초록 ▼

An ozone sterilizer includes a generator capable of generating a gas containing at least about 10% by weight ozone, a holding tank, a humidification chamber for receiving the ozonated gas and humidifying it to form a sterilant including at least about 8% by weight ozone at a humidity of at least abo

An ozone sterilizer includes a generator capable of generating a gas containing at least about 10% by weight ozone, a holding tank, a humidification chamber for receiving the ozonated gas and humidifying it to form a sterilant including at least about 8% by weight ozone at a humidity of at least about 60%, a vent for bleeding sterilant from the humidification chamber over a first catalyst, a sterilization chamber for receiving a controlled flow of sterilant which is in fluid communication with a pump for evacuating the sterilization chamber over a second catalyst, a vent for bleeding the sterilant from the sterilization chamber and a heater for providing warm air drawn into the sterilization chamber by the pump.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [18.] A method for sterilizing an article, comprising the steps of:(a) placing an article in a sterilization chamber and sealing the chamber;(b) at least partially evacuating the chamber to begin a sterilization cycle;(c) generating a gas comprising ozone by:(i) introducing a feed gas co

[ I claim:] [18.] A method for sterilizing an article, comprising the steps of:(a) placing an article in a sterilization chamber and sealing the chamber;(b) at least partially evacuating the chamber to begin a sterilization cycle;(c) generating a gas comprising ozone by:(i) introducing a feed gas comprising oxygen into an ozone generation zone between a first electrode and a second electrode in an ozone generator;(ii) creating a corona discharge between the first electrode and the second electrode to generate ozone from the feed gas within the zone;(iii) cooling a surface of the first electrode with a first coolant;(iv) releasing a mixture of the ozone and the feed gas from the zone;(v) drawing a portion of the mixture released from the zone through a heat exchanger to cool the mixture; and(vi) combining the portion of the mixture with a gas comprising oxygen to form the feed gas;(d) humidifying the gas comprising ozone to form a sterilant gas comprising at least about 8% by weight ozone at a humidity of at least 60%;(e) introducing into the chamber a controlled flow of the sterilant gas until the chamber is at about ambient pressure;(f) circulating the sterilant in the chamber;(g) continuously flowing the sterilant into the chamber after ambient pressure is reached for a first predetermined time period and simultaneously bleeding the sterilant from the chamber over a first catalyst for converting ozone to oxygen;(h) repeating steps (b) through (g) for a predetermined number of sterilization cycles;(i) evacuating the chamber over a second catalyst to begin an aeration cycle;(j) drawing filtered, heated air into the chamber until the chamber is at about ambient pressure;(k) continuously flowing the heated air into the chamber after ambient pressure is reached for a second predetermined period of time and simultaneously bleeding the air from the chamber over the second catalyst for converting ozone to oxygen;(l) unsealing the chamber; and(m) removing the article from the sterilization chamber.