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US 2020/0046865 A1Published application
Decontamination device and method using ultrasonic cavitation
AssigneeTomi Environmental Solutions, Inc.
InventorsHalden Stuart SHANE, Johnny Sullivan CATO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for decontaminating substantially enclosed environments by using ultrasonic cavitation of a cleaning fluid to produce a low pressure, low air flow mist that can be activated by a nonthermal plasma actuator to create a cloud of activated hydroxyl species with the capacity to decontaminate articles, open surfaces or substantially enclosed spaces of pathogens, including bacteria, and other pathogenic microorganisms. An automated system and related non-transitory computer medium are also disclosed.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A system for decontaminating a substantially enclosed space, comprising:
- a computer processor, wherein the computer processor is in networked communication with a decontamination apparatus;
- a decontamination apparatus, wherein the decontamination apparatus is in networked communication with the computer processor, and further wherein the decontamination apparatus comprises:
- a reservoir of cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a source of an active species for decontamination of a substantially enclosed space, wherein the active species is hydroxyl ions and wherein the source is hydrogen peroxide and the cleaning fluid is silver-free, chlorine-free and peracetic-acid free;
- an ultrasonic cavitator comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the ultrasonic cavitator is submerged in the reservoir;
- a nonthermal plasma actuator, wherein the actuator activates a mist comprising aerosol droplets generated from the reservoir at substantially one atmosphere ambient pressure;
- a funnel, wherein the funnel connects the nonthermal plasma actuator to the reservoir;
- an outer tube, wherein the outer tube connects the nonthermal actuator to the external atmosphere;
- and
- wherein a mist generated from the reservoir can pass through the funnel to the actuator, and further wherein after the mist is activated by the actuator to form plasma activated ionic particles carried by the aerosol droplets of the mist, wherein the plasma activated ionic particles are hydroxyl ions, the mist is dispersed through the outer tube to the external atmosphere.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium providing instructions for repeating decontamination cycles of a decontamination apparatus, the instructions comprising:
- sensing a presence of a pathogen in a substantially enclosed space;
- communicating the presence of the pathogen to a computer database;
- identifying the pathogen sensed in the substantially enclosed space using the computer database;
- selecting a program of decontamination cycles from the computer database based on the identity of the pathogen;
- communication the selected program to a decontamination apparatus, wherein the decontamination apparatus is networked to automatically follow the program;
- performing the decontamination cycles according to the program, wherein each decontamination cycle comprises the steps of:
- providing a reservoir of a cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a source of an active species for decontamination of a substantially enclosed space, wherein the active species is hydroxyl ions and wherein the source is hydrogen peroxide and the cleaning fluid is silver-free, chlorine-free and peracetic-acid free;
- cavitating the reservoir of cleaning fluid by applying force to the cleaning fluid;
- generating a mist comprising aerosol droplets, wherein the mist is generated from the cleaning fluid while the cleaning fluid is subject to cavitation by force;
- subjecting the mist to a nonthermal plasma actuator to form plasma activated ionic particles, wherein the plasma activated ionic particles are hydroxyl ions;
- and
- contacting the plasma activated ionic particles to the pathogen.
9 more elements
A method for decontaminating a substantially enclosed space, comprising the steps of:
- sensing a presence of a pathogen in the atmosphere of a substantially enclosed space using a sensor;
- communicating the presence of the pathogen from the sensor to a networked computer processor;
- communicating from the networked computer processor to a decontamination apparatus that a pathogen is present in the substantially enclosed space;
- activating a decontamination cycle of the decontamination apparatus, wherein the decontamination cycle comprises the steps of:
- providing a reservoir of a cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a source of an active species for decontamination of a substantially enclosed space, wherein the active species is hydroxyl ions and wherein the source is hydrogen peroxide and the cleaning fluid is silver-free, chlorine-free and peracetic-acid free;
- cavitating the reservoir of cleaning fluid by applying force to the cleaning fluid;
- generating a mist comprising aerosol droplets, wherein the mist is generated from the cleaning fluid while the cleaning fluid is subject to cavitation by force;
- subjecting the mist to a nonthermal plasma actuator to form plasma activated ionic particles, wherein the plasma activated ionic particles are hydroxyl ions;
- and
- contacting the plasma activated ionic particles to the pathogen.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.