Activated vapor treatment for neutralizing warfare agents

• US 20040215046A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steris Inc (Steris Corporation), The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Centanni, Michael A., Wagner, George W., McVey, Iain F., Schwartz, Lewis I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/122 Chambers for sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 2101/02 Chemical warfare substances, e.g. cholinesterase inhibitors
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 3/36 Detoxification by using acid or alkaline reagents
• CPC Class Codes: A62D 3/38 by oxidation; by combustion

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide is vaporized (20) and mixed (30) with ammonia gas in a ratio between 1:1 and 1:0.0001. The peroxide and ammonia vapor mixture are conveyed to a treatment area (10) to neutralize V-type, H-type, or G-type chemical agents, pathogens, biotoxins, spores, prions, and the like. The ammonia provides the primary deactivating agent for G-type agents with the peroxide acting as an accelerator. The peroxide acts as the primary agent for deactivating V-type and H-type agents, pathogens, biotoxins, spores, and prions. The ammonia acts as an accelerator in at least some of these peroxide deactivation reactions.

Claims

1. A method of deactivating biologically active substances including:

subjecting the biologically active substances to a mixture of a strong oxidant compound and an alkaline compound, both in a gaseous form.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the alkaline compound in gaseous form includes a mist formed by atomizing a liquid alkaline compound.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the strong oxidant includes a peroxy compound.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 further including:

vaporizing a liquid peroxy compound to form a peroxy vapor.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the alkaline compound includes a short chain alkyd amine.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein a ratio of the peroxy compound to the alkyd amine is between 1:

1 and 1;

0.0001.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the biologically active substance includes at least one of G-type, V-type, and H-type chemical agents and combinations thereof.

8. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the alkyd amine includes ammonia gas.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the peroxy compound includes hydrogen peroxide.

10. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the biologically active substances include G-type nerve agents.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the ammonia gas and the hydrogen peroxide vapor are present in a ratio of between 1:

1 and 0.0001;

1.0.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biologically active substance includes one or more of chemical agents, pathogens, prions, and biotoxins.

13. An apparatus for deactivating biologically active substances comprising:

a means for subjecting the biologically active substances to a mixture of a strong oxidant compound and an alkaline compound, both in a gaseous form.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the subjecting means includes:

a vaporizer for vaporizing a peroxy liquid;

a supply of short-chain alkyd amine gas; and

,

a mixing region for mixing the gas and vapor.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 further including:

a liquid hydrogen source for supplying liquid hydrogen peroxide to the vaporizer, the supply of alkyl amine gas includes a compressed ammonia gas tank.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15 further including:

a control means which controls a rate of supplying the hydrogen peroxide to the vaporizer and a rate of supplying the ammonia gas to achieve a peroxide vapor to ammonia vapor ratio between 1;

1 and 1;

0.0001.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 further including:

a chamber connected with the mixing region for receiving items contaminated with the biologically active substance.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the subjecting means includes:

a means for vaporizing a peroxy liquid; and

,

a means for atomizing or vaporizing an alkaline liquid.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 18 further including:

a chamber connected with the peroxy vaporizing means and the atomizing or vaporizing means for receiving the vapor or mist.