Sterilization method and apparatus

• Main Authors: Martel Karine, Dassie Nancy, Martel Cynthia, Leblond Helene, Dufresne Sylvie
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.10.2016
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; STORING; TRANSPORTING

Disclosed is a method of sterilizing an article by sequentially exposing the article under vacuum first to a gaseous conditioning agent for forming radicals and then to a sterilant. The preferred conditioning agent is hydrogen peroxide and the preferred sterilant is ozone. The chamber is initially evacuated to a first vacuum pressure and then sealed for the remainder of the sterilization process and during all sterilant injection cycles, without removal of any component of the sterilization atmosphere, which means without any measures to reduce the water vapor content. Keeping the chamber sealed and maintaining the conditioning agent and the radicals generated thereby in the chamber for the sterilization with sterilant results in a synergistic increase in the sterilization efficiency and allows for the use of much lower sterilant amounts and sterilization cycle times than would be expected from using the conditioning agent and the sterilant in combination.