Sterilizing and storing medical items

• US 4,105,407 A
• Filed: 08/02/1976
• Issued: 08/08/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roger S. Sanderson
• Original Assignee: Roger S. Sanderson
• Inventors: Sanderson, Roger S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yudkoff, Norman
• Application Number:
  US05/710,522
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 21/2, 21/56, 21/44, 21/85-100, 21/103, 21/104, 21/82 R, 21/82 H, 21/83, 113/80 R, 113/800 A, 215/13, 220/201, 220/202, 220/209, 220/231, 220/257, 220/258, 220/278, 220/203, 220/316, 220/346, 236/47, 49/463, 49/465, 206/363, 206/438, 206/514, 206/515, 53/11, 53/12, 53/22 R, 53/167, 53/21 FC, 53/25, 53/111 R, 53/111 RC, 53/112 R, 141/8, 141/59, 141/61, 141/65
• US Class Current: 422/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment

Abstract

A sterilizing container having a lid with an outer flange which cooperates with the upper edge of a base and a resilient member for sealing the container. The lid contains a mechanism for automatically moving the lid into sealing engagement with the base. Located on both the outer flange of the lid and the upper edge of the base are locking means which interact to place the lid in a sealing engagement with the base when the lid is moved by the moving mechanism on the lid. The container is designed to receive articles such as medical instruments which are sterilized when the container is placed in an autoclave, subjecting the instruments or articles to a sterilizing environment. The moving mechanism on the lid includes means responsive to the sterilizing environment to automatically bring the lid into sealing contact with the base prior to the return of the surrounding environment to ambient conditions, preserving the sterilized instruments until needed for use.

Claims

1. A method of sterilizing items comprising the steps of:

placing said items in a rigid reusable container which can be repeatedly subjected to steam;

placing the container in an autoclave with the container sufficiently open so that the exterior of the container is in fluid communication with the interior;

operating the autoclave to provide a sterilizing cycle including a vacuum environment to withdraw the air from the container followed by a pressure steam environment to sterilize the items, and a final vacuum environment to withdraw the steam from the container and dry the articles in the container; and

automatically sealing said container by means responsive to the environment in the autoclave after the articles have been sterilized but before the final vacuum environment is complete.

2. A method of sterilizing articles comprising the steps of:

placing said articles in an open ended container;

positioning a lid loosely on said container so that said articles are exposed to an environment surrounding said container;

placing said container in a sterilizer;

introducing a sterilizing environment into said sterilizer;

after introducing said sterilizing environment, applying a vacuum to the sterilizer exterior to withdraw the environment from said container; and

automatically moving said lid to a sealed position on said container after said articles are sterilized by said sterilizing environment prior to the return of ambient conditions within said sterilizer.

3. A method of sterilizing articles as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of automatically moving said lid to a sealed position is reponsive to gaseous pressure changes within said sterilizer.

4. A method of sterilizing articles as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of automatically moving said lid to a sealed position is responsive to temperature changes within said sterilizer.

5. A container for for sterilizing articles in an enclosed sterilizing said container comprising:

a container base having an open side for receipt of said articles;

a lid for engagement with said open side of said base for sealing said container after exposure to said sterilizing environment;

means forming a part of said lid and said base for retaining said lid on said base in an open position, wherein said articles within said container are exposed to said sterilizing environment when such an environment is applied to the exterior of the container;

means on said container for moving said lid to a closed position sealing said articles within said container; and

pressure responsive means for sensing the application of a vacuum to the exterior of the container which withdraws said sterilizing environment and means for automatically actuating said moving means to close said container in response to said sensing means after said articles in said container have been sterilized.

6. Apparatus for containing articles while they are being sterilized and stored comprising:

first and second container portions defining a container for receiving said articles;

means for retaining said second portion in open position with respect to said first portion so that the interior and exterior of the container are in communication; and

pressure sensing means mounted on said container responsive to the application of a pressurized sterilizing environment to said container and the withdrawal of said environment from the container, said sensing means including means cooperating with said retainer means to automatically seal said second container portion on said first portion after said sterilizing environment has been withdrawn from the container but before the pressure on the exterior of the container is returned to ambient pressure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said container is made of a transparent plastic material which can stand the pressure and temperature of a sterilizing cycle in an autoclave, and said container is sized to be conveniently positioned within existing autoclaves with one or more similar containers.