Patent ID: 8017074

Claim:
A method for sterilizing a packaged medical device in a gas-tight sterilizing chamber, the method comprising: placing the packaged medical device sealed within a sterilization packaging into a gas-tight sterilizing chamber that contains air; sealing the sterilizing chamber; evacuating from the sealed sterilizing chamber at least a portion of the air contained in the sterilizing chamber to reach a selected pressure level within the sterilizing chamber; after the sterilizing chamber reaches the selected pressure level, supplying the sterilizing chamber with a selected amount of a NO 2 -based sterilant gas consisting essentially of NO 2 ; after supplying the sterilizing chamber with the selected amount of the NO 2 -based sterilant gas, providing a humidified gas into the sterilizing chamber to form a humidified NO 2 -based sterilant gas in the sterilizing chamber; after providing the humidified gas into the sterilizing chamber, performing a dwelling operation at about room temperature for a selected period of time during which the humidified NO 2 -based sterilant gas sterilizes the medical device contained within the sterilization packaging; removing at least a portion of the humidified NO 2 -based sterilant gas from the sterilizing chamber; and removing the medical device sealed within the sterilization packaging from the sterilizing chamber.