Method and system for sterilizing medical instruments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of sterilizing a metal object, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a container with an exterior surface, said exterior surface comprises a microwave interactive layer and defines an interior space having an initial temperature;
placing said metal object within said interior space of said container;
exposing said microwave interactive layer to a first amount of microwaves so that the layer produces heat which raises the temperature within said interior space to a predetermined sterilization temperature;
sensing the temperature of said metal object within said interior space; and
maintaining the temperature within said interior space at said predetermined temperature based on said sensed temperature for an amount of time sufficient to sterilize said metal object solely by said heat generated by said microwave interactive layer.
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Abstract
A method of sterilizing an object having the steps of providing a container with an exterior surface that has a microwave interactive layer and defines an interior space having an initial temperature. An object is then placed within the interior space of the container. Next, the microwave interactive layer is exposed to a first amount of microwaves so that the layer produces heat which raises the temperature within the interior space to a predetermined sterilization temperature. The predetermined sterilization temperature is then maintained within the interior space for an amount of time sufficient to sterilize the object.
186 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method of sterilizing a metal object, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a container with an exterior surface, said exterior surface comprises a microwave interactive layer and defines an interior space having an initial temperature; placing said metal object within said interior space of said container; exposing said microwave interactive layer to a first amount of microwaves so that the layer produces heat which raises the temperature within said interior space to a predetermined sterilization temperature; sensing the temperature of said metal object within said interior space; and maintaining the temperature within said interior space at said predetermined temperature based on said sensed temperature for an amount of time sufficient to sterilize said metal object solely by said heat generated by said microwave interactive layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 76, 77, 78)
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53. A system for sterilizing a metal object, said system comprising:
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a microwave source emitting microwave radiation; a container positioned in said system so as to be exposed to said emitted microwave radiation, said container having an exterior surface which comprises a microwave interactive layer and defines an interior space having an initial temperature; a metal object located within said interior space of said container; a sensor that senses the temperature of said metal object located within said interior space and generates a signal representative of the temperature of said metal object; and a microwave source controller which receives said signal and controls the amount of microwaves that expose said microwave interactive layer based upon said signal so that the layer produces heat which raises the temperature within said interior space to a predetermined sterilization temperature which is maintained thereat for an amount of time sufficient to sterilize said metal object solely by said heat generated by said microwave interactive layer. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 79, 80)
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Specification