Gas-phase antimicrobial delivery via infused crystalline and porous solids
AssigneeOnza Corp.
InventorsPaul MENDELL, Stephen GOLDMAN, Eric ANDERSON
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for infusing a crystalline and/or porous solid with a desired fluid, particularly an antimicrobial agent, as well as infused crystalline and/or porous solids produced thereby. Solids which may be infused with an antimicrobial agent according to the invention include erythritol, table salt, table sugar, baking soda, calcium carbonate, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, and marshmallow.
Claims46
A method for producing crystals of a solid infused with a gas-phase antimicrobial agent, comprising:
- providing a solution of the solid in a solvent;
- introducing the gas-phase antimicrobial agent into the solution;
- and
- crystallizing the solid.
An infused crystalline solid, comprising:
- a solid lattice structure;
- and
- at least one molecule of a gas-phase antimicrobial agent, present within at least one of a crystal of the lattice structure, a hole in the lattice structure, a crystal-crystal grain boundary of the lattice structure, and a fluid inclusion of a crystal of the lattice structure.
A method for producing an ozonated crystalline solid, comprising:
- (a) generating a gas stream comprising ozone and flowing the gas stream into or through a sealable chamber;
- (b) spraying a solution of a crystalline solid in a solvent into the sealable chamber;
- (c) removing residual solvent from the sealable chamber by flowing a first carrier gas through the sealable chamber to allow the ozonated crystalline solid to crystallize on interior surfaces of the sealable chamber;
- and
- (d) removing residual ozone from the sealable chamber.
A system for producing an ozonated crystalline solid, comprising:
- at least one ozone generator, configured to receive an oxygen-enriched gas stream and convert at least a portion of diatomic oxygen in the oxygen-enriched gas stream to ozone to form an ozone-containing gas stream;
- a sealable chamber, configured to receive the ozone-containing gas stream from the at least one ozone generator;
- a heat source, configured to receive and heat a solution of a crystalline solid in a solvent;
- a pressure vessel, configured to pre-pressurize the solution;
- an atomizer, configured to receive the pre-pressurized solution from the pressure vessel, further pressurize the solution, and dispense the solution in atomized form into the sealable chamber via a nozzle;
- a heat trace, configured to heat a manifold and a high-pressure line of the atomizer prior to dispensation of the solution into the sealable chamber;
- and
- a nitrogen source, configured to flow nitrogen through the sealable chamber after dispensation of the solution into the sealable chamber to remove residual ozone from the sealable chamber.
A method for antimicrobial treatment of a target object, comprising:
- (a) providing crystals of a crystalline solid infused with a gas-phase antimicrobial agent;
- and
- (b) placing crystals of the crystalline solid within or on a surface of the target object or in an environment surrounding the target object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.