Vapor phase decontamination of containers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a plurality of items, the system comprising:
- a flash vaporizer for vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial;
a means for introducing the liquid from a source to the flash vaporizer;
a first duct which bypasses the vaporizer, along which a carrier gas passes, the first duct being fluidly connected with at least one fill line which selectively supplies vapor and carrier gas to at least one of the items;
a heater which heats the carrier gas passing along the first duct; and
a second duct, fluidly connected with an outlet of the vaporizer, for supplying the vapor into the first duct for mixing into the heated carrier gas passing through the first duct.
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Abstract
A flash vapor generator (10) provides a constant flow of vaporized hydrogen peroxide for rapidly sterilizing a large decontamination tunnel (11) with a high container throughput. The vaporizer includes a heated block which defines an interior bore or bores. The conditions within the decontamination tunnel are carefully monitored to avoid condensation of the vapor while maintaining the vapor as close as possible to the saturation limit.
96 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a plurality of items, the system comprising:
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a flash vaporizer for vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial; a means for introducing the liquid from a source to the flash vaporizer; a first duct which bypasses the vaporizer, along which a carrier gas passes, the first duct being fluidly connected with at least one fill line which selectively supplies vapor and carrier gas to at least one of the items; a heater which heats the carrier gas passing along the first duct; and a second duct, fluidly connected with an outlet of the vaporizer, for supplying the vapor into the first duct for mixing into the heated carrier gas passing through the first duct. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29)
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12. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a plurality of items, the system comprising:
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a flash vaporizer for thermally vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial; a means for introducing the liquid from a source to the flash vaporizer; a first duct along which a carrier gas passes, the first duct being fluidly connected with at least one fill line which selectively supplies vapor and carrier gas to at least one of the items, the discharge outlet of the at least one fill line being selectively positionable in the interior space of each of the items, a cap associated with the fill line which selectively closes an opening to the interior space of the item during supply of vapor and carrier gas to the interior space; a second duct, fluidly connected between an outlet of the vaporizer and the first duct, for supplying the vapor into the first duct for mixing into the carrier gas passing through the first duct; and a vapor withdrawal system, the vapor withdrawal system including at least one exhaust line associated with the cap which is selectively positioned within the at least one item together with the at least one fill line, whereby vapor is withdrawn from the item.
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13. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a plurality of items, the system comprising:
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a vaporizer for thermally vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial compound which includes hydrogen peroxide, the vaporizer including; a metal block; at least one heater for heating and maintaining the metal block at or above a vaporization temperature of hydrogen peroxide and below a hydrogen peroxide disassociation temperature; a passage extending through the block from an inlet to the outlet, the passage turning at least 180°
between the inlet and the outlet;a means for introducing the liquid from a source to the flash vaporizer adjacent the inlet; a means for providing a secondary carrier gas flow to the flash vaporizer inlet such that vapor and carrier gas flow from the vaporizer outlet; and
,a main duct along which a main carrier gas flow passes, the vaporizer outlet being fluidly connected with the main duct for delivering the vapor and secondary carrier gas flow into the main carrier gas flow such that the vapor is intermixed with the main carrier gas flow, the main carrier gas flow being larger than the secondary carrier gas flow. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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18. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a plurality of items, the system comprising:
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a flash vaporizer for thermally vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial, the flash vaporizer including an inlet and an outlet; a first source of carrier gas connected with the flash vaporizer inlet for supplying a first stream of carrier gas to the vaporizer; a second source of a carrier gas which supplies a pressurized carrier gas; a first duct along which a pressurized second stream of carrier gas passes from the second source, the system being configured such that a flow rate of the first stream of carrier gas is less than 10% of a flow rate of the second stream of carrier gas, the first duct being fluidly connected with at least one fill line which selectively supplies vapor and carrier gas to at least one of the items; and a second duct, fluidly connected between the vaporizer outlet and the first duct, for introducing the vapor and first carrier gas stream into the first duct, mixing the vapor into the second carrier gas stream passing through the first duct.
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22. A method of decontaminating items comprising:
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conveying the items through a defined region; providing a first carrier gas stream and a pressurized second carrier gas stream, the first stream having a flow rate which is less than 10% of a flow rate of the second stream; introducing the first stream to a passage; introducing a flow of an aqueous solution of an antimicrobial into the passage, the aqueous solution mixing with the first stream, walls of the passage being heated to vaporize the aqueous solution; heating the second carrier gas stream in a duct which bypasses the passage; mixing the vaporized aqueous solution and first carrier gas stream with the heated second carrier gas stream in a mixing zone downstream of the passage; introducing the mixed vaporized aqueous solution and first and second carrier gas streams to the defined region; and contacting the items with the antimicrobial. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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27. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating containers, the system comprising:
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a vaporizer for vaporizing into a vapor a liquid which includes an antimicrobial; a means for introducing the liquid from a source to the vaporizer; a conveyor system which conveys containers into a tunnel; a first duct which bypasses the vaporizer, along which a pressurized carrier gas passes, the first duct being fluidly connected with at least one fill line which selectively supplies vapor and carrier gas to the containers, a discharge outlet of the at least one fill line being selectively positionable such that an interior space of each of the containers receives the vapor; a heater which heats the carrier gas passing along the first duct; and
a second duct, fluidly connected with an outlet of the vaporizer, for supplying the vapor into the first duct for mixing into the heated pressurized carrier gas passing through the first duct. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification