# US 10,766,580 B2 · Method and system for preventing fouling of surfaces

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- Number: US 10,766,580 B2
- Document ID: US10766580B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/220,534
- Filed: 2018-12-14
- Published: 2020-01-23
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-22
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: Bart Andre Salters; Roelant Boudewijn Hietbrink; Ivo Wilhelmus Johannes Marie Rutten; Hendrik Van Houten
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766580B2

## CPC

- B63B 59/04: Preventing hull fouling (anti-fouling paints C09D5/16)
- A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
- B08B 7/0057: {by ultraviolet radiation}
- B08B 17/02: Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust
- G02B 6/00: Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B 6/0043: {provided on the surface of the light guide}
- G02B 19/0019: {having reflective surfaces only (e.g. louvre systems, systems with multiple planar reflectors)}
- G02B 19/0061: {the light source comprising a LED}
- G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces}
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
- 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)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A method of anti-fouling of a surface while said surface is at least partially submersed in an liquid environment, comprising: providing an anti-fouling light; distributing at least part of the light through an optical medium comprising a silicone material and/or UV grade fused silica; emitting the anti-fouling light from the optical medium and from the surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of anti-fouling of a protected surface comprising, while the protected surface is at least partially submersed in a liquid environment:
providing a two-dimensional grid of conductors,
wherein the grid of conductors comprises a plurality of nodes;
providing a plurality of anti-fouling lights,
wherein each anti-fouling light emits ultra-violet (UV) radiation,
wherein each of the plurality of anti-fouling lights is coupled to a node of the grid of conductors,
wherein the grid of conductors with the plurality of anti-fouling lights form a chicken-wire structure, each node being an intersection in the chicken-wire structure;
embedding the grid of conductors with the plurality of anti-fouling lights in an optical medium;
situating the optical medium in close proximity to the protected surface, the optical medium having an emission surface;
distributing at least part of the UV radiation through the optical medium in a direction parallel to the protected surface; and
emitting the UV radiation from the emission surface of the optical medium in a direction away from the protected surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emission surface is a planar surface that masks or obscures a thickness of the grid of conductors with the plurality of anti-fouling lights embedded in the optical medium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emission surface is a planar surface that masks or obscures constructional uneveness of the protected surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid environment is an aqueous or oily environment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the grid of conductors with the plurality of anti-fouling lights are situated in close proximity to the protected surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength conversion material is comprised in the optical medium and at least part of the UV radiation is generated by photo-exciting the wavelength conversion material to emit anti-fouling light at another wavelength.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1,
wherein the optical medium comprises a silicon material and/or UV grade silica material, and
wherein the optical medium is one of a light guide, a light spreader or a combination of a light guide and a light spreader.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the silicone material is a silicone material comprising methyl-silicones.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, comprising providing at least a part of the optical medium with a spatially varying density of UV translucent particles, the UV translucent particles at least partly embedded in a silicone material, and comprising emitting the UV radiation from an emission surface of the optical medium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the particles are UV grade silica particles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the particles are flakes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein in the said part of the optical medium the density of the UV grade silica particles in the silicone material increases from within the optical medium towards the emission surface of the optical medium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising distributing at least part of the UV radiation through spaces, in the optical medium which are filled with gas and/or clear liquid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the clear liquid is water.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the spaces are channels.

### Claim 16

A lighting module for anti-fouling of a protected surface comprising:
a two-dimensional grid of conductors,
wherein grid of conductors comprises a plurality of nodes;
a plurality of light sources that emit anti-fouling light,
wherein the grid of light sources is coupled to the plurality of nodes of the grid of conductors
wherein the grid of conductors with the plurality of light sources form a chicken-wire structure,
wherein each node forms an intersection in the chicken-wire structure;
an optical medium that distributes at least part of the anti-fouling light through the optical medium in a direction parallel to the protected surface,
the optical medium comprising an emission surface that emits the distributed anti-fouling light in a direction away from the protected surface,
wherein the grid of conductors with the plurality of light sources is embedded in the optical medium.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the emission surface is a planar surface that masks or obscures a thickness of the grid of conductors with the plurality of light sources embedded in the lighting module.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the emission surface is a planar surface that masks or obscures constructional uneveness of the protected surface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the plurality of light source comprises at least one UV LED.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the optical medium provides a liquid-tight encapsulation.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the optical medium comprises a silicone material and/or UV grade silica material, and
wherein the optical medium is one of a light guide, a light spreader or a combination of a light guide and a light spreader.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The lighting module of claim 21, wherein the silicone material is a silicone material comprising methyl-silicones.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The lighting module of claim 21, wherein at lest a part of the optical medium comprises a spatially varying density of UV translucent particles at least partly embedded in a silicone material and wherein the density of the UV grade silica particles in the silicone material increases from within the optical medium towards the emission surface of the optical medium in at least part of the optical medium.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The lighting module of claim 23 wherein the particles are UV grade silica particles.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The lighting module of claim 23, wherein the particles are flakes.

### Claim 26 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the optical medium comprises spaces, filled with gas and/or clear water for guiding at least part of the anti-fouling light therethrough.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The lighting module of claim 26, wherein the spaces are channels.

### Claim 28 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16,
wherein the plurality of light sources comprises at least one of a Light Emitting Diode or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (LED or OLED),
wherein the plurality of light source is configured for emitting anti-fouling light in the wavelength range of UV light from 240 nm to 280 nm.

### Claim 29 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16,
wherein the plurality of light sources comprises at least one of a Light Emitting Diode or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (LED or OLED), and
wherein a wavelength conversion material is comprised in the optical medium and generates at least part of the anti-fouling light by photo-exciting wavelength conversion material with light having a first wavelength causing the wavelength conversion material to emit the anti-fouling light at another wavelength.

### Claim 30 (depends on 16)

The lighting module of claim 16, wherein the lighting module is shaped as a tile or an elongated strip.

### Claim 31 (depends on 16)

A system for anti-fouling of a protected surface, comprising a plurality of lighting modules of claim 16, wherein the plurality of lighting modules are arranged on the protected surface so as to provide anti-fouling light over the entire area of the protected surface.

### Claim 32 (depends on 16)

A ship comprising at least one lighting module as claimed in claim 16.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

A ship according to claim 32, wherein a hull of the ship is the protected surface.