Apparatus for deactivating a pathogenic chemical agent
AssigneeSTERIS Inc.
InventorsIain F. McVey, Lewls I. Schwartz, Michael A. Centanni, George W. Wagner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide is vaporized (20) and mixed (30) with ammonia gas in a ratio between 1:1 and 1:0.0001. The peroxide and ammonia vapor mixture are conveyed to a treatment area (10) to neutralize V-type, H-type, or G-type chemical agents, pathogens, biotoxins, spores, prions, and the lip-,c. The ammonia provides the primary deactivating agent for G-type agents with the peroxide acting as an accelerator. The peroxide acts as the primary agent for deactivating V-type and H-type agents, pathogens, biotoxins, spores, and prions. The ammonia acts as an accelerator in at least some of these peroxide deactivation reactions.
Claims21
1-29. (canceled)
An apparatus for deactivating a pathogenic chemical agent comprising:
- means for subjecting the pathogenic chemical agent to a mixture of a peroxide in the form of a vapor and a nitrogen containing compound in the form of a gas, a ratio of the peroxide to the nitrogen containing compound being between 1:1 and 1:0.0001, the nitrogen containing compound being of the general formula:
- R1−N−R2 |R3
- where R1, R2, and R3 independently are selected from H and an alkyl group.
(canceled)
An apparatus for deactivating a pathogenic chemical agent, comprising:
- means for subjecting the pathogenic chemical agent to a mixture of peroxide in the form of a vapor and a nitrogen containing compound in the form of a mist, a ratio of the peroxide to the nitrogen containing compound being between 1:1 and 1:0.0001, the nitrogen containing compound being of the general formula:
- R1−N−R2 |R3
- where R1 and R2, and R3 independently are selected from H and an alkyl group, the nitrogen containing compound including a liquid, and further including:
- a mister for forming a mist of the liquid nitrogen containing compound.
41-53. (canceled)
An apparatus for decontamination of an item contaminated with GD, the apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure which receives the item contaminated with GD;
- and
- means for contacting the item with a gaseous mixture containing a peroxide, ammonia, and a carrier gas for sufficient time to reduce the concentration of GD to less than about 1% of its initial concentration, the time for the concentration to reach 1% of its initial concentration being less than 6 hrs, the peroxide concentration being at least 200 ppm in the gaseous mixture and the nitrogen containing compound concentration being less than about 100 ppm in the gaseous mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.