Device and methods for plasma sterilization
OwnerClinton G. Graves, Clinton G. Graves, IIinventors
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and apparatus for sterilizing articles. According to one exemplary method, at least one article is placed into a chamber and a vacuum is applied to the chamber. After the pressure within the chamber is sufficiently reduced, water vapor is introduced into the chamber and electromagnetic radiation energy is applied to produce a plasma. In one particularly preferable aspect, the chamber is allowed to reach a static condition before the water vapor is introduced. In this way, the water vapor is able to equally distribute itself throughout the volume of the chamber so that an equally distributed plasma can be produced upon application of the electromagnetic radiation energy.
Claims19
A method for sterilizing articles, comprising:
- placing at least one article into a chamber;
- applying a vacuum to the chamber;
- ceasing application of the vacuum and allowing a static condition to develop within the chamber where the pressure throughout the chamber is essentially equal and constant;
- after the static condition has developed, introducing an amount of water vapor into the chamber and allowing the water vapor to uniformly distribute within the chamber;
- and
- applying electromagnetic radiation energy to the chamber after the water vapor has become uniformly distributed within the chamber to produce a substantially uniformly distributed plasma within the chamber.
A method for sterilizing articles, comprising:
- (a) placing at least one article into a chamber;
- (b) applying a vacuum to the chamber until a predetermined pressure is reached within the chamber;
- (c) ceasing application of the vacuum and allowing a static condition to develop in the chamber where the pressure throughout the chamber is essentially equal and constant;
- (d) after the static condition has developed, introducing an amount of gas into the chamber and allowing the gas to uniformly distribute throughout the chamber;
- and
- (e) applying electromagnetic radiation energy to the chamber after the gas has become uniformly distributed within the chamber to produce a substantially uniformly distributed plasma within the chamber.
A method for sterilizing articles, comprising:
- placing at least one article into a chamber;
- applying a vacuum to the chamber;
- introducing only water vapor into the chamber ceasing application of the vacuum and allowing a static condition to develop in the chamber where the pressure throughout the chamber is essentially equal and constant;
- and
- applying electromagnetic radiation energy to the chamber after the water vapor has become uniformly distributed within the chamber to produce a substantially uniformly distributed plasma within the chamber to produce a substantially uniformly distributed plasma within the chamber.
A method for sterilizing articles, comprising:
- placing at least one article into a container;
- applying a vacuum to the container;
- introducing water vapor into the container and sealing the container while a vacuum condition exists within the container so that the water vapor is maintained at the vacuum condition;
- placing the container into a chamber after the water vapor has been sealed within the container;
- applying electromagnetic radiation energy to the chamber to produce a substantially uniformly distributed plasma within the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.