STEAM STERILIZATION DEVICE

To provide a steam sterilization device capable of efficiently removing air from a sterilization tank in an air removal step, reliably raising a temperature of an object to be sterilized, and suppressing an amount of condensate in transition to a sterilization step.SOLUTION: A steam sterilization device comprises: a sterilization tank storing an object to be sterilized; pressure reduction means for sucking and discharging a gas in the sterilization tank to outside; steam supplying means for supplying steam to the sterilization tank; exhaust means for exhausting the gas in the sterilization tank to outside; and control means for controlling the respective means. In an air exhaust step S1 before a sterilization step S2, (a) a pressure reduction/pressure restoration operation S12 for reducing a pressure in the sterilization tank and then supplying steam into the sterilization tank to restore pressure in the sterilization tank, and (b) a temperature raising and holding operation S14 for supplying steam into the sterilization tank and holding the inside of the sterilization tank at a set pressure PH for a set holding period, and then removing steam from the sterilization tank, are sequentially executed. The set pressure PH is set to be equal to or greater than a saturated steam pressure of a sterilization temperature in the sterilization step S2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】空気排除工程において、滅菌槽内からの空気排除を効率的に図ると共に、被滅菌物の昇温を確実に図り、滅菌工程への移行時の凝縮水量を抑える。【解決手段】被滅菌物が収容される滅菌槽と、滅菌槽内の気体を外部へ吸引排出する減圧手段と、滅菌槽内へ蒸気を供給する給蒸手段と、滅菌槽内の気体を外部へ排出する排気手段と、前記各手段を制御する制御手段とを備える。滅菌工程Ｓ２前の空気排除工程Ｓ１において、（ａ）滅菌槽内を減圧後に滅菌槽内に蒸気を供給して復圧する減復圧操作Ｓ１２と、（ｂ）滅菌槽内に蒸気を供給して滅菌槽内を設定圧力ＰＨで設定保持時間保持した後、滅菌槽内から蒸気を排出する昇温保持操作Ｓ１４と、を順に含んで実行する。前記設定圧力ＰＨは、滅菌工程Ｓ２での滅菌温度の飽和蒸気圧力以上で設定される。【選択図】図２