Plasma sterilizing process with pulsed antimicrobial agent treatment
US5084239A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 1990 |
| Grant date | Jan 28, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61L2/20
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A process for plasma sterilization comprising exposing an article in a sterilizing chamber to at least one cycle comprising a pulsed treatment with gaseous antimicrobial agent and a plasma treatment. The pulsed treatment comprises at least two pulse-vacuum cycles, each pulse-vacuum cycle comprising the steps of exposing the article to the gaseous antimicrobial agent at a pressure of from 4 to 18 torr and reducing the pressure in the sterilizing chamber to from 0.1 to 4 torr. The plasma treatment comprising exposing the article to a plasma generated from gases selected from the group consisting essentially of argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and mixtures thereof, the exposure to the plasma being carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr and a temperature of less than 80.degree. C. The antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, a peracid antimicrobial agent, and mixtures thereof, the peracid antimicrobial agent being selected from the group consisting of saturated and unsaturated peralkanoic acids having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and halogenated derivatives thereof.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.