US5084239A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Plasma sterilizing process with pulsed antimicrobial agent treatment
Assignee: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc
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Filing: 1990-08-31
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Granted: 1992-01-28
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Expires: 2010-08-31
Abstract
Abstract A process for plasma sterilization comprising exposing an article in a sterilizing chamber to at least one cycle comprising a pulsed treatment with gaseous antimicrobial agent and a plasma treatment. The pulsed treatment comprises at least two pulse-vacuum cycles, each pulse-vacuum cycle comprising the steps of exposing the article to the gaseous antimicrobial agent at a pressure of from 4 to 18 torr and reducing the pressure in the sterilizing chamber to from 0.1 to 4 torr. The plasma treatment comprising exposing the article to a plasma generated from gases selected from the group consisting essentially of argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and mixtures thereof, the exposure to the plasma being carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr and a temperature of less than 80° C. The antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, a peracid antimicrobial agent, and mixtures thereof, the peracid antimicrobial agent being selected from the group consisting of saturated and unsaturated peralkanoic acids having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and halogenated derivatives thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Kern A. Moulton
- 👤 Bryant A. Campbell
- 👤 Ross A. Caputo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:46
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L2/00; A61L2/02; A61L2/14; A61L2/16; A61L2/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A process for plasma sterilization including exposing an article in a sterilizing chamber to at least one combination sterilizing cycle, each combination sterilizing cycle comprising: a pulsed treatment with gaseous antimicrobial agent in the sterilization chamber, said pulsed treatment including one or more pulse-vacuum cycles, each pulse-vacuum cycle comprising the steps of exposing the article to the gaseous antimicrobial agent at a pressure of from 4 to 18 torr for a predetermined duration and removing the antimicrobial agent by evacuating the sterilizing chamber to a pressure of from 0.1 to 4 torr; and a plasma treatment comprising exposing the article in the sterilization chamber to a stream of plasma generated from gases consisting essentially of argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and mixture thereof, said plasma being generated in a separate plasma generating chamber and being supplied to the sterilizing chamber, the exposure of the article to the stream of plasma in the sterilizing chamber being carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr at a temperature of less than 80° C.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
A process for plasma sterilization including exposing an article in a sterilizing chamber to at least one combination sterilizing cycle, each combination sterilizing cycle comprising: a pulsed treatment with gaseous antimicrobial agent in the sterilization chamber, said pulsed treatment including one or more pulse-vacuum cycles, each pulse-vacuum cycle comprising the steps of exposing the article to the gaseous antimicrobial agent at a pressure of from 4 to 18 torr for a predetermined duration and removing the antimicrobial agent by evacuating the sterilizing chamber to a pressure of from 0.1 to 4 torr; and a plasma treatment comprising exposing the article in the sterilization chamber to a stream of plasma generated from gases consisting essentially of argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and mixture thereof, said plasma being generated in a separate plasma generating chamber and being supplied to the sterilizing chamber, the exposure of the article to the stream of plasma in the sterilizing chamber being carried out at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 torr at a temperature of less than 80° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the combination sterilizing cycle further includes an initial step of evacuating the sterilizing chamber prior to the one or more pulse-vacuum cycles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the pulsed treatment comprises at least 2 pulse-vacuum cycles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the pulsed treatment and plasma treatment cycle is repeated at least 2 times.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the pulsed treatment cycle is preceded by a plasma treatment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the plasma is generated from a gas mixture consisting essentially of argon, helium, nitrogen oxygen and hydrogen or mixtures thereof; from 1 to 21 (v/v) % oxygen; and from 1 to 20 (v/v) % hydrogen and optimally a gas mixture containing from 1 to 10% (v/v) oxygen and from 3 to 7% (v/v) hydrogen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the pulsed treatment and the plasma treatment in each combination sterilizing cycle follow a predetermined order.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, a peracid antimicrobial agent, and mixtures thereof, the peracid antimicrobial agent being selected from the group consisting of saturated and unsaturated peralkanoic acids having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and halogenated derivatives thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the peracid antimicrobial agent is peracetic acid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the antimicrobial agent is halogenated peracetic acid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the antimicrobial agent is hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the antimicrobial agent is a mixture of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-01-27 | 1995-07-29 | 1996-01-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-01-27 | 1999-07-29 | 2000-01-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-01-27 | 2003-07-29 | 2004-01-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |