A method of cleaning and sterilizing a drink filling apparatus including a CIP process of circulating a cleaner in a drink supply piping to remove foreign matter on an interior of the drink supply piping, and an SIP process of sterilizing the interior of the drink supply piping. The processes are performed at the same time or in sequence without an interruption between the two. The SIP process uses the cleaner to sterilize the interior of the drink supply piping. After the SIP process, while the cleaner is kept circulating, a temperature condition at a predetermined position in the drink supply piping is adjusted to a temperature setting for manufacture, after which the cleaner in the drink supply piping is removed.

A method for cleaning an air conditioner comprises: in response to a cleaning instruction, controlling frosting on the surface of a target heat exchanger; after a frosting completion condition is met, controlling defrosting of the frost on the target heat exchanger; and after a defrosting completion condition is met, reducing the surface temperature of the target heat exchanger to a sterilization temperature, and carrying out quick cooling sterilization, wherein the temperature difference between the sterilization temperature and the defrosting temperature during defrosting meets a set temperature change sterilization condition. By means of a frosting-defrosting process, dirt such as dust on the heat exchanger may be effectively stripped and deep bacteria may be exposed, and then the quick cooling sterilization process may kill the bacteria by utilizing the sharp temperature change during switching from the defrosting process to the quick cooling process. Also disclosed is the air conditioner.

A method is provided for vaporized hydrogen peroxide cleaning of a chamber. The method includes altering a temperature of air in the chamber from an initial temperature to a sterilization temperature over a first time period. The method also includes injecting vaporized hydrogen peroxide into air in the chamber to alter a relative humidity of hydrogen peroxide vapor in the chamber to a sterilization level over the first time period. The method also includes maintaining the temperature at the sterilization temperature and the relative humidity at the sterilization level over a second time period. The method also includes reducing the relative humidity from the sterilization level to a safe level over a third time period. In one embodiment, the method is provided for vaporized hydrogen peroxide cleaning of an interior chamber of an incubation container. In other embodiments, the incubation chamber featured in the method is provided.

A method for validating a method for sterilizing an item, making it possible to validate the sterility assurance level achieved with this sterilization method. The method includes carrying out a first step of contaminating a container receiving the item with more than 10.sup.5 living microorganism cells, then carrying out a first sterilization cycle with the chosen method, then opening the container in order to contaminate it again with more than 10.sup.5 living microorganism cells, then carrying out a second sterilization cycle with the same method, and finally checking the sterility of the container after the first sterilization cycle and after the second sterilization cycle. The method is applicable in particular for products and devices intended for health use.

A method for validating a method for sterilizing an item, making it possible to validate the sterility assurance level achieved with this sterilization method. The method includes carrying out a first step of contaminating a container receiving the item with more than 10.sup.5 living microorganism cells, then carrying out a first sterilization cycle with the chosen method, then opening the container in order to contaminate it again with more than 10.sup.5 living microorganism cells, then carrying out a second sterilization cycle with the same method, and finally checking the sterility of the container after the first sterilization cycle and after the second sterilization cycle. The method is applicable in particular for products and devices intended for health use.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue. The AMF pulse treatment can be combined with an antibacterial/antimicrobial treatment regimen to reduce the time and/or antibacterial dosage amount needed to remove the biofilm from the metallic implant.

Systems and methods including modular electromagnetic heating systems enable heating of articles using electromagnetic energy. The systems include a primary processing vessel equipped with electromagnetic energy launchers and fluid delivery systems to enable capable of preheating, heating, and cooling of the articles within the primary processing vessel. The primary processing vessel is further configured to be coupled to one or more upstream or downstream vessels such that portions of the preheating and/or heating functionality may instead be performed by the additional vessels. This flexibility enables scaling of the electromagnetic heating system between a relatively small (e.g., lab) scale system and a relatively large (e.g., production) scale system while minimizing capital expenditures and space requirements.

Systems and methods including modular electromagnetic heating systems enable heating of articles using electromagnetic energy. The systems include a primary processing vessel equipped with electromagnetic energy launchers and fluid delivery systems to enable capable of preheating, heating, and cooling of the articles within the primary processing vessel. The primary processing vessel is further configured to be coupled to one or more upstream or downstream vessels such that portions of the preheating and/or heating functionality may instead be performed by the additional vessels. This flexibility enables scaling of the electromagnetic heating system between a relatively small (e.g., lab) scale system and a relatively large (e.g., production) scale system while minimizing capital expenditures and space requirements.

The present disclosure provides decontamination system that includes a decontamination chamber for sealably holding one or more items for decontamination. The system also includes a decontamination unit comprising: a controllable air heater and humidity control unit to controllably heat an ambient air source and to control a temperature and humidity of air within a decontamination chamber; a controllable vaporizer unit to controllably vaporize one or more decontamination agents by combining the controllably heated ambient air with the one or more decontamination agents; and controller circuitry to control a controllable air heater and humidity control unit to heat the ambient air to a selected level, and to maintain a selected heat and humidity within the decontamination chamber, and to control the controllable vaporizer unit to provide a selected flow rate of the one or more decontamination agents into the decontamination chamber.

A system for sanitizing water in a hot tub is described. The system includes a sanitizing chamber, separate from the hot tub, and sized to hold a small portion of the water from the hot tub. A first conduit for conveys water from the hot tub to the sanitizing chamber. A second conduit conveys water from the sanitizing chamber to the hot tub. A pump is provided that moves water from the hot tub, through the first conduit into the sanitizing chamber and from the sanitizing chamber, through the second conduit, back into the hot tub. A heater heats the water in the sanitizing chamber to a temperature and for a time sufficient to destroy or deactivate undesirable microorganisms.