Patent ID: 7025932

Claim:
A method of sterilizing a sealable enclosure comprising: initially adjusting the relative humidity in the enclosure to a required level, circulating a carrier gas to the enclosure at a temperature raised above ambient, supplying a sterilant vapor or vapors to the circulating carrier gas, distributing the gas/vapor throughout the enclosure, continuing to circulate the gas/vapor through the enclosure until sterilization has been completed, terminating the supply of sterilant vapor to the gas while continuing to circulate the saturated gas/vapor to maintain the condensate on the enclosure surfaces for a predetermined period of time, and extracting the sterilant vapor from the chamber; sufficient sterilant vapor or vapors being added to the carrier gas to saturate substantially the gas whereby, on cooling in the enclosure, a condensate of the sterilant vapor is formed throughout the enclosure, measuring the amount of condensate formed on the surfaces of the enclosure and continuing to circulate the gas/vapor until a required amount of condensate has been formed on the enclosure surfaces.