Separator device for article sterilization

A system for sterilizing a plurality of articles, comprising:

• a sterilization chamber having an interior volume in which the plurality of articles are loaded;
• a sterilizing medium circulating throughout the interior volume of the sterilization chamber to sterilize the plurality of articles;
• and
• separator means, said separator means being flexible and continuous and randomly folding so that the separator means is placed between layers of the plurality of articles, said flexible separator conforming to the thickness of the various layers of articles as it is folded, and maintaining separation between the layers such that the sterilizing medium freely circulates between the layers and sterilizes the plurality of articles.

A method of sterilizing a plurality of articles in a sterilization chamber having an interior volume in which a sterilizing medium circulates for sterilizing the plurality of articles, comprising the steps of:

• (a) loading first and second layers of the plurality articles within a lower section of the sterilization chamber;
• and
• (b) disposing a first length of a separator device across a top surface of the second layer of articles;
• (c) loading third and fourth layers of the plurality of articles across the first length of the separator device such that the separator maintains a predetermined distance between the second and third layers of the plurality of articles and said third and fourth layer of articles resting on the first length of the separator device such that it is sandwiched between the second layer of articles and the third layer of articles, thereby allowing circulation of the sterilizing medium between the layers for sterilization of the plurality of articles;
• (d) folding a second length of the separator device across a top surface of the fourth layer of articles where as the separator is flexible and continuous and said separator conforming to the thickness of the layers of articles as it is folded across the articles.