Two-step sterilization process using liquid sterilant
First Claim
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1. A method for sterilizing a device having a diffusion restricted area and a non-diffusion restricted area comprising the steps of:
- contacting the diffusion restricted area with a first liquid sterilant solution of a first concentration;
placing the device in a sterilization chamber;
introducing a second liquid sterilant solution of a second concentration into the sterilization chamber exterior of the diffusion restricted area, the second concentration being greater than the first concentration; and
lowering the pressure of the chamber to vaporize the first and second liquid sterilant solutions and sterilize the diffusion restricted area and the non-diffusion restricted area of the instrument.
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Abstract
A method sterilizes a device having a diffusion restricted area and a non-diffusion restricted area. The method includes the steps of vaporizing a first solution of hydrogen peroxide within the diffusion restricted area and vaporizing a second solution of hydrogen peroxide outside of the diffusion restricted area, with the first solution having a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide than the second solution.
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19 Claims
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1. A method for sterilizing a device having a diffusion restricted area and a non-diffusion restricted area comprising the steps of:
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contacting the diffusion restricted area with a first liquid sterilant solution of a first concentration; placing the device in a sterilization chamber; introducing a second liquid sterilant solution of a second concentration into the sterilization chamber exterior of the diffusion restricted area, the second concentration being greater than the first concentration; and lowering the pressure of the chamber to vaporize the first and second liquid sterilant solutions and sterilize the diffusion restricted area and the non-diffusion restricted area of the instrument. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification