PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dilute only the concentration of a sterilization gas to which the outer surface of a sterilizing target object is exposed during sterilization while a pressure inside a sterilizing chamber is not changed much from a predetermined pressure immediately after the atmospheric air is introduced.SOLUTION: A sterilization method for sterilizing the lumen of a sterilizing target object includes: a process to introduce a sterilization gas into a sterilizing chamber where the pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure a process to open up the sterilizing chamber into which the sterilization gas is introduced to the atmospheric air, and to introduce the sterilization gas introduced into the sterilizing chamber into the lumen of the sterilizing target object in the sterilizing chamber by the rise of the internal pressure of the sterilization chamber a process to discharge from the sterilizing chamber the sterilization gas introduced into the sterilizing chamber and a process to maintain a state where the sterilization gas is introduced into the sterilizing chamber for a predetermined period of time between the atmospheric air introduction and the discharge. In the maintaining process, while the sterilizing chamber is opened up to the atmospheric air, the sterilization gas introduced into the sterilizing chamber is discharged.COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】滅菌室内部の圧力は大気を導入させた直後の所定圧からはあまり変化させずに、滅菌中に被滅菌物の外面が曝されている滅菌ガス濃度のみを希釈すること。【解決手段】被滅菌物の内腔を滅菌するための滅菌方法において、所定圧力まで減圧にされた滅菌室に滅菌ガスを導入し、滅菌ガスを導入した滅菌室を大気に解放させ、滅菌室の内部圧が上昇することによって、滅菌室に導入された滅菌ガスを滅菌室の中の被滅菌物の内腔に導入し、滅菌室に導入された滅菌ガスを滅菌室から排気し、さらに大気導入と排気との間には滅菌室に滅菌ガスが導入されている状態を所定時間維持し、維持するときに滅菌室を大気へ解放したまま、滅菌室に導入された滅菌ガスが排気されている。【選択図】 図9
