Sterilizer with gas control

Details Sterilizer with gas control Sterilizer with gas control

1995-12-22

1997-06-24

Warden, Robert J.

Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser

Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing

Using disinfecting or sterilizing substance

422 33, 422 34, 422110, 422119, 422295, A61L 220

Patent

active

056414552

ABSTRACT:
A sterilizer for sterilizing objects with biocidal gas which is designed to resist the deleterious effects of the biocidal gas. The invention provides a sterilizer having a sterilizing chamber for holding the objects to be sterilized, and a gas control system for manipulating the gaseous environment within the sterilizing chamber. The sterilizer has a vacuum control system, a vacuum line in fluid communication with the sterilizing chamber, a humidity sensor connected to that vacuum line at a point removed from or outside of the sterilizing chamber, and an isolation valve connected to the vacuum line at a point between the sterilizing chamber and the humidity sensor for temporarily isolating the humidity sensor from the sterilizing chamber. This arrangement assures that the humidity sensor received a sufficient sample for reading the adequacy of the humidification of the objects to be sterilized, while at the same time protecting it from the biocidal gas. In preferred embodiments, the sterilizer is provided with biocidal gas in disposable canisters intended to be positioned and locked inside the sterilizing chamber with the objects to be sterilized. At the appropriate time, the canister is punctured by a puncture apparatus. The preferred puncture apparatus has a metal bellows assembly that is particularly resistant to failure by chemical attack from the biocidal gas.

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