Disposable Sterilization Container with Sealable Steam Conduit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sterilization packaging faces challenges in maintaining sterility due to the dichotomy of requiring a breathable barrier for air removal and sterilant penetration during sterilization, while needing to become impervious post-sterilization to prevent re-contamination, with reusable containers being prone to damage and subjective inspection issues.
Innovation Solution
A single-use, rigid or semi-rigid container with a non-porous material and a sealable conduit for steam sterilization, allowing for efficient steam introduction and condensate removal, and maintaining a vacuum to ensure sterility during handling and storage, along with a steam sterilizer system for effective sterilization and tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If porous packaging materials are used to facilitate air removal and sterilant penetration during sterilization, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but the packaging becomes vulnerable to re-contamination after sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging material dynamically changes its permeability properties during the sterilization process. The material is breathable during sterilization to allow steam penetration and air removal, then becomes impervious after sterilization to prevent re-contamination. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between needing porosity for sterilization and imperviousness for post-sterilization protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging material undergoes a parameter change in its permeability characteristic. During sterilization, the material maintains high permeability to steam and air. After sterilization, the material transitions to low permeability state to provide barrier protection. This parameter change enables the material to satisfy both contradictory requirements at different stages of the process.
2Loss of substance
If reusable sterilization containers are used to reduce waste, then environmental impact is reduced, but the containers are prone to damage and require subjective inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs disposable sterilization containers that are designed for single use. These containers eliminate the reliability issues associated with reusable containers by being replaced after each use, ensuring consistent integrity without requiring inspection or maintenance. The disposable nature addresses the reliability concern while the standardization of these disposable units helps manage waste systematically.
Solution Approach 2:
The containers are pre-packaged and pre-sterilized before use, with integrated sealing mechanisms that are activated or verified as part of the sterilization process. This preliminary preparation ensures that integrity verification is built into the system rather than requiring separate subjective inspection steps, thereby maintaining reliability while using disposable units.
3Productivity
If the packaging barrier is required to be breathable during sterilization, then sterilant penetration is improved, but the packaging must then provide impervious protection after sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging barrier dynamically adjusts its permeability properties during the sterilization process. The material is breathable during sterilization to allow steam penetration and air removal, then becomes impervious after sterilization to prevent re-contamination. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between needing porosity for sterilization and imperviousness for post-sterilization protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging material undergoes a parameter change in its permeability characteristic. During sterilization, the material maintains high permeability to steam and air. After sterilization, the material transitions to low permeability state to provide barrier protection. This parameter change enables the material to satisfy both contradictory requirements at different stages of the process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, disposable container that maintains sterility and integrity during and after sterilization, simplifies the sterilization process, and ensures patient safety by eliminating re-contamination risks and reducing maintenance costs associated with reusable containers.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum for extracting fluid from the chamber via the one or more port
Implementation Method 2
introducing steam sterilant into the container through the conduit and around the container to provide the required sterilisation
Implementation Method 3
a sealable conduit configured and arranged so that, in use, steam sterilant may be introduced into the container and steam sterilant and condensate may be removed from the container via the conduit
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a steam sterilizer, and a single use/disposable container for use in the sterilizer and a sterilization method. The container is a rigid or semi-rigid container having a sealable elongate conduit through which steam sterilant may be introduced into the container and steam sterilant and condensate may be removed from the container. Once one or more items to be sterilized are placed in the container a cover is sealed over the mouth of the container. The steam sterilizer has a sterilization chamber adapted to receive the container and provide sterilant within and around the container. Sterilant is provided to the container via the conduit which is sealed at the end of the sterilization process.