# US 10,307,501 B2 · Decontamination apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,501 B2 - Document ID: US10307501B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/894,159 - Filed: 2018-02-12 - Published: 2018-06-14 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-10 - Assignees: Diversey, Inc. - Applicants: Diversey, Inc. - Inventors: Roderick Dayton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307501B2 ## CPC - A61L 2/26: Accessories - A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation - A61L 2/24: Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation - A61L 9/20: Ultraviolet radiation - A61L 2103/75: Room floors or walls - A61L 2202/14: Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs - A61L 2202/16: Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) ## Abstract Provided is a decontamination apparatus that includes a motorized base with a transport system that is operable to autonomously move the decontamination apparatus. A plurality of UVC bulbs, each of which emits UVC light, are supported at a vertical elevation above the motorized base. A controller controls operation of the transport system to move the decontamination apparatus along a desired route while the UVC bulbs are energized during a decontamination process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A decontamination apparatus comprising: a motorized base comprising a transport system that is operable to move the decontamination apparatus over a surface; a plurality of UVC bulbs that emit UVC light supported by the motorized base; a power cord that is extendable from the motorized base, wherein the power cord is flexible to be laid onto the surface and define a desired route to be traveled by the motorized base; a cord sensor that detects a quality of the power cord defining the desired route on the surface; an adjustable support that couples the cord sensor to the motorized base, wherein at least a portion of the adjustable support is adjustable relative to the motorized base to support the cord sensor at a plurality of different positions relative to the motorized base; and a controller in communication with the cord sensor to (i) receive a signal indicative of the sensed quality of the power cord transmitted by the cord sensor, and (ii) control operation of the transport system to move the motorized base supporting the plurality of UVC bulbs over the surface along the desired route based on the received signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cord sensor detects an electric current conducted by the cord as the quality, and the signal transmitted by the cord sensor is indicative of the detected electric current. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bulbs are adjustably coupled to the base to be independently-positionable relative to each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable support comprises an arm that is pivotally coupled to the motorized base. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The decontamination apparatus of claim 4, wherein the arm is pivotally adjustable relative to the motorized base between: (i) a first orientation in which the cord sensor is supported at a first position that is spaced apart from the motorized base, and (ii) an upright orientation in which the cord sensor is supported at a second position relative to the motorized base that is different from the first position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different positions where the cord sensor is supported by the adjustable support comprise a first elevation above the surface forward of the motorized base in a direction the motorized base travels along the desired route, and a second elevation above the surface, wherein the second elevation is different than the first elevation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a retractor that collects the cord as the motorized base travels along the desired route during a decontamination process. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The decontamination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the retractor is positioned to collect portions of the cord behind the motorized base, after the motorized base has traveled over the portions of the cord along the desired route. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an additional UVC bulb arranged to emit a suitable quantity of UVC light onto portions of the cord being collected from the surface to decontaminate the portions of the cord. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The decontamination apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a housing that defines an aperture through which the cord is collected by a retractor, wherein the additional UVC bulb is arranged adjacent to the aperture to expose the portions of the cord passing through the aperture to the UVC light emitted by the additional UVC bulb. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The decontamination apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises an interior space in which the retractor stores the portions of the cord that have been collected from the surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The decontamination apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a light shield that interferes with transmission of at least a portion of the UVC light emitted by the additional UVC bulb into the interior space of the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configurable into a learn mode and, in the learn mode, stores the desired route in a memory component by: receiving input indicating that the motorized base is at a first location along the desired route, receiving data collected by a sensor that detects a path traveled by the motorized base while the controller is in the learn mode, and receiving input indicating that the motorized base has arrived at a second location along the desired route. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The decontamination apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the transport system to cause the motorized base to autonomously travel from the first location to the second location along the desired route during a decontamination process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The decontamination apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the transport system to cause the motorized base to autonomously travel from the second location to the first location along the desired route during a decontamination process. ### Claim 16 A method of facilitating autonomous movement of a decontamination apparatus, the decontamination apparatus comprising: (i) a motorized base that supports a plurality of UVC bulbs, (ii) a memory component that stores a desired route to be traveled by the motorized base, and (iii) a controller, the method comprising: receiving, with the controller, input indicating that the motorized base is positioned at a first location; receiving, with the controller, data collected by a sensor that detects movement of the motorized base along a path from the first location; receiving, with the controller, input indicating that the motorized base has arrived at a second location; and storing, in the memory component, the path traveled by the motorized base between the first location and the second location as the desired route based on the data collected by the sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising, in response to receiving an instruction to conduct a decontamination process: causing the plurality of UVC bulbs to be energized; and controlling operation of a transport system provided to the motorized base to cause the motorized base to navigate the desired route in a direction from the first location to the second location. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of UVC bulbs are energized after a predetermined period of time has elapsed following receipt of the instruction to conduct the decontamination process, wherein the predetermined period of time is suitably long to allow an operator who issued the instruction to conduct the decontamination process to exit a room in which the decontamination apparatus is located. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising, in response to receiving an instruction to conduct a decontamination process: causing the plurality of UVC bulbs to be energized; and controlling operation of a transport system provided to the motorized base to cause the motorized base to navigate the desired route in a direction from the second location to the first location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of UVC bulbs are energized after a predetermined period of time has elapsed following receipt of the instruction to conduct the decontamination process, wherein the predetermined period of time is suitably long to allow an operator who issued the instruction to conduct the decontamination process to exit a room in which the decontamination apparatus is located.