Patent ID: 7641851

Claim:
A method for verifying sterilization of components in a sterilization system using a low-energy electron beam comprising the steps of: determining a minimum sterilization dose which when applied to a sample of a component results in a desired sterility assurance level (SAL) of less than about 10 −3 ; exposing a sample component and a plurality of indicators to the low-energy electron beam; measuring a sterilization dose received at each indicator, at least one of the plurality of indicators providing a sterilization dose measurement indicative of the sterilization dose at the sample component; determining a dose distribution of the sample component; establishing a correlation between the sterilization dose at the sample component and the sterilization dose measured at least one of the plurality of indicators; placing a component to be sterilized onto a component pallet; attaching by a mechanism a holder containing a correlated indicator therein to the component pallet as a site to be used to indicate achievement of at least the minimum sterilization dose; exposing the component and correlated indicator to the low-energy electron beam; determining the sterilization dose at the indicator; and ascertaining the efficacy of the sterilization dose achieved at the component based on the determined sterilization dose at the correlated indicator.