To solve the following problems with the conventional apparatus; a sterilizing agent is disposed on the tube wall in an oxygen enrichment route but only the sterilizing power on the surface can be expected with this agent; for example, when the corpses or the like of bacteria deposit on the surface, the sterilizing power of the sterilizing agent of the tube wall does not effect onto the deposits and the bacteria are extremely liable to be propagated by the same coupled by the remaining moisture and the interior of the tube is a hotbed for the bacteria upon lapse of many years.
The oxygen enrichment apparatus has an oxygen enrichment membrane module which has a permeable membrane allowing easier permeation of oxygen than nitrogen and a vacuum pump which obtains oxygen enriched air through the permselective membrane from atmospheric air by reducing the pressure in the oxygen enrichment membrane module and forcibly feeds the oxygen enriched air toward a spout. The pipeline between the oxygen enrichment membrane module and the vacuum pump is provided with changeover means for changing over the oxygen enriched air from the oxygen enrichment membrane module and the external air and supplying the air to the vacuum pump and sterilizing means. The sterilizing agent obtained from the sterilizing means is supplied to the route for the oxygen enriched air.
| WO/2002/078753 | METHOD FOR STERILIZING ARTICLES |
| WO/1999/053966 | AN APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR STERILISING A MEMBER |
KOBAYASHI CHIHIRO
KATAOKA YUMIKO
SUYAMA HIROTOMO
OHASHI TAKAHIRO
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