Apparatus for deactivating instruments and devices

An apparatus for deactivating medical instruments and devices, comprised of:

• a housing structure;
• a drawer disposed in said housing structure, said drawer having a recess formed therein and a planar surface formed about the periphery of said recess, said recess being dimensioned to receive medical instruments and devices to be microbially deactivated;
• a circulation system within said housing structure for circulating a microbial deactivation fluid through said recess;
• and
• a drawer-sealing assembly located in said housing structure, said drawer-sealing assembly operable to engage said drawer and to fluidly seal said recess to create a decontamination chamber, said drawer-sealing assembly being comprised of:
• a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• a continuous seal element disposed on said bottom surface of said plate, said seal element being dimensioned to engage said planar surface of said drawer;
• a bladder disposed between said top surface of said plate and said housing structure;
• said bladder being inflateable to move said plate from a first position wherein said seal element is spaced from said planar surface of said drawer to a second position wherein said seal element engages said planar surface of said drawer and forms a seal thereagainst;
• and
• a biasing arrangement disposed between said plate and said housing for biasing said plate from said second position to said first position.