公开(公告)号：US20240384322A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-21

申请号：US18564946

申请日：2022-05-18

Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY

Inventor： G. Marco Bommarito ,  Joshua D. Erickson ,  Feng Zeng

IPC: C12Q1/22 ,  C12M1/12 ,  C12Q1/04 ,  C12Q1/18

Abstract: The disclosed process challenge device is a casing and a self-contained biological indicator operatively connected to the casing. The biological indicator has a housing with an open end and an interior space, a plurality of viable test microorganisms or an active enzyme in the housing, a sterilant pathway extending through the housing to the test microorganisms or the active enzyme, a detection reagent in the interior space, and an aqueous liquid in an openable container. The aqueous liquid is in selective communication with the viable test microorganisms or active enzyme. A first portion of the biological indicator has an open end and is disposed in the casing and a second portion of the self-contained biological indicator is disposed outside the casing. The second portion of the biological indicator comprises a part of the housing through which the aqueous liquid and detection reagent can be observed.

公开(公告)号：US20220249725A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-11

申请号：US17594637

申请日：2020-04-10

Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY

Inventor： G. Marco Bommarito ,  Timothy J. Nies ,  Michael J. Woodson ,  Andrew K. Hartzell ,  Joshua D. Erickson ,  Jonathan C. Fuller

IPC: A61L2/28 ,  A61L2/07 ,  A61L2/20

Abstract: A sterilization test pack may include a shell defining an indicator compartment having a volume; a channel extending between a compartment opening and an exterior opening, the channel being in fluid communication with the indicator compartment through the compartment opening and surrounding atmosphere being in fluid communication with the channel through the exterior opening such that the indicator compartment is in fluid communication with the surrounding atmosphere through the channel, the channel having a length measured between the compartment opening and the exterior opening and a hydraulic radius along the length; and an indicator disposed in the indicator compartment, where a ratio of the compartment volume to the channel hydraulic radius may range from 1000 cm2 to 8000 cm2.

公开(公告)号：US20230313261A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-05

申请号：US18041842

申请日：2021-08-19

Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY

Inventor： Joshua D. Erickson ,  Narendranath Bhokisham ,  Tonya D. Bonilla ,  Minghua Dai

IPC: C12Q1/18 ,  C12N9/26 ,  A61L2/28 ,  A61L2/07 ,  C07K14/32

CPC classification number: C12Q1/18 ,  C12N9/2408 ,  C12Y302/0102 ,  A61L2/28 ,  A61L2/07 ,  C07K14/32 ,  C07K2319/61

Abstract: An article for assessing efficacy of a sterilization process is provided. The article includes a housing, a plurality of genetically-modified spore-forming test microorganisms disposed in the housing, a liquid medium disposed in an openable container that is disposed in or attached to the housing, and an enzyme substrate disposed in the housing or in the openable container. The genetically-modified test microorganism comprises a functional fusion gene that encodes a non-naturally occurring chimeric protein, the chimeric protein comprising a first segment and a second segment that is contiguous with the first segment. The first segment comprises at least a portion of a first polypeptide that is normally found in spores and the second segment comprises a second polypeptide having a detectable enzymatic activity. The enzyme substrate is capable of reacting with the detectable enzyme activity to form a detectable product. A method of using the test microorganisms is also provided.

公开(公告)号：US11421261B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-23

申请号：US15733271

申请日：2018-12-17

Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY

Inventor： Kelvin J. Witcher ,  Francois Ahimou ,  Naiyong Jing ,  Tonya D. Bonilla ,  Joshua D. Erickson ,  Hsi-Chou Liu ,  Andrew W. Vail

IPC: C12Q1/22 ,  C12Q1/34

Abstract: A method is provided. The method includes providing an article, the article including a nonwoven substrate having a copolymer grafted thereto, the copolymer including interpolymerized monomer units of a quaternary ammonium-containing ligand monomers; an amide monomer; an oxy monomer; and a coating on the nonwoven substrate, the coating including a plurality of test microorganisms, an enzyme or a second substrate; and contacting the article with a detection medium for a period of time.

公开(公告)号：US20200316239A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-08

申请号：US15733310

申请日：2018-12-26

Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY

Inventor： Sarah J. Davis ,  Caleb T. Nelson ,  Jodi L. Connell ,  Joshua D. Erickson ,  Jeffrey D. Smith ,  Jay R. Goetz ,  Nicholas R. Powley ,  Matthew T. Scholz

IPC: A61L2/14 ,  A61L2/26 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A system and methods for sterilizing and drying contaminated articles, particularly medical articles, and more particularly the hollow internal areas of medical instruments or lumens of medical endoscopes. The system includes a plasma generator having an electrode, a shield, and a dielectric gap between the electrode and the shield. A source of electrical power connected to the plasma generator applies an electrode energy density between the electrode and the shield. A source of a sterilizing gas precursor provides a flow of the sterilizing gas precursor through the plasma generator to generate a plasma, thereby forming a sterilizing gas including acidic and/or oxidizing species. The contaminated article is exposed to the sterilizing gas for a time sufficient to achieve a desired degree of sterilization. A turbulent flow of a drying gas is used to dry the contaminated article alternately with the exposure of the contaminated article to the sterilizing gas.