of Medical Device Reprocessing. The national professional association for the MDR sector, which hosts this annual conference and administers MDRT certification.

5

Spaulding classification

The scheme that sorts devices as critical (enters sterile tissue or the vascular system), semi-critical (contacts mucous membranes), or non-critical (contacts intact skin), which sets the minimum reprocessing level for each item.

6

Point-of-use treatment

Immediate bedside or OR-deck pre-cleaning - wiping, flushing, and keeping instruments moist - that prevents bioburden and biofilm from drying before transport to the reprocessing department.

7

Washer-disinfector

A machine that washes, rinses, and thermally disinfects instruments and utensils at validated temperatures, typically to ISO 15883 requirements; load monitoring uses wash and rinse parameters rather than sterility indicators.

8

Steam sterilizer (autoclave)

A pressure vessel using saturated steam under vacuum to sterilize heat- and moisture-tolerant loads. Gravity-displacement and pre-vacuum cycles differ in air removal, cycle time, and the loads they can accept.

9

Low-temperature sterilization

Sterilization methods for heat-sensitive devices - commonly ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide - each with its own aeration, packaging, and material-compatibility constraints.

10

Immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS)

A flash cycle used when a device is needed before a full reprocessing cycle can be completed. It is treated as an exception with strict traceability, not a routine workflow substitute.

11

Biological indicator (BI)

A prepared population of highly resistant spores used to verify that a sterilization cycle achieved lethality; BI results, positive controls, and quarantine release rules are part of load release policy.

12

Chemical indicator

A device that changes colour in response to one or more sterilization parameters. Classes 1 to 6 indicate external exposure, specific parameters, or internal pack conditions, and do not replace biological monitoring.

13

Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)

The documented proof that a sterilizer or washer-disinfector is installed correctly (IQ), operates within specification (OQ), and performs in routine production (PQ), supported by physical, chemical, and biological monitoring.

14

CSA Z314 series

The Canadian standard set for reprocessing of reusable medical devices, covering departmental design, work practices, sterilization, and quality systems; provincial health authorities usually reference it in policy.

15

ISO 17664

The international standard governing how a device manufacturer must state validated reprocessing instructions in the instructions for use, including cleaning steps, restrictions, and sterilization parameters.

16

Loaner instrumentation

Trays and implants supplied by a vendor for a specific case and returned afterward. They create urgent, undocumented reprocessing work and are a frequent audit gap and conference discussion topic.

17

AER (automated endoscope reprocessor)

A dedicated machine that performs leak testing, cleaning, disinfection, and rinsing of flexible endoscopes. Storage, drying, and hang-time rules sit outside the machine and are inspected separately.

18

Prion precaution protocol

The enhanced, often single-use or quarantined handling required for instruments exposed to suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, since normal steam and chemical cycles are not considered reliably prionicidal.

19

Sterile storage and event-related sterility

Controlled shelving, humidity, and handling in the sterile store. Package shelf life is normally event-related rather than date-based when wrap, handling, and storage conditions remain intact.

20

Traceability and instrument tracking

The record linking a specific tray to its decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and patient use, enabling recall and audit when a load fails or an exposure incident is reported.