Method and apparatus for sterilizer humidity control, sterilizer, storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of sterilization equipment, and discloses a method for humidity control of a sterilizer, which comprises the following steps: detecting the cavity internal pressure of the sterilizer; detecting the current humidity of sterilization substances; and controlling the sterilizer to stop drying when it is determined that the cavity internal pressure and the current humidity satisfy drying end conditions. When it is determined that the cavity internal pressure and the current humidity satisfy the drying end conditions, the dryness of the sterilization substances has reached the requirement, and the sterilizer is controlled to stop drying so as to reduce the drying time. When the dryness of the sterilization substances reaches the requirement, the sterilizer is controlled to stop drying, so that the drying efficiency is improved by reducing the drying time of the sterilizer. Meanwhile, after the sterilizer is controlled to stop drying, the sterilizer no longer consumes power, so that the energy consumption of the sterilizer in the drying stage is reduced. The application further discloses a device for humidity control of a sterilizer, a sterilizer and a storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of sterilization equipment technology, such as a method and apparatus for humidity control of a sterilizer, a sterilizer, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, vertical sterilizers are mainly used in hospitals and research institutions, enabling rapid and effective sterilization of materials. After the sterilization process, the materials typically need to be dried to achieve the required level of dryness.

[0003] In related technologies, a method for humidity control in a sterilizer includes: opening the vacuum line after sterilization, closing the vacuum line after reaching a set point, and opening the steam inlet line to introduce saturated steam after the pressure inside the sterilization load has been maintained for a period of time. At this time, the saturated steam will quickly penetrate to the center of the items, heating the moisture contained within and thermally drying the damp items. When the pressure inside the sterilization load on the sterilizer body reaches a set pressure value, the vacuum line is quickly opened to rapidly create a vacuum inside the sterilization load, at which point excess water molecules inside the items will quickly flash into saturated steam. The heat exchange line is quickly opened to rapidly discharge the saturated steam outside the sterilizer body. Simultaneously with opening the heat exchange line, the exhaust condensate line is also quickly opened, and the condensate generated during exhaust is rapidly discharged from the sterilizer body through the exhaust condensate line.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art:

[0005] This method dries sterile materials using vacuuming and heating. However, each step in the drying process needs to be repeated over a fixed time cycle. Even when the sterile material has reached the required dryness, the drying process continues, resulting in low drying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0007] This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for humidity control in a sterilizer, a sterilizer, and a storage medium to improve drying efficiency by reducing the drying time of the sterilizer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method includes: detecting the pressure inside the sterilizer; detecting the current humidity of the sterilized material; and controlling the sterilizer to stop drying when it is determined that the pressure inside the chamber and the current humidity meet the drying termination conditions.

[0009] Optionally, determining that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions includes: determining the pressure difference between the cavity pressure and the first set pressure; if the pressure difference is less than or equal to a pressure threshold, determining whether the current humidity is a humidity critical point; if the current humidity is determined to be a humidity critical point, determining whether the current humidity remains stable; and if the current humidity remains stable, determining that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions.

[0010] Optionally, determining the current humidity as a humidity critical point includes: obtaining the previous humidity of the sterile material; if the current humidity is lower than the previous humidity, detecting the current humidity of the sterile material again after a detection period; and if the current humidity increases, determining the current humidity as a humidity critical point.

[0011] Optionally, determining that the current humidity remains stable includes: obtaining multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period; identifying historical humidity values ​​less than or equal to a set humidity value as candidate humidity values; identifying the maximum humidity value among the candidate humidity values ​​as the target humidity value; determining the time difference between the current humidity value and the target humidity value; and determining that the current humidity remains stable if the time difference value is greater than or equal to a second set time period.

[0012] Optionally, after detecting the current humidity of the sterilized material, the method further includes: if it is determined that the cavity pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying termination conditions, controlling the sterilizer to perform drying.

[0013] Optionally, controlling the sterilizer to perform drying includes: determining the relationship between the chamber pressure and a first set pressure and a second set pressure; closing the reflux valve and controlling the vacuum pump to operate when the chamber pressure is greater than the second set pressure; and closing the vacuum pump and opening the reflux valve when the chamber pressure is less than or equal to the first set pressure.

[0014] Optionally, controlling the operation of the vacuum pump includes: determining a target power corresponding to the current humidity based on the current humidity; controlling the vacuum pump to operate at the target power; wherein, the higher the current humidity, the higher the target power.

[0015] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions, the processor being configured to execute the method described above for humidity control of a sterilizer when the program instructions are executed.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sterilizer includes the aforementioned means for controlling the humidity of the sterilizer.

[0017] In some embodiments, the storage medium stores program instructions that, when executed, perform the method described above for humidity control of the sterilizer.

[0018] The method and apparatus for humidity control in a sterilizer, the sterilizer itself, and the storage medium provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0019] Since humidity is proportional to pressure, the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber is monitored to determine the required dryness of the material to be sterilized under that pressure. The current humidity of the material is also monitored to determine if it meets the required humidity level under the given pressure. Once the chamber pressure and current humidity are determined to meet the drying termination conditions, the required dryness of the material is achieved, and the sterilizer is stopped to reduce the drying stage time. By stopping the sterilizer when the required dryness is achieved, drying efficiency is improved by reducing the drying time. Simultaneously, since the sterilizer no longer consumes power after stopping drying, energy consumption during the drying stage is reduced.

[0020] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein:

[0022] Figure 1-1 This is a humidity curve of a household appliance dehumidification process provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 1-2 This is a humidity curve of a sterilizer drying process provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of a device for humidity control in a sterilizer, provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0031] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0032] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0033] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0034] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0035] The term "correspondence" can refer to an association or binding relationship. The correspondence between A and B means that there is an association or binding relationship between A and B.

[0036] Currently, vertical sterilizers are mainly used in hospitals and research institutions, enabling rapid and effective sterilization of materials. After the sterilization process, the materials typically need to be dried to achieve the required level of dryness.

[0037] Combination Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2As shown, for dehumidification methods used in household appliances (such as air conditioners or dehumidifiers), the indoor humidity gradually decreases as the dehumidification process proceeds, stopping immediately once the set humidity is reached. However, for the drying method of a sterilizer, the humidity of the sterilized material may suddenly drop and then rebound, repeatedly experiencing sudden drops in humidity thresholds (related to the drying principle). If household dehumidification methods are directly used in the drying process of a sterilizer, humidity misjudgment may occur, causing the drying process to stop before the required humidity level for the sterilized material is reached.

[0038] This disclosure provides a sterilizer, including a body, a vacuum pump, a return air valve, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, and a processor. The body has a receiving space and an exhaust pipe. The receiving space is used to contain the sterilizing material. The exhaust pipe is used to discharge air during the drying process. The vacuum pump is located within the body and is used to reduce the internal pressure of the sterilizer. The return air valve is located within the body and is used to allow air to flow in for drying, thereby increasing the internal pressure of the sterilizer. The humidity sensor is located within the exhaust pipe and is used to detect the humidity of the air flowing through the exhaust pipe. Since the air passing through the sterilizing material is discharged through the exhaust pipe, the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is substantially the same as the humidity of the sterilizing material and can be considered as the humidity of the sterilizing material. The pressure sensor is located within the body and is used to detect the internal pressure of the sterilizer. The processor is located within the body and is electrically connected to the vacuum pump, the return air valve, the humidity sensor, and the pressure sensor. It is configured to control the operation / stopping of the vacuum pump and the return air valve to perform / stop drying of the sterilizing material based on the internal pressure detected by the pressure sensor and the humidity of the sterilizing material detected by the humidity sensor.

[0039] Combination Figure 2 As shown, this disclosure provides a method for humidity control in a sterilizer, comprising:

[0040] S210, a pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber.

[0041] S220, a humidity sensor, detects the current humidity of the sterilization material.

[0042] S250: When the internal pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying.

[0043] The method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in this disclosure detects the internal pressure of the sterilizer to determine the required dryness of the material to be sterilized under that pressure, since humidity is proportional to pressure. The current humidity of the material to be sterilized is also detected to determine if it meets the required humidity level under the required pressure. If the internal pressure and current humidity meet the drying termination conditions, the required dryness of the material is achieved, and the sterilizer is stopped to reduce the drying time. By stopping the sterilizer when the required dryness of the material is achieved, the drying efficiency is improved by reducing the drying time. Simultaneously, since the sterilizer no longer consumes power after stopping drying, the energy consumption during the drying phase is reduced.

[0044] In step S250, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying, which means that the processor turns off the vacuum pump and closes the return air valve.

[0045] Combination Figure 3 As shown, this disclosure provides another method for humidity control in a sterilizer, including:

[0046] S210, a pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber.

[0047] S220, a humidity sensor, detects the current humidity of the sterilized material.

[0048] S230, the processor determines the pressure difference between the intracavity pressure and the first set pressure.

[0049] S231, if the pressure difference is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, the processor determines whether the current humidity is at the humidity critical point.

[0050] S232, if the current humidity is determined to be at the humidity critical point, the processor determines whether the current humidity remains stable.

[0051] S233, if the current humidity is determined to be stable, the processor determines that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying termination conditions.

[0052] S250, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying.

[0053] The method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in this disclosure determines the pressure difference between the chamber pressure and a first set pressure, and compares it with a pressure threshold to determine whether the chamber pressure is close to the first set pressure, thereby determining whether humidity can be judged. When the pressure difference is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, the chamber pressure is close to the first set pressure, and the dryness of the sterilized material can be judged by the current humidity. Since there is a humidity critical point (inflection point) during the drying process of the sterilized material, it is determined whether the current humidity is at the humidity critical point. If the current humidity is determined to be at the humidity critical point, it is necessary to determine whether the current humidity remains stable to determine whether the humidity of the sterilized material can continuously meet the drying requirements. If the current humidity remains stable, the humidity of the sterilized material can continuously meet the drying requirements, and it is not a temporary decrease in humidity, thus determining that the chamber pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions. By determining whether the current humidity is at the humidity critical point when the chamber pressure is close to the first set pressure, and using the humidity critical point to determine whether the sterilized material meets the drying requirements, the drying end time can be determined as quickly as possible to improve drying efficiency.

[0054] Optionally, the first set pressure ranges from [-75, -65] kPa. Preferably, the first set pressure is -72 kPa, -70 kPa, or -68 kPa. The pressure threshold ranges from [-5, 5] kPa. Preferably, the pressure threshold is -2 kPa, 0 kPa, or 2 kPa. Thus, when the first set pressure is within the above range, the cavity pressure directly corresponds to the user-set humidity, thereby reducing the complexity of the humidity determination process. When the pressure threshold is within the above range, it is possible to distinguish whether the cavity pressure is close to the first set pressure, thereby determining whether the dryness of the sterilized material meets the requirements based on the current humidity.

[0055] Combination Figure 4 As shown, this disclosure provides another method for humidity control in a sterilizer, including:

[0056] S210, a pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber.

[0057] S220, a humidity sensor, detects the current humidity of the sterilized material.

[0058] S230, the processor determines the pressure difference between the intracavity pressure and the first set pressure.

[0059] S240, when the pressure difference is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, the processor obtains the previous humidity of the sterilizing material.

[0060] S241, when the current humidity is lower than the previous humidity, the humidity sensor will detect the current humidity of the sterilized material again after the detection time.

[0061] S242, when the current humidity is rising, the processor determines that the current humidity is the humidity critical point and executes step S244.

[0062] S243, if the current humidity is greater than or equal to the previous humidity, or if the current humidity decreases, the processor determines that the current humidity is not a humidity critical point and executes step S234.

[0063] S244, the processor obtains multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period.

[0064] S245, the processor determines the historical humidity that is less than or equal to the set humidity as the candidate humidity.

[0065] S246, the processor determines the maximum humidity among the candidate humidity levels as the target humidity.

[0066] S247, the processor determines the time difference between the current humidity and the target humidity interval.

[0067] S248, if the time difference is greater than or equal to the second set time, the processor determines that the current humidity is stable and executes step S233.

[0068] S249, if the time difference is less than the second set time, the processor determines that the current humidity cannot be maintained and executes step S234.

[0069] S235, if the pressure difference is greater than the pressure threshold, the processor determines that the internal pressure does not meet the drying requirements.

[0070] S234, the processor determines that the cavity pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying termination conditions.

[0071] S260, the processor controls the sterilizer to dry and returns to step S210.

[0072] S233, the processor determines that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying termination conditions.

[0073] S250, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying.

[0074] The method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in this disclosure determines whether the current humidity is at a critical point by obtaining the previous humidity of the sterilizable material and the current humidity at the next detection. The current humidity is at its minimum and is considered the critical point when it is less than the previous humidity but greater than the current humidity at the next detection. Since historical humidity gradually decreases over time before the critical point, historical humidity within a first set time interval is obtained, and historical humidity values ​​less than or equal to the set humidity are selected as candidate humidity values. The maximum humidity among the candidate humidity values ​​is determined as the target humidity, and the time difference between the current humidity and the target humidity is determined to determine the duration for which the humidity of the sterilizable material meets the requirements when the set humidity is reached. If the time difference is greater than or equal to a second set time, the humidity of the sterilizable material meets the humidity requirements, thus determining that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying termination conditions and drying is stopped. If the pressure difference is greater than a pressure threshold, directly using the current humidity to determine the degree of drying may lead to misjudgment, and it may be determined that the cavity pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying termination conditions, requiring continued drying. If the current humidity is not at the critical humidity point, the humidity of the sterilizable material may decrease further. If the chamber pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying termination conditions, drying needs to continue. If the current humidity cannot be consistently stable, the dryness of the sterilizable material will not meet the drying requirements. If the chamber pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying termination conditions, drying needs to continue. By determining whether the dryness of the sterilizable material meets the requirements under different chamber pressures and current humidity conditions, premature termination of drying is avoided, preventing the sterilizable material from failing to achieve the required dryness and improving drying efficiency.

[0075] The processor obtaining multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period in step S244 means obtaining multiple historical humidity values ​​detected within a first set time period relative to the current time, using the current time as a reference. For example, if the current time is 2 minutes and 20 seconds and the first set time is 50 seconds, then multiple historical humidity values ​​between 1 minute and 30 seconds and 2 minutes and 20 seconds are obtained. These multiple historical humidity values ​​can be all historical humidity values ​​or historical humidity values ​​taken at intervals, depending on the detection time.

[0076] Optionally, the first set time ranges from [50, 70] s. Preferably, the first set time is 55 s, 60 s, or 65 s. The second set time ranges from [8, 12] s. Preferably, the second set time is 9 s, 10 s, or 11 s. Thus, when the first set time is within the above range, all eligible humidity levels within the cycle preceding the humidity threshold can be captured, avoiding misjudgments of drying results due to missed humidity levels, which could affect drying efficiency. When the second set time is within the above range, the longest duration of the required humidity can be determined, thereby distinguishing whether the dryness of the sterilized material meets the drying requirements and improving drying efficiency.

[0077] Optionally, the processor in step S233 determines that the current humidity remains stable, including: the humidity sensor continuously detects the current humidity of the sterile material within a second set time period. If the current humidity is consistently less than or equal to the set humidity, the processor determines that the current humidity remains stable. Alternatively, the processor obtains multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period. The processor determines the historical humidity values ​​less than or equal to the set humidity as candidate humidity values. The processor determines the maximum humidity value among the candidate humidity values ​​as the target humidity. The processor determines the time difference between the current humidity and the target humidity. If the time difference is greater than or equal to the second set time period, the humidity sensor continuously detects the current humidity of the sterile material within the second set time period. If the current humidity is consistently less than or equal to the set humidity, the processor determines that the current humidity remains stable. Thus, by continuously detecting the current humidity of the sterile material after the humidity threshold, it is determined whether the humidity of the sterile material meets the drying requirements. If the current humidity is consistently less than or equal to the set humidity, the humidity of the sterile material can be maintained within the expected range for a long time, thus determining that the current humidity remains stable and stopping the drying process. Alternatively, the historical humidity before the humidity critical point and the current humidity after the humidity critical point can be used together to determine whether the humidity of the sterilized material meets the requirements, thereby avoiding misjudgment of dryness and improving the reliability of the drying process.

[0078] Combination Figure 5 As shown, this disclosure provides another method for humidity control in a sterilizer, including:

[0079] S210, a pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber.

[0080] S220, a humidity sensor, detects the current humidity of the sterilized material.

[0081] S270, the processor obtains the previous humidity of the sterilized material.

[0082] S241, when the current humidity is lower than the previous humidity, the humidity sensor will detect the current humidity of the sterilized material again after the detection time.

[0083] S242, Given the current increase in humidity, the processor determines that the current humidity is the humidity critical point.

[0084] S271, the processor adjusts the set humidity according to the cavity pressure.

[0085] S244, the processor obtains multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period.

[0086] S245, the processor determines the historical humidity that is less than or equal to the set humidity as the candidate humidity.

[0087] S246, the processor determines the maximum humidity among the candidate humidity levels as the target humidity.

[0088] S247, the processor determines the time difference between the current humidity and the target humidity interval.

[0089] S248, if the time difference is greater than or equal to the second set time, the processor determines that the current humidity remains stable.

[0090] S233, the processor determines that the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying termination conditions.

[0091] S250, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying.

[0092] The method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in this disclosure does not use a fixed set humidity when determining the humidity of the sterilized material. Instead, it adjusts the set humidity based on the internal pressure. This adjusted set humidity corresponds to the internal pressure, increasing the frequency and flexibility of humidity determination (determination can be performed at any pressure, not just the first set pressure), thereby reducing the drying time of the sterilizer and improving drying efficiency. Specifically, the adjustment relationship between internal pressure and set humidity can be preset using a lookup table, allowing the set humidity to be adjusted based on the internal pressure.

[0093] Combination Figure 6 As shown, this disclosure provides another method for humidity control in a sterilizer, including:

[0094] S210, a pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the sterilizer chamber.

[0095] S220, a humidity sensor, detects the current humidity of the sterilized material.

[0096] S250: When the internal pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions, the processor controls the sterilizer to stop drying.

[0097] S261, if it is determined that the cavity pressure and current humidity do not meet the drying end conditions, the processor determines the relationship between the cavity pressure and the first set pressure and the second set pressure.

[0098] S262, if the pressure inside the cavity is greater than the second set pressure, the processor closes the return air valve and controls the vacuum pump to run, and returns to step S210.

[0099] S263, if the pressure inside the cavity is less than or equal to the first set pressure, the processor shuts off the vacuum pump and opens the return air valve, and returns to step S210.

[0100] The method for humidity control in a sterilizer provided in this disclosure adjusts the airflow rate by regulating the inflow and outflow of air during the drying process, based on the relationship between the internal pressure and a first and second set pressure. When the internal pressure is greater than the second set pressure, there is more air inside the sterilizer, requiring vacuuming to remove the air and allow airflow for drying the sterilized material. When the internal pressure is also greater than the second set pressure, the airflow valve is opened to replenish air and enhance airflow. When the internal pressure is greater than the first set pressure but less than or equal to the second set pressure, the current operating state is maintained, and vacuuming or air introduction continues. By adjusting the airflow rate inside the sterilizer using different control methods under different internal pressures, the drying efficiency is improved.

[0101] Optionally, the second set pressure ranges from [-55, -45] kPa. Preferably, the second set pressure is -52 kPa, -50 kPa, or -48 kPa. This allows for the determination of when the vacuum pump should draw a vacuum when the second set pressure falls within this range, preventing excessive air intake through the return air valve from causing a slow drying rate of the sterilized material and thus improving drying efficiency.

[0102] Optionally, the processor controlling the vacuum pump in step S262 includes: the processor determining a target power corresponding to the current humidity; and the processor controlling the vacuum pump to operate at the target power. The higher the current humidity, the higher the target power. Thus, the required drying speed varies depending on the current humidity. When the current humidity is relatively high, the humidity of the sterilizable material needs to be reduced rapidly, requiring a higher power for vacuuming to increase the airflow speed. When the current humidity is relatively low, the humidity of the sterilizable material needs to be reduced slowly, requiring a lower power for vacuuming to avoid the humidity of the sterilizable material decreasing too quickly and affecting its usability. By controlling the vacuum pump's vacuuming speed with different power levels under different current humidity conditions, drying efficiency is improved while protecting the sterilizable material.

[0103] Combination Figure 7 As shown, this disclosure provides an apparatus for humidity control in a sterilizer, including a processor 41 and a memory 42. Optionally, the apparatus may further include a communication interface 43 and a bus 44. The processor 41, communication interface 43, and memory 42 can communicate with each other via the bus 44. The communication interface 43 can be used for information transmission. The processor 41 can call logical instructions in the memory 42 to execute the humidity control method for a sterilizer described in the above embodiment.

[0104] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 42 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0105] The memory 42, as a storage medium, can be used to store software programs and computer-executable programs, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 41 executes functional applications and data processing by running the program instructions / modules stored in the memory 42, that is, it implements the method for humidity control of the sterilizer in the above embodiments.

[0106] The memory 42 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the terminal device. Furthermore, the memory 42 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory.

[0107] This disclosure provides a sterilizer that includes the above-described device for humidity control in the sterilizer.

[0108] This disclosure provides a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions configured to perform the above-described method for humidity control of a sterilizer.

[0109] The aforementioned storage medium can be a transient computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0110] The technical solutions of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, including: a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, and other media capable of storing program code; it can also be a transient storage medium.

[0111] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of this disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, procedural, and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace parts and features of other embodiments. Moreover, the terminology used in this application is for describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of embodiments and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to equally include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the term “and / or” as used in this application means including one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations thereof. Additionally, when used in this application, the term "comprise" and its variations "comprises" and / or "comprising" refer to the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, or apparatus that includes said element. In this document, each embodiment may focus on the differences from other embodiments, and similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. For methods, products, etc., disclosed in the embodiments, if they correspond to the method section disclosed in the embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method section.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] The methods and products (including but not limited to devices and equipment) disclosed in the embodiments herein can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units may be merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the shown or discussed units may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to implement this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0114] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than that shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. In the descriptions corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks may also occur in a different order than disclosed in the description, and sometimes there is no specific order between different operations or steps. For example, two consecutive operations or steps may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Each block in a block diagram and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A method for humidity control in a sterilizer, characterized in that, include: Detect the pressure inside the sterilizer; Detect the current humidity of the sterilized material; Once it is determined that the internal pressure and current humidity meet the conditions for ending the drying process, the sterilizer is controlled to stop drying. The process of determining whether the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions includes: determining the pressure difference between the cavity pressure and the first set pressure; if the pressure difference is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, determining whether the current humidity is at the humidity critical point; if the current humidity is determined to be at the humidity critical point, determining whether the current humidity remains stable, so as to determine whether the cavity pressure and current humidity meet the drying end conditions. The current humidity is determined to be stable by the following method: obtaining multiple historical humidity values ​​within a first set time period; identifying historical humidity values ​​less than or equal to the set humidity value as candidate humidity values; identifying the maximum humidity value among the candidate humidity values ​​as the target humidity value; determining the time difference between the current humidity value and the target humidity value; and determining the current humidity value to be stable if the time difference value is greater than or equal to a second set time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After determining whether the current humidity remains stable, the following steps are also included: Assuming the current humidity remains stable, determine that the internal pressure and current humidity meet the conditions for ending the drying process.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the current humidity level as the critical point includes: Obtain the initial humidity of the sterilized material; If the current humidity is lower than the previous humidity, the current humidity of the sterilized material is measured again after the detection time has elapsed; Given the current increase in humidity, the current humidity level is determined as the humidity critical point.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, After detecting the current humidity of the sterilizing material, the following is also included: If the internal pressure and current humidity do not meet the conditions for ending the drying process, the sterilizer is controlled to continue drying.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Controlling the drying process in the sterilizer includes: Determine the relationship between the intracavitary pressure and the first and second set pressures; If the pressure inside the cavity exceeds the second set pressure, close the return air valve and control the vacuum pump to run; If the pressure inside the cavity is less than or equal to the first set pressure, turn off the vacuum pump and open the return air valve.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Controlling the operation of the vacuum pump includes: Determine the target power corresponding to the current humidity level; Control the vacuum pump to operate at the target power; The higher the current humidity, the greater the target power.

7. A device for humidity control in a sterilizer, comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions, characterized in that, The processor is configured to, when executing the program instructions, perform the method for humidity control of a sterilizer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A sterilizer, characterized in that, Includes the device for humidity control of a sterilizer as described in claim 7.

9. A storage medium storing program instructions, characterized in that, When the program instructions are executed, they perform the method for humidity control of a sterilizer as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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