A method of sterilizing an article by sequentially exposing the article to hydrogen peroxide and ozone is disclosed. The article is exposed under vacuum first to an evaporated aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and subsequently to an ozone containing gas. The exposure is carried out without reducing the water vapor content of the sterilization atmosphere, the water vapor content being derived from the aqueous solvent of the hydrogen peroxide solution and from the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The complete sterilization process is carried out while the chamber remains sealed and without removal of any component of the sterilization atmosphere. For this purpose, the chamber is initially evacuated to a first vacuum pressure sufficient to cause evaporation of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide at the temperature of the chamber atmosphere. The chamber is then sealed for the remainder of the sterilization process and during all sterilant injection cycles. Keeping the chamber sealed and maintaining the hydrogen peroxide and its decomposition products in the chamber for the subsequent ozone sterilization step results in a synergistic increase in the sterilization efficiency and allows for the use of much lower sterilant amounts and sterilization cycle times than would be expected from using hydrogen peroxide and ozone in combination.La présente invention concerne un procédé de stérilisation dun article par des expositions successives de larticle à du peroxyde dhydrogène et à de lozone. Larticle est exposé sous vide dabord à une solution aqueuse évaporée de peroxyde dhydrogène, puis à un gaz contenant de lozone. Lexposition est mise en œuvre sans réduction de la teneur en vapeur deau de latmosphère dans laquelle est effectuée la stérilisation, la teneur en vapeur deau étant la conséquence de la présence du solvant aqueux de la solution de peroxyde dhydrogène et de la décomposition du peroxyde dhydrogène en eau et en oxygène. Le processus complet
