Patent ID: 8685336

Claim:
A system for recovery of a sterilant gas mixture comprising: a sterilant gas mixture supply including a sterilant gas mixture comprising ethylene oxide; a first sterilizer chamber in gaseous communication with a second sterilizer chamber via a gas recovery assembly, wherein the first and second sterilizer chambers are coupled to the sterilant gas mixture supply and are configured to house at least one object for sterilization, and wherein the gas recovery assembly is configured to withdraw the sterilant gas mixture from the first sterilizer assembly after sterilization of the at least one object and introduce the gas sterilant mixture into the second sterilizer chamber; and a purge gas supply adapted to supply a purge gas to the first sterilizer chamber after the sterilant gas mixture is introduced into the second sterilizer chamber, wherein the gas recovery assembly includes a vacuum pump and a circulation blower adapted to withdraw the purge gas from the first sterilizer chamber to the second sterilizer chamber to form a combined mixture of the sterilant gas mixture and the purge gas.