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US 7,252,800 B2Granted
Sterilization system and method and inlet control apparatus therefor
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsPaul T. Jacobs, Szu-Min Lin, Jenn-Hann Wang, James P. Kohler, Richard Jed Kendall, Anahid Gamsarian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by concentrating a germicide via exploitation of the difference between the vapor pressures of the germicide and its solvent. A diffusion restriction can be placed into the diffusion path to assist this process and the path then opened to provide rapid diffusion of the thus concentrated germicide.
Claims14
A sterilization system comprising:
- a sterilization chamber;
- a vacuum pump connected to the sterilization chamber;
- and
- a vaporizer connected to the sterilization chamber, the vaporizer comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber, the first outlet path being restricted by a diffusion restriction;
- and
- a second outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber and a valve in the second outlet path, whereby the enclosure can be placed into fluid communication with the sterilization chamber unimpeded by the diffusion restriction;
- and
- wherein the diffusion restriction has the equivalent diffusion restriction of an orifice of between 1 mm to 3 mm in diameter.
7 more elements
A sterilization system comprising:
- a sterilization chamber;
- a vacuum pump connected to the sterilization chamber;
- and
- a vaporizer connected to the sterilization chamber, the vaporizer comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber, the first outlet path being restricted by a diffusion restriction;
- and
- a second outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber and a valve in the second outlet path, whereby the enclosure can be placed into fluid communication with the sterilization chamber unimpeded by the diffusion restriction;
- and
- a third outlet path from the enclosure into the sterilization chamber, the third outlet path being obstructed by a pressure relief mechanism wherein the pressure relief mechanism comprises a rupture disc.
7 more elements
A sterilization system comprising:
- a sterilization chamber;
- a vacuum pump connected to the sterilization chamber;
- and
- a vaporizer connected to the sterilization chamber, the vaporizer comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber, the first outlet path being restricted by a diffusion restriction;
- and
- a second outlet path from the enclosure into the chamber and a valve in the second outlet path, whereby the enclosure can be placed into fluid communication with the sterilization chamber unimpeded by the diffusion restriction;
- and
- a temperature controllable condensing surface in the first outlet path upstream of the diffusion restriction.
7 more elements
A method of sterilizing an article comprising the steps of:
- providing a sterilant solution which comprises a sterilant and a solvent;
- vaporizing the sterilant solution in a vaporizer;
- placing the vaporizer into fluid communication with a sterilization chamber through a diffusion restriction, the sterilization chamber being at a lower pressure than the vaporizer;
- increasing the ratio of sterilant to solvent in the vaporizer by preferentially drawing a vapor phase of the solvent out of the vaporizer through the diffusion restriction and exhausting at least a portion of this solvent out of the sterilization chamber;
- placing the vaporizer into open fluid communication with the sterilization chamber and diffusing vaporized sterilant into the sterilization chamber and into contact the article.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.