US 12,076,450 B2
Air handling system for hot air sterilizer
William Bryan Smith, Bloomington, IL (US); Michael Howard Linse, Corvallis, OR (US); Nelson Sigman Slavik, Niles, MI (US); and Gary Jay Oliver, Corvallis, OR (US)
Assigned to Integrated Medical Technologies, Inc., Bloomington, IL (US)
Filed by Integrated Medical Technologies, Inc., Bloomington, IL (US)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,520.
Application 17/882,520 is a continuation of application No. 16/279,091, filed on Feb. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,406,725.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/632,906, filed on Feb. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0370655 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61L 2/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61L 2/06 (2013.01) [A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/15 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air handling system comprising:
a sterilization chamber having an air exhaust portal disposed through a side;
an air handling pathway traversing above the sterilization chamber through an upper supply air plenum and traversing below the sterilization chamber through a lower supply air plenum;
a circulation fan;
an upper heating element above the circulation fan within the upper supply air plenum;
a lower heating element below the circulation fan within the lower supply air plenum;
a first temperature sensor disposed within the upper supply air plenum and configured to measure temperature of air downstream from the upper heating element;
a second temperature sensor disposed within the lower supply air plenum and configured to measure temperature of air downstream from the lower heating element; and
a third temperature sensor disposed within the sterilization chamber at the air exhaust portal and configured to monitor temperature of air exiting the sterilization chamber;
wherein the circulation fan is configured to direct supply air from the air exhaust portal over the upper heating element through the upper supply air plenum and over the lower heating element through the lower supply air plenum; and
wherein each of the first, second, and third temperature sensors are configured to relay respective temperature measurements to an electronic controller of a sterilizer, the electronic controller being configured to activate and deactivate the upper heating element to minimize air temperature deviations at the upper heating element, configured to activate and deactivate the lower heating element to minimize air temperature deviations at the lower heating element, and configured to initiate a sterilization cycle after the third temperature sensor measures temperature of air exiting the sterilization chamber reaching a sterilization threshold temperature.