Patent ID: 8591807

Claim:
A method for disinfecting or sterilizing an article or article part comprising: enclosing the article or article part inside a container having a wall of which at least a part is a semipermeable fabric or membrane; introducing an amount of vaporizable biocide as a nebulant to the interior of said container having the article or article part enclosed therein, the semipermeable fabric or membrane being selected to allow the biocide to pass from inside to outside of the container as a vapour at atmospheric pressure and to provide a barrier against entry of micro-organisms; concentrating the nebulized biocide such that the concentrated nebulized biocide comprises particles having biocide concentrations of at least 60 wt %; allowing biocide to exit the container through said semipermeable fabric or membrane while at or above atmospheric pressure; and exposing the article or article part to the concentrated nebulized biocide for a time sufficient to disinfect or sterilize the article or article part.