Method and apparatus for treatment of fluids

#The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for treatment of fluids. Fluids will in this context be understood as gases and liquid media as well as suspensions and emulsions.

#In recent years, ever greater demands have been placed on the environment wherever man has been present. There are many reasons for this. One is that modern man's mobility between different geographical areas means that pathogens find fertile breeding ground for development of extremely virulent strains. These can give rise to serious diseases for which there are as yet no cures.

#In hospitals, pathogens can be transmitted from one patient to other persons--both patients and nursing staff--and these pathogens are transmitted further by direct contact or indirectly via instruments, clothes, food or the like. Hospital textiles are contaminated to a greater or lesser extent with pathogens. One problem is that the washing methods are not completely satisfactory as regards removal of pathogens from hospital textiles. In addition, there is a need for better and simpler methods for sterilization, on the one hand of sensitive equipment such as, for example, endoscopy instruments and catheters which do not tolerate conventional sterilization methods, and, on the other hand, in operations where instruments need to be sterilized directly and quickly as they may have become contaminated during surgery (the surgeon may, for example, drop special instruments, implants and the like).

#The procedure using preferred embodiments of apparatuses according to the invention will be described in detail hereinbelow and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of an apparatus according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a development of the apparatus according to the invention;

#The procedure according to the present invention is as follows. The medium which is to be treated is preferably introduced into some form of enclosure. In the enclosure, the medium is exposed to UV radiation with a spectral distribution within the range of 180-400 nm. The wavelength of 183.7 nm in particular converts the oxygen in the medium to ozone molecules (O.sub.3). The ozone molecules formed are at the same time decomposed by radiation within the abovementioned wavelength range, especially at a wavelength of 254 nm. At the same time, the O.sub.2 formed is broken down to form atomic oxygen. In order to increase the efficiency during generation of free radicals, in particular HO' radicals, oxides are added as catalysts. In order to obtain a greater amount of ozone and consequently more free radicals, further ozone is generated before the medium is irradiated.

#An apparatus which is based on the abovementioned method is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus is designed as an enclosure 1 with at least one inlet 2 and one outlet 3. An oxidizing member 4 is arranged in the enclosure 1, in the preferred embodiment a number of UV lamps with a spectral distribution within the range of 180-400 nm. The lamps 4 are preferably placed in such a way that the entire area 5 around the lamps 4 in the enclosure 1 is illuminated with approximately the same intensity. The inner walls of the enclosure 1, at least in the area 5 around the lamps, are arranged so that they provide for a good reflection of the light from the lamps 4. A member 7 for circulating the air, for example a fan, is arranged at the outlet 3 in order to lead the air which is to be treated through the apparatus 1.

#A number of catalyst 8 are preferably also arranged in the enclosure in the area 5. They can be attached, for example, in a suitable manner to the reflecting inner wall of the enclosure. In the preferred embodiment, the catalyst comprise metal and/or metal oxide, such as noble metals, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, silicon oxide and mixtures thereof.