Sterilizing apparatus

A sterilizer is provided having a steam filled sterilizer chamber for sterilizer articles placed within the chamber. An electronic air valve is provided to control the venting rate of the steam is vented back to a water reservoir after the articles have been sterilized. The electronic air valve also vents the chamber in a controlled manner during the heat up portion of the sterilization cycle to obtain an optimum saturated steam environment with the chamber for the sterilizing process. The sterilizer has pre-programmed and programmable sterilization cycles. And the drying times of each of these cycles is programmable by a user. The programmable sterilization cycles also provide a programmable vent rate which may be selected by the user to minimize damage to the sterilized articles. A steam condensing coil is associated with the water reservoir to minimize pressure build up within the water reservoir. The sterilizer uses sensed pressure within the sterilizer chamber to control heating of the chamber to a predetermined sterilization temperature set point during a sterilization cycle. A motor controls a door lock mechanism to open the door of the sterilizer following the sterilizing portion of the sterilization cycle.