Patent ID: 8557179

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: providing a device comprising: a sealed interior portion with at least one opening to the exterior covered by a sterilization barrier formed from a non-porous material allowing a sterilization gas to penetrate but prevents germs from penetrating, wherein: the device is in the form of a pump with a flow path arranged between an inlet and an outlet, the pump comprising at least one valve member arranged in the flow path, and the size and configuration of the at least one sterilization barrier formed from a non-porous material comprising liquid silicone rubber allowing at least 50% of the sterilization gas, that would pass between a sterilization gas-containing exterior and the sealed interior portion when a pressure difference is created there between, to pass through the non-porous material, placing the device in a sterilization enclosure, creating a relative vacuum in the sealed interior portion by controlling the pressure in the sterilization enclosure, introducing sterilization gas in the sterilization enclosure thereby raising the pressure therein above the relative vacuum created in the sealed interior portion, and allowing the sterilization gas to penetrate into the sealed interior portion, whereby at least 50% of the sterilization gas passes between the sterilization enclosure and the sealed interior portion through the at least one sterilization barrier formed from a non-porous material.