Method of treating liquids and method of sterilizing instruments therewith

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING HARDENING AGENTS WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION FROM APPROXIMATELY ONE-FOURTH OUNCE TO TWO OUNCES PER GALLON OF A COMPOSITION WHICH SOLUBLE IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND THEN IMMERSING THE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS THEREIN. SAID COMPOSITION COMPRISING A WATER SOLUBLE ALIPHATIC AMINE HAVING A HIGHER BOILING POINT THAN WATER AND WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST TWO BUT NOT MORE THAN NINE CARBON ATOMS, A WATER SOLUBLE ALKYL ETHER OF A DIHYDRIC ALCOHOL HAVING A HIGHER BOILING POINT THAN WATER IN WHICH THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE BUT NOT MORE THAN FOUR CARBON ATOMS, AND SODIUM NITRITE, SAID AMINE AND ETHER BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN PROPORTIONS RANGING FROM APPROXIMATELY 10% TO 90% BY VOLUME OF THE ETHER TO 10% TO 90% BY VOLUME OF THE AMINE AND THE AMINE BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO COMBINE WITH THE HARDENING AGENT IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND TO FORM A FILM UPON THE INSTRUMENTS BEING TREATED AND THE ETHER BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DISPERSION OF THE AMINE IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND TO INFLUENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE AMINE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FILM THAT IS FORMED ON THE INSTRUMENT, AND THE SODIUM NITRITE BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY GRAINS TO FORTY GRAINS FOR EACH GALLON OF THE LIQUID TO BE TREATED AND SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF RUST UPON THE INSTRUMENTS, AND THEN REMOVING AND POLISHING THE INSTRUMENTS AFTER A FILM HAS BEEN FORMED THEREON.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING HARDENING AGENTS WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION FROM APPROXIMATELY ONE-FOURTH OUNCE TO TWO OUNCES PER GALLON OF A COMPOSITION WHICH SOLUBLE IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND THEN IMMERSING THE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS THEREIN. SAID COMPOSITION COMPRISING A WATER SOLUBLE ALIPHATIC AMINE HAVING A HIGHER BOILING POINT THAN WATER AND WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST TWO BUT NOT MORE THAN NINE CARBON ATOMS, A WATER SOLUBLE ALKYL ETHER OF A DIHYDRIC ALCOHOL HAVING A HIGHER BOILING POINT THAN WATER IN WHICH THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE BUT NOT MORE THAN FOUR CARBON ATOMS, AND SODIUM NITRITE, SAID AMINE AND ETHER BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN PROPORTIONS RANGING FROM APPROXIMATELY 10% TO 90% BY VOLUME OF THE ETHER TO 10% TO 90% BY VOLUME OF THE AMINE AND THE AMINE BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO COMBINE WITH THE HARDENING AGENT IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND TO FORM A FILM UPON THE INSTRUMENTS BEING TREATED AND THE ETHER BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DISPERSION OF THE AMINE IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND TO INFLUENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE AMINE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FILM THAT IS FORMED ON THE INSTRUMENT, AND THE SODIUM NITRITE BEING PRESENT IN THE COMPOSITION IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY GRAINS TO FORTY GRAINS FOR EACH GALLON OF THE LIQUID TO BE TREATED AND SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF RUST UPON THE INSTRUMENTS, AND THEN REMOVING AND POLISHING THE INSTRUMENTS AFTER A FILM HAS BEEN FORMED THEREON.