Claims
- 1. A method for sterilizing a device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:providing a chamber having a device disposed therein; introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant; condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire surface of said device, said device being at a temperature below the condensation temperature of said vapor sterilant; revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant; and maintaining said device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said device is sterilized.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sterilant comprises hydrogen peroxide.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a diffusion-restricted area.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said diffusion-restricted area is the interior of a lumen.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said condensing of said vapor sterilant comprises condensing said vapor sterilant in the interior of said lumen, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire interior surface of said lumen.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said revaporizing comprises revaporizing said condensed vapor in the interior of said lumen.
- 7. A method for sterilizing a device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:providing a chamber having a device disposed therein, wherein said device comprises a diffusion-restricted area; introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant; condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire surface of said device; revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant; and maintaining said device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said device is sterilized.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said diffusion-restricted area is the interior of a lumen.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said condensing of said vapor sterilant comprises condensing said vapor sterilant in the interior of said lumen, thereby forming a condensed vapor on less than the entire interior surface of said lumen.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said revaporizing comprises revaporizing said condensed vapor in the interior of said lumen.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said revaporizing is accomplished by reducing the pressure in said chamber to below the vapor pressure of said vapor sterilant.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said source of sterilant is a liquid, aqueous solution, or a solid.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said source of sterilant is located in said chamber.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing comprises concentrating said source of sterilant.
- 15. The method of claim 1, wherein said condensing comprises increasing the pressure in said chamber to above the vapor pressure of said vapor sterilant.
- 16. The method of claim 1, wherein said condensing comprises venting said chamber to atmospheric pressure.
- 17. The method of claim 1, wherein said condensing comprises introducing more sterilant into said chamber.
- 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure in said chamber is controlled by opening or closing a valve between said chamber and a vacuum pump.
- 19. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more steps are repeated one or more times in any order.
- 20. The method of claim 1, wherein said revaporizing said condensed vapor in said chamber comprises concentrating said vapor sterilant.
- 21. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining comprises maintaining said chamber at constant pressure.
- 22. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining comprises varying the pressure in said chamber.
- 23. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising exposing said device to plasma.
- 24. The method of claim 1, wherein said sterilant has a vapor pressure less than the vapor pressure of water.
- 25. A method for sterilizing a lumen device with a vapor sterilant, comprising:providing a chamber having a lumen device disposed therein, wherein said lumen device is more diffusion restricted than a Teflon reference lumen having an internal diameter of 2.48 mm and a length of 750 mm; introducing sterilant into said chamber from a source of sterilant, thereby forming a vapor sterilant; condensing said vapor sterilant in said chamber, thereby forming a condensed vapor; revaporizing said condensed vapor to form a revaporized sterilant; and maintaining said lumen device in the presence of said revaporized sterilant until said lumen device is sterilized, wherein there is no vessel containing a liquid attached to the lumen device during the maintaining stage.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein said sterilant comprises hydrogen peroxide.
- 27. The method of claim 25, wherein said revaporizing is accomplished by reducing the pressure in said chamber to below the vapor pressure of said vapor sterilant.
- 28. The method of claim 25, wherein said revaporizing said condensed vapor in said chamber comprises concentrating said vapor sterilant.
- 29. The method of claim 25, wherein said revaporizing comprises revaporizing said condensed vapor in the interior of said lumen.
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/223,594, filed Dec. 30, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,254, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/223594 |
Dec 1998 |
US |
Child |
10/187128 |
|
US |