Ethicon, Gmbh

Johnson & Johnson Medical Div of Ethicon, Inc.

Robert Lukasik

Szu-Min Lin

Harold R Williams

James P Kohler

Richard Jed Kendall

Paul Taylor Jacobs

Jenn-Hann Larry Wang

Todd Morrison

Alfredo M Choperena

Ben Fryer

Szu Min Lin

A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by concentrating a germicide via condensation and re-vaporization thereof, exploiting the difference between the vapor pressures of the germicide and its solvent to extract some of the solvent during the condensation process.

Sterilization system and method with temperature-controlled condensing surface

A method of sterilizing an article includes placing the article into a chamber containing an inner atmosphere and exhausting the inner atmosphere to lower pressure in the chamber. Hydrogen peroxide vapor is present in the chamber during at least a portion of the step of exhausting the inner atmosphere. Exhaustion of the inner atmosphere is terminated and additional hydrogen peroxide is admitted into the chamber. Hydrogen peroxide vapor contacts the article for a sufficient period to effect sterilization of the article.

Rapid sterilization system

A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by flowing a portion of the sterilant vapor through an instrument container using a normal portion of the exhaust process. Preferably, an exhaust conduit which draws a vacuum on a sterilization chamber is oriented so that the container is adjacent an inlet to the conduit.

Sterilization with flow through container

A sterilization container holds instruments during a sterilization process. It has an enclosure with an opening into the enclosure and an adapter at the opening. Various inserts such as semi-permeable filters and blocking plates may be placed into the adapter.

Sterilization container kit

A sterilization container holds instruments during a sterilization process. It has en enclosure with an opening into the enclosure. A self-closing mechanism at the opening keeps the opening closed when not attached to a sterilant delivery source.

Sterilization container with self-sealing closure

A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by concentrating a germicide via condensation and re-vaporization thereof, exploiting the difference between the vapor pressures of the germicide and its solvent to extract some of the solvent during the condensation process. A heat pump coupled with the condensation surface enhances the speed and efficiency of condensing and revaporizing the germicide.

Sterilization system and method with heat pump operated vaporizer/condenser

A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by controlling the temperature of a diffusion path between a vaporizer and a sterilization chamber so as to condense and then re-vaporize at least a portion of the vapor.

Sterilizer with restrictor

Sterilization with temperature-controlled diffusion path

A metering valve for delivering liquids from a reservoir includes a rotatable valve plug having at least one well in the valve plug. The valve plug prevents direct communication across the valve. Rotating the valve plug transfers the liquid from the reservoir into the well on the valve plug. Rotating the valve plug further transfers the liquid in the well from the valve plug to the point of delivery. The rotation of the valve plug can be repeated to transfer more liquid. The metering valve can be used to deliver vaporizable germicides to a sterilization chamber. A single metering valve can be used to deliver varying amounts of vaporizable germicide to different sizes of sterilization chamber by rotating the valve plug an appropriate number of times. The valve plug can contain multiple wells to deliver large volumes of liquid quickly.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Elsinore, CA, United States of America

Robert Lukasik