Sterilizer with restrictor

Abstract

A chemical vapor sterilization process is enhanced by controlling the temperature of a diffusion path between a vaporizer and a sterilization chamber so as to condense and then re-vaporize at least a portion of the vapor.

1 . A sterilization system comprising: 
 a sterilization chamber;    a vaporizer connected to the chamber;    a vacuum pump connected to the chamber; and    a throttle valve and an orifice plate having an orifice therethrough between the pump the chamber.    
   
   
       2 . A sterilization system according to  claim 1  wherein the orifice plate and throttle valve are disposed in parallel to each other.  
   
   
       3 . A sterilization system according to  claim 1  wherein the orifice plate are disposed in series.  
   
   
       4 . A sterilization system according to  claim 1  wherein the valve comprises a valve body having a valve seat and a valve member adapted to move toward the seat to close the valve and away from the seat to open the valve and wherein the valve member forms the orifice plate and has the orifice therethrough.  
   
   
       5 . A method of furnishing concentrated hydrogen peroxide vapor to an article comprising the steps of: 
 placing the article into a chamber containing an inner atmosphere;    placing a solution comprising hydrogen peroxide and water into fluid communication with the chamber, said solution having a ratio of hydrogen peroxide to water;    evacuating the chamber to lower pressure therein;    vaporizing the solution in the inner atmosphere to form water vapor and hydrogen peroxide vapor;    controlling the rate of evacuation of the chamber so as to selectively draw water vapor from the chamber to increase a ratio of hydrogen peroxide to water in the chamber, wherein the rate evacuation is controlled by evacuating the chamber through an orifice in an orifice plate; and    contacting the article with the hydrogen peroxide vapor.    
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein during an initial portion of the step of evacuating the chamber atmosphere being evacuated can bypass the orifice and during a later portion of the step of evacuating the chamber in which water vapor is being selectively drawn from the chamber, the atmosphere being evacuated from the chamber can not bypass the orifice.  
   
   
       7 . to  12 . (canceled)