Abstract: A method for pasteurizing, decontaminating or disinfecting the surfaces of medical, dental, surgical, and food processing instruments or other objects in a liquid phase by placing said objects in hot water or a hot aqueous solution whose temperature is between about 48.degree. C. and 68.degree. C. while irradiating at the same time the liquid and objects with an ultrasonic cavitating field whose main frequency is lower than 150 KHz and the average acoustic energy density greater than 5 watts per liter. According to acoustic intensity and temperature, the ultrasonic pasteurizng time may vary from 15 to 30 minutes. The method is compatible with the use of surfactants and detergents of the anionic, non-ionic, cationic and amphoteric type and can be performed in either a continuous or batch process.

Abstract: A method to sterilize the surfaces of objects placed in a continuous flow of a low temperature, low pressure gas plasma, containing small amounts of aromatic, heterocyclic and saturated or unsaturated acyclic aldehydes alone or mixtures thereof. Said gas plasma is a partially ionized gas composed of ions, electrons and neutral species. It is created by electromagnetic discharges at subatmospheric pressure in the 1 to 10,000 Megahertz range, and corresponds to a minimum average spatial energy density of 0.001 watts per cubic centimeter.The gas plasma may also contain other vaporized cidal agents. Contrary to most sterilant gases, the method is safe, allows quick handling of heat sensitive items, does not corrode equipment and does not leave toxic residues.