| US 7,556,767 B2 | ||
| Integrated washing and sterilization process | ||
| Szu-Min Lin, Laguna Hills, Calif. (US); and Paul Taylor Jacobs, Bicknell, Utah (US) | ||
| Assigned to Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 31, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/632,039. | ||
| Application 10/632039 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/746106, filed on Dec. 22, 2000, granted, now 6,656,427. | ||
| Application 09/746106 is a continuation in part of application No. 08/992478, filed on Dec. 17, 1997, granted, now 6,203,756, filed on Mar. 20, 2001. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0105780 A1, Jun. 03, 2004 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A61L 2/20 (2006.01); A61L 9/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 422—33 [422/28; 422/34; 422/40] | 14 Claims |
| 1. A method for cleaning and sterilizing a medical device comprising:
placing the device into a container;
cleaning the device in the container with a cleaning solution;
rinsing the device in the container with a rinse solution;
vaporizing a liquid substance in the container to create a sterilant vapor, wherein the liquid substance comprises a retained
portion of the rinse solution; and
contacting the device with the vapor to effect sterilization of the device.
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