Method for reducing allergenicity in indoor spaces
OwnerHugh W. Paytoninventor
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Abstract
According to this invention, allergenicity is reduced by combining the step of cleaning textiles in situ, to physically removing allergens with at least one of the following steps: a) use enzymes to denature all allergens capable of producing respiratory or skin reactions; and b) apply approved pesticides and fungicides/fungistats (preferably via professional pest control operators) to prevent reinfestation of house dust mites, molds and cockroaches. Alternatively, either of the latter two steps can be used alone or in combination with other aspects of any protocol to reduce the allergen load in allergen reservoirs momentarily or prophylactically.
Claims26
A method for reducing allergenicity in an indoor space, comprising two or more of the following steps:
- a) step for physically removing allergens capable of producing respiratory or skin reactions in asthmatics from allergen reservoirs in the indoor space;
- b) step for denaturing the allergens in the allergen reservoirs to reduce allergic reaction to the allergens;
- and
- c) step for prophylactically preventing reinfestation of the indoor space by house dust mites and molds.
A method for reducing allergenicity in an interior space comprising exposing textile-covered surfaces in an interior space to means for hydrolytically cleaving a plurality of peptide bonds in an allergenic polypeptide selected from house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores at ambient temperature, wherein the amount of active allergen in the interior space is consequently reduced.
A method for reducing allergenicity in an interior space comprising treating textile-covered surfaces in the interior space with one or more proteolytic enzymes under conditions where said enzymes cleave peptide bonds in allergenic polypeptides selected from house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores, wherein allergenicity in the interior space is lowered.
A method for reducing allergen load on a reservoir of allergens, said method comprising applying one or more proteolytic enzymes to said reservoir under conditions where said enzymes cleave sufficient peptide bonds in allergenic polypeptides selected from house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores to reduce active allergen load in the reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.