Importance

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Abstract

A nebulant suitable for sterilization comprising finely divided liquid droplets suspended in a gas, said droplets including a solute, which is advantageously hydrogen peroxide and a solvent, for example water, wherein the droplets have a concentration of greater than 60 wt % of solute and an average diameter of less than 1.0 micron, preferably less than 0.8 microns. Sterilization using the nebulant may be carried out in suitably adapted apparatus by nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles; removing the solvent vaporized from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, cooling the nebulant to below 70° C.; and exposing a surface to be sterilized to the nebulant of concentrated sterilizing agent for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface.

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First Claim