PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for controlling an operation of a gas sterilization apparatus, when a prescribed gas concentration, a prescribed temperature, and a prescribed humidity in a sterilization tank for use in sterilization are changed, acquiring an optimal extension of a sterilizing time, suppressing an excessive extension of the sterilizing time, and capable of minimizing a delay of a post-process.SOLUTION: This method for controlling the operation of the gas sterilization apparatus that supplies the interior of the sterilization tank 1 with sterilizing gas to sterilize sterilizing objects includes: setting a reference sterilizing time based on a D value (D1) when the prescribed gas concentration, the prescribed temperature, and the prescribed humidity in the sterilization tank 1 for use in sterilization are defined as a reference state when the reference state is changed during the sterilizing process, calculating a D value (D2) in the changed state acquiring a ratio of the D value (D2) in the changed state to the D value (D1) in the reference state and defining a time that is obtained by multiplying a sterilizing residual time by the ratio as a corrected sterilizing residual time, where the sterilizing residual time is obtained by subtracting a lapsed time till determining the change in the reference state, from the reference sterilizing time.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】 滅菌に用いられる滅菌槽内の所定のガス濃度、所定の温度および所定の湿度が変化した場合に、最適な滅菌時間の延長を求め、過剰な滅菌時間の延長を抑制し、後工程の遅れを最小限とすることができるようにしたガス滅菌装置の運転制御方法を得る。【解決手段】 滅菌槽1内へ滅菌ガスを供給し、被滅菌物を滅菌処理するガス滅菌装置の運転制御方法であって、滅菌に用いられる滅菌槽1内の所定のガス濃度、所定の温度および所定の湿度を基準状態とするときのD値(D1)に基づいて、基準滅菌時間を設定しておき、滅菌工程中に前記基準状態が変化したとき、この変化した状態におけるD値(D2)を計算し、変化した状態におけるD値(D2)と前記基準状態におけるD値(D1)との比を求め、前記基準滅菌時間から前記基準状態の変化を判定したときまでの経過時間を減じた滅菌残時間に前記比を乗じた時間を補正滅菌残時間とする。【選択図】 図1
