Process for drying and sterilizing goods in a closed circulating system

Claim 1

A process for drying and sterilizing items in a drying and sterilizing chamber comprising: (a) inserting an item for sterilization into a drying and sterilization chamber -having an internal air circuit means, an external air circuit means and a condensation and refrigeration means; (b) circulating a first air stream through said internal circuit means and said chamber; (c) circulating a second air stream through said external air circuit means and said condensation and refrigeration means so that said first air stream and said second air stream come in contact with each other; (d) heating said first air stream to a warm temperature value of at least 40° C.; (e) drying said item in said chamber so that moisture is removed from said item by said first air stream; (f) condensing the moisture from said first air stream by the condensation and refrigeration means; (g) turning off the circulation of the second air stream in said external air circuit means; (h) increasing the temperature of the first air stream to a hot temperature having a value higher than 121° C.; (i) sterilizing said item in said chamber in said first air stream at said hot temperature; (j) cooling said first air stream to a temperature value lower than said warm temperature value and circulating said second air stream through said external air circuit means; and (k) removing said item which has been sterilized from said chamber.