Apparatus for use, recovery, reconstitution, and recyclization of sterilant gas mixture

Claim 1

Apparatus for the gaseous sterilization of articles comprising a sterilizing chamber for containing the articles and a gaseous sterilizing agent for controlled exposure of said articles thereto, means for introducing said gaseous sterilizing agent into and means for evacuating said gaseous agent from said chamber, condenser means for converting gas discharged from said chamber into a liquid phase for storage, reconstitution and reintroduction into and re-use in said chamber, and gas recycle conduit means interconnecting said condenser means with said chamber to return to said chamber, throughout a sterilant reclamation cycle, a portion of gases discharged from the chamber and delivered to said condenser means, said portion of gases including all non-condensable gases as well as sterilant gases not condensed under the operating conditions of said condenser means, thereby to preclude excessive gas losses through venting at said condenser means, and to maintain gaseous pressure in said chamber during evacuation thereof above a selectable predetermined minimum value, whereby expansive explosion of articles contained is said chamber during evacuation is precluded, and whereby any need for auxiliary vacuum producing apparatus is obviated.

Claim 5

A device for reclaiming gaseous sterilant from a gas sterilization chamber, for reconstituting the reclaimed sterilant to a predetermined concentrational composition, and for recycling the reconstituted sterilant to the chamber for re-use, said device comprising chamber evacuation means and conduit means for attaching said evacuation means to the chamber, said evacuation means including gas compressor means and condenser means for converting evacuated gaseous sterilant to a liquid phase, gas-recycle conduit means for interconnecting a vapor supply from said condenser means to the chamber to return to the chamber a portion of the gaseous sterilant evacuated therefrom so as to minimize losses of sterilant from said condenser means, and also to maintain the pressure within the chamber above a predetermined minimum so as to obviate expansive explosion of articles contained in the chamber, gas vaporizing means and fluid conducting means interconnecting said gas vaporizing means with said condenser means, the interconnecting being for delivery to said gas vaporizing means of a liquid phase produced in said condenser means, and conduit means connecting an output from said gas vaporizing means to the chamber to re-cycle reclaimed sterilant gas thereto.

Claim 10

A device for reclaiming gaseous sterilant from a gas sterilization chamber, for reconstituting the reclaimed sterilant to a predetermined concentrational composition, and for recycling the reconstituted sterilant to the chamber for re-use, said device comprising chamber evacuation means and conduit means for attaching said evacuation means to the chamber, said evacuation means including gas compressor means and condensor means for converting evacuated gaseous sterilant to a liquid phase, gas re-cycle conduit means for interconnecting a vapor supply from said condenser means to the chamber to return to the chamber a portion of the gaseous sterilant evacuated therefrom so as to minimize losses of sterilant from said condenser means, and also to maintain the pressure within the chamber above a predetermined minimum so as to obviate expansive explosion of articles contained in the chamber, gas vaporizing means and fluid conducting means interconnecting said gas vaporizing means with said condenser means, the interconnecting being for delivery to said gas vaporizing means of a liquid phase produced in said condenser means, conduit means connecting an output from said gas vaporizing means to the chamber to re-cycle reclaimed sterilant gas thereto, said gaseous sterilant being an alkylene oxide and said compressor means comprising a liquid ring compressor having a liquid sealant consisting essentially of a polyhydric alcohol, thereby to reduce any hydrolysis of the gaseous sterilant in the fluid sealant of said liquid ring compressor and to obviate substantial chemical interaction between the fluid sealant and the gaseous sterilant.