| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent deterioration of internal components of medical instruments due to moisture even when high pressure steam sterilization is executed and thereby to attain an improvement in the reliability of the instruments and prolongation of the life thereof. <P>SOLUTION: High pressure steam sterilization equipment 41 has a chamber 42 holding the medical instruments, e.g. an endoscope, a steam supply device 43, a vacuum pump 44 and a control part 45. The steam supply device 43 supplies steam into the chamber 42 and the vacuum pump 44 reduces the pressure inside the chamber 42, while the control part 45 controls the steam supply device 43 and the vacuum pump 44. The equipment 41 is so designed that it executes a first pressure reducing process comprising a process of reducing the pressure inside the chamber 42, a high pressure steam sterilization process which is subsequent to the first process and pressurizes the inside of the chamber 42 and a second pressure reducing process comprising a process which is subsequent to the sterilization process and reduces the pressure inside the chamber 42, and that it sterilizes with a high pressure the medical instrument held in the chamber. Even when the high pressure steam sterilization is conducted, deterioration of the internal components of the medical instrument due to moisture can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO |
