Process for sterilization with liquid sterilant using controlled pumpdown rate
AssigneeJohnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.
InventorsSzu-Min Lin, Paul Taylor Jacobs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for sterilizing a device, includes the following steps: contacting the device with liquid sterilant outside or inside a sterilization chamber at a first pressure, placing the device in the chamber before or after the contacting step, and decreasing the pressure of the chamber to a second pressure below the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant. At least the decrease in pressure below about the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant occurs at a pumpdown rate of less than 0.8 liters per second, calculated based on the time required to evacuate the chamber from atmospheric pressure to 20 torr when the chamber is empty and dry.
Claims56
A method for sterilizing a device in a sterilization chamber, comprising the steps of:
- contacting said device with liquid sterilant at a first pressure, said liquid sterilant having a vapor pressure;
- placing said device in said chamber;
- and
- decreasing the pressure of said chamber to a second pressure below the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant in which at least a portion of the decreasing in pressure below about the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant occurs at a pumpdown rate of less than 0.8 liters per second, calculated based on the time required to evacuate the chamber from atmospheric pressure to 20 torr when the chamber is empty and dry.
A method for sterilizing a device in a sterilization chamber, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting said device with liquid sterilant at a first pressure;
- (b) placing said device in said chamber;
- (c) pumping down said chamber to a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure at a first rate;
- and
- (d) pumping down said chamber to a third pressure which is lower than the second pressure, wherein at least a portion of the pumping down to said third pressure is at a second rate which is slower than said first rate.
A method for sterilizing an article in a sterilization chamber, comprising the steps of:
- contacting said article with liquid sterilant solution comprising hydrogen peroxide and water;
- placing said article in said chamber;
- and
- reducing the pressure of said chamber at a rate selected to control removal of the water and hydrogen peroxide so as to concentrate the hydrogen peroxide remaining in said chamber.
An apparatus for sterilizing an article comprising:
- a chamber having liquid sterilant therein;
- a first valve and a second valve fluidly connected to said chamber, wherein each of said valves is adapted to regulate the pressure of said chamber, and wherein the first valve is configured to regulate the pressure of the chamber at a faster pumpdown rate than the second valve is configured;
- and
- a pump fluidly connected to said valves for reducing the pressure in said chamber.
An apparatus for sterilizing an article comprising:
- a chamber having liquid sterilant therein;
- a first pump and a second pump for reducing the pressure in said chamber, each of said pumps being fluidly connected to said chamber, wherein said first pump provides a faster pump down rate than the second pump;
- and
- a valve fluidly connected to each of said pumps and to said chamber, wherein said valve is adapted to regulate the pressure of said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.