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US 6,485,978 B1Granted
Method of using a chemical indicator
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsSteven S. Kirckof, Phillip A. Bolea
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sterilization indicator having sterilizing agent sensitive indicia is described. The indicator allows a sterilization cycle to be monitored without the need for a user to subjectively distinguish between color, quality or intensity of display patterns.
Claims14
A method of monitoring the efficacy of a sterilization process comprising the steps of:
- subjecting a chemical indicator to a sterilization process, the chemical indicator comprising:
- i) a substrate having a surface, and ii) sterilizing agent sensitive indicia associated with said surface of said substrate, said indicia having:
- (a) a first state prior to being exposed to the sterilization process, and (b) a second state after being exposed to said sterilization process, wherein the first state is different than said second state, and at least said second state is machine readable;
- and
- scanning the indicia of the chemical indicator with a machine to obtain information relating to the sterilization process.
2 more elements
A method of monitoring the efficacy of a sterilization process comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a chemical indicator comprising indication means having a first indicating state prior to being exposed to the sterilization process and a second indicating state after exposure to at least a portion of the sterilization process, such that the first indicating state is different than said second indicating state, and at least one of said first and said second states is machine readable;
- b) subjecting the chemical indicator to the sterilization process,
- c) scanning the chemical indicator with a machine to determine whether the sterilization process was adequate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.