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US 2022/0175994 A1Published application
Load volume determination method for a sterilization apparatus
AssigneeAdvanced Sterilization Products, Inc.
InventorBenjamin M. FRYER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to improve efficiency of operating a sterilizer is disclosed. The method includes determining a volume of a load inside the sterilizer based on pressure measurements as a function of time. The determined volume may be used to decide whether to conduct a sterilization procedure. If the sterilization procedure is to be conducted, the volume data may be used to estimate the duration of the procedure, which duration may be communicated to a user.
Claims28
A method of operating a sterilizer, comprising:
- placing a load in an unsterile state into a chamber of the sterilizer;
- lowering a pressure in the chamber to a first pressure;
- raising the pressure in the chamber from the first pressure to a second pressure;
- determining a duration during which the pressure in chamber increased from the first pressure to the second pressure;
- comparing the duration to information that correlates time data to volume data;
- and
- determining a volume of the load.
4 more elements
A sterilizer, comprising:
- a chamber adapted to maintain a load of instruments;
- a vacuum pump connected to the chamber and configured to lower a pressure in the chamber to a first pressure;
- a vent valve connecting the chamber to an exterior of the sterilizer;
- a non-transitory storage medium in which is stored information that correlates time-data to volume data;
- and
- a processor configured to
- access the storage medium,
- determine a duration during which the pressure in the chamber increases from the first pressure to a second pressure,
- compare the duration to the information that correlates time data to volume data, and
- determine a volume of the load.
7 more elements
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.