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Sterilizer with restrictorRelated Patent Categories: Chemical Apparatus And Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, Or Sterilizing, Process Disinfecting, Preserving, Deodorizing, Or Sterilizing, Using Disinfecting Or Sterilizing Substance, With Positive Pressure Or VacuumSterilizer with restrictor description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070172383, Sterilizer with restrictor. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to sterilization of articles, and more particularly to sterilization of articles which involves the step of evacuating a sterilization chamber vaporizing a liquid chemical sterilant solution. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] It is known to sterilize articles with a vaporized chemical sterilant, such as hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and glutaraldehyde. Wu et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,102, incorporated herein by reference, describes a hydrogen peroxide/gas plasma sterilization system comprising a vacuum chamber, source of hydrogen peroxide vapor and a source of RF energy to create a plasma. Such systems marketed under the name STERRAD.RTM. are available from Advanced Sterilization Products division of Ethicon, Inc. in Irvine, Calif. [0003] Jacobs et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,972 found that when the water has a higher vapor pressure then the sterilant component of the solution, such a solution of hydrogen peroxide, that by controlling the temperature and pressure at which the solution is vaporized the water can be preferentially drawn off from the solution to increase the concentration of the sterilant in the solution. If the water is exhausted from the system during this process it leaves a higher concentration of the sterilant in the system. The higher concentration of sterilant during the phase in which the vapor phase sterilant contacts articles to be sterilized leads to increased efficiency in the sterilization process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] A sterilization system according to the present invention comprises a sterilization chamber, a vaporizer connected to the chamber, and a vacuum pump connected to the chamber. A valve and an orifice plate having an orifice therethrough are disposed between the pump the chamber. The orifice allows a slow, controlled pump down of the chamber during vaporization of a liquid sterilant solution to allow selectively drawing off a water fraction thereof thereby increasing the concentration of the sterilant solution. [0005] Preferably, the orifice plate and the valve are disposed in parallel to each other. A second valve can be provided in series with the orifice plate, and preferably both the valve and the second valve have good shut-off capability. Alternatively, the orifice plate and the valve can be disposed in series. [0006] Preferably, the valve is a throttle valve. It is advantageous if the valve has both good throttle and shut-off capability. [0007] In one aspect of the invention, the valve comprises a valve body having a valve seat and a valve member adapted to move toward the seat to close the valve and away from the seat to open the valve. The valve member itself forms the orifice plate and has the orifice therethrough. [0008] A method of furnishing concentrated hydrogen peroxide vapor to an article according to the present invention comprises the steps of: placing the article into a chamber containing an inner atmosphere; placing a solution comprising hydrogen peroxide and water into fluid communication with the chamber, said solution having a ratio of hydrogen peroxide to water; evacuating the chamber to lower pressure therein; vaporizing the solution in the inner atmosphere to form water vapor and hydrogen peroxide vapor; controlling the rate of evacuation of the chamber so as to selectively draw water vapor from the chamber to increase a ratio of hydrogen peroxide to water in the chamber, wherein the rate evacuation is controlled by evacuating the chamber through an orifice in an orifice plate; and contacting the article with the hydrogen peroxide vapor. [0009] Preferably, during an initial portion of the step of evacuating the chamber atmosphere being evacuated can bypass the orifice and during a later portion of the step of evacuating the chamber, in which water vapor is being selectively drawn from the chamber, the atmosphere being evacuated from the chamber can not bypass the orifice. [0010] The step of controlling the rate of evacuation of the chamber preferably maintains the solution at a pressure below the vapor pressure of the water in the solution and above the vapor pressure of the hydrogen peroxide in the solution. For efficient vaporization, the step of controlling the rate of evacuation of the chamber maintains the solution at a pressure below the vapor pressure of the solution. [0011] The method can further comprise controlling the temperature of the vaporizer to control the rate of vaporization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sterilization system according to the present invention; [0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vaporizer and diffusion path of the sterilization system of FIG. 1; [0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a sterilization system according to the present invention; [0015] FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a sterilization system according to the present invention. [0016] FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along lines 3B-3B of FIG. 3A; [0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a sterilization system according to the present invention; [0018] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a sterilization system according to the present invention; [0019] FIG. 6 is a section view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; [0020] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a sterilization system according to the present invention; and Continue reading about Sterilizer with restrictor... Full patent description for Sterilizer with restrictor Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Sterilizer with restrictor patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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