Patent ID: 6992494

Claim:
A system for monitoring at least one of steam purity and steam quality in a chamber during a decontamination process, comprising: a capacitor having first and second conducting elements exposed to steam, said steam being a dielectric therebetween, wherein said capacitor has a capacitance C x ; a data storage device for storing a setpoint value, wherein said setpoint value is associated with an electrical property of the capacitor; and processing means responsive to changes in the electrical property of the capacitor, said change in the electrical property varying according to changes in at least one of steam purity and steam quality during the decontamination process, said processing means including: means for determining a measured value indicative of the electrical property of the capacitor as the capacitor is exposed to the steam; and means for determining whether the measured value differs a predetermined amount from the setpoint value, wherein said processing means controls the operation of the following: (a) a first valve for controlling the flow of steam supplied to a region in fluid communication with the chamber; (b) a second valve for controlling the flow of steam from the region to the chamber; and (c) a third valve for controlling the release of steam from the chamber.