Anti-microbial Device

• US 20120213665A1
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Silver, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Applied Silver, LLC
• Inventors: Bik, Russell J., Morham, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/232 layered or coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/235 cellular, porous or foamed
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/238 Metals or alloys, e.g. oligodynamic metals
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/74 with air aeration of stretches of water C02F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/03 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/14 Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/008 for disinfecting the tub or the drum

Abstract

Under electronic monitoring and control, fluids flow into a fluid diffusion device 9 to form a fluid combination. The fluid combination has corrosive properties as it flows into an anti-microbial canister 8 housing a roll 4 of anti-microbial metallic coated substrate 1, support frame 2, and porous body 3. The fluid combination corrodes the anti-microbial metallic coated substrate 1 located inside the anti-microbial canister 8. Upon exiting the anti-microbial canister 8, the fluid combination contains dissolved metal and is a liquid anti-microbial agent. Monitors throughout the system ensure the anti-microbial agent is being produced at the desired level and rate as it exits into its application.

Claims

1. An antimicrobial device comprising:

a metallic coated substrate suspended with a support frame;

a porous body positioned with respect to the substrate for intimate contact of turbulated fluid in the porous body with the substrate;

a housing containing the substrate, support frame and porous body and having an inlet and outlet for the fluid;

a fluid diffusion device connected upstream of the housing inlet and having fluid for a first fluid and a second fluid ; and

,

means for controlling flow of the first and second fluids received by the fluid diffusion device for varying concentration of metallic ions in the first fluid.

2. The antimicrobial device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing is a cylindrical canister and the metallic coated substrate, support frame and porous body are helically rolled within the canister.

8. The antimicrobial device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a first fluid evaluation device at the housing inlet; and

a second fluid evaluation device at the housing outlet.

3. The wherein the metallic coating of the substrate is silver.

4. The antimicrobial device defined in claim 3 wherein the first fluid is water and the second fluid is air the means for controlling comprises:

a fluid pressure regulator connected to the fluid diffusion device water inlet,

an air pressure regulator connected to the fluid diffusion device air inlet; and

a flow reducer connected to the outlet of the housing.

5. The antimicrobial device defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a solenoid fluid shut off valve connected upstream of the fluid pressure regulator;

a temperature sensor for incoming water;

a fluid pressure sensor for incoming water;

an air pressure sensor for incoming air;

a solenoid air shut off valve connected upstream of the air pressure regulator; and

a flow sensor connected downstream of the flow reducer.

6. The antimicrobial device defined in claim 5 further comprising:

an electronic module connected to the temperature sensor, fluid pressure sensor, air pressure sensor and flow sensor for data input, said electronic module having a controller adapted for operation of at least the solenoid fluid shut off valve and solenoid air shut off valve responsive to the data input.

7. The antimicrobial device as defined in claim 6 wherein the electronic module includes a programmable device having program states including an initialization state, an idle state, a process state and a shut down state, said programmable device implementing the program states responsive to the data input and said program states determining operation of at least the solenoid fluid shut off valve and solenoid air shut off valve.

9. A method for antimicrobial treatment of a fluid comprising:

positioning a metallic coated substrate in a support frame for intimate contact with a porous body positioned with respect to the substrate for intimate contact of turbulated fluid in the porous body with the substrate;

directing fluid via a housing containing the substrate and porous body;

aerating the fluid to provide a turbulated fluid at an inlet to the housing to produce a selected concentration of metallic ions in the fluid at an outlet of the housing; and

, providing the fluid from the outlet of the housing for antimicrobial action.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the metallic ions are silver and the selected concentration of metallic ions is between 50 and 700 parts per billion (ppb).

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the concentration of silver ions is between 50 ppb and 500 ppb.

12. The method for antimicrobial treatment of fluid as defined in claim 9 further comprising:

providing power to a controlling electronics module and performing an initialization sequence;

if the initialization is successful entering an idle state;

selecting a manual mode or automatic mode;

in automatic mode, upon receiving an external signal advancing from idle state to a process mode or in manual mode, advancing from idle state to process mode upon receiving a start button command, said process mode performing the steps of directing the fluid, aerating the fluid and providing the fluid;

if a power failure occurs, entering a shutdown sequence;

upon receiving a process complete command in automatic mode or a stop button command in manual mode, returning from process mode back to idle state; and

,

if the shutdown sequence is complete, upon restoring power, return to the initialization sequence.

13. The method for antimicrobial treatment of fluid as defined in claim 10 wherein

the step of directing fluid comprises providing water at a predetermined flow rate, temperature and pressure, and.

the step of aerating comprises providing regulated air at a predetermined pressure for turbulation of the water flowing through the housing to provide an anti-microbial solution with ionic silver concentrations of between 50 ppb and 240 ppb and,

the step of providing the fluid comprises providing the water to a commercial washing system to provide ionic silver concentration in linens washed in the commercial washing system at between 0.17 μ

g/kg and 1.7 μ

g/kg.

14. A commercial cleaning system comprising:

a washing machine having a rinse;

a hot water supply;

a compressed air supply;

a silver coated substrate suspended with a support frame;

a porous body positioned with respect to the substrate for intimate contact of turbulated fluid in the porous body with the substrate;

a housing containing the substrate, support frame and porous body and having an inlet and outlet for the fluid connected to the washing machine for the rinse;

a fluid diffusion device connected upstream of the housing inlet and having a first fluid inlet connected through a solenoid fluid shut off valve and a fluid pressure regulator to the hot water supply and a second fluid inlet connected through a solenoid air shut off valve and an air pressure regulator to the compressed air supply;

a flow reducer connected to the outlet of the housing;

a temperature sensor for incoming water;

a fluid pressure sensor for incoming water;

an air pressure sensor for incoming air;

a flow sensor connected downstream of the flow reducer; and

,

an electronic module connected to the temperature sensor, fluid pressure sensor, air pressure sensor and flow sensor for data input, said electronic module having a controller adapted for operation of at least the solenoid fluid shut off valve and solenoid air shut off valve responsive to the data input, said electronic module including a programmable device having program states including an initialization state, an idle state, a process state and a shut down state, said programmable device implementing the program states responsive to the data input and said program states determining operation of at least the solenoid fluid shut off valve and solenoid air shut off valve responsive to a signal from the rinse module.

15. The commercial cleaning system as defined in claim 14 wherein the washing machine is a Continuous Batch Washer (CBW) and the rinse is a rinse module.

16. The commercial cleaning system as define din claim 14 wherein the washing machine is at least one Conventional Washer-Extractor (CWE) having a rinse cycle.

17. The commercial cleaning system as defined in claim 16 wherein the washing machine includes at least two CWEs and further comprising:

an anti-microbial solution reservoir intermediate the housing outlet and each CWE;

a float level sensor in the reservoir interconnected to the electronic control module;

at least one pump connected between the solution reservoir and each CWE;

a supply solenoid valve connected intermediate the at least one pump and each a node control module connected to the at least one pump and each supply solenoid valve, said node control module operable to activate said pump and open a selected supply solenoid valve responsive to the rinse cycle in the CWE associate with the selected supply solenoid valve;

said electronic control module responsive to the float sensor for executing the process state.

18. The commercial cleaning system as defined in claim 16 wherein the controller controls the air pressure regulator to provide a predetermined air flow and the controller further controls the fluid pressure regulator to a predetermined value to provide an ionic concentration of 50 ppb to 240 ppb to the CWE.

19. The commercial cleaning system as defined in claim 18 wherein health care bed linens processed in the CWE contain silver concentration between 0.17 μ

g/kg, and 1.7 μ

g/kg of bed linen.