Replacement of heavy gaseous material

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for replacing a sterilizing agent in a gaseous form with an inert gaseous material in a package to be aseptically or sterile filled, wherein the inert gaseous material is selected in such a way that it has a temperature at addition which provides a volume, which is smaller than a volume of sterilizing agent to replace at the temperature at which the sterilization takes place.

1 . Method for replacing a sterilizing agent in gaseous form with an inert gaseous material in a package to be aseptically or sterile filled, wherein the inert gaseous material is selected in such a way that it has a temperature at addition, which provides volume, which is smaller than the volume of sterilizing agent to replace at the temperature, at which the sterilization takes place, whereby the smaller volume of inert gas expands when the temperature is raising to the temperature of the sterilizing gas. 
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the density of the gas added at the selected temperature is higher than the density of the gas to be replaced. 
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing agent is ozone. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inert gas is nitrogen. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen is added at a temperature below 100° K. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the temperature is 77° K., the nitrogen being in liquid form. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing agent is one or more of hydrogen peroxide, ethylene oxide, pentafluoro dimethylether, 1,1,2,2,2-pentafluoroethane (HFC 125), 1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC 134a), 1-chloro-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HCFC 124), 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (HCFC 123), 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane (HFC-227 ea), dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12). 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing agent is hydrogen peroxide. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the inert gas at filling is ambient pressure. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the inert gas at filling is an overpressure. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the inert gas at filling is an under pressure or vacuum condition.