The invention describes a method and a walk through apparatus to treat surfaces with hydroxyl ions to reduce the viability and/or kill pathogens.

A method of sterilizing material includes receiving the material in a sterilizing chamber, vaporizing sterilant supplied to vaporizer from a sterilant source, exposing the material to the vaporized sterilant by conducting a sterilization cycle in the sterilizing chamber, heating ambient filtered air supplied to the vaporizer from an ambient filtered air source, and removing residuals of the vaporized sterilant absorbed or adsorbed by the material during the sterilization cycle by conducting an aeration cycle in the sterilizing chamber. The removing of the residuals includes conducting a plurality of aeration pulses to provide the sterilizing chamber with an aeration atmosphere comprising the heated filtered air to vaporize the absorbed or adsorbed residuals, and conducting a plurality of aeration vacuum pulses to evacuate the aeration atmosphere and vaporized residuals from the sterilizing chamber.

A system for sterilizing a drug delivery device includes a drug delivery device having a first self-healing seal configured to seal a fluid reservoir disposed within the drug delivery device. A sealable container is configured to receive the drug delivery device therein. The sealable container has a base portion and a cover portion. The cover portion has a second self-healing seal positioned to align with the first self-healing seal when the drug delivery device is disposed within the sealable container. A fill port includes a fill path, the fill path being configured to pass through the first and second self-healing seals to fluidly couple the fill port to the reservoir of the drug delivery device. Other systems, methods, and devices of sterilization are also disclosed.

A cold plasma system and method for treating a region of a biological surface is presented. In one embodiment, the system includes: a housing; an air conduit within the housing; a first electrode configured proximately along the air conduit; a second electrode configured proximately along the air conduit and opposite from the first electrode; and a source of alternating current (AC) electrically connected with the first electrode. The source of alternating current is configured to generate cold plasma in the air conduit.

The present disclosure describes a container that includes a body having a lower surface, an upper rim, and a plurality of side walls that extend between the lower surface and the upper rim, wherein the upper rim defines an opening to an interior space of the body, a flexible cover that covers the opening of the body and is bonded to the body along the upper rim, and gas-permeable material through which gas can enter and exit the interior space of the body. The upper rim of the body is spaced apart from any of the gas-permeable material, such that the cover can be peeled away from the upper rim to expose the opening while leaving the gas-permeable material intact.

The mitigation of indoor pathogens comprises quantifying, using a bio-aerosol monitoring system, the amount of total pathogens in the air and on surfaces within an indoor environment. Moreover, the process comprises sanitizing the indoor environment with portable equipment to stabilize the indoor environment when it is determined that the indoor environment is contaminated. Also, the process comprises installing a purification device within a contaminated area of the indoor environment, and monitoring continuously, the indoor environment after sanitizing, for pathogens. Still further, the process comprises releasing a purifying agent upon detecting pathogens in the indoor environment, and providing periodic maintenance to the purification device.

A method for sterilizing biological materials is disclosed. A dehydrated biological material is put into a closed container. The closed container is then decompressed under a vacuum. Subsequently, 0.01 g/m.sup.3 to 1000 g/m.sup.3 of a sterilizing gas, i.e., pure ozone, is introduced into the container for a period of time until the biological material is sterilized.

Methods of sterilizing biologics or biological components are disclosed wherein the biologic or biological component in solution or suspension form are formed using an annealing step during freeze drying so that a porous solid matrix which allows penetration of a sterilizing gas such as EtO to pass through. The annealing process decreases the particle size of lyophilized material as compared to other methods and provides a more uniform cake that is easy to reconstitute. In addition, the resulting lyophilized material made with the annealing step allows better penetration of the sterilizing gas for more effective and uniform sterilization of the material.

Provided is a novel method that makes it possible to easily sterilize spores and the like in a highly safe manner. A method for producing radicals according to the present invention includes a generation step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. Also, a method for sterilizing spores according to the present invention includes a treatment step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source and treating spores with the radicals, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. The peak wavelength is, for example, 405 to 470 nm.

The present invention is generally related to an apparatus and method for sanitizing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, in particular the invention relates to a system, method and device that attach to a CPAP device and sanitizes all of the parts of the CPAP device, including the inner areas of the hose, reservoir and face mask most prone for bacteria buildup. The device has an ozone operating system and one or more ozone distribution lines that distributes ozone to a CPAP device and a non-permeable bag for sanitizing a CPAP mask.