Sterilization Container With Battery Powered Sensor Module For Monitoring The Environment In The Container

A sterilization container, said sterilization container including:

• a body shaped to hold surgical instruments and adapted to allow steam to enter said body to sterilize the surgical instruments;
• and
• a sensor module mounted to said body, said sensor module being shaped to define a normally closed end void space and at least one opening that forms a fluid communications path from the interior of said body into the at least one closed end void space;
• a pressure sensor mounted to said sensor module for sensing the pressure inside said body;
• a first temperature sensor mounted to said sensor module for sensing the temperature inside said body;
• a first thermal mass mounted to said sensor module, said first thermal mass mounted to said sensor module so as to have a first end disposed in the void space and a second end spaced from the first end so as to not be located in the closed end void space;
• and
• a second temperature sensor is mounted to said sensor module so as to monitor the temperature of the second end of the first thermal mass.

A sterilization container, said sterilization container include:

• a body shaped to hold surgical instruments and adapted to allow steam to enter the body in order to sterilize the surgical instruments;
• and
• a sensor module mounted to said body;
• a pressure sensor mounted to said sensor module for sensing the pressure inside the body and a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature inside said body;
• and
• a sensor assembly mounted to said sensor module for measuring the speed of sound internal to said body.

A sterilization container, the sterilization container including

• a body shaped to hold surgical instruments and adapted to allow sterilant to enter said body to sterilize the surgical instruments;
• and
• a sensor module mounted to said body, said sensor module including:
• at least one sensor for mounting the environment in the body;
• a battery for energizing the at least one sensor;
• and
• a processor that regulates the actuation of said at least one sensor such that said processor only periodically actuates the at least one sensor.