# US 2020/0399874 A1 · System and method for disinfection of a plumbing system associated with liquid waste > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0399874 A1 - Document ID: US20200399874A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/969,637 - Filed: 2019-02-26 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-25 - Assignees: University of Virginia Patent Foundation - Applicants: University of Virginia Patent Foundation - Inventors: William H. Guilford; Amy J. Mathers; Shireen M. Kotay - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399874A1 ## CPC - E03C 1/126: Installations for disinfecting or deodorising waste-water plumbing installations - C02F 1/02: by heating (methods of steam generation F22B; preheating boiler feed-water or accumulating preheated boiler feed-water F22D) - F16L 53/38: using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons - F16L 59/024: {consisting of two half sleeves} - F16L 59/026: {Mattresses, mats, blankets or the like} - F16L 59/10: Bandages or covers for the protection of the insulation, e.g. against the influence of the environment or against mechanical damage (integral with insulating materials F16L59/02) - F16L 59/143: {Pre-insulated pipes} - C02F 2103/003: {Wastewater from hospitals, laboratories and the like, heavily contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms} - C02F 2209/005: Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC] - C02F 2209/02: Temperature - C02F 2303/04: Disinfection - E03C 1/28: Odour seals - F16L 53/34: using electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields, e.g. induction, dielectric or microwave heating - E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL ## Abstract A thermal disinfection system, and related of method of use and manufacture, is implemented with a liquid-carrying conduit associated with a given plumbing system applicable with a given environment. The thermal disinfection system may include a heating device configured for thermal contact with at least a portion of the liquid-carrying conduit, thereby defining a thermal contact region of the liquid-carrying conduit. Additionally, a thermal insulating layer may disposed on the heating device. The heating device may be configured to heat (or heat and dry) a lumen defined by the liquid-carrying conduit along the thermal contact region (in whole or in part) to a specified temperature to prevent (e.g., suppress) or inhibit (e.g., reduce) microbial activity from advancing through the lumen defined by the liquid-carrying conduit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermal disinfection system for a liquid-carrying conduit in a plumbing system, the thermal disinfection system comprising: a heating device configured for thermal contact with at least a portion of said liquid-carrying conduit, thereby defining a thermal contact region of said liquid-carrying conduit; and a thermal insulating layer disposed on said heating device configured to be located on a surface of said heating device opposite from said liquid-carrying conduit; wherein said heating device is configured to heat a lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit along said thermal contact region to a specified temperature to prevent or inhibit microbial activity from advancing through said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said microbial activity includes bacterial growth and colonization. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is further configured to: dry said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit along said thermal contact region to prevent or inhibit microbial activity through said lumen defined by said liquid carrying conduit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein said microbial activity includes bacterial growth and colonization. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller in electrical communication by a circuit with said heating device to control at least one of duration of heat or magnitude of heat provided by said heating device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controlling the duration of heat includes providing the heat during intermittent time periods or specified time schedules. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controlling magnitude of heat includes providing the heat at one or more temperatures or range of temperatures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein said intermediate conduit is an intermediate pipe. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein intermediate pipe is a tailpiece. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a proximal conduit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein said proximal conduit is a drain pipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein said drain pipe is a fixture drain, strainer body, reservoir drain, or strainer sleeve. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein said proximal conduit is in fluidic communication with a fixture. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein said fixture comprises at least one of the following: sink, tank, reservoir, tub, receptacle, shower or basin. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a proximal conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a distal conduit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein said distal conduit is a trap pipe. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein said trap pipe is a P-trap, S-trap, drum-trap, bottle-trap, or bell-trap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein said intermediate conduit is configured to be used with and between said proximal conduit and said distal conduit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a distal conduit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is configured to be: attachable to said liquid-carrying conduit; detachable from said liquid-carrying conduit; or attachable and detachable from said liquid-carrying conduit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein thermal insulating layer is configured to be: attachable to at least one or both of said liquid-carrying conduit and said heating device; detachable from said at least one or both of said liquid-carrying conduit and said heating device; or attachable and detachable from said at least one or both of said liquid-carrying conduit and said heating device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is at least one or more of the following: induction heating device, radiant heating device, or convection heating device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein said heating device is configured to be in direct contact with said liquid-carrying conduit at said thermal contact region. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is an electrical resistance heat type device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein said electrical resistance heat device is configured to be in direct contact with said liquid-carrying conduit at said thermal contact region. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein said electrical resistance heat device comprises any one or more of the following: heating wire, heating tape, thin-film heating element or polyimide film. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein said electrical resistance heating device is an extra low voltage device. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein said extra low voltage includes the range from about 10 volts to about 70 volts. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein said extra low voltage includes one of the following: about 12 volts, about 24 volts, or about 48 volts. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is configured to maintain the temperature of said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit of said liquid-carrying conduit aligned with the thermal contact region at about 75 degree Celsius. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is configured to maintain the temperature of said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit of said liquid-carrying conduit aligned with the thermal contact region at one of the following temperatures: about 65 degree Celsius; about 70 degree Celsius; about 80 degree Celsius; about 85 degree Celsius; about 90 degree Celsius; or about 95 degree Celsius. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor device disposed at the thermal contact region for determining temperature of said liquid-carrying conduit at the thermal contact region. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The system of claim 35, further comprising a visual indicator device in electrical communication by a circuit with said temperature sensor device configured to produce a specified characteristic of light signal for one or more operational characteristics of the system. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36, wherein said operational characteristics include at least one of the following: one or more specified temperatures at said thermal contact region; specified status of a power supply, which is configured to be in electrical communication with said heating device; or specified status of a thermal fuse or cutoff device, which is configured to be in electrical communication with said heating device. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36, wherein said visual indicator device is a light emitting diode (LED). ### Claim 39 (depends on 35) The system of claim 35, further comprising an audible indicator device in electrical communication by a circuit with said temperature sensor device configured to produce a specified characteristic of audio signal for one or more operational characteristics of the system. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The system of claim 39, wherein said operational characteristics include at least one of the following: one or more specified temperatures at said thermal contact region; specified status of a power supply, which is configured to be in electrical communication with said heating device; or specified status of a thermal fuse or cutoff device, which is configured to be in electrical communication with said heating device. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) The system of claim 39, wherein said audio indicator device is a speaker. ### Claim 42 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal fuse, in electrical communication by a circuit with said heating device and disposed in contact with said thermal contact region of said intermediate conduit, wherein at a specified temperature that which said thermal fuse is subjected, said thermal fuse and circuit is configured to cut off energy supplied to said heating device. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The system of claim 42, wherein said circuit in electrical communication with said thermal fuse is configured to detect a fault in said thermal fuse. ### Claim 44 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more housings configured to enclose or retain said heating device. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein said one or more housings are configured to enclose or retain said thermal insulator layer. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The system of claim 45, wherein said one or more housing are configured to enclose or retain a temperature sensor device. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The system of claim 46, wherein said one or more housings are configured to enclose or retain said thermal insulator layer. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The system of claim 47, wherein said one or more housings are configured to enclose or retain at least one or more of the following: a thermal fuse, a visual indicator device, an audio indicator, a circuit, a cutoff fault circuit, a controller, control board, circuit board, and a processor. ### Claim 49 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein said bacterial growth and colonization comprises at least one or more of any combination of the following types of bacteria: Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Kluyvera. ### Claim 50 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 51 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a proximal conduit. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The system of claim 51, wherein said heating device is configured to maintain the temperature of said proximal conduit at one or more of the following temperatures or ranges of temperatures in degree Celsius: about 40; about 47; about 50; about 54; about 40-49; or about 50-59. ### Claim 53 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a distal conduit. ### Claim 54 A method for disinfecting a liquid-carrying conduit in a plumbing system, said method comprising: heating at least a portion of said liquid-carrying conduit, thereby defining a thermal contact region of said liquid-carrying conduit; and insulating said heating device opposite from said liquid-carrying conduit; wherein said heating dis configured to heat a lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit along said thermal contact region to a specified temperature to prevent or inhibit microbial activity from advancing through said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, wherein said microbial activity includes bacterial growth and colonization. ### Claim 56 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, wherein said method further comprises: drying said lumen defined by said liquid-carrying conduit along said thermal contact region to prevent or inhibit microbial activity through said lumen defined by said liquid carrying conduit. ### Claim 57 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein said bacterial growth and colonization comprises at least one or more of any combination of the following types of bacteria: Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterobacter cloacae, Pantoea, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Kluyvera. ### Claim 58 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 59 (depends on 33) The system of claim 33, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 60 (depends on 34) The system of claim 34, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 61 (depends on 35) The system of claim 35, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise an intermediate conduit. ### Claim 62 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a proximal conduit. ### Claim 63 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein said liquid-carrying conduit may comprise a distal conduit.