System and method for disinfecting a surface of an object with iodine-laden gas

A method for disinfecting a surface of an object, comprising the steps of:

• providing a chamber including an iodine source;
• generating a carrier gas stream;
• passing the carrier gas stream though a negative ion generator, which ionizes molecules of the carrier gas stream;
• introducing the carrier gas stream into and through the chamber including the iodine source, such that an iodine-laden gas exits the chamber;
• providing an enclosure having an open side, and placing the enclosure over or on the surface of the object;
• and
• introducing the iodine-laden gas into the enclosure, where it interacts with microbes contained on the surface of the object.

A system for disinfecting a surface of an object, comprising:

• a carrier gas generation means, which generates a carrier gas;
• a negative ion generator, which receives the carrier gas and ionizes molecules of the carrier gas;
• a chamber including an iodine source, which receives the carrier gas after it has exited the negative ion generator, such that the carrier gas interacts with the iodine source and an iodine-laden gas exits the chamber;
• and
• a nozzle in fluid communication with the chamber for receiving the iodine-laden gas from the chamber, which is thus ejected from the nozzle and is applied to the surface of the object.

A method for disinfecting a surface of an object, comprising the steps of:

• providing a chamber including an iodine source;
• generating a carrier gas stream;
• passing the carrier gas stream though a negative ion generator, which ionizes molecules of the carrier gas stream;
• introducing the carrier gas stream into and through the chamber including the iodine source, such that an iodine-laden gas exits the chamber and into a conduit for delivery to a nozzle;
• and
• ejecting the iodine-laden gas via the nozzle onto the surface of the object, where it interacts with microbes contained on the surface of the object.