Claims
- 1. An apparatus for disinfecting or sterilizing a medical device without a filtering system for providing a sterile water, the apparatus consisting essentially of:
a source of liquid disinfectant or sterilant; and a chamber adapted to receive the medical device, the chamber having one or more ports, at least one of which has a valve, for introducing or removing said liquid disinfectant or sterilant into or out of said chamber.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said liquid disinfectant or sterilant comprises hydrogen peroxide.
- 3. An apparatus for disinfecting or sterilizing a medical device comprising:
a source of liquid disinfectant or sterilant; a chamber adapted to receive the medical device; one or more ports, at least one of which has a valve, on the chamber for introducing and removing the germicide or sterilant; and wherein said apparatus does not comprise a filtering system connected to said chamber for providing a sterile water for rinsing medical device.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 and further comprising a vacuum pump connected to the chamber.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said vacuum pump is capable of evacuating the chamber to a pressure below the vapor pressure of the liquid disinfectant or sterilant.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said liquid disinfectant or sterilant comprises hydrogen peroxide.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising at least one interface in said chamber, wherein the at least one interface separates the chamber into at least a first compartment and a second compartment.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one interface comprises at least one opening therethrough whereby the device can extend between through the opening into both the first and second compartments.
- 9. A method of disinfecting or sterilizing a device, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the device into a chamber; introducing a sterilant or disinfectant in liquid form into the chamber and contacting the device therewith for a sufficient period to disinfect the device; removing the sterilant or disinfectant from the chamber; and leaving the device essentially free of the sterilant or disinfectant without rinsing the instrument with a sterile solvent or solution.
- 10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the sterilant or disinfectant comprises hydrogen peroxide.
- 11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the step of removing the sterilant or disinfectant comprises vaporizing the sterilant or disinfectant into a vapor an drawing the vapor out of the chamber.
- 12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of vaporizing the sterilant or disinfectant is accomplished by lowering the pressure in the chamber.
- 13. A method according to claim 9 wherein the device is contacted with the sterilant for a sufficient period of time to sterilize the device.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/992,478 filed Dec. 17, 1997
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08992478 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Child |
09746106 |
Dec 2000 |
US |