PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steam sterilization device capable of quickly and surely drying an article to be sterilized after steam sterilization.SOLUTION: A device has a sterilization tank accommodating an article to be sterilized, pressure reducing means for reducing pressure in the sterilization tank, pressure restoring means for restoring pressure in the sterilization tank, steam supplying means for supplying steam to the sterilization tank, drain discharging means for discharging concentrated water of steam from the sterilization tank, air discharging means for discharging air in the sterilization tank to outside by a pressure difference from ambient pressure, and control means for controlling each means. The control means conducts a sterilization process a, an air discharging process b, and drying processes c to f and i in this order. In drying processes c to f and i, a final vacuum operation i is conducted after repeating a pressure reduction operation c by the pressure reduction means and a pressure restoring process d by the pressure restoring means. In the final vacuum operation i, reducing pressure is continued only for set pressure reduction time in the sterilization tank by the pressure reducing means at a state that a feed valve to the sterilization tank by the pressure restoring means is closed or pressure is reduced to set pressure reduction pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3COPYRIGHT: (C)2018,JPO&INPIT【課題】蒸気滅菌後の被滅菌物を迅速で確実に乾燥できる蒸気滅菌装置を提供する。【解決手段】被滅菌物が収容される滅菌槽と、滅菌槽内を減圧する減圧手段と、滅菌槽内を復圧する復圧手段と、滅菌槽内へ蒸気を供給する給蒸手段と、滅菌槽内から蒸気の凝縮水を排出するドレン排出手段と、大気圧との差圧により滅菌槽内の気体を外部へ排出する排気手段と、各手段を制御する制御手段を備える。制御手段は、滅菌工程a、排気工程bおよび乾燥工程c~f,iを順次に実行する。乾燥工程c~f,iにおいて、減圧手段による減圧動作cと復圧手段による復圧動作dとを繰り返した後、最終真空動作iを行う。最終真空動作iでは、復圧手段による滅菌槽内への給気弁を閉鎖した状態で、減圧手段により滅菌槽内を設定減圧時間だけ減圧し続けるか、設定減圧圧力まで減圧する。【選択図】図3
