A device and system is disclosed for sterilizing objects, commonly dental, medical, or veterinary instruments, by enhancing rapid hot air diffusion into an instrument container by means of a sliding cover overlaying an opening in the bottom of the instrument container when in the closed position and sliding horizontally to reveal the opening in the open position, allowing rapidly flowing hot air into the container for medical article sterilization. The sliding cover is moved to the open position just prior to the sterilization process by a mechanical means incorporated into the sterilizer with the sliding cover remaining in the open position through the completion of the sterilization process. Once the sterilization cycle is complete, the mechanical means is reversed, closing, sealing, and locking the sliding cover in place over the opening before the instrument container is removed from the sterilizer, ensuring continued medical instrumentation sterility inside the container.
