Sterilizing a device by revaporizing a condensed vapor
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsJenn-Hann Wang, Szu-Min Lin, Paul T. Jacobs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for sterilizing the interior of a diffusion restricted area by introducing a sterilant in a chamber, condensing the vapor, reducing the pressure in the chamber to revaporize the condensed vapor, and maintaining the device in the chamber until the device is sterilized. The sterilant has a vapor pressure less than the vapor pressure of water and is preferably hydrogen peroxide. The pressure in the chamber while maintaining the device in the chamber may be held constant, varied, or increased. Plasma may additionally be introduced into the chamber to improve the rate of sterilization.
Claims29
A method for sterilizing a device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:
- providing a chamber having a device disposed therein;
- introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant;
- condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire surface of said device, said device being at a temperature below the condensation temperature of said vapor sterilant;
- revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant;
- and
- maintaining said device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said device is sterilized.
A method for sterilizing a device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:
- providing a chamber having a device disposed therein, wherein said device comprises a diffusion-restricted area;
- introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant;
- condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire surface of said device;
- revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant;
- and
- maintaining said device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said device is sterilized.
A method for sterilizing a lumen device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:
- providing a chamber having a lumen device disposed therein, wherein said lumen device is more diffusion restricted than a Teflon reference lumen having an internal diameter of 2.48 mm and a length of 750 mm;
- introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant;
- condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor;
- revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant;
- and
- maintaining said lumen device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said lumen device is sterilized, wherein there is no vessel containing a liquid attached to the lumen device during the maintaining stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.