Sterilizing and desorbing equipment
AssigneeUniversity of Wales College of Medicine
InventorsAlan H. Samuel, Ian P. Matthews
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steriliser apparatus includes a chamber in which an article or material to be sterilised is placed and a sterilising gas or vapour is then introduced into the chamber to contact and sterilise the article or material. The free sterilant gas or vapour in the chamber is removed and the article or material subjected to a desorbing step during which the concentration of sterilising gas or vapour in the chamber is measured by a sampling device in which a sample of chamber atmosphere is exposed to microwave radiation and the absorption spectrum monitored to determine the concentration of sterilising gas or vapour present in the chamber.
Claims18
A sterilizing apparatus comprising:
- a single sterilizing chamber having an opening;
- a closure means for closing said opening;
- gas seal means for effecting a substantially gastight seal between said closure means and said opening;
- radiation seal means for effecting a substantially radiation-tight seal between said closure means and said opening;
- means for releasing a sterilizing gas or vapor into the sterilizing chamber after said closure is closed to contact and sterilize an article in the chamber;
- means for removing the said gas or vapor from said sterilizing chamber when required whilst the chamber is otherwise sealed;
- means for propagating high frequency electromagnetic radiation in said chamber to irradiate the sterilized article to desorb sterilizing gas or vapor therefrom in a desorption step, whereafter said removing means is adapted also to remove the desorbed gas from the sterilizing chamber;
- means for sampling or receiving a sample of the atmosphere within said chamber, said sampling means including means for exposing said atmosphere sample to microwave radiation and means responsive to the absorption of microwave radiation by said sample to determine the presence and concentration of gas or vapor in said sample;
- and
- control means for controlling said gas or vapor releasing means, said removing means and said propagating means;
- said control means being responsive to the concentration of said sterilizing gas or vapor, as determined by said sampling means.
A sterilizing apparatus including a sterilizing chamber, means for releasing a sterilizing gas or vapor in said sterilizing chamber, means for sampling the atmosphere within said sterilizing chamber, said sampling means including means for exposing the atmosphere sample to microwave radiation and means responsive to the absorption of microwave radiation by said sample to determine the presence and concentration of gas or vapor in said sample, and means for removing said sterilizing gas or vapor from said sterilizing chamber, control means responsive to the concentration of said sterilizing gas or vapor as determined by said sampling means, to control said releasing means and said removing means.
A desorbing apparatus, including a desorbing chamber, means for propagating radiation in said desorbing chamber thereby to desorb gas or vapor from articles or materials therein, means for sampling the atmosphere within said desorbing chamber, said sampling means including means for exposing the atmosphere sample to microwave radiation and means responsive to the absorption of microwave radiation by said sample to determine the presence and concentration of gas or vapor in said sample, and means for removing gas or vapor from said desorbing chamber, and control means responsive to the concentration of said gas or vapor as determined by said sampling means, to control said propagating means and said removing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.