Method and article for providing an indication of the presence of air in steam
OwnerDenis G. Dykeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for evaluating the efficacy of prevacuum steam sterilizers by separating, collecting and detecting the presence of air in association with steam. A receptacle containing an adsorbent directly separates air from steam without changing the physical state of the steam. The apparatus has a portal communicating with the sterilizing environment and a defined path for the steam to traverse from the portal to a distal end of the apparatus. The distal end of the apparatus is attached to an air collection chamber which contains an air indicator. The indicator can be chemical or biological, and indicated whether any air pockets existed in the steam.
Claims10
A method for the detection of air in a closed sterilization system comprising the steps of:
- a. placing an air indicating device into a sterilization chamber;
- b. creating an atmosphere capable of sterilization in the chamber by alternating introduction of vacuum and steam to substantially remove air within said chamber and fill said chamber with steam at sterilization conditions;
- c. said steam at sterilization conditions contacting the air indicating device, the device which comprises a column containing an absorbent that directly removes the steam by a process selected from the group consisting of absorption, adsorption and combinations thereof, without a change of state of the steam to a liquid liberating any air inadvertently mixed with the steam and an indicator for detecting the presence of the liberated air;
- d. observing the indicating device to determine whether there was air present within the steam in the chamber.
A device for the detection of air in a closed sterilization system comprising:
- a. an air indicating device placed into a sterilization chamber;
- b. means for creating an atmosphere capable of sterilization in said chamber by alternating introduction of vacuum and steam pulses to substantially remove air within said chamber and fill said chamber with steam at sterilization conditions;
- c. means for passing said steam at sterilization conditions in contact with the air indicating device, the device which comprise a column containing an absorbent that directly removes the steam by a process selected from the group consisting of absorption, adsorption and combinations thereof, without a change of state of tire steam to a liquid liberating any air inadvertently mixed with the steam and an indicator for detecting the presence of the liberated air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.