Patent ID: 9731041
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: A23L,A61L,C01B

Claim:
1. A sterilization method with dinitrogen tetraoxide comprising the steps of: arranging an object in a sterilization area, operating a decompressor to reduce a pressure within the sterilization area maintained in the hermetically sealed condition to the decompressed or vacuum condition below the saturated vapor pressure curve of dinitrogen tetraoxide, supplying the dinitrogen tetraoxide liquid as a sterilant feedstock from a vessel to a spray device while preventing gasification of the dinitrogen tetraoxide liquid on the way between the vessel and spray device, spraying the dinitrogen tetraoxide liquid through the spray device into the sterilization area under the decompressed or vacuum condition to, at the time of the spraying, gasify at least some of the dinitrogen tetraoxide liquid within the sterilization area decompressed below the saturated vapor pressure curve, and sterilizing the object in the sterilization area by the oxidation or nitration of extraneous matter or microorganisms on the object with the dinitrogen tetraoxide gas.