Patent ID: 8444919

Claim:
A method for disinfecting a volume or surfaces bounding a volume comprising the steps of: (1) nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; (2) subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles, wherein the energy is supplied by heating means, infra red, laser, microwave, RF or other radiation generating means; induction heating means; heat exchanger means; conduction means; convection means; or mechanical energy transfer means; (3) removing vaporized solvent from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure; and (4) exposing said volume or surfaces to nebulant from step 3 for a time sufficient to disinfect said volume or surfaces, and wherein step (3) includes controlling the relative humidity in said volume or in the vicinity of said surface to be within a range from 20% to 70%.