APPARATUS FOR IRRADIATION

• US 20140161664A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AquiSense Technologies LLC: (Nikkiso Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dot Metrics Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: PAGAN, Jennifer Godwin, HARRIS, Theodore Robert, BATONI, Paolo, KRAUSE, John Robert
• Granted Patent: US 11,338,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/084 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/16 using chemical substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/10 Photocatalysts

Abstract

An irradiation apparatus configured to be coupled to an irradiation chamber containing a material to be irradiated, comprising: a support structure; one or more radiation sources coupled to the support structure; and a heat exchange mechanism thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources. The heat exchange mechanism comprises one or more of a thermoelectric cooling device, a vapor chamber, a heatsink, a heat dissipation structure, a fan, and a cooling coating. The one or more radiation sources comprise one or more UV radiation sources, one or more UV-C radiation sources, one or more visible radiation sources, or a combination thereof. Optionally, the one or more radiation sources comprise a plurality of radiation sources arranged in an array. Optionally, the one or more radiation sources deliver a combination of wavelengths to the material to be irradiated.

Claims

1. An irradiation apparatus configured to be coupled to an irradiation chamber containing a material to be irradiated, the irradiation apparatus comprising:

a support structure;

one or more radiation sources coupled to the support structure; and

a heat exchange mechanism thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources.

2. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange mechanism comprises one or more of a thermoelectric cooling device, a vapor chamber, a heatsink, a heat dissipation structure, a fan, a material thermally coupled to a fluid, and a cooling coating.

3. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange mechanism further comprises a thermoelectric heat recovery mechanism.

4. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a moisture seal and desiccant disposed adjacent to the one or more radiation sources.

5. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise one or more UV radiation sources, one or more UV-C radiation sources, one or more visible radiation sources, or a combination thereof.

6. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise a plurality of radiation sources arranged in an array.

7. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are dynamically adjustable.

8. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are selected based on an identification of a contaminant in the material to be irradiated.

9. The irradiation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to the material to be irradiated that induce fluorescence in the material to be irradiated thereby allowing for the identification of the contaminant in the material to be irradiated.

10. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver a combination of wavelengths to the material to be irradiated.

11. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are selected to both saturate an absorption mechanism of nucleocapsids in the material to be irradiated and target a peak absorption of nucleic acid in the material to be irradiated.

12. The irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to a semiconductor material disposed substantially adjacent to the material to be irradiated thereby causing a disinfection agent to be generated in proximity of the material to be irradiated.

13. An irradiation method for irradiating a material to be irradiated disposed in an irradiation chamber, the irradiation method comprising:

providing a support structure coupled to the irradiation chamber;

providing one or more radiation sources coupled to the support structure; and

providing a heat exchange mechanism thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources.

14. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the heat exchange mechanism comprises one or more of a thermoelectric cooling device, a vapor chamber, a heatsink, a heat dissipation structure, a fan, a material thermally coupled to a fluid, and a cooling coating.

15. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the heat exchange mechanism further comprises a thermoelectric heat recovery mechanism.

16. The irradiation method of claim 13, further comprising providing a moisture seal and desiccant disposed adjacent to the one or more radiation sources.

17. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise one or more UV radiation sources, one or more UV-C radiation sources, one or more visible radiation sources, or a combination thereof.

18. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise a plurality of radiation sources arranged in an array.

19. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are dynamically adjustable.

20. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are selected based on an identification of a contaminant in the material to be irradiated.

21. The irradiation method of claim 20, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to the material to be irradiated that induce fluorescence in the material to be irradiated thereby allowing for the identification of the contaminant in the material to be irradiated.

22. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver a combination of wavelengths to the material to be irradiated.

23. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more radiation sources are selected to both saturate an absorption mechanism of nucleocapsids in the material to be irradiated and target a peak absorption of nucleic acid in the material to be irradiated.

24. The irradiation method of claim 13, wherein the one or more radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to a semiconductor material disposed substantially adjacent to the material to be irradiated thereby causing a disinfection agent to be generated in proximity of the material to be irradiated.