Sterilization system and method and orifice inlet control apparatus therefor
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsJames Kohler, Szu-Min Lin, Richard Kendall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by concentrating a germicide via exploitation of the difference between the vapor pressures of the germicide and its solvent. A diffusion restriction can be placed into the diffusion path to assist this process and the path then opened to provide rapid diffusion of the thus concentrated germicide. The path through the diffusion restriction can be closed to allow the pressure in a sterilization chamber to be lowered prior to receiving the concentrated germicide.
Claims18
A method of sterilizing an article comprising the steps of:
- placing a vaporizer into fluid communication with a sterilization chamber through a diffusion restriction, the sterilization chamber being at a lower pressure than the vaporizer;
- vaporizing a sterilant solution, which comprises a sterilant and a solvent, in the vaporizer;
- after substantially completely vaporizing the sterilant, comparing the pressure in the sterilization chamber to a predetermined pressure and if it is above a predetermined pressure isolating the sterilization chamber from the vaporizing and lowering the pressure in the sterilization chamber to a pressure below the predetermined pressure;
- and then
- placing the vaporizer into open fluid communication with the sterilization chamber and diffusing vaporized sterilant into the sterilization chamber and into contact the article.
A method of sterilizing an article comprising the steps of:
- providing a sterilant solution which comprises a sterilant and a solvent;
- vaporizing the sterilant solution in a vaporizer;
- placing the vaporizer into fluid communication with a sterilization chamber through a diffusion restriction, the sterilization chamber being at a lower pressure than the vaporizer;
- increasing the ratio of sterilant to solvent in the vaporizer by preferentially drawing a vapor phase of the solvent out of the vaporizer through the diffusion restriction and exhausting at least a portion of this solvent out of the sterilization chamber then isolating the vaporizer from the sterilization chamber and lowering the pressure in the sterilization chamber to a predetermined pressure selected to enhance diffusion of the vaporized sterilant into diffusion restricted areas of the article;
- and then
- placing the vaporizer into open fluid communication with the sterilization chamber and diffusing vaporized sterilant into the sterilization chamber and into contact the article.
A sterilization system comprising:
- a sterilization chamber;
- a vacuum pump connected to the sterilization chamber;
- and
- a vaporizer connected to the sterilization chamber, the vaporizer comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber, the first outlet path being restricted by a diffusion restriction and a first valve in the first outlet path;
- a second outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber and a second valve in the second outlet path, whereby the enclosure can be placed into fluid communication with the sterilization chamber unimpeded by the diffusion restriction;
- and
- providing a controller for controlling a sterilization process, the controller being programmed to include the following process steps:
- placing the vaporizer into fluid communication with the sterilization chamber solely through the diffusion restriction;
- vaporizing a sterilant solution in the vaporizer;
- when the vaporizing is substantially complete closing the first valve and lowering the pressure within the sterilization chamber.
A sterilization system according to claim-16 wherein the diffusion restriction comprises an orifice plate having an orifice therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.