Bioquell UK Limited

David Watling

Anthony Michael Martin

Nicholas Mark Turner Adams

Nicholas Mark Adams

An apparatus for sterilizing a sealable enclosure includes a circuit for flow of a sterilizing gas or gasses. The circuit is connected to the enclosure to be sterilized to form a closed circuit and pumps to circulate gas through the circuit and enclosure. The circuit has parallel branches one of which contains apparatus to deactivate a sterilant to be added to the carrier gas flowing through the circuit and apparatus to dehumidify the gas. The other branch contains apparatus to heat the gas and apparatus to supply a sterilant vapor or vapors to the gas. Control apparatus determines which of the parallel branches the gas flows through. The control apparatus maintains flow through one branch passage until the relative humidity falls below a predetermined level. The flow through that branch is then terminated and flow through the other branch initiated.

Method and apparatus for vapour phase sterilisation

The disclosure relates to a portable apparatus for decontaminating an enclosed room or other space which includes a passageway having an air inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end. A pump causes a flow of air through the passageway from the inlet to the outlet. A heater heats the air flowing through the passageway to a predetermined temperature, a flash evaporator being in communication with the passageway. Liquid decontaminant is pumped from a supply of decontaminant to the evaporator to be evaporated and for the evaporant to be delivered to the air flow in the passage to flow in the air flow from the outlet to the rooms to be decontaminated. A universally rotating nozzle is provided at the outlet to distribute the decontaminant containing air throughout the enclosure.

Methods and apparatus for decontaminating enclosed spaces

An apparatus for sterilizing a sealed enclosure () includes a fan () for circulating a gas through a preparation circuit () and through the enclosure. The preparation circuit includes an evaporation chamber () for dispensing a decontaminant gas and water vapor mixture into the circulating gas to flow therewith through the enclosure and to reach a concentration in the enclosure above the dew point for the ambient temperature in the enclosure and thereby to condense onto surfaces in the enclosure to sterilize such surfaces. A monitor () measures gas temperature and dew point/condensation are monitored () in the enclosure. The resulting signals led to a control module () for controlling the rate of dispensing of the decontaminant gas and water vapor into the gas in the preparation circuit in response to the levels determined by said monitoring to provide a required level of condensation of the decontaminant gas and water vapor in the enclosure.

Sealed enclosure sterilization

A method of sterilizing a sealable enclosure includes initially adjusting the relative humidity in the enclosure to a level substantially below ambient, circulating a carrier gas to the enclosure at a temperature raised above ambient and supplying a sterilant vapor or vapors to the circulating carrier gas sufficient to saturate substantially the gas. On cooling in the enclosure, a condensate of the sterilant vapor is formed on surfaces in the enclosure, which is measured whilst continuing to circulate the gas/vapor until a required amount of condensate has been formed on a the surface. Supply of sterilant vapor to the gas is terminated whilst circulating the saturated gas/vapor continues to maintain the condensate on the enclosure surfaces for a predetermined period of time. Finally the sterilant vapor is extracted from the chamber.

Control of gaseous sterilization

Methods and apparatus for vapor phase sterilisation

A system for continuous delivery of a measured flow of liquid to a processing apparatus includes a reservoir for holding a bulk supply of the liquid and an intermediate vessel. A first pump delivers liquid from the intermediate vessel to processing equipment at one rate. A second pump delivers liquid from the reservoir to the intermediate vessel at a second much faster rate. A monitor device continuously monitors the weight of the vessel and controls the first pump accordingly to deliver the required weight of liquid at the required rate to the processing equipment. The monitoring device determines when the weight of liquid in the intermediate vessel has reached a minimum position to initiate operation of the second pump to refill to vessel and a further device terminates operation of the second pump when the liquid level in the vessel reaches a maximum position.

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Westcott, United Kingdom

David Watling