US Patent 7824610 Plasma treatment module-equipped sterilization apparatus and sterilization method

Disclosed is a plasma treatment module-equipped sterilization apparatus which can easily sterilize thin, long lumens without the aid of boosters. The sterilization apparatus comprises a sterilization chamber, a sterilizing agent feeding line, hydrogen peroxide solution acting as a sterilizing agent, an injection heater, a mass flow controller, a vacuum pump, and an exhaust line. A plasma treatment module is provided on the exhaust line to decompose the hydrogen peroxide vapor exhausted from the sterilization chamber with plasma. Also, disclosed is the sterilization method using the plasma treatment module-equipped sterilization apparatus.