Tso3 Inc.

Neurostream Technologies General Partnership

Ts03 Inc.

Jean-Martin Vallieres

Bruno Tremblay

Sylvie Dufresne

Joaquin Andres Hoffer

Marc-Olivier Imbeau

Helene Leblond

Cynthia Martel

Karine Martel

Nancy Dassie

Simon Robitaille

Claudia Bedard

Marie-Christine Gagne

Syivie Dufresne

A method for controlling condensation of hydrogen peroxide at a preselected temperature within a sealed sterilization chamber including an article to be sterilized includes the steps of applying to the sealed chamber a vacuum of a first pressure sufficient to evaporate, at the preselected temperature, an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide of a first concentration. The hydrogen peroxide solution is then evaporated into a water vapor component and a hydrogen peroxide vapor component. The evaporated solution is injected into the sealed chamber in repeated pulses. The injecting is terminated once a preselected second pressure, higher than the first pressure, is reached in the chamber. The pulse volume is selected to allow selective control of the condensation of the hydrogen peroxide vapor component to achieve a layer of micro-condensation of hydrogen peroxide on the article, which layer has a second hydrogen peroxide concentration higher than the first hydrogen peroxide concentration.

Sterilization method and apparatus

A method of controlling unwanted condensation of hydrogen peroxide in a sterilization chamber at a preselected temperature is disclosed. The method includes the steps of maintaining the sterilization chamber at a vacuum pressure below the pressure at which hydrogen peroxide will boil at the preselected temperature, evaporating successive pulses of hydrogen peroxide, and injecting the evaporated hydrogen peroxide into the chamber, whereby the volume of each pulse of hydrogen peroxide is less than 75 &#x3bc;L, preferably less than 35 &#x3bc;L, most preferably less than 20 &#x3bc;L. Sterilization results are improved by controlling unwanted condensation of hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide sterilization method

A method of metering of hydrogen peroxide gas into an evacuated sterilization chamber is disclosed. The method includes the steps of continuously monitoring a pressure in the sterilization chamber; connecting a passage of known volume to the evacuated chamber for evacuating the passage; sealing the passage; connecting the evacuated passage to a supply of hydrogen peroxide solution for a time sufficient to draw the hydrogen peroxide solution into and fill the passage; sealing the passage; and repeating those steps until a preselected pressure increase in the sterilization chamber is detected. The pressure increase is preferably 19 Torr. The known volume of the metering passage is preferably between 75 &#x3bc;L and 15 &#x3bc;L to control unwanted condensation of hydrogen peroxide in the sterilization chamber. Expensive peroxide concentration measurement systems are replaced with an economical low cost pressure sensor for control of the hydrogen peroxide concentration.

A hydrogen peroxide delivery system for a sterilizer having a hydrogen peroxide injection unit and a housing is disclosed. The system includes a cradle for supporting a hydrogen peroxide solution container, a drainage arrangement for aspirating the hydrogen peroxide solution from the container, and a delivery arrangement for supplying the aspirated hydrogen peroxide solution to the hydrogen peroxide injection unit. The drainage arrangement includes a needle for penetrating a seal on the container and extending into the hydrogen peroxide solution in the container. A needle drive moves the needle from an at rest position, wherein the needle is retracted to allow insertion of a new hydrogen peroxide container into the cradle, to a penetrating position wherein the needle penetrates the seal of the container and extends all the way to the bottom of the container to ensure complete drainage of the hydrogen peroxide solution from the container.

Sterilization apparatus

A metering unit is provided for metering hydrogen peroxide into an evacuated vessel, for controlling the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the vessel. The metering unit includes a body defining a metering passage having a fixed volume and upstream and downstream ends, an upstream connection for connecting the upstream end to a hydrogen peroxide supply, a downstream connection for connecting the downstream end to a hydrogen peroxide vaporizer, an upstream valve for selectively closing the upstream end and a downstream valve for selectively closing the downstream end, and a controller for operating the valves in a non-overlapping and opposite manner for selectively preventing opening of both valves at the same time. With the metering unit of this disclosure, expensive peroxide concentration measurement systems are replaced with an economical monitoring of the number of injection cycles using a passage of fixed volume.

A method of metering a preselected volume of hydrogen peroxide into a vessel under vacuum is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of connecting a passage of known volume to the vessel under vacuum to evacuate the passage; sealing the passage; connecting the passage to a supply of hydrogen peroxide solution for a time sufficient to draw the hydrogen peroxide solution into the evacuated passage and fill the passage with the hydrogen peroxide solution; sealing the passage; and repeating steps a) to d) until a cumulative volume of fills of the passage is equal to the preselected volume. The volume of the passage is preferably 15 &#x3bc;L to 75 &#x3bc;L. Sterilization is controlled in an economic manner by obviating the need for a means to measure the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the chamber.

A method of sterilizing an article by sequentially exposing the article to hydrogen peroxide and ozone is disclosed. The article is exposed under vacuum first to an evaporated aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and subsequently to an ozone containing gas. The exposure is carried out without reducing the water vapor content of the sterilization atmosphere, the water vapor content being derived from the aqueous solvent of the hydrogen peroxide solution and from the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The complete sterilization process is carried out while the chamber remains sealed and without removal of any component of the sterilization atmosphere. For this purpose, the chamber is initially evacuated to a first vacuum pressure sufficient to cause evaporation of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide at the temperature of the chamber atmosphere. The chamber is then sealed for the remainder of the sterilization process and during all sterilant injection cycles. Keeping the chamber sealed and maintaining the hydrogen peroxide and its decomposition products in the chamber for the subsequent ozone sterilization step results in a synergistic increase in the sterilization efficiency and allows for the use of much lower sterilant amounts and sterilization cycle times than would be expected from using hydrogen peroxide and ozone in combination.

A nerve cuff comprising a wall band member having an inner surface defining a lumen when the wall band member is in a closed configuration for receiving a nerve therethrough. At least one longitudinal and contiguous conductor extends within the lumen. The conductor is insulated and has at least one exposed portion thereby providing an electrode. When mounting the nerve cuff to a nerve, each electrode is in electrical communication with the nerve. A multi-channel nerve cuff further comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges formed on the inner surface with each adjacent pair of ridges defining a longitudinal chamber. Each chamber comprises a respective conductor extending therein. When mounting the multi-channel nerve cuff to the nerve, the ridges abut the nerve providing for each chamber to isolate respective longitudinal portions of the nerve. A method and an apparatus for manufacturing such nerve cuffs are also disclosed.

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Jean-Martin Vallieres