Plasma sterilizer and method

Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Discharge device load with fluent material supply to the... – Plasma generating

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31323131, 422 21, 422 22, 422 23, 25045511, A61L 214

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051151669

ABSTRACT:
A method for plasma sterilization includes exposing an article to be sterilized to a plasma generated from a gas mixture. The gas mixture is either (a) argon, helium, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof, and oxygen and hydrogen; (b) argon, helium, nitrogen or mixtures thereof, and hydrogen; or (c) argon, helium, nitrogen or mixtures thereof, and oxygen. The exposure of the article to the plasma is carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr and a chamber temperature of less than 63.degree. C. for a time period sufficient to effect sterilization. Contaminated articles cna be pretreated in a plasma generated from oxygen and optionally argon, helium and/or nitrogen at the same conditions for up to 5 minutes to remove protein. The apparatus for plasma sterilization of articles includes a plasma generator and a sterilizing chamber. The plasma generator includes a plurality of generator tubes positioned in one or more electromagnetic field zones defined by one or more waveguides. The outlet of the generator tube preferably has a restriction for maintaining the gas pressure in the plasma generating chamber at from 0.3 to 10 torr.

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