# US 11,896,731 B2 · Methods of disarming viruses using reactive gas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,731 B2 - Document ID: US11896731B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/017,517 - Filed: 2020-09-10 - Published: 2021-10-07 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-03 - Assignees: NanoGuard Technologies, LLC - Applicants: NanoGuard Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Mark A. Hochwalt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896731B2 ## CPC - A61L 2/14: Plasma, i.e. ionised gases - A61L 2/202: Ozone - A61L 2/20: Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours - A61L 2/26: Accessories - C01B 13/11: by electric discharge - A01C 1/08: Immunising seed - A61L 2101/02: Inorganic materials - A61L 2103/05: Living organisms or biological materials - A61L 2103/15: Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps - A61L 2103/75: Room floors or walls - A61L 2202/11: Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps - 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) - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) ## Abstract A method of disinfecting a surface that is contaminated with a virus or suspected of contamination with a virus, including: producing a reactive gas by forming a high-voltage cold plasma (HVCP) from a working gas with a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system at a voltage of 20 kV to 150 kV; transporting the reactive gas at least 1 meter away from the HVCP; followed by contacting the surface with the reactive gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of disinfecting a surface suspected of contamination with a virus, comprising: producing a reactive gas by forming a high-voltage cold plasma (HVCP) from a working gas with a dielectric baffler discharge (DBD) system; transporting the reactive gas at least 1 meter away from the HVCP; followed by contacting the surface with the reactive gas to disinfect the surface, wherein a host infected with the virus had contacted the surface, the reactive gas comprises (a) optionally ozone, and (b) at least one reactive or excited species other than ozone, and effectiveness of the reactive gas at disinfecting is greater than that of the ozone content alone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is an interior surface of a made-made structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the host is a human or an animal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the host is a plant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the man-made structure comprises a room or a passage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the man-made structure comprises a vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting is carried out in a room having a volume of at least 8 cubic meters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the room is in a hospital. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface is the surface of a medical device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting is for 1 second to 24 hours. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the virus is an RNA virus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of: rotavirus, rhinovirus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), African swine fever virus (ASF), hantavirus, norovirus, measles virus, ebola virus, influenza virus, avian virus, Zika virus, coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (ITERS) coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), papillomavirus, canine parvovirus, herpes simplex virus, chicken pox virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, smallpox virus, monkey pox virus and poliovirus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ### Claim 14 A method of disinfecting a surface contaminated with a virus, comprising: producing a reactive gas by forming a high-voltage cold plasma (HVCP) from a working gas with a DBD system; transporting the reactive gas at least 1 meter away from the HVCP; followed by contacting the surface with the reactive gas to disinfect the surface, wherein a host infected with the virus had contacted the surface, the reactive gas comprises (a) optionally ozone, and (b) at least one reactive or excited species other than ozone, and effectiveness of the reactive gas at disinfecting is greater than that of the ozone content alone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of: rotovirus, rhinovirus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), African swine fever virus (ASF), hantavirus, norovirus, measles virus, ebola virus, influenza virus, avian virus, Zika virus, coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), papillomavirus, canine parvovirus, herpes simplex virus, chicken pox virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, smallpox virus, monkey pox virus and poliovirus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting the surface is sufficient to produce at least a 2-log10 reduction by MS2 phage assay test. ### Claim 18 A method of disinfecting a surface contaminated with a virus, comprising: (I) producing a reactive gas by forming a high-voltage cold plasma (HVCP) from a working gas with a DBD system; (II) transporting the reactive gas at least 1 meter away from the HVCP; (III) followed by contacting the surface with the reactive gas to disinfect the surface, (IV) obtaining a virus sample from the surface after the contacting, and (V) determining an amount of remaining virus after exposure to the reactive gas, wherein, if the surface is not disinfected by the contacting, repeating (I), (II) and (III) until the surface is disinfected, the reactive gas comprises (a) optionally ozone, and (b) at least one reactive or excited species other than ozone, and effectiveness of the reactive gas at disinfesting is Greater than that of the ozone content alone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the determining uses MS2 phage plaque assay test. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the working gas is MA65.