Ultraviolet/infrared sterilization device and method

A method for sterilizing an instrument in a sterilizing device, the method comprising:

• sliding a drawer assembly out of a housing of the sterilizing device and to an open position;
• placing instruments to be sterilized onto a drawer rack of the drawer assembly;
• sliding the drawer assembly back into the housing to a closed position;
• determining, at a control system of the sterilizing device, a preferred sterilizing process;
• and
• initiating, at the control system, the preferred sterilizing process, the preferred sterilizing process comprising:
• (i) activating a radiant system including a first light panel having a first plurality of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light emitting diodes (LED's) and a first plurality of infrared radiation (IR) LED's arranged across a first printed circuit board, the first plurality of UV-C LED's emitting UV-C radiation, the first plurality of IR LED's emitting thermal radiation, and (ii) activating, at the radiant system, a second light panel having a second plurality of UV-C LED's and a second plurality of IR LED's arranged across a second printed circuit board, the second plurality of UV-C LED's emitting UV-C radiation, the second plurality of IR LED's emitting thermal radiation.

A sterilizing device for sterilizing instruments, the sterilizing device comprising:

• a housing that defines an internal volume;
• a drawer assembly configured to slidably open relative to the housing, the drawer assembly having a drawer rack supported by a drawer frame assembly, the drawer rack configured to receive the instruments;
• a radiant system including a first light panel having a first plurality of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light emitting diodes (LED's) and a first plurality of infrared radiation (IR) LED's arranged across a first printed circuit board, the first plurality of UV-C LED's configured to emit UV-C radiation, the first plurality of IR LED's configured to emit thermal radiation;
• a first transparent member disposed between the drawer frame assembly and the first light panel, the first transparent member and drawer frame assembly defining a sterilization chamber that receives the UV-C and thermal radiation emitted by the radiant system thereby sterilizing the instruments during a sterilizing process;
• a tray assembly having a tray and a cover, the tray configured to hold the instruments thereon, wherein the tray assembly is formed of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) that is configured to pass UV-C and IR light emitted by the radiant system;
• and
• a control system that initiates the sterilizing process based upon a user input received at a user interface panel.