Abstract: A sterilization apparatus includes a sterilization chamber, a vaporization chamber, a wall partitioning the vaporization chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, a first passage connecting the first chamber and the second chamber, a table arranged in the first chamber, a nozzle arranged toward the table to spray a sterilizing agent toward the table, a liquid reservoir for storing the liquid component of the sterilizing agent sprayed toward the table, a second passage connecting the second chamber and the sterilization chamber, and a means for decompressing the sterilization chamber and also decompressing the first chamber and the second chamber of the vaporization chamber through the first passage and the second passage, wherein the first passage is formed by a belt-shaped gap having a small thickness and a large width.

Abstract: A sterilization apparatus includes a sterilization chamber, a vaporization chamber, a wall partitioning the vaporization chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, a first passage connecting the first chamber and the second chamber, a table arranged in the first chamber, a nozzle arranged toward the table to spray a sterilizing agent toward the table, a liquid reservoir for storing the liquid component of the sterilizing agent sprayed toward the table, a second passage connecting the second chamber and the sterilization chamber, and a means for decompressing the sterilization chamber and also decompressing the first chamber and the second chamber of the vaporization chamber through the first passage and the second passage, wherein the first passage is formed by a belt-shaped gap having a small thickness and a large width.

Abstract: A sterilization method that generates a sterilization gas by vaporizing a sterilizing agent supplied to a chamber having reduced pressure, and sterilizes an object to be sterilized using the sterilization gas, said method comprising (a) a first step for reducing the pressure of the chamber to a prescribed pressure, and (b) a second step for generating the sterilization gas by injecting the sterilizing agent into the chamber after the first step. The second step comprises (b1) a first sub-step for generating the sterilization gas by injecting a prescribed amount of the sterilizing agent into the chamber, (b2) a second sub-step for standing by after the first sub-step until a predetermined criterion is satisfied, and (b3) a third sub-step for repeating the first sub-step and the second sub-step a prescribed number of times.