JPH08141056A - Gas sterilizer and its operating method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To effectively perform humidification in a sterilizer vessel 1, ejecting air, and heating of an object to be sterilized. CONSTITUTION: A reservoir 17 is attached inside a lid plate 2 and an electric heater 16 outside. The upper end of an air exhaust tube 11 through a vacuum pump 13 is opened at the depth of the sterilizer vessel 1. At the time of humidification, water is supplied to the reservoir 17, and the electric heater 16 is energized, and the vacuum pump 13 is operated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The gas sterilizer and its operating method according to the present invention are used for sterilizing used medical instruments and experimental instruments in hospitals and various laboratories. In particular, the present invention improves the sterilization effect by improving the efficiency of the humidification process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Sterilizers are installed in hospitals and various laboratories to sterilize used surgical tools and experimental instruments before reusing them. In particular, ethylene oxide gas (EO) is used for the sterilization of sterilized objects such as poor heat resistance.
A gas sterilizer for sterilization according to G) is used.

First, the structure of such a gas sterilizer will be described by taking the desk-top type gas sterilizer shown in FIG. 1 as an example. This tabletop gas sterilizer used in relatively small hospitals and research laboratories comprises a sterilization container 1 that can store objects to be sterilized (not shown) such as the used surgical tools and experimental tools described above. The sterilization container 1 has a lid plate 2 that can hermetically close the opening. The item to be sterilized is stored in the sterilization container 1 while being stored in the storage basket 3. Inside the lid plate 2, there is provided a storage part 5 capable of storing the small cylinder 4 filled with the sterilizing gas. The small-sized cylinder 4 constituting the sterilizing gas supply means is 1
The sterilizing gas is filled in an amount that is used up in one sterilization process. An operation panel 6 is provided above the sterilization container 1 so that various conditions such as temperature, pressure, time, etc. can be set freely when performing sterilization work.

The gas sterilizer is constructed by connecting the respective constituent members including the sterilization container 1 as shown in FIG. The downstream end of the intake pipe 8 is passed through the sterilization container 1.
In the middle of the intake pipe 8, a sterilization filter 9 and a first opening / closing valve 10 are provided in series from the upstream side (left side in FIG. 2) in order. The upstream end of the intake pipe 8 is open to the atmosphere. Therefore, clean air purified by passing through the sterilization filter 9 can be sucked into the sterilization container 1 through the intake pipe 8. Further, the upstream end of the exhaust pipe 11 is passed through the sterilization container 1. In the middle of the exhaust pipe 11, a second opening / closing valve 12 and a vacuum pump 13 are provided in series in this order from the side of the sterilization container 1. This exhaust pipe 1
The downstream end of 1 is open to the outside. The above vacuum pump 1
As for 3, various types of conventionally known types such as an ejector type and a diaphragm type can be used.

When performing the sterilization operation using the gas sterilizer configured as described above, it is performed as shown in FIG. The vertical axis of FIG. 3 represents the pressure in the sterilization container 1, and the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time. First, an object to be sterilized is stored in the sterilization container 1, and the lid plate 2 is closed (preparation step). Then
The first on-off valve 10 is closed and then the second on-off valve 12 is opened. Then, the vacuum pump 13 is operated to suck the air in the sterilization container 1 from the suction port of the vacuum pump 13 through the exhaust pipe 11 and discharge the air to the outside through the exhaust pipe 11. As a result, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 decreases. In this way, first, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 is reduced (made into a vacuum state) by discharging the air contained in the sterilization object,
This is because the sterilizing gas can easily penetrate into the object to be sterilized.

After the air in the sterilization container 1 is discharged as described above, the second opening / closing valve 12 is closed, the vacuum pump 13 is stopped, and the sterilization container 1 is left in a state of being kept in vacuum. At the same time, the water supplied into the sterilization container 1 is evaporated by being soaked in gauze or the like to perform a humidification step of humidifying the object to be sterilized. Further, in the humidification process, the sterilization object 1 is also heated through the sterilization container 1 and the lid plate 2 which are controlled at a predetermined temperature. In this way, the air contained in the object to be sterilized is discharged, and after the humidification process as described above is performed, the sterilization process for sterilizing the object to be sterilized is then performed. This sterilization step is performed by filling the sterilization container 1 with sterilization gas. That is, with the second on-off valve 12 closed, the sealing plate of the small cylinder 4 (FIG. 1) in the storage part 5 is broken (punched) by the opening means provided in the storage part 5. A sterilizing gas is introduced into the sterilization container 1. As a result, the object to be sterilized in the sterilization container 1 is sterilized by the sterilizing gas. After completing the sterilization process for a predetermined time,
The second on-off valve 12 is opened again and the vacuum pump 13 is opened.
The sterilizing gas in the sterilization container 1 used in the sterilization process is discharged to the outside through the exhaust pipe 11.

As described above, even after the sterilization gas in the sterilization container 1 is discharged, if the sterilization object is a fibrous material such as clothes for patients, the sterilization gas reaches a deep part of the sterilization object. It may penetrate and remain in this sterilized object. When the sterilizing gas remains in this way, contact between the clothes and the skin of the patient may cause skin irritation. Therefore, a cleaning process and an aeration process are performed to remove the sterilization gas remaining in the sterilization container 1 or remaining on the sterilization object. In this cleaning process and aeration process, supply of clean air into the sterilization container 1 and discharge of gas from the sterilization container 1 are performed.
Sequentially or simultaneously.

[0008]

However, in the case of the conventional gas sterilizer constructed and used as described above, the following problems arise due to the presence of the humidification process. That is,
Conventionally, moisturizing water is soaked in gauze and placed in the sterilization container 1, and the sterilization container 1 is humidified by steam generated by evaporation of water in the gauze. The temperature of the gauze at the time of evaporation becomes lower than the ambient temperature by removing the latent heat of evaporation. Therefore, the temperature of a part of the sterilization container 1 where the gauze is placed becomes lower than the temperature of the other part.

As a result, the amount of water evaporated from the gauze itself is reduced, which not only lowers the humidification efficiency, but also causes the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 to be partially uneven (uneven). It was The temperature unevenness in the sterilization container 1 causes unsatisfactory sterilization of the object to be sterilized that exists in the low temperature portion, and is not preferable.

Further, as described above, the object to be sterilized is heated by this humidification process. The object to be sterilized in the humidification process is heated by radiation from the inner wall surfaces of the sterilization container 1 and the cover plate 2 and convection and conduction of air remaining in the sterilization container 1. For this reason, the efficiency is low, and it takes a considerable time for the object to be sterilized to reach a predetermined temperature.

In a relatively large gas sterilizer (not shown) using saturated steam of about 1.2 kgf / cm ² (about 105 ° C.) as a heat source for heating the sterilization container 1. In some cases, a part of the steam is directly injected into the sterilization container 1 so that the object to be sterilized can be humidified and heated in a short time. However, in this method, the temperature of the object to be sterilized may be increased more than necessary, which is also not preferable. The gas sterilizer of the present invention and its operating method are
The present invention was devised to eliminate all of the above inconveniences.

[0012]

Among the gas sterilizer of the present invention and the method of operating the same, the invention of the gas sterilizer described in claim 1 is a cylindrical sterilized container with a bottom having an opening at one end, A lid plate that can airtightly close the opening of the sterilization container, a steam generator provided inside the sterilization container, an electric heater for heating the steam generator, and an inner surface of the inner end of the sterilization container. An exhaust pipe having an open upstream end, a vacuum pump provided in the exhaust pipe, and a gas supply device for supplying a sterilizing gas into the sterilization container are provided.

The invention of the method for operating a gas sterilizer according to claim 3, which is a method for operating the gas sterilizer as described above, comprises storing the object to be sterilized in the sterilization container and using the lid plate. After closing the opening, by operating the vacuum pump while energizing the electric heater, to discharge the air in the sterilization container and fill the sterilization container with water vapor,
The sterilized object is heated by the generated steam, and then the sterilization gas is supplied into the sterilization container by the gas supply device.

[0014]

According to the gas sterilizer and the method of operating the same of the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to efficiently humidify the sterilization container and heat the object to be sterilized without causing temperature unevenness in the sterilization container. You can do well. That is, the water in the steam generator evaporates while being heated to the same temperature as the sterilization container and the cover plate by the electric heater. Therefore, even if the latent heat of vaporization is removed, the temperature of the steam generator does not become lower than that of the surroundings. Therefore, the temperature of the water in the steam generator is set to the same level as that of the sterilization container and the cover plate to secure the evaporation amount, and the sterilization container can be efficiently humidified. Further, the steam generated in the steam generator flows through the inside of the sterilization container toward the rear end from the opening toward the exhaust pipe whose upstream end is opened on the inner surface of the rear end of the sterilization container. As a result, the air and steam remaining in the sterilization container are efficiently replaced, and in a relatively short time,
The inside of this sterilization container is filled with steam. Furthermore,
The generated water vapor condenses on the surface of the object to be sterilized at a low temperature, and the latent heat generated at that time heats the object to be sterilized. Therefore, the object to be sterilized can be heated to a predetermined temperature in a relatively short time.

[0015]

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention. The feature of the present invention resides in the structure and method for humidifying the inside of the sterilization container 1 during the humidification process. The structure and operation of the other parts are the same as those of the prior art shown in FIGS.
The illustration and the description thereof are omitted, and the characteristic part of the present invention will be mainly described below.

The opening of the bottomed cylindrical sterilization container 1 having an opening at one end in the horizontal direction is airtightly closed by a cover plate 2. The lid plate 2 is made of a metal having a good heat conductivity such as copper or aluminum. An electric heater 16 is attached to the outer side surface of the cover plate 2 so that the cover plate 2 can be heated. A water storage container 17, which is a steam generator, is attached to the inner surface of the cover plate 2. The material of the water storage container 17 is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient heat resistance, but is preferably made of a metal having good heat conductivity such as copper, aluminum or stainless steel. This is because the heat of the lid plate 2 heated by the electric heater 16 is stored in the water storage container 17.
This is to facilitate the transmission to the inside and to promote the evaporation of the water stored inside. The water storage container 17 has a shape that is open only at the upper side, and water vapor can be diffused from this upper opening. Further, a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the water storage container 17 is provided at a part of the lid plate 2 where the water storage container 17 is installed. In this embodiment, the water storage container 17 is attached to the inner surface of the lid plate, so that the electric heater 16 provided on the outer surface of the lid plate 2 heats the lid plate and the water storage container 17. I am doing it. By adopting such a configuration, the electric heater 16 for heating each of the water storage container 17 and the lid plate 2, and the above-mentioned temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of each of the electric heater 16 and one set of the electric heater 16 and the temperature sensor. Can be covered by.

On the other hand, the upstream end of the exhaust pipe 11 is opened on the inner surface of the rear end portion of the sterilization container 1, and the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 11 is opened outdoors. A vacuum pump 13 is provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe 11, and the gas in the sterilization container 1 can be discharged freely based on the operation of the vacuum pump 13.
Although not shown, a second opening / closing valve 12 (FIG. 2) is provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe 11 between the sterilization container 1 and the vacuum pump 13 as in the conventional structure described above. Further, a storage portion 5 (FIG. 1) for storing the small cylinder 4 (FIG. 1) is provided on the inner surface of the lid plate 2 to configure a gas supply device for supplying the sterilization gas into the sterilization container 1. . However, in addition to this, as the gas supply device, a structure for supplying from a large gas cylinder provided outside can also be adopted.

Further, another electric heater 18 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sterilization container 1 so that the interior of the sterilization container 1 can be heated. The electric heater 18 is energized during the humidification process and the sterilization process to keep the inside of the sterilization container 1 at a predetermined temperature so that a sufficient sterilization effect is exhibited. The energization of such another electric heater 18 is controlled according to the temperature in the sterilization container 1. The temperature in the sterilization container 1 is detected by, for example, another temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the sterilization container 1.

The basic operation when performing sterilization work with the gas sterilizer as described above is the same as in the conventional case described above, and by performing each step as shown in FIG. Sterilize the items to be sterilized. In particular, in the case of the present invention, the sterilization object is stored in the sterilization container 1,
After closing the opening with the cover plate 2, the electric heater 16 attached to the outer surface of the cover plate 2 is energized. As a result, the vacuum pump 13 is operated while maintaining the temperatures of the lid plate 2 and the water storage container 17 so that the difference from the desired temperature does not become so large. At this time, the electric heater 18 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sterilization container 1 is also energized to maintain the temperature of the inner peripheral surface of the sterilization container 1.

As described above, as a result of energizing the electric heaters 16 and 18 while operating the vacuum pump 13, the air in the sterilization container 1 can be discharged and the sterilization container 1 can be filled with water vapor. it can. That is, the vacuum pump 1
As a result of the operation of No. 3, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 decreases and the boiling point of water decreases, so that a large amount of water vapor is generated even if the water in the water storage container 17 is at a relatively low temperature. In particular, when the pressure in the sterilization container 1 is on the vacuum side of the saturated steam pressure at the temperature of the water in the water storage container 17, this water boils and a large amount of steam is generated in a short time. The steam thus generated fills the sterilization container 1 with the course as shown in FIGS. 5 (A) to 5 (C).

That is, when a large amount of water vapor is generated from the water in the water storage container 17, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 is lowered (the amount of air is small). Even if the gas in the sterilization container 1 is sucked into the exhaust pipe 11 with the operation, a clear gas flow does not occur in the sterilization container 1. As a result, the water vapor generated in the water storage container 17 (oblique grid portion in the figure) becomes a lump on the inner surface of the lid plate 2 as shown in FIG.
As shown in, the lump of water vapor gradually expands and penetrates deep into the sterilization container 1 to push out air.

As a result, the air in the sterilization container 1 is discharged, and instead, the sterilization container 1 is filled with water vapor.
In the case of the present embodiment, the water storage container 17 is provided on the inner side surface of the lid plate 2, and while heating the lid plate 2 by the electric heater 16,
Since the water in the water storage container 17 is evaporated, the temperature of the water storage container 17 and the lid plate 2 does not decrease, although the evaporation latent heat is removed. Therefore, the temperature nonuniformity does not occur in the sterilization container 1, and the water is effectively (quickly) evaporated, and the time required for air discharge, steam filling, and heating of the sterilized object can be shortened. .

When the air in the sterilization container 1 is discharged as described above and the sterilization container 1 is filled with steam instead, the second opening / closing valve 12 is closed and the vacuum pump 13 is operated. After stopping, the sterilization gas is supplied into the sterilization container 1 by the gas supply device, and the sterilization process is performed for a predetermined time.

Next, in order to confirm the effect of the present invention, an experiment conducted by the present inventor will be described. The experiment was carried out by the method of the present invention using a gas sterilizer as schematically shown in FIG.
The conventional method using a gas sterilizer as shown in FIG. 7 was performed under the conditions shown in FIGS. this house,
FIG. 7 shows a pressure change in the sterilization container 1 when the method of the present invention is performed, and FIG. 8 shows a pressure change in the sterilization container 1 when the conventional method is performed. Further, in the gas sterilizer used in the conventional method, the gauze 19 containing water was placed in the portion of the sterilization container 1 near the bottom inlet. In addition, this conventional method is
After exhausting the air in the sterilization container 1 to the maximum ultimate vacuum of the vacuum pump 13, the vacuum pump 13 is stopped and the inside of the sterilization container 1 is kept in a vacuum state, and the water contained in the gauze 19 evaporates. It is a method of waiting for you to do it. Therefore, the exhaust time itself is short. In FIGS. 7 to 8, the pressure rises after the evacuation time is due to the generated water vapor.

Of the results of the experiments conducted in this way,
The results of the humidity in the sterilization container 1 are shown in FIGS. Of these, FIG. 9 shows the results of an experiment conducted in a state in which the temperature in the sterilization container 1 was maintained at 40 ° C. (the water in the water storage container 17 did not boil), and FIG. The results of the experiments conducted under the condition that the water in the container 17 boils are shown. Curve A in each figure represents the result of humidification by the method of the present invention, and curve B represents the result of humidification by the conventional method.

First, the experimental results shown in FIG. 9 will be described. Keep the temperature in the sterilization container 1 at 40 ° C.
In the case of the humidification method of the present invention in which 10 ml of water was stored therein and the exhaust time was 45 minutes, the humidity in the sterilization container 1 finally reached almost 100%. On the other hand, the temperature in the sterilization container 1 is kept at 40 ° C., the gauze 19 is soaked with 10 ml of water, and the evacuation time is set to about 10 minutes (the time required to reach the maximum vacuum degree), which is the conventional humidification method. In some cases, the humidity in the sterile container 1 reached only about 70%.

Next, the experimental results shown in FIG. 10 will be described. In the case of the humidifying method of the present invention in which the temperature in the sterilization container 1 is kept at 55 ° C., 20 ml of water is stored in the water storage container 17 and the exhaust time is 35 minutes, the humidity in the sterilization container 1 is finally It reached almost 70%. On the other hand, the temperature in the sterilization container 1 is kept at 55 ° C., 20 ml of water is soaked in the gauze 19, and the evacuation time is set to about 10 minutes (the time required to reach the ultimate vacuum) by the conventional humidification method. In some cases, the humidity in the sterile container 1 reached only about 55%. As is apparent from FIGS. 9 to 10, according to the present invention, the humidity in the sterilization container 1 can be increased as compared with the conventional method.

Next, FIGS. 11 to 12 show the results of experiments on the residual air partial pressure in the sterilization container 1. FIG. 11 is the same as FIG.
In the same way as in the experiment of 1.
12 shows the respective experimental results when the temperature was 55 ° C. similarly to the experiment of FIG. In each figure, (A) represents the residual air pressure by the method of the present invention, and (B) represents the residual air pressure by the conventional method. Further, (C) represents the residual air pressure when only the air is discharged by the vacuum pump. 40 ° C and 5
In any case of 5 ° C., the residual air pressure in the sterilization container 1 was about 10 Torr by the method of the present invention and about 50 Torr by the conventional method. The residual air pressure (residual air amount) of the method of the present invention is about 1/5 of that of the conventional method. It was also confirmed that the maximum vacuum degree (= remaining air pressure) when only the air is discharged by the vacuum pump 13 is about 65 to 70 Torr, so that the air discharging capacity is improved more than the capacity of the vacuum pump 13.

Next, FIGS. 13 to 14 show the results of the experiment on the temperature rise of the sterilization object housed in the sterilization container 1.
In this experiment, gauze and a vinyl chloride tube were used as the sterilized objects. FIG. 13 shows a case where the temperature in the sterilization container 1 is 40 ° C. as in the experiments of FIGS. 9 and 11, and FIG. 14 shows a case where the temperature is 55 ° C. as in the experiments of FIGS. The experimental results are shown.
Curve A in each figure shows the temperature change of the object to be sterilized by the method of the present invention, and curve B shows the temperature change of the object to be sterilized by the conventional method.

As is clear by comparing the curves A and B of FIGS. 13 to 14, according to the present invention, the temperature rise of the sterilized object becomes faster. Comparing the temperature rise time of the object to be sterilized (time required from around 25 ° C. to 38 ° C.) when the temperature in the sterilization container 1 is 40 ° C., the method of the present invention shortens to about 2/5 of the conventional method. . Similarly, the temperature rise time of the object to be sterilized at 55 ° C. (the time required from around 25 ° C. to 52 ° C.) is reduced to about ¼. The faster temperature rise of the sterilized object can contribute to improvement of the sterilization efficiency of the sterilized object and, in turn, reduction of the sterilization time.

Further, in the method of the present invention, since the substance to be sterilized is heated by steam having a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sterilization container 1,
The temperature of the object to be sterilized is not raised more than necessary as in the case of heating the object to be sterilized by directly injecting high temperature steam into the sterilization container with the large-sized gas sterilizer described above.

The following techniques can be considered as application examples of the present invention. First of all, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 can be obtained from the detection value of the temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the part where the water storage container 17 is installed in a part of the lid plate 2. That is,
As described above, during the humidification process, the pressure inside the sterilization container 1 is set as shown in FIG.
As shown by the solid line a in FIG. 5, when the pressure is decreased (to the vacuum side of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the water in the water storage container 17),
As the pressure drops, the water in the water storage container 17 boils.
The boiling point of water in the water storage container 17 is determined according to the pressure in the sterilization container 1, and as long as water is present in the water storage container 17, the detected value of the temperature sensor is the boiling point of water at the pressure. become.

Therefore, the temperature of the cover plate 2 is
Despite the energization of the electric heater 16 attached to the outer surface of the
Since the boiling point is maintained as it is, the pressure in the sterilization container 1 can be known from the detection value of the temperature sensor. That is, in this case, the temperature of the lid plate 2 detected by the temperature sensor is
It changes as shown by the broken line b in FIG. Therefore, from the temperature at which the broken line b is kept constant (47 ° C. in FIG. 15),
The pressure in the sterilization container 1 (about 80 Torr, which is the pressure at which the boiling point of water becomes 47 ° C.) is required. Therefore, the pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the sterilization container 1 can be omitted, and the cost of the gas sterilizer can be reduced.

Secondly, when the vacuum pump 13 is operated while the electric heater 16 on the outer surface of the cover plate 2 is energized, the temperature sensor determines whether or not the supplied water content in the water storage container 17 is appropriate. You can also watch. That is, the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the part of the lid plate 2 where the water storage container 17 is installed, the temperature starts to decrease toward a constant value, and after being maintained at the constant value for a certain time, If the time until it rises again (T _{0 in} FIG. 15) is obtained, the amount of water stored in the water storage container 17 can be obtained. If this time is short, the operator is alerted by issuing an alarm, etc. that the water supply is too small.

The amount of water evaporated in the water storage container 17 can be regulated by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the electric heater 16 and the temperature of the cover plate 2 as necessary. Furthermore, after the pressure in the sterilization container 1 has dropped to a predetermined value (for example, 200 Torr), the amount of electricity to the electric heater 16 is reduced (as described above, the temperature of the lid plate 2 does not rise above the boiling point and rises. The temperature change of the lid plate 2 can be more clearly caused by this, and it can be easily confirmed whether or not the humidification process is sufficiently performed by the temperature change of the lid plate 2 due to vaporization of water vapor. .

Thirdly, by controlling the pressure in the sterilization container 1 so as to be slightly on the vacuum side by the saturated steam pressure at a predetermined temperature, the sterilization object can be heated in a shorter time.
It has been described above that the water temperature in the water storage container 17 drops to the boiling point corresponding to the pressure in the sterilization container 1 as the pressure in the sterilization container 1 drops, but this also means that the temperature of the generated steam also drops. I mean. A decrease in the temperature of the generated steam is not preferable from the viewpoint of heating the sterilized object. Therefore, the boiling state of water in the water storage container 17 is maintained by maintaining the pressure in the sterilization container 1 slightly on the vacuum side of the saturated steam pressure at a predetermined temperature, and a large amount of steam at a temperature close to the predetermined temperature is generated. . As a result, the object to be sterilized can be heated in a shorter time.

[0037]

The gas sterilizer of the present invention and the operating method thereof are as follows.
Since it is constructed and operates as described above, the following effects (1) to (4) can be obtained. The humidification efficiency can be improved by generating a sufficient amount of water vapor. The air in the sterilization container can be discharged more than the capacity of the vacuum pump. The generated steam makes it possible to efficiently heat the object to be sterilized in a short time. Therefore, there is no temperature unevenness in which the temperature inside the sterilization container becomes partially non-uniform, or even if it occurs, it will be extremely light. Due to the above effects, it is possible to eliminate the cause of poor sterilization of the object to be sterilized, shorten the time of the sterilization process (contact time between the object to be sterilized and sterilization gas), and extend the time of the entire sterilization Can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a gas sterilizer to which the present invention is applied, with a cover plate opened.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the gas sterilizer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pressure change in a sterilization container during a sterilization work process.

FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional side view showing a gas sterilizer of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional side view showing in sequence the state in which water vapor permeates into the sterilization container.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical sectional side view showing a conventional humidifying method.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a pressure change in the sterilization container when the humidifying method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a pressure change in a sterilization container when performing a conventional humidification method.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing changes in humidity in a sterilization container at 40 ° C. according to the method of the present invention and the conventional method.

FIG. 10 shows the method of the present invention and the conventional method at 55 ° C.
The figure which shows the humidity change in each sterilization container.

FIG. 11 shows the method of the present invention and the conventional method at 40 ° C.,
The figure which shows each residual air pressure in a sterilization container.

FIG. 12 shows the method according to the present invention and the conventional method at 55 ° C.,
The figure which shows each residual air pressure in a sterilization container.

FIG. 13 shows the method of the present invention and the conventional method at 40 ° C.,
The diagram which shows the temperature change of each to-be-sterilized object.

FIG. 14 shows the method of the present invention and the conventional method at 55 ° C.
The diagram which shows the temperature change of each to-be-sterilized object.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing changes in pressure inside the sterilization container and changes in temperature of the cover plate during the humidification process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sterilization container 2 Lid plate 3 Storage basket 4 Small cylinder 5 Storage part 6 Operation panel 8 Intake pipe 9 Disinfection filter 10 First opening / closing valve 11 Exhaust pipe 12 Second opening / closing valve 13 Vacuum pump 16 Electric heater 17 Water storage container 18 Electric heater 19 gauze

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bottomed cylindrical sterilization container having an opening at one end, a lid plate which can hermetically close the opening of this sterilization container, a steam generator for filling the sterilization container with steam, and this steam generation. An electric heater for heating the vessel, an exhaust pipe with its upstream end opened to the inner surface of the deep end of the sterilization container, a vacuum pump provided in the middle of this exhaust pipe, and a sterilization gas supply into the sterilization container. A gas sterilizer equipped with a gas supply device. 2. The gas sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the steam generator. 3. A bottomed cylindrical sterilization container having an opening at one end, a lid plate that can hermetically close the opening of the sterilization container, a steam generator for filling the sterilization container with steam, and the steam generation. An electric heater for heating the vessel, an exhaust pipe with its upstream end opened to the inner surface of the deep end of the sterilization container, a vacuum pump provided in the middle of this exhaust pipe, and a sterilization gas supply into the sterilization container. A method of operating a gas sterilizer for performing a sterilization process using a gas sterilizer equipped with a gas supply device for carrying out sterilization, wherein the sterilization container accommodates an object to be sterilized and the opening is closed by the lid plate. After that, by operating the vacuum pump while energizing the electric heater, the air in the sterilization container is discharged and the sterilization container is filled with water vapor,
A method of operating a gas sterilizer which heats an object to be sterilized by the steam and then supplies a sterilizing gas into the sterilization container by the gas supply device. 4. The gas sterilization according to claim 3, wherein the temperature of the steam generator is measured when the vacuum pump is operated while the electric heater is energized, and the pressure in the sterilization container is determined based on this temperature. How to operate the device. 5. The temperature of the steam generator is measured when the vacuum pump is operated while the electric heater is energized, and the temperature is maintained at a constant value after the temperature is lowered, and then the temperature is increased again. 5. The method of operating a gas sterilizer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the amount of water stored in the steam generator is determined based on this time.