Postage stamp indicating completion of sterilization process

• US 20030138345A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikolaus Z. Schwabe
• Original Assignee: Nikolaus Z. Schwabe
• Inventors: Schwabe, Nikolaus Z.
• Application Number:
  US10/051,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/28 Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation, e.g. indicators which change colour apparatus involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M1/34; methods involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/025 postal items

Abstract

A postage stamp providing an indication of successful completion of a sterilization process. The postage stamp is affixed to a mail article. The mail article is then collected by the postal service for processing. The mail article is subjected to sterilization by a sterilization apparatus to sterilize the mail article. Upon being successfully sterilized, the postage stamp turns color to indicate completion of the sterilization process.

Claims

1. A system for indicating proper sterilization of a mail article, said system comprising:

a mail article;

a postage stamp affixed to said mail article, said postage stamp having a color indicator;

a sterilization apparatus having means for sterilizing said mail article;

whereby when said mail article is sterilized by the sterilization apparatus, said color indicator changes from a first color to a second color.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sterilization apparatus emits an electron beam to sterilize said mail article.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sterilization apparatus emits gamma radiation to sterilize said mail article.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the color indicator is a design section on an outer surface of said postage stamp, said indicator indicating a first color prior to exposure to sterilization from said sterilization apparatus and the second color after exposure to sterilization from said sterilization apparatus.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the color indicator is a background section on an outer surface of said stamp, said background indicating a first color prior to exposure to sterilization from said sterilization apparatus and the second color after exposure to sterilization from said sterilization apparatus.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said postage stamp provides an indication of payment of postal fees for mailing said mail article.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said sterilization apparatus emits an electron beam to sterilize said mail article;

said postage stamp provides an indication of payment of postal fees for mailing said mail article; and

said color indicator changes from the first color to the second color upon exposure to said electron beam.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said postage stamp is a meter mark affixed to said mail article.

9. A method of indicating proper sterilization of a mail article by a sterilization apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

affixing;

by a sender of the mail article, a postage stamp to a mail article;

collecting, by a postal service, the mail article;

sterilizing, by the sterilization apparatus, the mail article;

transforming a portion of a postage stamp affixed to the mail article from a first color to a second color when the mail article successfully completes sterilization by the sterilization apparatus; and

delivering, by the postal service, the mail article to a specified recipient.

10. The method of indicating proper sterilization of a mail article of claim 9, further comprising, after the step of sterilizing, by the sterilization apparatus, the mail article, the step of:

determining, by the postage service, if the postage stamp has changed to the second color;

sterilizing, by the sterilization apparatus, the mail article if the postage stamp has not changed to the second color.

11. The method of indicating proper sterilization of a mail article of claim 9 wherein said step of sterilizing, by the sterilization apparatus, the mail article includes emitting an electron beam by the sterilization apparatus to sterilize the mail article.

12. A stamp for indicating proper sterilization of a mail article, said stamp comprising:

a sheet of material having an outer surface and a back surface;

said outer surface displaying a color indicator; and

said back surface having an adhesive for affixing said sheet of material to the mail article;

whereby said color indicator indicates a first color prior to being subjected to a sterilization process and indicating a second color after being subjected to a sterilization process.