Container for flash sterilization
AssigneeRiley Medical, Inc.
InventorEdward D. Riley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sterilization container is provided with relatively large top and bottom apertures to allow hot steam to rapidly pervade the interior of the container through the top while flushing cool air out the bottom. The apertures are provided with pressure actuated valves with large cross sections to minimize impedance to gas flow when the valves are open. The pressure-sensitive elements of the valves are set such that the valves close to seal the apertures when the external pressure is at atmospheric, and rapidly open fully when the pressure begins to rise in the autoclave as steam is admitted at the start of a sterilization cycle. When the external pressure is returned to atmospheric at the end of the cycle, the pressure-actuated valves close to provide a sealed container for removal from the autoclave.
Claims7
A container for sterilization of articles contained therein shaped for insertion into a sterilization unit, said container comprising:
- A. A base unit forming a bottom of said container,
- B. A cover unit forming a top of said container,
- C. Means for releasably securing said cover unit to said base unit thereby forming said container,
- D. Means forming apertures at the top and bottom of said container, and
- E. Pressure actuated valves which close to seal said apertures when the pressure external to said container is at about atmospheric and which fully open to provide negligible impedance to gas flow through said apertures when said pressure is at or above a predetermined level above atmospheric said apertures located such that gas flows freely into, through, and out of said container via said valves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.