Patent ID: 6340590
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: A61L,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for indication of microbial sterility of a thermal sterilizer load, upon completion of a thermal sterilizing cycle, includingsterility test ampoule means in which individual test ampoules are interspersed among articles of such a load to be sterilized, with: such ampoule means being capable of withstanding thermal exposure of such a thermal sterilizer cycle, concurrently with such load, each such ampoule comprising a sealed encapsulating exterior barrier, which: (i) is impermeable to penetration by liquid, gas, or microbes from externally of such encapsulating barrier, (ii) transmits radiation in the visible light spectrum, and (iii) seals a liquid indicator material containing a preselected carbohydrate in solution, which: (a) provides a quantitatively-measurable visible change responsive to chemical change in such indicator material resulting from thermal exposure in such thermal sterilizer during such a thermal sterilizer cycle, so as to (b) correlate temperature, resulting from such thermal exposure and microbial kill within such a sterilizer load, such measurable visible chemical change in such indicator material being available directly as such a thermal sterilizer cycle is completed, free of a requirement for a time delay period for microbial growth in order to obtain an indication of microbial sterility.