Automated liquid sterilization system

A method of sterilizing items comprising:

• (a) enclosing an item to be sterilized in an interior of a module which is closed to penetration of microbial contaminants from the ambient atmosphere;
• (b) removeably attaching the module with tubing that connects the module with a source of sterile rinse liquid;
• (c) causing a liquid sterilant to flow into and remain in contact with the module interior and the tubing which connects the module with the source of sterile rinse liquid until the item and the module interior are sterilized;
• (d) draining the liquid sterilant from the module interior;
• (e) passing a sterile rinse liquid from the source thereof into the module interior to rinse the item;
• (f) detaching the module while maintaining the module closed to microbial contaminant;
• (g) storing the item in the module to retain the item in a sterile condition

A method of sterilizing comprising:

• enclosing an item to be sterilized in a sterilizing chamber which is isolated from microbial contamination from the ambient atmosphere;
• providing interior surfaces which define a liquid rinse flow path between the chamber and a source of sterile rinse liquid;
• causing a liquid sterilant to flow into the chamber and into all flow path interior surfaces which define the interconnecting flow path from the sterile liquid rinse source into the chamber and every interior surface in direct fluid communication therewith;
• retaining the liquid sterilant in the chamber and the flow path interior surfaces until the flow path interior surfaces, the item, and the chamber are sterilized, whereby sterilizing all surfaces between the rinse fluid source and the chamber assures that the liquid rinse fluid will not carry microbial contaminants from non-sterile surfaces into the chamber;
• draining the liquid sterilant from the chamber and the interconnecting flow path;
• passing the sterile liquid rinse fluid from the liquid rinse source only in contact with the sterilized flow path surfaces into the chamber to rinse the item;
• draining the liquid rinse fluid from the chamber and the interconnecting flow path.

A sterilization apparatus comprising:

• a source of liquid rinse fluid;
• a sterilizing means operatively connected with the source for sterilizing the liquid rinse fluid;
• a module including a closure means which has opened and closed configurations therefore, where in the opened configuration, said module is opened to receive an item to be sterilized, and in the closed configuration, said module isolates the received item from the ambient atmosphere and other sources of microbial contamination;
• a detachable module interconnecting means;
• interconnecting tubing detachably connecting the source and said module with the detachable module interconnecting means;
• means for selectively filling both the interconnecting tubing and the connected module with a liquid sterilant;
• and means for selectively keeping the interconnecting tubing and the module filled with the liquid sterilant for a sufficient duration to sterilize the module, the item, the module interconnecting means and the interconnecting tubing from the source to the module.