The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 16, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1995
American Sterilizer Company, Mentor, OH (US);
Abstract
The invention includes a system and a method for maintaining a selected concentration of a sterilant vapor during vapor phase sterilization. The system includes a sterilization chamber with a source of multicomponent vapor containing a sterilant vapor, an electromagnetic radiation source capable of generating radiation at a plurality of wavelengths, a radiation detector for detecting and quantitating the electromagnetic radiation absorbed at the wavelengths, the detector generating absorbance signals proportional to the concentration of the sterilant vapor in the multicomponent vapor, a microprocessor programmed to compare the absorbance signals with reference absorbance signals, to calculate the sterilant vapor concentration therefrom and to generate an output signal, and a controller to receive the output signal and to control addition of the sterilant vapor to the sterilization chamber to maintain a selected concentration of the sterilant vapor in the sterilization chamber during the sterilization process. The method allows sterilization conditions to be optimized to reduce the time required for and to increase the sterilization efficacy of the sterilization procedure.