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:
Dec. 17, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1999
Szu-Min Lin, Laguna Hills, CA (US);
Anthony Lemus, Yorba Linda, CA (US);
Harold R. Williams, San Clemente, CA (US);
Paul Taylor Jacobs, Trabuco Canyon, CA (US);
Tralance O. Addy, Coto de Caza, CA (US);
Jon Morrell Jacobs, Trabuco Canyon, CA (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
A method for sterilizing medical devices and similar instruments in diffusion-restricted containers is provided. The sterilization method includes placing a liquid solution containing vaporizable germicide such as hydrogen peroxide into the diffusion-restricted container and vaporizing the germicide. The containers can be attachable and detachable to a sterilization system, and used as a vacuum chamber. An attachable/detachable container containing an article to be sterilized can be nested with a second container, and the article and inside and outside of the inner container are sterilized. The sterile article inside the nested containers can be transported and the sterile inner container with the sterilized article can removed from the outer container and placed in a sterile environment without contaminating the sterile environment. The sterile article can then be removed from the sterile container and utilized. Alternatively, the sterilization method may include introducing germicide vapor into an attachable/detachable container.