# US 2014/0154135 A1 · Aerosol > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154135 A1 - Document ID: US20140154135A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/085,924 - Filed: 2013-11-21 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-04 - Assignees: Saban Ventures Pty Limited - Applicants: Saban Ventures Pty Limited - Inventors: Vladimir Berentsveig; Gary Erickson; Ron Weinberger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154135A1 ## CPC - A01N 59/00: Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds - A01N 25/06: Aerosols - A61L 2/06: Hot gas - A61L 2/16: using chemical substances - A61L 2/20: Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours - A61L 2/208: Hydrogen peroxide - A61L 2/22: Phase substances, e.g. smokes or aerosols - A61L 2/24: Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation - C01B 15/013: Separation; Purification; Concentration - A61L 2103/15: Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps - A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS - 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} ## Abstract A nebulant suitable for sterilization comprising finely divided liquid droplets suspended in a gas, said droplets including a solute, which is advantageously hydrogen peroxide and a solvent, for example water, wherein the droplets have a concentration of greater than 60 wt % of solute and an average diameter of less than 1.0 micron, preferably less than 0.8 microns. Sterilization using the nebulant may be carried out in suitably adapted apparatus by nebulising a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles; removing the solvent vaporized from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, cooling the nebulant to below 70° C.; and exposing a surface to be sterilized to the nebulant of concentrated sterilizing agent for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for disinfecting or sterilizing a surface comprising the steps of: (1) nebulising a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; (2) subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles; (3) removing solvent vaporized in step (2) from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, optionally cooling the nebulant to below 70° C.; and (4) exposing said surface to nebulant of concentrated sterilizing agent from step (3) for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein steps (1) to (4) are conducted at atmospheric pressure or above, ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the sterilizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and mixtures thereof ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is, or includes, water. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4 wherein the solution in step (1) is 35% or less hydrogen peroxide in water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the nebulising of step (1) is conducted by means of an ultrasonic transducer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4 wherein step (2) includes heating the droplets in the aerosol issuing from the nebuliser in step (1) ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7 wherein the droplets are heated during passage over a heating element, which transfers sufficient energy to the solution particles to vaporize water from the droplets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein liquid concentration in the nebulant micro droplets increases to 60% to 80% while the particles shrink to an average diameter of less than 1 micron. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9 wherein liquid concentration in the nebulant micro droplets increases to 60% to 80% while the particles shrink to an average diameter of less than 0.8 micron. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein water vapour is removed from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure in the step (3) by a cold trap or condenser, a molecular sieve or desiccant, a semipermeable membrane device, or other water removal means operable at or above atmospheric pressure, while leaving the sub micron particles of concentrated peroxide solution in suspension in the gas stream. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein a surface to be sterilized is exposed to nebulant from step (3) for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein the surface is a mated surface or a lumen and wherein a 6 log reduction in micro-organism load in a mated surface sterilization test or a lumen sterilization test is achieved within 20 minutes exposure time to the nebulant from step (3) at atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13 wherein a 6 log reduction in micro-organism load in a mated surface sterilization test is achieved within 10 minutes exposure time to the nebulant from step (3) at atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 15 Apparatus for disinfecting or sterilizing a surface comprising: (1) Means adapted to produce a nebulant comprising finely divided particles of a solution suspended in a gas, the solution comprising a solute and a solvent; (2) Means for supplying sufficient energy to the nebulant to selectively flash off at least some of the solvent as a vapour, whereby the concentration of solute in nebulant particles is increased; and (3) Means to separate solvent vapour from the nebulant after step (3) at atmospheric pressure, and if necessary then cooling the nebulant to below 70° C. 4) Means for exposing a surface to be sterilized to the nebulant from step (4). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising means for controlling the energy supplied in step (2) to ensure that solvent is vaporised in preference to solute. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the means for nebulization used in step (1) are selected from the group comprising ultrasonic nebulizers, sprays, jet nebulizers and piezoelectric nebulizers, operated continuously or cyclically. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the nebulisers are switched on and off cyclically. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein step (2) is conducted by means selected from heating element means, infra red, laser, microwave, RF or other radiation generating means; induction heating means; heat exchanger means; conduction means; convection means; or mechanical energy transfer means. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the step of vapour removal is carried out by means selected from means for passing the gas through a drying agent, desiccant, or through suitable molecular sieves, membranes, means for passage through a centrifuge, means of a suitable cyclonic separator, or the like.