Patent ID: 8894833

Claim:
A method of sterilizing a beverage, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sterilization device, comprising: a conduit defining an electrically insulated fluid path; a first electrically conductive electrode having a first part and a second part, said first part being positioned adjacent to said fluid path at said conduit, said second part extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said first part; a conductive plate defining first and second electrically conductive counter electrodes connected to each other in a short-circuit electrical connection, the first electrically conductive counter electrode defining, with said first electrically conductive electrode, a first capacitor of a first specific capacitance; a second electrically conductive electrode having a third part and a fourth part, said third part being positioned adjacent to said fluid path at said conduit, said fourth part extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said third part and away from said second part of said first electrically conductive electrode; the second electrically conductive counter electrode defining, with said second electrically conductive electrode, a second capacitor of a second specific capacitance; a conductive device electrically connected between said first electrically conductive electrode and said second electrically conductive electrode; a first trigger point being defined at said second part of said first electrically conductive electrode and remote from said first part thereof, and a second trigger point being defined at the first electrically conductive counter electrode opposite to said first trigger point; and an electrical activation circuit connected to said first and second trigger points and operable for short-circuiting said first and second trigger points and for causing an electric field to propagate from said first trigger point and along said fluid path; (b) conducting said beverage through said electrically insulated fluid path; (c) charging said first and said second electrically conductive electrodes; (d) activating said electrical activation circuit so as to generate an electric field along said electrically insulated fluid path; and (e) repeating said charging step and said activating step.