STERILIZING AN ARTICLE WITH IODOPHOR CONTAINING ALDEHYDIC REDUCING AGENT

摘要

A method of sterilizing an article comprises contacting the article with an aqueous solution of an iodophor also containing sufficient of an organic aldehydic reducing agent to reduce the available iodine level of the solution to substantially zero within a period of from 30 minutes to eight hours preferably from 1 to 4 hours; the reaction products of the iodophor and the reducing agent being non-toxic and non-irritant. The method of the invention may be applied to articles formed of hydrophilic polymer, e.g. contact lenses, in which cases the iodophor is preferably a complex of iodine with a hydrophilic polymer or a nonionic surface active agent and the reducing agent is formic acid or an alkali metal salt thereof.