PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase sterilization effect to an object to be sterilized by heating the object to be sterilized to an appropriate temperature for a comparatively short time without using plasma obtained by expensive equipment as a heating source.SOLUTION: A sterilization apparatus which sterilizes an object to be sterilized by alternately performing a process of degassing a gas in a sterilizing chamber and a process of introducing a sterilizing gas into the sterilizing chamber includes: a first heater which keeps the temperature of an environment in the sterilizing chamber in a temperature range appropriate for a sterilizing action of a sterilizing gas a second heater which heats the object to be sterilized after placing the object to be sterilized in the sterilizing chamber and an output-controlling section which controls whether or not the object to be sterilized is heated by switching a power level with the second heater. The output-controlling section begins to heat with the second heater before introduction process begins so that the temperature of the object to be sterilized which is placed in the sterilizing chamber reaches a temperature region.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】加熱源として設備が高価なプラズマを使用しなくても比較的短時間に被滅菌物を適正温度まで加温することで被滅菌物に対する滅菌効果を高めること。【解決手段】滅菌室内の気体を排気する工程と、当該滅菌室内に滅菌ガスを導入する工程とを交互に行うことで被滅菌物を滅菌する滅菌装置が、滅菌室内の環境を、滅菌ガスの滅菌作用に適した温度領域に保温する第1のヒータ部と、滅菌室内に被滅菌物が配置されたあとに当該被滅菌物を加熱する第2のヒータ部と、第2のヒータ部によるパワーレベルを切り替えて、当該被滅菌物を加熱するかいなかを制御する出力制御部と、を備え、滅菌室内に配置されている被滅菌物の温度が温度領域に到達するように、導入する工程が開始されるまでに出力制御部が第2のヒータ部による加熱を始める。【選択図】 図3
