In one illustrative example, a method for use in sterilization involves carrying a liquid or a flow of liquid comprising water; converting the liquid or the flow thereof into mist or steam; adding riboflavin in soluble form as a photosensitizer to the liquid or the flow thereof, converting the liquid or the flow thereof into mist or steam that carries the riboflavin; discharging the mist or the steam that carries the riboflavin into a chamber, a container, or a room; and emitting, on the mist or the steam that carries the riboflavin, a riboflavin-activating light sufficient to activate the riboflavin to enhance a cross-linking of genetic material including the amino acids of proteins of cells or pathogens or extracellular genetic material in the chamber, the container, or the room. Additional processing steps may be employed for disrupting barriers, for increased access of the riboflavin and light to the genetic material.

A method for reducing hemolysis and microparticle formation during storage of pathogen reduced blood. Oxygen reduced blood compositions comprising SAGM and riboflavin having reduced hemolysis. Oxygen reduced blood compositions comprising SAGM and riboflavin having reduced microparticles. Oxygen and pathogen reduced blood compositions comprising CPAD and riboflavin having reduced hemolysis. Oxygen and pathogen reduced blood compositions comprising SAGM and riboflavin having reduced microparticles.

A ready-to-use, gamma-ray sterilized, surgical antiseptic composition comprising an initial non-toxic concentration of povidone-iodine above a minimum effective concentration of available iodine, iodide in sufficient quantity to provide donor iodine upon gamma irradiation to stabilize said povidone-iodine and maintain said minimum effective concentration of available iodine, and a buffered saline solution.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to wet transcatheter prosthetic heart valve or other implant packaging and assemblies in which a prosthetic heart valve or other implant is loaded into a first portion of a delivery device and positioned within a container in which sterilizing fluid is retained to sterilize interior portions of the container as well as provide moisture to prevent the implant from drying out. The disclosure also relates to methods of sterilizing the disclosed assemblies. Some disclosed methods include at least two sterilizing steps and adjustment of a mechanical seal member or formation of multiple seals so that areas proximate the seals are also sterilized during the sterilization process.

A closure system for a screw top container intended to contain a pharmaceutical or surgical medium comprises: a screw cap including a main body comprised of an annular wall with an internal thread for cooperating with an external thread adjacent an open end of the container, the body having a first open end for receiving the open end of the container and a second end closed by an end disc; a sealing formation within the main body for forming a seal with the open end of the container; and a tamper-evident band connected to the screw cap at the open end of the main body by at least one severable linkage, wherein the screw cap, sealing formation and tamper-evident band are integrally formed as a single unit for maintaining a hermetic seal with the container throughout a terminal sterilisation process.

Selective extracorporeal blood disinfection systems and related methods are disclosed. The systems comprise an input tube forming a flowpath for the flow of infected blood. The systems further comprise a disinfection unit comprising a microbicidal light emitting device configured to emit visible light within the range of about 380-425 nm and/or about 500-700 nm, and a treatment flowpath in communication with the input tube that is substantially transparent to the emitted light of the microbicidal light emitting device for receiving at least a portion of the flow of the infected blood therethrough. The microbicidal light emitting device effectuates a dose of the emitted light to the infected blood flowing through the treatment flowpath to disinfect the blood. The systems also comprise an output tube in fluid communication with the treatment flowpath forming a flowpath for the flow of the disinfected blood from the disinfection unit.

An operational unit for locating and neutralizing pathogen cells in blood includes a time use cassette which has a plurality of thin holding chambers that are filled with blood drawn from a patient. A light source illuminates each of the holding chambers and passes light to an underlying sensor array such that the cells in the blood selectively block the light to produce shadow images of the cells in the sensor array. A processor performs pattern recognition to identify and locate the pathogen cells by use of an image library. After the pathogen cells are located, an electric field is activated in the cassette chamber areas that include the identified pathogen cells. Sufficient electric field energy is applied to destroy the identified pathogen cells. A pump refills the cassette holding chambers, returns the neutralized-pathogen blood to the patient, and the process is repeated for a period of time.

A hybrid germicidal irradiation apparatus, method, and system for multi-band germicidal irradiation. A first emitter, a second emitter and a third emitter may be coupled to a housing configured to be coupled to a ceiling of an interior room. The first emitter, the second emitter and the third emitter may respectively be operable to emit UV-C radiation at a wavelength of about 265 nanometers, near-UV radiation at a wavelength of about 405 nanometers and visible light at a wavelength greater than 405 nanometers. One or more radiation sensors may be configured to measure the amount of UV-C light, near UV-C light and/or visible light reflected from a target surface. A controller may be communicably engaged with the radiation sensors to calculate an amount of UV-C radiation, near-UV radiation and/or visible light delivered to a target surface or interior space.

An automated bioreactor system for decellularizing an organ includes a main chamber for containing the organ. The system further includes a reagent chamber containing a liquid phase reagent. A reagent conduit delivers the liquid phase reagent to the main chamber, and a perfusion conduit delivers the reagent from the reagent outlet in the main chamber into the organ. A perfusion pump drives the flow of the reagent. A perfusion pressure sensor detects a pressure of the flowing reagent. A control system controls the perfusion pump to drive the flow of the reagent based on a received input representative of a desired pressure and a received input of the detected pressure. The control system may automatically perform all of the steps of a decellularization protocol based on sensor input. An automated waste decontamination system may also be provided.

A system and method for systematic, controlled removal of sterile products from blister packs for use during surgery is disclosed.