US 5,472,667 A · Method and apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas, in particular ethylene oxide, materials to be sterilized are sterilized with the sterilizing gas in a sterilizing chamber; the sterilizing gas/air mixture withdrawn from the sterilizing chamber is predried in a precooler; the predried sterilizing gas/air mixture is freed from residual moisture in a drier, the sterilizing gas liquefied in a low-temperature condenser and stored in a storage container until reuse in the sterilizing chamber. The sterilizing and the entire recovery of the sterilizing gas takes place at pressures beneath the atmospheric pressure surrounding the apparatus.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of recovering ethylene oxide mixture after effecting sterilization of materials in a sterilizing chamber comprising the steps of:

withdrawing ethylene oxide mixed with air, water vapor, and other constituents from said chamber;
pre-cooling said ethylene oxide mixture to a temperature of between 4.degree. C. and 10.degree. C.;
separating a majority of water vapor contained in said pre-cooled ethylene oxide mixture to form a partially dewatered mixture;
passing said partially dewatered mixture through a drier containing a cooled bed of molecular sieve material to further recover water so that a drier effluent mixture having a dew point of between -80.degree. C. and -100.degree. C. is created;
passing said drier effluent to a condenser cooled by a liquified cryogenic refrigerant to liquify said ethylene oxide;
and
conveying said liquified ethylene oxide to a storage container for reuse as a sterilizing agent.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11