Partial vapor removal through exhaust port
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sterilizing the interior and exterior of a device with at least two open ends and a flow path therebetween, comprising:
- (a) a sterilization chamber having an exhaust port;
(b) a source of liquid or vapor sterilant, adapted to provide said sterilant in said sterilization chamber;
(c) a vacuum source with a vacuum valve to create a sterilization vapor from said sterilant, a negative pressure differential at said exhaust port of said sterilization chamber and an exhaust flow path out of said chamber;
(d) a vapor exhaust flow restrictor having at least a first and a second flow path; and
(e) a gas and vapor flow conduit connecting one of said open ends of said device to the first flow path of the vapor exhaust flow restrictor,wherein said vapor exhaust flow restrictor allows part of the sterilization vapor to flow through said flow path of said device, through said gas and vapor flow conduit, through said first flow path of said vapor exhaust flow restrictor, and thereafter out of said sterilization chamber through said vacuum valve and vacuum source and wherein the remainder of the sterilization vapor flows directly out of said sterilization chamber through the second flow path of said exhaust flow restrictor and through said vacuum valve and vacuum source without passing through said flow path of said device and said gas and vapor flow conduit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for vapor sterilization of articles such as medical devices and instruments with lumens. The lumens are connected in a sterilization chamber to a conduit which leads to an exhaust flow restrictor, which exhausts to a vacuum pump. The exhaust flow restrictor has a bypass also which exhausts to the vacuum pump. The majority of the gas from the sterilization chamber flows through the bypass on the exhaust flow restrictor while only a portion of the gas flows through the lumen. Because most of the gas flows through the bypass rather than through the lumens, the sterilization chamber can be pumped down rapidly. The attached lumens are sterilized effectively in spite of the rapid pumpdown rate.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sterilizing the interior and exterior of a device with at least two open ends and a flow path therebetween, comprising:
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(a) a sterilization chamber having an exhaust port; (b) a source of liquid or vapor sterilant, adapted to provide said sterilant in said sterilization chamber; (c) a vacuum source with a vacuum valve to create a sterilization vapor from said sterilant, a negative pressure differential at said exhaust port of said sterilization chamber and an exhaust flow path out of said chamber; (d) a vapor exhaust flow restrictor having at least a first and a second flow path; and (e) a gas and vapor flow conduit connecting one of said open ends of said device to the first flow path of the vapor exhaust flow restrictor, wherein said vapor exhaust flow restrictor allows part of the sterilization vapor to flow through said flow path of said device, through said gas and vapor flow conduit, through said first flow path of said vapor exhaust flow restrictor, and thereafter out of said sterilization chamber through said vacuum valve and vacuum source and wherein the remainder of the sterilization vapor flows directly out of said sterilization chamber through the second flow path of said exhaust flow restrictor and through said vacuum valve and vacuum source without passing through said flow path of said device and said gas and vapor flow conduit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for sterilizing the interior and exterior of a device with at least two open ends and a flow path therebetween, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing said device into a sterilization chamber having an exhaust port; (b) connecting one of said open ends of said device to a first end of a gas and vapor flow conduit having a first and second end, the second end of which is connected to a first flow path of a vapor exhaust flow restrictor having at least two flow paths, said first flow path of said vapor exhaust flow restrictor allowing exhaust flow out of said sterilization chamber through a vacuum valve and vacuum source; (c) introducing a liquid or vapor sterilant into said sterilization chamber; (d) exposing said device to negative pressure with the use of said vacuum source for a time sufficient to provide sterilization vapor directly to the interior and exterior of said device, wherein said exposing can be before or after said introducing in step (c); (e) exposing said device to negative pressure with the use of said vacuum source to create a negative pressure differential at said exhaust port of said sterilization chamber and the use of said vapor exhaust flow restrictor for a time sufficient so that part of said sterilization vapor flows through said flow path of said device to sterilize said devices, through said gas and vapor flow conduit, and out of said sterilization chamber and the remainder of said sterilization vapor flows directly out of said sterilization chamber without passing through said gas and vapor flow conduit and said flow path of said device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification