# US 12,758,674 B2 · Air decontamination and self-renewing purification system utilizing a filter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,758,674 B2 - Document ID: US12758674B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/465,463 - Filed: 2023-09-12 - Published: 2024-01-04 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-30 - Assignees: Metalmark Innovations, PBC - Applicants: Metalmark Innovations, PBC - Inventors: Sissi Liu; Elijah Shirman; Tanya Shirman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12758674B2 ## CPC - A61L 9/16: using physical phenomena - A61L 9/205: {using a photocatalyst or photosensitiser} - B01D 39/1607: {the material being fibrous (B01D39/18 takes precedence)} - B01D 39/2041: {the material being filamentary or fibrous} - B01D 46/0028: {provided with antibacterial or antifungal means} - B01D 46/0036: {by adsorption or absorption} - B01D 46/785: {by electrical means, e.g. for the generation of electrostatic forces in order to reject particles} - A61L 2209/111: Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors - A61L 2209/12: Lighting means - A61L 2209/14: Filtering means - A61L 2209/21: Use of chemical compounds for treating air or the like - A61L 2209/22: Treatment by sorption, e.g. absorption, adsorption, chemisorption, scrubbing, wet cleaning - B01D 2239/0442: Antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal additives - B01D 2239/0492: on fibres - B01D 2273/30: Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan - B01D 2279/50: for air conditioning - B01D 2279/65: for the sterilisation of air - 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) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract An air purification system includes a conduit extending between an inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with an enclosed environment. Ambient air from the enclosed environment enters the conduit via the inlet and treated air exits the conduit and enters the enclosed environment via the outlet. The system further includes a fibrous filter disposed within the conduit and configured to treat the ambient air thereby generating the treated air, and a renewal unit disposed within the conduit and configured to renew the fibrous filter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air treatment system, comprising: at least one conduit extending between an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is configured to allow entry of ambient air from an environment into the at least one conduit and the outlet is configured to allow exit of treated air from the at least one conduit, a plurality of filters disposed in said at least one conduit for treating the ambient air entering the at least one conduit, wherein at least one of said plurality of filters is a fibrous filter configured to capture at least a portion of particle contaminants in said ambient air entered via the inlet into the at least one conduit, and at least one renewal unit configured to supply energy to said fibrous filter to cause at least one of deactivation, degradation, and release of said captured particle contaminants from said fibrous filter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters are connected in series. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters are connected in parallel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said at least one renewal unit is configured to transfer energy to the at least one fibrous filter to cause renewal thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air treatment system of claim 4, wherein said transferred energy includes any of heat, visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, infrared light, electromagnetic radiation, infrared radiation, a magnetic field or a combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter is configured to perform any of removal and inactivation of pathogen particles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of filters is configured to remove gaseous contaminants. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The air treatment system of claim 7, wherein said gaseous contaminants include organic compounds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The air treatment system of claim 7, wherein said gaseous contaminants include smoke. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The air treatment system of claim 7, wherein said gaseous contaminants include CO2. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter includes a high efficiency fibrous filter and at least another one of said plurality of filters includes a sorption filter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The air treatment system of claim 11, wherein said fibrous filter is positioned upstream of said sorption filter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said at least one conduit comprises a primary conduit and a secondary conduit in communication with the primary conduit and wherein at least one of the filters is positioned in the primary conduit and at least another one of the filters is positioned in the secondary conduit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The air treatment system of claim 13, wherein the renewal unit is positioned in said primary conduit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a treatment unit disposed in said at least one conduit, wherein the treatment unit is configured to treat contaminants released from the fibrous filter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The air treatment system of claim 15, wherein the treatment unit includes any of a catalytic filter, a sorption filter, or a combination thereof that is configured to retain or treat the contaminants released from the fibrous filter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The air treatment system of claim 15, wherein said at least one conduit includes a primary conduit and a secondary conduit in communication with the primary conduit, and wherein said plurality of filters is disposed in the primary conduit and the treatment unit is disposed in the secondary conduit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of filters includes a reactive medium coupled to the filter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The air treatment system of claim 18, wherein the reactive medium includes at least one of an organic material, an inorganic material, a sorbent material, a catalytic material, a material of biological origin, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of filters includes a porous coating coupled to the filter. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The air treatment system of claim 20, wherein the porous coating includes at least one of an organic material, an inorganic material, a sorbent material, a catalytic material, a material of biological origin, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The air treatment system of claim 20, wherein the porous coating includes a reactive medium. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to activate said at least one renewal unit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The air treatment system of claim 23, wherein said plurality of filters comprises a plurality of fibrous filters. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The air treatment system of claim 24, wherein said at least one renewal unit includes a plurality of renewal units each of which is configured to treat one of said plurality of fibrous filters. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The air treatment system of claim 25, wherein said controller is configured to activate said renewal units in different time periods. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said renewable fibrous filter is a functionalized filter having a secondary porous coating. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter is treated by a process involving air flow to release at least a portion of said particle contaminants therefrom. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter captures at least 90 percent of said particle contaminants. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter captures at least 95 percent of said particle contaminants. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The air treatment system of claim 1, wherein said fibrous filter captures at least 99 percent of said particle contaminants.