Sterilization apparatus and method
AssigneeStephen D. Carter
InventorsStephen D. Carter, James W. Brazell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sterilization apparatus has a chamber within a housing in which the materials to be sterilized are placed and the chamber is supplied with liquid under pressure. A pressure sensitive, rapid acting implosion cartridge is in communication with the chamber and acts to depressurize the chamber in milliseconds when the desired sterilization pressure is reached. The cartridge then reseals the chamber for a subsequent pressure build-up.
Claims35
A method for sterilizing materials and/or objects comprising:
- placing the materials or objects to be sterilized in a pressure chamber;
- introducing a fluid under pressure into the pressure chamber to subject the material or objects to a pressure of at least one thousand pounds per square inch;
- and
- explosively decompressing the pressure in the chamber when the pressure therein reaches a predetermined maximum pressure.
A sterilization apparatus comprising:
- a housing member having a chamber therein for containing material or objects to be sterilized;
- first means in communication with said chamber for introducing a fluid under pressure into said chamber to pressurize said chamber to at least one thousand PSI;
- second means in communication with said chamber having an opening therein for exhausting pressurized fluid from said chamber, said second means including pressure sensitive means for sealing said opening;
- and
- means for producing an explosive decompression of said chamber by unsealing said opening;
- whereby fluid under pressure in said chamber exits said chamber through said opening.
A sterilization apparatus comprising:
- a housing member having a chamber therein for containing material or objects to be sterilized;
- an implosion cartridge member in communication with said chamber through an inlet passage in said cartridge and having means for sealing said inlet passage;
- means for introducing a liquid under pressure into said chamber to pressurize said chamber;
- said cartridge member having means responsive to the pressure in said chamber for explosively decompressing said chamber when the pressure therein reaches a predetermined maximum by unsealing said inlet passage.
A sterilization apparatus comprising:
- a housing member having a first chamber therein;
- means for delivering a fluid under a pressure of at least one thousand pounds per square inch to said chamber;
- pressure sensitive means having a second chamber therein in fluid communication with said first chamber through an inlet passage;
- said pressure sensitive means having sealing means for sealing said inlet passage;
- and means for depressurizing explosively a fluid in said first chamber comprising means for causing fluid under pressure to flow past said sealing means into said second chamber when the pressure in said first chamber reaches a predetermined maximum.
A pressure sensitive valve member for use with a pressurized apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a chamber therein;
- inlet means for transmitting fluid under pressure from the exterior of said housing into said chamber;
- means for sealing said inlet means;
- pressure sensitive means for maintaining said means for sealing in an inlet sealing position, said pressure sensitive means having a critical buckling load factor and constructed and arranged to buckle when pressure on said means for sealing exceeds said critical buckling load factor;
- whereby fluid under pressure flows from the exterior of the housing into said chamber when the pressure of said fluid exceeds said critical buckling load factor.
A pressure actuated valve comprising:
- a housing having an elongated chamber therein;
- an opening in said housing extending between the exterior of said housing and said chamber, said opening including means defining a valve seat;
- a sealing member constructed and arranged to bear against said valve seat;
- pressure sensitive means having first and second ends for maintaining said sealing member against said valve seat, said pressure sensitive means having a pressure load buckling factor,
- whereby when said load buckling factor is reached said pressure sensitive means buckles and said sealing member moves off of said valve seat.
A pressure actuated valve as claimed 32 wherein said second end of said pressure sensitive means has a retainer member mounted thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.