# US 11,077,219 B2 · Sterilization apparatus utilizing sealing pouch and vacuum container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,219 B2 - Document ID: US11077219B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/125,259 - Filed: 2018-09-07 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-11 - Assignees: Plasmapp Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Plasmapp Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Youbong Lim; Jaejun Hawn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077219B2 ## CPC - A61L 2/208: Hydrogen peroxide - A61L 2/04: Heat (radiation A61L2/08) - A61L 2/14: Plasma, i.e. ionised gases - A61L 2/20: Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours - A61L 2/26: Accessories - B65D 65/40: Applications of laminates for particular packaging purposes {(B65D1/0215, B65D1/28, B65D3/22, B65D5/0281, B65D5/563, B65D9/30, B65D29/02, B65D31/02, B65D75/26, B65D77/2024, B65D81/1275, B65D81/3811, B65D81/3823, B65D81/3834, B65D81/3846, B65D81/3858, B65D81/3874, B65D81/3886, B65D81/3897 take precedence; laminates per se or laminated packages characterised by the composition or)} - A61L 2103/15: Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps - A61L 2202/11: Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps - A61L 2202/122: Chambers for sterilisation - A61L 2202/15: Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers - A61L 2202/181: Flexible packaging means, e.g. permeable membranes, paper - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A sterilization method may include loading a vacuum wrapper containing and sealing a target object in a vacuum container, evacuating the vacuum container and the vacuum wrapper, injecting a sterilant into the vacuum wrapper, which is disposed in the vacuum container and is maintained at a vacuum state, and venting the vacuum container to allow it to have an atmospheric pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sterilization apparatus comprising: a vacuum wrapper containing a target object, capable of maintaining vacuum state using an impermeable film, and comprising a connection member that provides a pathway for directly supplying and evacuating a sterilant; a vacuum container in which the vacuum wrapper is loaded; a sterilant providing part configured to inject the sterilant into the vacuum wrapper; a thermocompression device configured to thermocompress a portion of the vacuum wrapper adjacent to the connection member, after the evacuating of the sterilant is finished; a heater heating the vacuum wrapper for heating the target object; an alternating power current (AC) power source; and a controller configured to maintain a pressure of the vacuum container to a level higher than a pressure of the vacuum wrapper such that heat of the heater is more efficiently transferred to the target object, wherein the supplying of the sterilant and the evacuating of the sterilant are performed through a same pathway formed in the connection member, wherein the vacuum wrapper includes an upper film and a lower film, and the lower film includes a ground layer, a dielectric layer, and a conductive layer, which are sequentially stacked, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the AC power source to supply AC power between the ground layer and the conductive layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sterilization apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a vacuum pump configured to evacuate internal air of the vacuum container and internal air of the vacuum wrapper, wherein the sterilant injected into the vacuum wrapper is evacuated as the internal air of the vacuum wrapper is evacuated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sterilization apparatus is controlled such that an internal pressure of the vacuum container is lower than that of the vacuum wrapper to provide a space in which the sterilant is diffused in the vacuum wrapper. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sterilization apparatus of claim 1, wherein an evacuated air to evacuate the sterilant from the vacuum wrapper is selectively purified. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, wherein selective purification is performed by purifying the air evacuated from the vacuum wrapper without purifying the air evacuated from the vacuum container. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sterilant in the evacuated air is decomposed using a plasma discharge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, comprising: wherein the vacuum wrapper is shrunken by a difference in pressure between the vacuum wrapper and the vacuum container to effectively increase temperature of the target object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, wherein, after the sterilant is injected into the vacuum wrapper, the vacuum wrapper is shrunken by a pressure difference with the vacuum container, so that concentration of the sterilant is increased. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: an air injection part injecting air into the vacuum container to increase an internal pressure of the vacuum container, wherein the air injection part comprises an air filter filtering the air provided from the outside. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sterilization apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: the vacuum wrapper receives air through the air injection part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The sterilization apparatus of claim 9, wherein the air filter is a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter capable of removing particles and germs from the air provided from the outside. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The sterilization apparatus of claim 2, comprising: a vaporizer configured to heat and vaporize the sterilant, wherein a terminal of the vaporizer is connected to the connection member, and the terminal of the vaporizer is connected to the vacuum pump through a first valve. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The sterilization apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connection terminal of the vaporizer is connected to an external air injection part, and there is a second valve between the terminal and the external air injection part.