Portable Chemical Sterilizer

An assembly for sterilizing of a plurality of microbiologically contaminated objects, using in situ generated chlorine dioxide sterilant, heat, and humidity, the assembly comprising:

• a unit comprising a closable, portable, hand carried carry case weighing up to about 35 pounds and having an inner chamber for accepting microbiologically contaminated objects:
• an interior vessel disposed in the inner chamber for serving as a reaction chamber, said vessel for receiving and combining dry chemical precursors with water, within the case, said vessel being adapted for rinsing and cleaning, independently from the case, for reusing the vessel on other contaminated objects;
• a combination of dry chemical precursors which upon combining with water generates in situ biocidal sterilization agents, and subsequently generates at least minimally sufficient conditions of the chlorine dioxide sterilant, heat, and humidity to effect microbiological sterilization of the objects, said combination of dry chemicals excluding acids and consisting of iron-activated magnesium Mg(Fe), chlorite ion ClO2− as an oxidant, sulfite ion SO32− as a reductant and sodium hydrogen ascorbate ion AH− as an effector, said sodium hydrogen ascorbate being in an amount less than a stoichiometric amount, and said combination of dry chemical precursors being combined with water causing a reaction by electron transfer, and not acidification, during sterilization, at neutral pH, for producing heat and humidity and chlorine dioxide in amounts sufficient to effect said sterilization, under which reaction by electron transfer the ascorbate initiates a reduction of chlorite by a transfer of an electron from chlorite to ascorbate for causing a release of heat, a decrease in solution pH, and a release of chlorine dioxide in heated gaseous and acqueous forms, said reaction between ascorbate and chlorite inducing chemical reaction between chlorite and sulfite for producing heat and increasing solution pH for generating heated chlorine dioxide at neutral pH for affecting said objects to expose any contaminating microorganisms to said chlorine dioxide and sterilizing said objects,
• a pressure release outlet check valve mounted on said unit for automatically periodically controlling pressures at ambient during sterilization and venting pressures above ambient and releasing any heated gases and sterilant after sterilization, whereby said outlet check valve prevents accumulation of pressures above ambient air pressures in the inner chamber during a sterilization process cycle, and vents pressures above ambient and releases any heated gases and sterilant after sterilization of the objects for flushing said gases and sterilant from the unit for allowing access to said objects;
• a dry gas scrubber, comprising non-metal, porous sponge material, engrafted onto and with a protective framework of said outlet check valve, a reductant comprising sulfur ions being embedded in the sponge material, said scrubber, valve and framework not protruding beyond the unit, for absorbing any chlorine dioxide gas exiting the unit during any stage of a sterilization process, said gas scrubber for inactivating the chlorine dioxide gas passing through the scrubber, the chlorine dioxide being reduced by the ions for forming a reaction converting chlorine dioxide and the reductant to inert ionic chloride and sulfate, respectively;
• and
• an inlet valve, being a filtered one way valve, mounted on said unit, for permitting incoming air to flow into the unit after sterilization, said incoming air being distributed within the unit and mixing with any gaseous products remaining in the unit, said incoming air increasing pressure from ambient to greater than ambient in the unit and thereby flushing any remaining gaseous products from the unit through the outlet valve after sterilization of the objects, said inlet valve preventing any gases from flowing out of the unit through the inlet valve, and said inlet valve having a filter for filtering incoming air and preventing introduction of contaminating air-borne particulate matter and microbiological contaminants to re-contaminate the sterilized objects, whereby the outlet check valve and the inlet valve cooperate to maintain ambient pressure during sterilization, to increase pressure, after sterilization, and to flush any gaseous products from the unit;
• wherein the assembly, including the unit, vessel, combination of dry chemical precursors with water, outlet check valve and dry scrubber, and filtered inlet valve, is self-contained, reusable and is free of any external source of power for controllably generating sufficient amounts of chlorine dioxide, heat, and humidity to sterilize the contaminated objects, for preventing accumulation of pressures above ambient air pressures during sterilization, for increasing pressure after sterilization. and for venting and deactivating chemical reaction prod-acts from the unit.