KR101784719B1 - Sterilization method and apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sterilization method and apparatus using the sterilization method, and more particularly, to a sterilization method and a device using the sterilization method. A low-pressure forming step of venting gas from the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a low-pressure atmosphere below atmospheric pressure; A first oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a low pressure lower than atmospheric pressure; A high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure; And a second oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying oxidizing gas to the chamber under a high pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, and a sterilizing apparatus in which such sterilization method can be implemented.
According to the present invention, it is possible to sterilize effectively by controlling the pressure in the chamber by using a high-speed blower without using a vacuum pump, and further, it is possible to shorten the time required for sterilization and reduce the cost, It is possible to perform effective sterilization by allowing continuous circulation of the gas in the chamber which can not be obtained and also to easily obtain the humidity control during the sterilization process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a sterilization method,

The present invention relates to a sterilization method and an apparatus using the sterilization method, and more particularly, to a sterilization method and a device using the sterilization method which can efficiently perform sterilization by inducing a gas circulation flow by a high-speed blower without using a vacuum pump.

Sterilization refers to a high level of treatment, which means to completely remove all living microorganisms through physical, chemical or a combination of these, unlike cleaning or disinfection.

Such sterilization is particularly important in medical devices and the like. At present, the sterilization of medical devices is performed by using EO (ethylene oxide) gas, steam, hydrogen peroxide, plasma or the like.

Recently, a new sterilization method using CFC (chloro fluoro carbon) as a carrier while using 100% EO gas and a related sterilization apparatus have appeared. However, there is a report that EO gas, as it is well known, has a high risk of explosion itself and may act as a genotoxic substance causing mutation. Therefore, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) defines EO gas as a potential carcinogen and sets the upper limit of the allowable standard for EO gas to 1 ppm in the working environment. In this situation, as described above, the new sterilization method and apparatus using EO gas are difficult to handle since they must be thoroughly managed so as not to exceed the allowable standard of EO gas, and the time required for sterilization is 3 to 5 hours, There is a long time problem.

On the other hand, the steam sterilizer is considered to be one of the safe methods while satisfying the sterilizing power to a certain level, and has advantages of being less toxic, relatively cheap, and quick sterilization. However, since such a steam sterilizer is based on exposure to moisture and high temperature, there is a disadvantage that it can be applied to only sterilized articles which are not exposed to moisture and high temperature.

As other kinds of sterilization methods and related apparatuses, there is known a method and apparatus for performing sterilization by appropriately combining hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and plasma generating apparatus. For example, Korean Patent Registration No. 1324567 discloses a technique of sterilizing a sterilized object contained in a sterilization chamber by using hydrogen peroxide and ozone, and includes a vacuuming step. In Korean Patent No. 1298730, Discloses a sterilization method.

However, in such a conventional sterilization method and apparatus, additional equipment such as a vacuum pump is required for obtaining a vacuum, and an expensive plasma apparatus must be used to generate plasma, so that the volume of the apparatus becomes large, There is a problem that the efficiency and economical efficiency of the apparatus are deteriorated. In addition, ozone-based technologies can cause toxicity and damage to the human body due to the strong oxidizing power and sterilizing power of ozone.

Therefore, it is possible to maximize the sterilization efficiency, shorten the sterilization time, and improve the efficiency of the equipment without using a vacuum pump by using the oxidizing gas, and it is possible to provide a sterilization method and apparatus capable of using a small plasma apparatus instead of an expensive plasma apparatus It is expected that it can be usefully applied in related fields.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a sterilization method involving the flow of gas by a high-speed blower.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing apparatus using a high-speed blower.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: a low-pressure forming step of discharging a gas from a chamber using a high-speed blower to form a low- A first oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a low pressure lower than atmospheric pressure; A high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure; A second oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a high pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure is provided.

In the first oxidizing gas supplying step and the second oxidizing gas supplying step, the chamber preferably maintains a temperature of 40 to 60 ° C.

It is preferable that the external gas introduced in the high pressure forming step flows into the chamber after the dehumidifying step and the impurity removing step.

Preferably, the sterilization method further includes an oxidizing gas decomposition step of decomposing the oxidizing gas formed in the chamber into water and oxygen after sterilization is completed.

It is preferable to further include a dehumidifying step of discharging gas from the chamber by using the high-speed blower to remove moisture, and then re-introducing the dehumidified gas into the chamber.

The pressure in the low pressure forming step is preferably atmospheric pressure - 5 kPa or more.

The pressure in the high pressure forming step is preferably atmospheric pressure + 5 kPa or less.

The sterilization method is preferably repeated twice to 10 times.

It is preferable that the high-speed blower generates a pressure of ± 10 to ± 20 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure.

And an internal circulation step of circulating the gas in the chamber while generating plasma in the chamber.

The oxidizing gas is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and ethylene oxide.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a chamber having an oxidizing gas supply unit, an outlet through which gas is exhausted, and an inlet through which gas is introduced; A high velocity blower coupled to an outlet line and an inlet line of the chamber; A first valve provided between the outlet of the chamber and the high-speed blower; A second valve disposed between the fast blower and the inlet of the chamber; And a control valve connected to at least one of the inlet-side line and the outlet-side line for introducing, inserting or discharging an external gas.

A third valve connected to the inlet line of the chamber and to which the internal gas can be discharged; And a fourth valve connected to an outlet line of the chamber and capable of introducing an external gas.

Wherein the control valve is a simultaneous control valve that simultaneously controls the flow-in and flow-out, and further includes at least one of an oxidizing gas decomposition part and a dehumidifying part between a bypass line connecting the first valve and the second valve, desirable.

The sterilization apparatus may further include a filter connected to the fourth valve or the simultaneous control valve to remove impurities contained in the external gas.

The sterilization apparatus may further include a dehumidifying unit connected between the first valve and the fourth valve.

The sterilization apparatus may further include an oxidizing gas decomposition unit connected between the second valve and the third valve.

The chamber preferably includes a heating unit.

Preferably, the chamber further comprises a plasma device at an inlet through which gas is introduced, and the plasma device is disposed outside the chamber.

The first valve, the second valve, the third valve, and the fourth valve are preferably three-way valves.

It is preferable that the high-speed blower generates a pressure of ± 10 to ± 20 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure.

The sterilization apparatus is preferably sterilized for medical equipment.

The oxidizing gas is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and ethylene oxide.

According to the present invention, it is possible to sterilize effectively by controlling the pressure in the chamber by using a high-speed blower without using a vacuum pump, and further, it is possible to shorten the time required for sterilization and reduce the cost, It is possible to perform effective sterilization by allowing continuous circulation of the gas in the chamber which can not be obtained and also to easily obtain the humidity control during the sterilization process.

Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) are graphical representations of pressure variations within an exemplary system when performing the sterilization method according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows the structure of an exemplary sterilization apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary gas flow in a low pressure forming step.
Figure 4 shows an exemplary gas flow in a high pressure forming step.
Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary gas flow in an oxidizing gas decomposition step.
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary gas flow in the dehumidifying step.
Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary gas flow of an internal circulation step that circulates gas within the chamber.
Fig. 8 shows the structure of another exemplary sterilizing device according to the present invention.
Figure 9 shows an exemplary sterilization product that can be sterilized by the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified into various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sterilization method for obtaining a flow of gas through continuous circulation of gas in a chamber through forced circulation by a high-speed blower, adjusting the pressure in the chamber, and sterilizing by using the pressure.

More particularly, the sterilization method of the present invention includes a low-pressure forming step of venting gas from a chamber using a high-speed blower to form a low-pressure atmosphere below atmospheric pressure; A first oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a low pressure lower than atmospheric pressure; A high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure; And a second oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a high pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure.

The sterilization method of the present invention is performed for a chamber containing the sterilized object, so that the step of receiving the sterilized object in the chamber before the low pressure forming step can be performed.

The chamber used in the sterilization method of the present invention is not particularly limited. As described later in more detail, in the sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the chamber for supplying the gas, the inlet for introducing the gas, and the supply unit for supplying the oxidizing gas Is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of forming a closed system by including at least one door at least partially in order to accommodate the sterilized object.

The oxidizing gas is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and ethylene oxide, more preferably hydrogen peroxide.

Figures 2 and 8 show the structure of an exemplary apparatus that may be applied to the present invention.

After the sterilized object is received in the chamber, a low-pressure forming step is performed in which a gas is discharged from the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a low-pressure atmosphere below atmospheric pressure.

Meanwhile, when the sterilization method of the present invention is performed several times and the oxidizing gas is contained in the gas exhausted at the low pressure stage, as shown in FIG. 3, the oxidizing gas decomposing unit 15 is passed through to secure the safety of the operator . Further, an additional filter 23 may be provided if necessary.

In this case, the additional filter 23 may be the same as the filter 23 ', for example, a HEPA filter, but preferably the filter 23 is used as an exhaust filter to remove the exhaust noise generated in the high- And a noise filter attached to disperse a high-velocity gas to be exhausted. Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 8, it is more preferable to apply the HEPA filter because gas inflow (intake) and exhaust are performed in the same line.

The high-speed blower, which can be used in the present invention, serves to discharge the gas in the chamber or to introduce the gas into the chamber, which is derived through the circulation flow of the gas, Is not particularly limited as long as it can control the pressure in the chamber. Preferably, however, the high-speed blower preferably generates a pressure of ± 10 to ± 20 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure, more preferably produces a pressure of ± 13 to ± 17 kPa, more preferably about ± 15 kPa desirable. At this time, the atmospheric pressure is 1 atm.

If the pressure that can be derived by the high-speed blower can not derive a pressure difference of ± 10 kPa with respect to the atmospheric pressure, there is a problem that the desired pressure difference can not be obtained due to insufficient gross function of the gas, When the difference exceeds ± 20 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure, the structural strength of the chamber and the structural strength of the sealing system of the chamber door must be increased so that the process efficiency for manufacturing the related apparatus is lowered, and the sterilization method Thereby increasing the unit cost of the sterilization system.

That is, it is preferable that the high-speed blower that can be used in the present invention can derive a pressure difference of at least 10 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure as shown in FIG.

In the present invention, the 'low pressure' means a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. In this case, the pressure in the low pressure forming step is atmospheric pressure -10 kPa, i.e., about 91 kPa or more. If the pressure in the low-pressure forming step is lower than the atmospheric pressure of -10 kPa, i.e. about 91 kPa, although the sterilization effect tends to be high at high vacuum degree in relation to the pressure inside the chamber, the structural strength of the chamber and the sealing system of the chamber door The structural strength must be increased, so that the process efficiency for manufacturing the related apparatus is lowered, and the unit price of the sterilization system including the sterilization method of the present invention is increased.

An exemplary gas flow in the low pressure forming step is shown in Figure 3, As described above, according to the present invention, since only a change in atmospheric pressure is required to a degree slightly lower than atmospheric pressure, not in a vacuum state, expensive equipment such as a vacuum pump is not required.

It is preferable that the high-speed blower that can be used in the present invention is capable of changing the pressure by adjusting the number of revolutions of the blower.

When a low pressure below atmospheric pressure is thus obtained, a first oxidizing gas supplying step for supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under such a low pressure is performed. As the first oxidizing gas supplying step is performed at a low pressure, evaporation of the oxidizing gas diffuses, and sterilization is started by contacting the sterilized object.

The concentration of the oxidizing gas in the first oxidizing gas supplying step is preferably 1,000 to 2,000 ppm. When the concentration of the oxidizing gas is less than 1,000 ppm, the sterilizing effect is insignificant. When the oxidizing gas is more than 2,000 ppm, There is a problem that the concentration of the oxidizing gas is lowered due to condensation with moisture.

In the present invention, the oxidizing gas used for sterilization is a substance showing oxidative property in a gaseous state, which means that it is in a gaseous state. For example, hydrogen peroxide can be gaseous hydrogen peroxide, in other words, hydrogen peroxide vapor.

On the other hand, such a first oxidizing gas supplying step may be performed for 1 minute to 1 hour, preferably 2 minutes to 30 minutes, more preferably 5 minutes to 20 minutes. Further, it is preferable that the low pressure forming step is performed so as to be maintained longer than the high pressure forming step.

Subsequently, a high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure is performed. That is, a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding the atmospheric pressure may be formed in the chamber resulting from the inflow of the external gas into the chamber by the high-speed blower. In the present invention, 'high pressure' means a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure, Is atmospheric pressure + 10 kPa, i.e., about 111 kPa or less. If the pressure in the high-pressure forming step is higher than atmospheric pressure + 10 kPa, i.e. about 111 kPa, the structural strength of the chamber and the structural strength of the sealing system of the chamber door must be increased, , Thereby raising the unit price of the sterilization system including the sterilization method of the present invention. At this time, the external gas means gas outside the chamber and may be air. An exemplary gas flow in the above-described high pressure forming step is shown in FIG.

The low pressure forming step and the high pressure forming step of the present invention mean that the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure or the atmospheric pressure. However, when the pressure is changed from the low pressure to the high pressure and the high pressure to the low pressure during the sterilization method, It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

As described above, according to the present invention, a vacuum state is not required. As shown in FIG. 1, since the change in pressure in the performance of the entire sterilization method is within ± 5 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure, Sterilizing effect can be obtained, and expensive equipment such as a vacuum pump is not required.

When a high pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure is thus obtained, a second oxidizing gas supplying step for supplying the oxidizing gas to the chamber under such a high pressure is performed. Since the second oxidizing gas supplying step is performed at a high pressure, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the sterilized object becomes large, so that the oxidizing gas reaches the deep inside of the sterilized object to be sterilized.

The concentration of the oxidizing gas in the second oxidizing gas supplying step is preferably 1,000 to 2,000 ppm. If the concentration of the oxidizing gas is less than 1,000 ppm, the sterilizing effect is insignificant. When the oxidizing gas is more than 2,000 ppm, There is a problem in that the concentration of the organic solvent becomes rather low.

On the other hand, the second oxidizing gas supplying step may be performed for 1 minute to 1 hour, preferably 2 minutes to 30 minutes, more preferably 5 minutes to 20 minutes, The high pressure forming step is performed shorter than the low pressure forming step.

In the first oxidizing gas supplying step and the second oxidizing gas supplying step, the chamber preferably maintains a temperature of 40 to 60 ° C. The temperature of the chamber may be adjusted so that it is reached before the oxidizing gas supplying step or is simultaneously maintained with the oxidizing gas supplying step. In the present invention, since the oxidizing gas is supplied to the gas phase to perform sterilization, Can be maintained within this range to minimize the condensation of the oxidizing gas and obtain a continuous sterilization effect.

The oxidizing gas, that is, the oxidizing substance in the gaseous phase, may directly obtain the oxidizing gas or may supply a liquid oxidizing substance, for example, an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, through the vaporizer to the inside of the chamber in the hydrogen peroxide vapor state. However, since the oxidizing gas in a gaseous state is unstable because it can be easily decomposed into water and oxygen easily by the water especially in the air, the oxidizing substance in the aqueous solution is changed into a gaseous state or a vapor state through a vaporizer or some kind of vaporization process . For example, in the present invention, an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution may be vaporized or vaporized through a vaporizer provided outside the chamber and injected into the chamber in a gaseous state.

When the temperature inside the chamber is lower than 40 ° C in the first oxidizing gas supplying step and the second oxidizing gas supplying step, there is a problem that the sterilizing effect is lowered due to the condensation of the oxidizing gas. In the sterilization process, Is raised to a high temperature exceeding 60 占 폚, there is a problem that deformation and damage may occur in the case of the sterilized material made of a material weak in heat such as plastic materials.

Such control of the temperature in the chamber may be performed by a heating unit provided in the chamber. The specific form of the heating unit is not particularly limited, but a heating heater may be used, for example.

Preferably, the sterilization method further includes a dehumidifying step of discharging gas from the chamber using the high-speed blower to remove moisture, and then re-introducing the dehumidified gas into the chamber. The dehumidifying step may be performed before the low pressure forming step in the sterilization method of the present invention. If the sterilization method of the present invention is repeated two or more times, the dehumidifying step is further performed before the low pressure forming step . An exemplary gas flow in the above dehumidification step is shown in Fig. If the relative humidity inside the chamber is lowered by performing the dehumidification step, the sterilization efficiency can be further increased.

Further, it is preferable that the external gas introduced in the high-pressure forming step flows into the chamber after the dehumidifying step and the impurity removing step. That is, it is preferable to remove moisture through a dehumidifying step before the gas introduced from the outside is introduced into the chamber to be more suitably used for sterilization, and further remove unnecessary substances contained in the external gas through the impurity removing step .

However, this step can be applied not only to the newly introduced gas but also to the gas circulating the sterilization chamber more than once. That is, if the sterilization method of the present invention is performed in a closed system, and the continuous inflow of the oxidizing gas is performed, the relative humidity in the chamber becomes high. If the relative humidity inside the chamber is high, the oxidizing gas may be condensed into moisture and may be lowered. To overcome this problem, the gas in the chamber is circulated through a high-speed blower to remove moisture by dehumidifying And circulating it back into the chamber.

The method of carrying out the dehumidifying step is not particularly limited, but it can be obtained by allowing the flow of the gas to pass through the adsorbent, and the manner of performing the impurity removal is also not particularly limited, but may be performed using various filters.

Furthermore, it is preferable to further include an oxidizing gas decomposing step of decomposing the oxidizing gas formed in the chamber into water and oxygen after sterilization is completed. An exemplary gas flow in the oxidizing gas decomposition step as described above is shown in FIG. That is, when the sterilizing step is completed with the catalyst part or the like, the oxidizing gas can be decomposed into water and oxygen, and oxygen obtained by decomposing the oxidizing gas can be re-introduced into the chamber.

That is, when the sterilization process is completed, the oxidizing gas in the gas inside the chamber can be decomposed into water and oxygen through the catalyst part. As a result, the safe gas from which the oxidizing gas has been removed is re-introduced into the chamber, The remaining oxidizing gas can be removed, and the safety of the operator can be assured when the chamber door is opened.

The sterilization method according to the present invention is preferably repeated 2 to 10 times, and the total sterilization time including the repeated execution is 1.5 to 90 minutes, more preferably 5 to 1 hour, May be performed for 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

Further, in the sterilization method of the present invention, it is possible to further include a step of generating plasma in the chamber. That is, the sterilization method of the present invention may further include an internal circulation step of circulating the gas inside the chamber while generating the plasma, and an exemplary gas flow of the internal circulation step is shown in FIG.

The application of such a plasma can be further performed, for example, after any step constituting the sterilization method of the present invention, and preferably can be carried out subsequently to the second oxidizing gas supplying step. The present invention utilizes an oxidizing gas as a precursor of reactive species. When plasma is generated after contacting the sterilized material with an oxidizing gas, the time required to obtain sterilization and the plasma power . Further, since the sterilization process is additionally performed by the ozone and radicals generated in the plasma in the internal circulation step, the sterilizing power is high. Also, byproducts generated by the decomposition of the oxidizing gas in the plasma are water and oxygen, so that toxic residues may not be left on the surface of the sterilized water after plasma treatment.

Meanwhile, FIG. 1 (b) is a graph showing an example of a pressure change in a system including a step of generating a plasma when performing the sterilization method according to the present invention.

More specifically, when the supply of the oxidizing gas is completed while the high-speed blower 16 is driven to change the pressure inside the chamber, power may be applied to the plasma device 6 to generate plasma in the chamber 1.

The internal pressure of the chamber 1 is maintained at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure by using the high-speed blower 16 and the three-way valve, or the pressure is maintained at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, The apparatus 6 can be operated to circulate the gas inside the chamber.

7, the fourth valve 11 is moved in the direction of b → a, the first valve 12 is moved in the direction c → a, the second valve 13 is moved in a → b direction, The third valve 14 is changed in the direction of a → c and the gas inside the chamber 1 is circulated through the plasma device 6 by the high-speed blower 16. The gas that has passed through the plasma device 6 can provide a gas or vapor containing ozone, electrons, ions, free radicals, and at least one of dissociated or excited atoms or molecules, so that additional sterilization effects can be obtained have.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a sterilization apparatus capable of performing the sterilization method of the present invention.

A sterilization apparatus of the present invention includes a chamber having an oxidizing gas supply unit, an outlet through which gas is exhausted, and an inlet through which gas is introduced; A high velocity blower coupled to an outlet line and an inlet line of the chamber; A first valve provided between the outlet of the chamber and the high-speed blower; A second valve disposed between the fast blower and the inlet of the chamber; And a control valve connected to at least one of the inlet-side line and the outlet-side line for introducing, entering or exiting an external gas.

Figures 2 and 7 show an exemplary sterilization apparatus of the present invention. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

Specifically, the chamber used in the present invention has an oxidizing gas supply unit, an outlet through which gas is exhausted and an inlet through which gas is introduced, and a tray 7 and a heating unit 5 And a door 4 may be provided on one side thereof. After the sterilized object is placed in the chamber, the door is closed so that a closed system can be formed.

Meanwhile, the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention includes a high-speed blower connected to an outlet-side line and an inlet-side line of the chamber so that the internal gas of the chamber 1 can be forcibly circulated by such a high-speed blower.

At this time, the oxidizing gas supply unit 10 may be configured to include, for example, a liquid oxidizing material injecting unit and an oxidizing material vaporizing unit, as long as it is capable of supplying an oxidizing gas. The oxidizing gas supply unit 10 may further include a flow rate adjusting device as needed.

Preferably, the chamber includes a heating unit, and if necessary, temperature control in the chamber can be performed by a heating unit provided in the chamber. At this time, the specific form of the heating portion is not particularly limited, but a heating heater, for example, may be used.

Furthermore, the chamber may further include a plasma device at the inlet of the gas inlet, wherein the plasma device may be disposed outside the chamber. The plasma apparatus is not particularly limited as long as it can supply plasma. For example, a plasma chamber provided so that two electrodes face each other is provided, and a power source capable of generating plasma suitable for the electrode of the plasma chamber is electrically Lt; / RTI >

The high-speed blower that can be used in the present invention plays a role of discharging the gas of the chamber or introducing the substrate into the chamber, and is not particularly limited as long as the pressure in the chamber can be controlled by the flow of the gas. Preferably, however, the high-speed blower preferably generates a pressure of ± 10 to ± 20 kPa based on the atmospheric pressure, more preferably produces a pressure of ± 13 to ± 17 kPa, more preferably about ± 15 kPa desirable. At this time, the atmospheric pressure is 1 atm.

On the other hand, the chamber can regulate the flow of gas through the valves 11, 12, 13, 14, 14 ', thereby regulating the pressure inside the chamber.

More specifically, the control valve is connected to the inlet line of the chamber as shown in FIG. 2 and includes a third valve 14 through which the internal gas can be discharged, and a third valve 14 connected to the outlet line of the chamber, , Or a simultaneous regulating valve 14 'that simultaneously regulates the flow, as shown in Fig. 8.

The first valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve may be multi-way valves, but it is preferable that the first, second, third and fourth valves are three-way valves in order to constitute an efficient sterilization system.

Preferably, the sterilizing device further comprises a dehumidifying step of exhausting gas from the chamber using the high-speed blower to remove moisture, and then dehumidifying the dehumidified gas into the chamber.

When the dehumidifying step is performed in the sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the first valve 12 is moved in the direction of c → a, the second valve 13 is moved in the direction of a → b, the third valve 14 is moved in a → b direction Lt; / RTI > When the three valves form a constant flow as described above, other valves not involved in the flow are closed to prevent flow. For example, the first valve 12 is regulated to produce a flow of air in the direction b - > a, for which the c portion of the first valve 12 is closed.

6, when the dehumidifying step is performed in the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention, the fourth valve 11 is moved in the a → c direction, the first valve 12 is moved in the direction b → a, the second valve 13 ) In the direction of a → b, and the third valve 14 in the direction of a → b. At this time, the valve not involved in the flow is closed so that no flow occurs in the valve. For example, when the first valve 12 is adjusted so as to generate a flow of air in the direction of b → a, the c direction of the first valve 12 is closed. Similarly, since the third valve does not participate in the gas flow in the dehumidifying step, the flow of the gas is maintained in the direction of a → b, that is, the direction of c is closed so that gas is not introduced.

In this dehumidifying step, the gas inside the chamber can be introduced into the chamber again through the dehumidifying part 17 and dried with the gas. As a result, the humidity inside the chamber can be lowered and the sterilized object can be dried, The sterilization efficiency by the oxidizing gas can be improved.

In this dehumidifying step, the fourth valve 11 is maintained in the direction of c → a, the first valve 12 is maintained in the direction of c → a, and the second valve 13 is moved in the a → c direction, In the case of conversion from a to c direction, the high-speed blower 16 exhausts the gas inside the chamber 1, so that the pressure inside the chamber can form a low pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, .

When the low-pressure atmosphere is formed, the oxidizing gas is supplied into the chamber. For example, when the oxidizing gas supplying unit 10 includes the liquid oxidizing material injecting unit and the oxidizing material vaporizing unit, The temperature of the solution is raised to 100 DEG C or higher at which the solution can be vaporized, and then the oxidizing gas is supplied into the chamber through the oxidizing material vaporizing portion from the liquid oxidizing material injecting portion, so that sterilization can be performed.

The sterilization apparatus of the present invention may further include a filter connected to the fourth valve 11 to remove impurities contained in the external gas. However, when the simultaneous regulating valve 14 'for simultaneously controlling the flow-in or discharging is applied as shown in FIG. 7, the filter may further include a filter connected to the simultaneous regulating valve to remove impurities contained in the external gas.

In order to perform a high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber by using a high-speed blower in the first oxidizing gas supplying step to form a high-pressure atmosphere exceeding the atmospheric pressure, the valve state is set to the fourth valve 11 ) Is set in the direction of b → a, the first valve 12 is set in the direction of b → a, the second valve 13 is set in the direction of a → b, and the fourth valve is set in the direction of a → c. In this case, the external gas flows through the filter 23 'and the dehumidifying part 17. In this case, the pressure inside the chamber 1 can be maintained at a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure by the inflow of the external gas by the high-speed blower 16.

The filter that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can remove particulate dust contained in an external gas, for example, fine dust, etc. For example, a filter such as a hepafilter .

Furthermore, the sterilization apparatus of the present invention may further include a dehumidifying unit connected between the first valve and the fourth valve, or may further include an oxidizing gas decomposing unit connected between the second valve and the third valve, As shown in FIG.

For example, when forming a low-pressure atmosphere in the chamber, the oxidizing gas, which is a gas flowing out of the second valve, can be completely decomposed into water and oxygen through the oxidizing gas decomposition section 15 and then discharged through the third valve, The gas can be re-introduced into the chamber after passing through the dehumidifying portion between the first valve and the fourth valve.

8, the control valve is a simultaneous control valve that simultaneously controls the flow-in and flow-out, and a bypass line connecting the first valve and the second valve and an oxidizing A gas decomposition part and a dehumidifying part.

In this case, the sterilization apparatus of the present invention may further include at least one of an oxidizing gas decomposition unit and a dehumidifying unit between the bypass line 22 connecting the first valve and the second valve and the third valve, The oxidizing gas which is a gas which has flowed out from the second valve when forming a low pressure atmosphere in the chamber can be completely decomposed into water and oxygen through the oxidizing gas decomposing part 15 and then discharged through the third valve, The gas exhausted from the chamber is removed from the dehumidifying part in order to dry the sterilized object and replace the gas present in the chamber with a safe gas after the sterilization is completed. And the oxidizing gas decomposing portion, and then re-introduced into the chamber. At least one of the oxidizing gas decomposing part and the dehumidifying part can be passed as needed in each step performed for sterilization. 7, the dehumidifying part 17 between the second valve and the third valve and the oxidizing gas decomposing part 15 can be connected in series or in parallel as required, and the setting of the changed line So that the valve can be properly arranged.

The oxidizing gas decomposing unit 15 is not particularly limited as long as it can decompose the oxidizing gas into water and oxygen. The oxidizing gas decomposing unit 15 may be an integral ceramic honeycomb type, a bead type, a pellet type or a granular type , But is not limited thereto. For example, a pellet-shaped oxidative gas decomposition catalyst may be used to form a cartridge, or a heater may be provided in the oxidative gas decomposition section to heat the catalyst so as to enhance the decomposition effect of the oxidizing gas.

The catalytic material or the adsorbent material may be, for example, a metal oxide supported on a noble metal such as Pt, Pd, Rh or Ru, a metal oxide supported on a transition metal oxide such as CrOx or CuOx, Itself, at least one selected from semiconductors such as TiO ₂ , ZrO ₂ and MgO, and it is preferable to use a metal-manganese-based catalyst.

Meanwhile, the dehumidifying part 17 can remove humidity of the gas introduced from the outside and adjust the humidity in the chamber. In the case of the internal circulation state, if the valve is adjusted to pass through the dehumidifying part, The humidity in the gas flow can be easily adjusted.

2 and 8 show an exemplary arrangement of the sterilization apparatus of the present invention, the arrangement of each of these configurations is not limited to those shown in Figs. 2 and 8, respectively.

For example, FIG. 7 shows the case where the oxidizing gas decomposition section 15 and the dehumidifying section 17 are provided in series between the bypass line connecting the first valve and the second valve and the third valve, Or a single module including all of these functions. Alternatively, a bypass may be formed so as to form a flow through only one of the decomposition part and the dehumidification part after being connected in series .

The chamber may further comprise a plasma device at the inlet of the gas inlet, wherein the plasma device may be disposed on the inner and / or outer side of the chamber, preferably on the outer side of the chamber. More particularly, between the fast blower and the inlet of the chamber.

That is, the present invention uses an oxidizing gas as a precursor of reactive species. When plasma is generated after contacting the sterilized material with an oxidizing gas, the time required to obtain sterilization and the plasma Power can be reduced. Further, when the plasma is applied in the internal circulation step, the sterilizing power can be further improved because the sterilization process is further performed by ozone and radicals generated in the plasma. Also, byproducts generated by the decomposition of the oxidizing gas in the plasma are water and oxygen, so that toxic residues may not be left on the surface of the sterilized water after plasma treatment.

Particularly, when the plasma generator is installed in the chamber, damage to the sterilized object may occur due to plasma, and thus, the object to be sterilized may become a problem particularly when the sterilized object is a medical instrument. However, since the sterilizing apparatus of the present invention can be provided separately on the outside of the chamber, it is possible to prevent damage to the sterilizing water by the plasma.

The plasma apparatus that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a plasma chamber having two electrodes facing each other, and a high-power supply source capable of generating an optimum plasma to electrodes of the plasma chamber And a plasma apparatus having an electrically connected structure. More specifically, the plasma apparatus may employ various methods such as an arc discharge method using a DC high voltage or an AC high voltage, or an RF discharge method using a plasma generation method.

The sterilization apparatus of the present invention may be applied to sterilize various sterilized products, but it can be used for sterilization of medical instruments, and more specifically, it can be used for sterilization of medical products such as dental instruments, But is not particularly limited to, sterilization.

In the conventional sterilization method and apparatus using a vacuum pump, the inside of the chamber is made vacuum by using a vacuum pump, and an oxidizing gas is injected. In this case, no gas flow or gas circulation inside the chamber occurs, The oxidizing gas has a simple diffusing action. In other words, this in a vacuum diffusion of the oxidative gas is possible, subsequent to rotation of the inner gas is not possible, because for example the ozone generated by the plasma in the case of applying the plasma (O ₃₎ or in the chamber, such as the radical Diffusion is limited, and as a result, the efficiency of the plasma is low.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, the sterilization process and the device are driven by a high-speed blower. In this case, the pressure inside the chamber can be adjusted. Further, even in a low pressure, The gas can be continuously circulated. As a result, the gas inside the chamber can be effectively applied to the inside of the chamber by the continuous circulation of the oxidizing gas, and the plasma efficiency can be remarkably improved.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of specific examples. The following examples are provided to aid understanding of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Example

Example  1: Preparation of sterilization apparatus and sterilization method using the same

 (1) Sterilization device

An exemplary sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention having the structure shown in Fig. 2 was manufactured.

Specifically, a door (4) is provided on one side and a tray (7) and a heating part (5) are provided therein. By using the chamber (1) connected to the hydrogen peroxide supply part (10) The outlet (2) and inlet (3) of the chamber were connected to the high-speed blower. The oxidizing gas supplying unit 10 includes a liquid oxidizing material injecting unit and an oxidizing material vaporizing unit to supply an oxidizing gas to the chamber, and the oxidizing gas supplying unit 10 is provided with a flow control unit.

A plasma apparatus 6 is installed at the entrance of the chamber 1 and the plasma apparatus 6 is provided with a plasma chamber in which two electrodes are opposed to each other and an optimum plasma is generated in the electrode of the plasma chamber The high power supply that can be connected is electrically connected. The chamber has forced the gas in the chamber through the inlet and outlet to be forced circulated by the fast blower 16.

Further, a filter 11 for removing impurities or foreign substances from the incoming external gas is provided, and an oxidizing gas decomposition section 15 and a dehumidifying section 17 including a catalyst are provided. Any absorbent which can be used in the dehumidifying part 17 can be used as long as it is commercially available and a method of removing moisture of the absorbent by attaching a heater to the dehumidifying part or a cartridge type . In the case of using a method of removing moisture from the absorbent by attaching a heater to the dehumidifying part, the dehydrated water is designed to be discharged through the high-speed blower 16 and the decomposing part 15, Inflow is blocked.

(2) Sterilization method

Power was applied to the oxidizing material vaporizer provided in the chamber 1 and the heating part (heater 5, 5 ') to heat the inside of the chamber 1 to maintain the temperature at 40 to 60 ° C. Subsequently, the sterilized object 2 to be sterilized is placed in the tray 7 in the chamber 1 and the door 4 of the chamber 1 is closed to seal it. Thereafter, the valve was adjusted so that the gas in the chamber 1 could be forcibly circulated internally through the high-speed blower 16. In the dehumidifying step, the fourth valve 11 is moved in the direction of c → a, the first valve 12 is moved in the direction of b → a, the second valve 13 is moved in the direction of a → b, Maintains the direction a → c. In the dehumidifying step, the gas inside the chamber passes through the dehumidifying part to reduce the relative humidity inside the chamber by a high-speed blower in a dry gas state. In this experiment, hydrogen peroxide was used as an oxidizing substance.

The high speed blower 16 is operated and power is applied to the oxidizing material vaporizer as the oxidizing gas supplying part 9 and the heaters 5 and 5 'provided in the chamber 1 to raise the internal temperature of the chamber 1 to 40 to 60 캜 .

3, the fourth valve 11 is maintained in the direction of b → a, the first valve 12 is maintained in the direction of c → a, the second valve 13 is moved in the a → c direction, the gas in the chamber 1 can be forced to flow out of the high-speed blower 16 to form a low pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. When the low-pressure atmosphere is formed, the temperature of the oxidizing material vaporizing part, which is the oxidizing gas supplying part 10, is raised to 100 ° C or higher, at which the oxidizing material solution can be vaporized, And the sterilization application is performed as a result.

The oxidizing gas, which is a gas flowing out of the second valve, is discharged through the third valve 14, which is completely decomposed by water and oxygen, while passing through the oxidizing material decomposing part 15.

4, the fourth valve 11 is moved in the direction of b → a, the first valve 12 is moved in the direction of b → a, the second valve 13 is moved in a → b direction , And the third valve 14 is changed in the direction of a → c, the external gas flows through the filter 11 and the dehumidifying part 17. The internal pressure in the chamber 1 is maintained at a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure by the inflow of the external gas by the high-speed blower 16 as described above.

When the chamber 1 has a high pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure, the oxidizing gas is supplied into the chamber 1 through the oxidizing gas supply unit 10. As the oxidant gas is continuously injected in this way, the concentration of the oxidizing gas in the chamber 1 gradually increases, and the temperature of the chamber is maintained at 40 to 60 ° C., so that the oxidizing gas supplied is minimized in condensation and maintained in the vapor state , Which makes it possible to achieve continuous sterilization.

One. chamber  Confirmation of the effect of sterilization due to internal pressure change

In Comparative Experiment 1, in which sterilization was performed without driving the high-speed blower using the sterilization apparatus of the present invention obtained in Example 1, and the pressure change of the chamber was not derived, Table 1 shows the result of sterilization by inducing pressure change in the chamber through the setting of the three-way valve (Experimental Example 1).

At this time, the flow of gas in the sterilizing apparatus in Comparative Experimental Example 1 is as shown in Fig.

The product (Geobacillus Stearothermophilus Spores, HMV-091) from USA A was used as a BI (Biological Indicator) for confirming sterilization. Specifically, the BI was placed in a sterilization pouch and placed in a chamber. Sterilization was performed by the respective steps described in Comparative Experiment 1 and Experimental Example 1, and then the collected BI samples were placed in the same incubator, And incubated at 55 ° C for at least 48 hours for a maximum of 7 days to confirm the change in the BI sample color. Table 1 shows the results of counting the number of times of no growth when sterilization was repeated ten times after each sterilization process was performed once.

When the sterilization was carried out, the BI sample showed negative reaction and no color discoloration occurred. However, when the sterilization was not performed, the BI sample showed a positive reaction, indicating discoloration from purple.

 Sterilization time Comparative Experimental Example 1 Experimental Example 1 5 minutes 4 times / 10 times 10 times / 10 times

As can be seen in Table 1, when sterilization was performed using the sterilization apparatus and method according to the present invention, it was confirmed that the sterilization effect was obtained in all 10 experiments. As a result, It was confirmed that both the sterilization time and the sterilization efficiency were increased depending on whether the pressure change inside the chamber was derived or not.

2. Sterile  Identification of sterilization effect by structure

In this experiment, the high-speed blower was driven using the sterilization apparatus of the present invention obtained in Example 1, and the sterilization was performed without deriving the pressure change of the chamber. The results are shown in Table 2 below. [Table 2] < EMI ID = 16.1 > < tb > < TABLE > Id = Table 2 Columns = 3 < tb >

In this case, the flow of gas in the sterilization apparatus in Comparative Example 2 is as shown in FIG. 7, and the BI sample used at this time is placed in a structure as shown in FIG. 9 to sterilize the inside of the structure .

Structure 1: Needle connection of syringe with 15cc capacity

Structure 2: A lumen with one end of a PE material tube having an inner diameter of 2 mm and a length of 50 mm is connected to a needle connection part of a syringe having a capacity of 15 cc,

Structure 3: A lumen with one end connected to a PE material tube having an inner diameter of 2 mm and a length of 100 mm connected to the needle connection of a syringe having a capacity of 15 cc,

Structure 4: A lumen having one end connected to a PE material tube having an inner diameter of 2 mm and a length of 150 mm and connected to the needle connection portion of a syringe having a capacity of 15 cc,

The sterilized BI samples were placed in the same incubator and incubated at 55 ° C for at least 48 hours for a maximum of 7 days to confirm the change in the BI sample color. The number of times of no growth in which sterilization is good is shown in Table 2 below.

rescue Sterilization frequency Sterilization time Comparative Experimental Example 2 Experimental Example 2 Structure 1 10 times 90 minutes 14 times / 20 times 20 times / 20 times Structure 2 10 times 90 minutes 5 times / 20 times 20 times / 20 times Structure 3 10 times 90 minutes 0 times / 20 times 20 times / 20 times Structure 4 10 times 90 minutes 0 times / 20 times 20 times / 20 times

As can be seen from the above Table 2, it was confirmed that sterilization was effectively obtained within 90 minutes by the sterilization method and apparatus of the present invention even when the interior of the structure was long and long, It can be confirmed that the sterilization ability of the apparatus is excellent.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

1: chamber
2: Exit
3: Entrance
4: The chamber door
5, 5 ': heating section
6: Plasma device
7: Tray
10: oxidizing gas supply part
11: fourth valve
12: First valve
13: Second valve
14: third valve
15: oxidative gas decomposition part
16: High-speed blower
17: Dehumidification part
20: Exit line
21: inlet line
22: Bypass line
23, 23 ': filter

Claims (17)

A low-pressure forming step of venting gas from the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a low-pressure atmosphere of atmospheric pressure of -10 kPa or more to less than atmospheric pressure;
A first oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under a low pressure of atmospheric pressure - 10 kPa or more to less than atmospheric pressure;
A high-pressure forming step of introducing an external gas into the chamber using a high-speed blower to form a high-pressure atmosphere of atmospheric pressure or higher and atmospheric pressure of +10 kPa or lower; And
And a second oxidizing gas supplying step of supplying an oxidizing gas to the chamber under an atmospheric pressure or a high pressure of atmospheric pressure + 10 kPa or lower.
The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the foreign gas introduced in the high-pressure forming step flows into the chamber after removing impurities.
The sterilization method according to claim 2, further comprising an oxidizing gas decomposition step of decomposing the oxidizing gas formed in the chamber into water and oxygen after completing sterilization.
The sterilization method according to claim 3, further comprising a dehumidifying step of discharging gas from the chamber using the high-speed blower to remove moisture, and then re-introducing the dehumidified gas into the chamber.
The sterilization method according to claim 4, wherein the pressure in the low pressure forming step is atmospheric pressure-5 kPa or more and less than atmospheric pressure.
The sterilization method according to claim 5, wherein the pressure in the high-pressure forming step is higher than atmospheric pressure and lower than atmospheric pressure + 5 kPa.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sterilization method is repeated two to ten times.
The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the high-speed blower generates a pressure of ± 10 kPa based on atmospheric pressure.
The sterilization method according to claim 1, further comprising an internal circulation step of circulating gas inside the chamber while generating plasma in the chamber.
The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and ethylene oxide.
A sterilization apparatus for performing the sterilization method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A chamber having an oxidizing gas supply portion, an outlet through which gas is exhausted, and an inlet through which gas is introduced;
A high speed blower connected to the outlet side line and the inlet side line of the chamber and generating a pressure of atmospheric pressure of -10 kPa or more to atmospheric pressure of +10 kPa or less;
A first valve provided between the outlet of the chamber and the high-speed blower;
A second valve disposed between the fast blower and the inlet of the chamber;
A third valve connected to an outlet line of the chamber and through which the internal gas can be discharged;
An oxidizing gas decomposition unit for decomposing the discharged oxidizing gas in the gas; And
And a filter for removing impurities contained in the incoming external gas,
Wherein the first valve and the second valve are three-way valves.
A sterilization apparatus for performing the sterilization method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A chamber having an oxidizing gas supply portion, an outlet through which gas is exhausted, and an inlet through which gas is introduced;
A high speed blower connected to the outlet side line and the inlet side line of the chamber and generating a pressure of atmospheric pressure of -10 kPa or more to atmospheric pressure of +10 kPa or less;
A first valve provided between the outlet of the chamber and the high-speed blower;
A second valve disposed between the fast blower and the inlet of the chamber;
A third valve connected to an inlet side line of the chamber and capable of controlling the flow of gas;
And an oxidizing gas decomposition section connected between the second valve and the third valve,
Wherein the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are three-way valves.
The sterilization apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a filter connected to the fourth valve to remove impurities contained in the external gas.
The sterilization apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the chamber includes a heating unit.
13. The sterilization apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the chamber further comprises a plasma apparatus at an inlet through which gas is introduced, and the plasma apparatus is disposed outside the chamber.
The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the sterilizing apparatus is sterilizing medical equipment.
The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the oxidizing gas is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and ethylene oxide.

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