Plasma sterilizer and method
US5413759A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1993 |
| Grant date | May 9, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S422/906
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for plasma sterilization includes exposing an article to be sterilized to a plasma generated from a gas mixture. The gas mixture being either (a) argon, helium, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof, and oxygen and hydrogen; (b) argon, helium, nitrogen or mixtures thereof, and hydrogen; or (c) argon, helium, nitrogen or mixtures thereof, and oxygen. The exposure of the article to the plasma is carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr and a chamber temperature of less than 63.degree. C. for a time period sufficient to effect sterilization. Contaminated articles can be pretreated in a plasma generated from oxygen and optionally argon, helium and/or nitrogen at the same conditions for up to 5 minutes to remove protein. The apparatus for plasma sterilization of articles includes a plasma generator and a sterilizing chamber. The plasma generator includes a plurality of generator tubes positioned in one or more electromagnetic field zones defined by one or more waveguides. The outlet of the generator tube preferably has a restriction for maintaining the gas pressure in the plasma generating chamber at from 0.3 to 10 torr.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.