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US 5,167,923 AGranted
Sterility indicator
AssigneePyMaH Corporation
InventorWillem H. P. Van Iperen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sterility indicator of the type used in hospitals and laboratories. The device uses a cylindrical ampule holder with an ampule containing nutrient media and spore strip disposed therein. One or more gas pervious, liquid impervious tortuous paths lie between the interior and exterior of the ampule holder. Fracturing of the ampule is by the combination of a rotation and rotation prevention means with respect to the cylindrical axis.
Claims33
A unitary sterility indicator for determining the efficacy of sterilization, comprising:
- (a) an ampule holder with an interior cavity and at least one opening therein, made of translucent and liquid and gas impervious material;
- (b) a closed frangible ampule containing an aqueous nutrient medium, and being pressure openable, said ampule of size allowing its at least partial reception within said interior cavity of said ampule holder through said opening, said ampule being completely disposed within said ampule holder;
- (c) closure means rationally mounted on at least one open end of said ampule holder, said closure means also encompassing any portion of said ampule not received in said ampule holder, said closure means and said ampule holder additionally define a tortuous path opening between the inside and outside of said ampule holder, said tortuous path opening being completely gas transmissive and having at least one point which is liquid impervious;
- (d) a sample medium which carried a predetermined number of microorganisms, said sample medium being disposed in said ampule holder;
- (e) a detector material disposed in said ampule holder and capable of undergoing a visible color change in response to growth of said microorganisms, said color change being visible from outside said ampule holder;
- (f) means for applying a rotational force to said ampule to fracture sand frangible ampule by rotating said closure means;
- whereby said ampule may be opened by the pressure applied from the rotational force thereby exposing said sample medium to said nutrient medium disposed in said ampule.
4 more elements
A unitary sterility indicator for determining the efficacy of sterilization comprising:
- (a) a cylindrical ampule holder with both ends open, made of translucent and liquid and gas impervious material;
- (b) a closed ampule containing an aqueous nutrient medium, made of frangible glass, said ampule of size allowing its at least partial reception within an interior cavity of said ampule holder through one of both of said open ends,
- (c) caps of closing said open ends of said ampule holder, said caps having sealing means which prevent liquid from passing between the interior and exterior of the ampule holder, said caps encompassing any portion of said ampule not received in said ampule holder;
- (d) said ampule holder and each of said caps defining a gas pervious liquid impervious tortuous path between the interior and exterior of the sad ampule holder;
- (e) said caps being rotatable with respect to said ampule holder and each other about the cylindrical axis of said ampule holder;
- (f) first means for mounting said ampule within said caps such that rotation of one or more of said caps causes said ampule to rotate within said ampule holder;
- (g) second means for preventing rotation of said ampule;
- whereby rotation of aid one or more caps causes rotation of said ampule and fracture of said frangible glass by rotational force.
5 more elements
A unitary sterility indicator for determining the efficacy of sterilization comprising:
- (a) a cylindrical ampule holder with both ends open, made of translucent and liquid and gas impervious material;
- (b) a closed ampule with pinched ends containing an aqueous nutrient medium, made of frangible glass, said ampule disposed within said ampule holder;
- (c) caps for closing said open ends of said ampule holder and engaging said pinched ends, said caps including sealing means which prevent liquid from passing between the interior and extenor of the ampule holder;
- (d) said caps and said ampule holder defining a gas pervious liquid impervious tortuous path between the interior and exterior of said ampule holder;
- (e) said caps being rotatable with respect to said ampule holder and each other about the cylindrical axis of said ampule holder;
- whereby rotation of one cap with respect to the other applies a twisting force to said ampule at said pinched ends, thereby fracturing said ampule.
3 more elements
A unitary sterility indicator for determining the efficacy of sterilization, comprising:
- (a) an ampule holder with an interior cavity and having two open ends therein, made of translucent and liquid and gas impervious material;
- (b) a closed frangible ampule containing an aqueous nutrient medium, and being pressure openable, said ampule of said allowing its at leas partial reception within said interior cavity of said ampule holder through said open ends, said ampule being completely disposed within said ampule holder;
- (c) a closure member rotationally mounted on each of said open ends of said ampule holder, said closure member also encompassing any portion of said ampule not received in said ampule holder, and defining a gas pervious, liquid impervious path between said closure member and said ampule holder at each end thereof;
- (d) a sample medium which carries a predetermined number of microorganisms, said sample medium being disposed in said ampule holder;
- (e) a detector material disposed in said ampule holder and capable of undergoing a visible color change in response to growth of said microorganisms, said color change being visible from outside said ampule holder;
- (f) means for preventing rotation of the ampule to fracture said frangible ampule with rotational force when said closure means is rotated;
- whereby said ampule may be opened by the pressure amplified from the rotational force thereby exposing said sample medium to said nutrient medium disposed in said ampule.
4 more elements
A unitary sterility indicator for determining the efficacy of sterilization, comprising:
- (a) an ampule holder with an interior cavity and having two open ends therein, made of translucent and liquid and gas impervious material;
- (b) a closed frangible ampule containing an aqueous nutrient medium, said ampule of a size allowing its at least partial reception within said interior cavity of said ampule holder through an open end thereof;
- (c) closure means rotationally mounted on each of said open ends of said ampule holder, said closure means also encompassing any potion of sad ampule not received in said ampule holder, and defining a gas pervious, liquid impervious path between said closure means and aid ampule holder at each end thereof;
- (d) a sample medium carries a predetermined number of microorganisms, said sample medium being disposed in said ampule holder;
- (e) a detector material disposed in said ampule holder and capable of undergoing a visible color change in response to growth of said microorganisms, said color change being visible from outside said ampule holder;
- (f) means for fracturing said frangible ampule by rotation of said closure means;
- whereby said ampule may be opened by the pressure applied from the rotation of the closure means thereby exposing said sample medium to said nutrient medium disposed in said ampule.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.