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US 6,555,054 B1Granted
Flow through rack for contact point sterilization of rack supported medical devices
AssigneeSTERIS Inc.
InventorsJude A. Kral, Richard A. Schieman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow-through rack assembly (14) includes porous hangers (44) which support items to be decontaminated within a decontamination chamber (12). A plurality of nozzles (16) spray a decontaminant fluid, such as peracetic acid, over the items. The rack assembly includes tubes (42) which convey a portion of the decontaminant fluid under pressure to internal channels (52) of the porous hangers. The fluid permeates the hanger surface, flowing over regions of the items which are in contact with the hangers. The rack assembly ensures decontamination of those regions which may be otherwise inaccessible to fluid sprayed from the nozzles.
Claims26
A flow-through rack assembly for supporting an item to be decontaminated, the assembly comprising:
- at least one hanger for supporting the item by an exterior surface of the item, the hanger being fluid permeable to permit a decontaminant fluid to permeate therethrough and contact the exterior surface of the item hanging thereon;
- and,
- a fluid flow line which supplies the decontaminant fluid under pressure to the hanger, the hanger including:
- a fluid permeable hanger element which defines an interior passage with an open end in fluid communication with the fluid flow line and a closed end, the hanger defining an exterior, item supporting surface on which the item is hung, such that when item is hung on the item supporting surface, the decontaminant fluid flows through the fluid permeable hanger element to the exterior item supporting surface and wets the item exterior surface with the decontaminant fluid.
1 more element
A flow-through rack assembly for supporting an item to be decontaminated, the assembly including:
- at least one porous hanger for supporting the item, the hanger permitting a decontaminant fluid to permeate therethrough and contact the item, the hanger including:
- a perforated tubular member which defines an internal bore, and,
- a sleeve of a porous open-celled or sintered material covering the tubular member;
- and,
- a fluid flow line which supplies the decontaminant fluid under pressure to the hanger internal bore.
2 more elements
A method of decontamination comprising:
- supporting an item to be sterilized on at least one porous hanger with a surface portion of an exterior wall of the item being in contact with the porous hanger;
- spraying surfaces of the item with a decontaminant fluid, the sprayed fluid dripping off the surfaces into a collection tank;
- and
- passing a portion of the decontaminant fluid under pressure through the porous hanger to contact the surface portion of the item which is in contact with the hanger.
1 more element
A decontamination system including:
- a chamber for receiving items to be decontaminated;
- a flow-through rack assembly supported within the chamber for supporting at least one of the items to be decontaminated, the rack assembly including:
- at least one hanger for supporting the item, the hanger defining a closed interior passage and being formed from a material which permits a decontaminant fluid permeate from the interior passage therethrough;
- and
- a fluid flow line which supplies the decontaminant fluid to the closed interior passage of the hanger under pressure such that the pressure urges the decontaminant fluid to permeate through the fluid permeable material and wet surfaces of the supported item in contact with the hanger.
2 more elements
A decontamination system comprising:
- a chamber for receiving items to be decontaminated;
- spray nozzles disposed within the chamber for spraying cleaning fluid over the items to be decontaminated;
- a flow-through rack assembly supported within the chamber for supporting at least one of the items to be decontaminated, the rack assembly including:
- at least one porous hanger for supporting the at least one item, the hanger comprising a perforated rigid cylindrical tube with a closed end which permits a decontaminant fluid permeate therethrough and contact the at least one item;
- and
- a fluid flow line fluidly connected with the porous hanger which supplies the decontaminant fluid to an interior of the porous hanger, such that the decontaminant fluid flows through the cylindrical tube to wet a surface of the at least one item in contact with the hanger.
3 more elements
A decontamination system comprising:
- a chamber for receiving items to be decontaminated;
- a flow-through rack assembly supported within the chamber for supporting at least one of the items to be decontaminated, the rack assembly including:
- at least one porous hanger for supporting the item, the hanger permitting a decontaminant fluid to permeate therethrough and contact the at least one item, the porous hanger including:
- a rigid tube with a perforated portion and a closed end, and,
- a porous sleeve on which the at least one item is supported covering at least the perforated portion of the rigid tube;
- and
- a fluid flow line which supplies the decontaminant fluid to an interior of the porous hanger.
4 more elements
A decontamination system comprising:
- a chamber for receiving items to be decontaminated;
- a flow-through rack assembly supported within the chamber for supporting at least one of the items to be decontaminated, the rack assembly including:
- a fluid flow line which supplies a decontaminant fluid;
- at least one porous hanger for supporting the item, the hanger being formed from a porous material which permits the decontaminant fluid permeate therethrough and contact at least one item, each porous hanger including:
- a rigid porous member defining a dead end passage therein, the dead end passage being connected with the fluid flow line and the rigid porous member being supported in the chamber.
2 more elements
A decontamination system, comprising:
- a decontamination chamber;
- spray nozzles for spraying a decontaminant fluid on an item in the chamber;
- a rack in the chamber on which the item to be decontaminated is suspended, surfaces of the item which contact the rack being shielded from the sprayed decontaminant fluid, the rack including:
- a fluid permeable surface which is directly contacted by a portion of the surface of the suspended item;
- and
- a supply of the decontaminant which supplies the decontaminant fluid below the permeable surface under pressure such that the decontaminant fluid flows through the permeable surface wetting the surface portions of the item which contact the rack.
3 more elements
A method for microbial decontamination comprising:
- supporting an item to be decontaminated on an exterior surface of a side wall of at least one hanger of a flow-through rack assembly, the hanger side wall being fluid permeable to permit a decontaminant fluid to permeate therethrough and contact an exterior surface of the item hanging thereon;
- and
- supplying the decontaminant fluid under pressure to the hanger along a fluid flow line, the fluid flowing through an interior passage of the hanger from an open end in fluid communication with the fluid flow line toward a closed end and permeating the fluid permeable hanger side wall and wetting the item exterior surface with the decontaminant fluid.
A method of decontamination comprising:
- suspending an item to be decontaminated on a rack in a chamber;
- spraying a decontaminant liquid on surfaces of the item in the chamber, with surfaces of the item which contact the rack being shielded from the sprayed decontaminant liquid;
- and
- supplying a decontaminant liquid through a liquid permeable surface of the rack which is directly contacted by a portion of the surface of the suspended item wetting the surface portions of the item which contact the rack and are shielded from the sprayed liquid.
1 more element
An apparatus for decontaminating comprising:
- a plurality of porous hanger means having porous surfaces for hanging an item to be sterilized;
- a means for spraying surfaces of the item with a decontaminant fluid, exterior portions of the surfaces of the hangers which are in contact with the item tending to inhibit access to the spray;
- and
- a means for passing a portion of the decontaminant fluid under pressure into the porous hanger means and out of porous hanger means only through pores in its porous surfaces, thereby contacting the surface portions of the item in contact with the hangers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.