American Sterilizer Company

Steris Inc.

Mark E Chiffon

Kenneth J Klobusnik

Aaron L Hill

Arthur T Nagare

Peter J Buczynski

John C Houston

Thomas George Cook

Robert Joe Byrd

Roland D Block

John D Marshall

Prantik Guha Biswas

Conrad J Geibel, Jr

Anthony B Ruffo

Kimberly R Goray

Michael Levar

Renee Brown

Sterilizer

A method and apparatus for metering a predetermined quantity of liquid decontaminant into a vaporization system. A single vacuum source is used to fill an injector with the predetermined quantity of liquid decontaminant and to also establish a vacuum in a chamber. The chamber is injected with the liquid decontaminant filling the injector. The liquid decontaminant is vaporized in the chamber to produce a vaporized decontaminant.

Method and apparatus for injecting a metered quantity of a liquid into a chamber

A guidance assembly ( ) guides a door ( ) to a cabinet ( ) while it is moved between an open position, in which access to an interior chamber is provided through an opening ( ) in the cabinet, and a closed position, in which the door covers the opening. The guidance assembly includes two pivotable support members ( ) which are pivotally connected to the door. The pivotable support members each include a roller ( ) which rolls along a horizontal rail ( ) mounted to an exterior wall ( ) of the cabinet, adjacent an upper end of the opening. A door positioning system ( ), comprising upper and lower door positioners ( ), maintains a space between the door the cabinet during opening and closing the door. This prevents damage to the door and the exterior wall of the cabinet and to a sealing member ( ) disposed between the door and the cabinet. As the door moves inward or outward, the pivotable support members pivot relative to the front face ( ) of the door and U-shaped portions ( ) the door positioners flex to relieve any stresses placed on the rollers.

Sterilizer horizontal motorized sliding door closure

A convertible medical appliance support apparatus includes a box-shaped hollow main body portion A suspended from overhead by a support apparatus B. A horizontal support table C extends forward from the front face of the vertical main body column to form a platform for supporting associated medical equipment. Multiple gas connections D are provided the main body portion together with a manual handle E near the bottom of the main column on a side of the column opposite from the support table to provide a convenient point to grip and move the body column into a desired position. Manually actuatable controls are provided at the handle, including brake release pushbuttons I and a motorized height adjustment toggle switch J. Multiple electrical connections F are included on the main body together with optional shelves G selectively attachable below the main platform. The appliance support system is convertible through use of replaceable pairs of face wall members that are held in a vertical orientation by a set of elongate corner connection members adapted to selectively engage and attach to edges of the face wall members. The hollow main body portion is easily re-configurable in width, depth, and height dimensions by mere replacement of selected pairs of face wall or corner members to realize a medical appliance support column having a range of selectable sizes and cross-sectional areas H.

Convertible surgical equipment and appliance support system

Blockage in sterilizers due to the solidification of spilled liquid agar downstream from the sterilization chamber is prevented by heating the drain stream exiting the sterilization chamber so that the temperature of the liquid agar stays above 45.degree.-50.degree. C. prior to discharge from the sterilization plumbing system. An improved modular plumbing system for sterilizers is provided, where the piping and valving requirements for a discrete operation performed by the sterilizer are segregated in a single manifold.

Self cleaning drain system and modular plumbing system for a sterilizing

A system and method of exhausting vapor, such as steam, from a pressure chamber following the sterilization phase of a sterilization cycle under superatmospheric pressure conditions are provided. The system and method preferably employ a microprocessor and an appropriate pressure transducer to measure the chamber pressure at the conclusion of the vapor exposure period to determine an initial chamber pressure. The method includes the further steps of exhausting vapor from the chamber for a period of time, preferably up to about one minute, to lower the chamber pressure, measuring the chamber pressure at the conclusion of such first period of time to determine a second chamber pressure and calculating the difference between the initial chamber pressure and the second chamber pressure to determine an exhaust rate. The exhaust rate is used to predetermine successively lower next target chamber pressures to be reached at the conclusion of successive intervals of a predetermined second period of time, such as three seconds, until a predetermined final chamber pressure is reached. Vapor is exhausted from the chamber during each successive interval of the second period of time until the target chamber pressure for that particular second period of time is reached. After each such interval of time, the chamber pressure is measured to determine whether the calculated next target chamber pressure has been reached.

System and method for exhausting vapor from a heated pressure chamber

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Erie, PA, United States of America

Mark E Chiffon