Multiple-component integral-structure dual-test sterility indicator,
method of assembling physical components, selected spores, and chemical
constituents in solution, within the indicator and arranged to enable
dual-evaluations of bacterial-lethality of a dry-goods load, resulting
from exposure to a selected saturated-steam sterilizing cycle. The
chemical constituents are formulated to chemically produce
reaction-product, which is quantitatively responsive to the combined
effect of cycle steam temperature and time of exposure at that
temperature, for providing a promptly-available spectroscopic evaluation
of bacterial-lethality. Absorption of narrow-band selected visible-light
wavelength by reaction-product, if any, of chemical-constituent solution,
is used to quantitatively measure that combined-effect exposure.
Subsequent to such prompt-response evaluation of bacterial-lethality, a
biological evaluation of bacterial-lethality, utilizing the confined
contents of the same test indicator, free of risk of ambient
contamination of any such contents, by evaluating pH change, if any, due
to live spore-growth, or the absence thereof, following a predetermined
spore incubation period, utilizing the exposed liquid
constituent-solution for such spore-culturing evaluation.