Ozone enhanced vaporized hydrogen peroxide decontamination method and system

• US 20050129571A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steris Corporation
• Original Assignee: Steris Inc (Steris Corporation)
• Inventors: Centanni, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/734,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20050129571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/202 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/25 Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 15/01 Hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a defined region. The system is comprised of a chamber defining a region, a generator for generating vaporized hydrogen peroxide from a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water and a device for the introduction of ozone. A closed loop circulating system is provided for supplying the vaporized hydrogen peroxide and the ozone to the region. A destroyer breaks down the vaporized hydrogen peroxide. A sensor and a controller controlling the device for the introduction of ozone are provided to maintain the ozone at the desired concentration.

Claims

1. A vapor decontamination system for decontaminating a defined region, said system comprising:

a chamber defining a region;

a first generator for generating vaporized hydrogen peroxide from a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water and introducing vaporized hydrogen peroxide into a carrier gas;

a device for introducing ozone into said carrier gas;

a closed loop circulating system for supplying said vaporized hydrogen peroxide and said carrier gas to said region; and

a destroyer for breaking down said vaporized hydrogen peroxide.

2. A vapor decontamination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said carrier gas comprises oxygen and said second generator generates ozone from said oxygen.

3. A vapor decontamination system as defined in claim 1, wherein a sensor is operable to detect the concentration of ozone in said carrier gas.

4. A vapor decontamination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said first generator is a vaporizer.

5. A vapor decontamination system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a destroyer for breaking down said ozone.

6. A vapor decontamination system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a blower within said closed loop circulating system, said blower operable to circulate air through said closed loop circulating system;

a dryer disposed within said closed loop circulating system between said destroyer and said generator, said dryer operable to remove moisture from said circulating system; and

a heater within said closed loop circulating system upstream from said first generator for heating air flowing through said circulating system.

7. In a decontamination system for decontaminating a region, said system having a first generator for generating vaporized hydrogen peroxide, a second generator for generating ozone, a closed loop system for supplying the vaporized hydrogen peroxide and the ozone to said region and a destroyer for breaking down the vaporized hydrogen peroxide, a sensor for detecting the concentration of ozone in said system, and a controller for determining the presence of ozone in said region based upon data from said sensor.

8. A decontamination system as defined in claim 7, wherein said controller is operable to determine the concentration of ozone in said region.

9. A decontamination system as defined in claim 8, wherein said sensor is an ozone sensor.

10. A method of sterilizing with a combination of ozone and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) in a region, comprising the steps of:

providing a sealable region having an inlet port and an outlet port, and a closed loop conduit having a first end fluidly connected to the region inlet port and a second end fluidly connected to the region outlet port;

re-circulating a flow of a carrier gas into, through and out of said region and around the closed loop conduit;

delivering vaporized hydrogen peroxide into the re-circulating carrier gas flow upstream of the region inlet port;

delivering ozone into the re-circulating carrier gas flow upstream of the region inlet port;

destroying the vaporized hydrogen peroxide at a first location downstream from the region outlet port; and

determining a presence of ozone in said region based upon the readings derived from an ozone sensor.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said carrier gas is air.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said delivering ozone includes the electrical generation of ozone from said carrier gas.

13. A closed loop, flow through method of vapor phase decontamination in a sealable chamber or region having an inlet port and an outlet port, and a closed loop conduit fluidly connecting the outlet port to the inlet port, the method comprising the steps of:

re-circulating a flow of a carrier gas into, through and out of the chamber, and through the closed loop conduit;

supplying vaporized hydrogen peroxide into the re-circulating carrier gas flow;

supplying ozone into the re-circulating carrier gas flow;

destroying the vaporized hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen at a first location downstream from said outlet port; and

monitoring the concentration of ozone within the carrier gas.

14. A closed loop, flow through method as defined in claim 13, wherein said carrier gas is air.

15. A closed loop, flow through method as defined in claim 13, wherein said destroying step includes catalytically decomposing the hydrogen peroxide vapor into water and oxygen.

16. A closed loop, flow through vapor phase decontamination system, comprising:

a sealable chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port;

a closed loop conduit system having a first end fluidly connected to said inlet port and a second end fluidly connected to said outlet port;

a blower connected to said conduit system for re-circulating a carrier gas flow into, through and out of the chamber;

a vaporizer for delivering vaporized hydrogen peroxide into said carrier gas flow upstream of said inlet port;

a generator for delivering ozone into said carrier gas flow upstream of said inlet port;

a destroyer downstream of said outlet port for converting the vaporized hydrogen peroxide in water and oxygen; and

a sensor for detecting ozone.