Steris Inc.

American Sterilizer Company

David F McCall

Francis John Zelina

Peter J Buczynski

David A Karle

Teppo J Nurminen

Ward L Sanders

Leslie M Logue

Brian E Holtz

Steve Belinski

Julie R Hinson

Matthew V Sendak

James M Huber

Mark J Parrini

Terrence L Lukas

The present invention provides a sterilizer having a housing defining a sterilization chamber. An opening in the housing communicates with the chamber. A surface surrounds the opening, and a door is movable between one of an open position allowing access to the chamber through the opening and a closed position covering the opening. A seal element is associated with the surface for forming a fluid-tight seal between the door and the surface when the door is in the closed position. An operating system is provided for applying pressure to one side of the seal from a first source external to the operating system to force the seal into engagement with the door. Sensing means are provided for monitoring the pressure applied to the seal from the first pressure source. A second source of pressure is provided in the operating system and is connectable to the seal. Valve means connect the pressure source to the steam system if the sensing means detects a pressure below a set pressure sufficient to sustain a seal between the door and the surface.

Door seal system for steam sterilizer

A voice controlled surgical suite is provided for controlling a plurality of surgical apparatus by a single human. The system includes a voice recognition device adapted to recognize a plurality of predetermined speech commands from a single human and to generate a corresponding set of command output signals. A surgical table is operatively connected with the voice recognition device and is responsive to a first set of the command output signals to initiate selected surgical table movements. A surgical lighthead is similarly connected with the voice recognition system and is responsive to a second set of the command output signals to initiate selected surgical lighthead operations. In addition, surgical camera and task light devices are included in the system and are responsive to fourth and third sets of command output signals, respectively, generated by the voice recognition device to initiate selected surgical camera and surgical task light operations. The surgical apparatus has manual controls to provide redundancy, and to override voice control signals as needed.

Voice controlled surgical suite

A steam sterilization apparatus (10) includes an electronic control system having a main control circuit (C) including a central processing unit (68), an input device (36), and output devices (24,28) provided on a single circuit board (22) which is attached to a front bezel (16) of the sterilizer (10). The sterilizer (10) includes a flash steam generator (56). The main control circuit (C) implements an over-temperature feedback circuit (160) that disconnects the heating elements (162) in the steam generator (56) from electrical power when an over-temperature condition is detected. Isolated feedback is provided to the central processing unit (68) confirming the heating element disconnection operation. The control system includes error switches (82, 86, 88) that detect various error conditions. Upon an error condition being detected, the steam supply to the steam sterilization chamber (12) and/or to the pressurized steam seal (42) of the apparatus (10) is halted. The main control circuit (C) implements a feedback circuit (150) confirming the steam shutdown procedure. The main control circuit (C) also includes a ratiometric analog input circuit (74) that eliminates temperature drift in analog measurements.

Steam sterilization apparatus and control system

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Edinboro, PA, United States of America

David F McCall