Device and system for sterilizing objects

US5534221A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• American Sterilizer Company · US

Inventors

• H. William Hillebrenner · Apex, US
• Vipul B. Sheth · Cary, US
• Joseph M. Stack · Raleigh, US
• Charles T. Curtis · Cary, US
• Kevin H. Butler · Hillsborough, US
• David E. Shoff · Raleigh, US
• Robert S. Petko · Cary, US
• William C. Little · Las Vegas, US
• Thaddeus J. Mielnik · Erie, US
• Peter E. Zell · Erie, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 1994
• Grant date: Jul 9, 1996
• Expiry date: Jul 29, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61L2/26
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system for sterilizing an object including a hollow cassette for containing the object, a sealable opening in the cassette for ingress and egress of the object, a seal for forming a fluid-tight seal around the opening, input and output ports in the cassette for receiving and exhausting a sterilizing fluid and a sealing check valve in the input and output ports for providing a fluid-tight seal when no connections are made to the input and output ports such that when the object is sterilized within the cassette, the cassette will maintain a sterilized atmosphere for the object until the cassette is opened to allow use of the object.