Sterilizer

• US 5,714,119 A
• Filed: 03/24/1995
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kiyoyuki Takesako, Yoshihiro Kiuchi
• Original Assignee: Kiyoyuki Takesako, Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.), Yoshihiro Kiuchi
• Inventors: Takesako, Kiyoyuki, Kiuchi, Yoshihiro, Kawagoe, Nobukazu, Oyokota, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US08/409,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 422/1, 422/21, 422/22, 422/186, 422/292, 422/293, 422/307, 422/308, 422/3, 422/105, 422/107, 422/108, 422/109, 422/186.29, 250/455.11
• US Class Current: 422/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation

Abstract

A sterilizer supplies liquid over an object and then irradiates far-infrared radiation to the object. The object is fully sterilized since the supplied liquid well absorb far-infrared radiation with sterilizing effect.

Claims

1. A method for sterilizing an object, comprising the steps of:

supplying liquid over an object to be sterilized, said liquid containing a material which functions to sterilize the object and having a far-infrared absorbing attribute to thereby assist the sterilization capability of far-infrared radiation;

emitting far-infrared radiation toward the object after supplying the liquid, said far-infrared radiation itself having sterilization capability; and

controlling the emission of radiation such that a temperature of the object does not exceed a predetermined value.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

measuring a temperature of the object; and

wherein the controlling step stops the emission of radiation when the object temperature exceeds the predetermined value.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supplying step includes the following steps:

atomizing the liquid; and

spraying the atomized liquid on the object.

4. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising:

a movable housing;

an emitter on said housing which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object to be sterilized, said far-infrared radiation itself having sterilization capability;

a liquid supply on said housing which supplies liquid over the object, said liquid being capable of absorbing far-infrared radiation to thereby assist the sterilization capability of the far-infrared radiation; and

a controller which controls the emitter so that a temperature of the object does not exceed a predetermined value.

5. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the emitter has an irradiating state and a non-irradiating state, and further comprising:

a selector which selects one state of the emitter from the irradiating state and the non-irradiating state in dependence on a state of movement of the sterilizer.

6. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the selector selects the non-irradiating state when the sterilizer stops movement.

7. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a detector which detects a position of the emitter on a moving path;

and wherein the emitter is arranged on said housing behind the liquid supply with respect to a direction of movement of the sterilizer, and the emitter starts emitting the far-infrared radiation when the detector detects that the emitter reaches a position where the liquid supply starts supplying the liquid.

8. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a thermometer which measures a temperature of the object; and

wherein the controller stops the emitter from emitting the far-infrared radiation when the object temperature exceeds the predetermined value.

9. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the liquid supply includes means for atomizing the liquid and spraying the atomized liquid onto the object.

10. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the atomizing means is an ultrasonic oscillator.

11. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the atomizing means is a centrifugal atomizer.

12. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for moving the housing.

13. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising;

a housing;

an emitter on said housing which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object to be sterilized, said far-infrared radiation itself having sterilization capability;

a liquid supply on said housing which supplies over the object, wherein the liquid is a mixture of water and ethanol, and is capable of absorbing far-infrared radiation to thereby assist the sterilization capability of the far-infrared radiation; and

a controller which controls the emitter so that a temperature of the object does not exceed a predetermined value.

14. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising;

a housing;

an emitter on said housing which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object to be sterilized, said far-infrared radiation itself having sterilization capability;

a liquid supply on said housing which supplies liquid over the object, wherein the liquid contains a material which functions to sterilize the object and is capable of absorbing far-infrared radiation to thereby assist the sterilization capability of the far-infrared radiation; and

a controller which controls the emitter so that a temperature of the object does not exceed a predetermined value.

15. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the liquid has a pH which is lower than 2.7 and an oxidation-reduction potential which is higher than 1050 mV.

16. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the liquid is solution of sodium hypochlorite.

17. A sterilizer for an object, comprising:

an emitter which irradiates far-infrared radiation toward an object for sterilization; and

a moving device by which the entire sterilizer is automatically transported along the object.

18. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 17, wherein the emitter has an irradiating state and a non-irradiating state, and further comprising:

a selector which selects one state of the emitter from the irradiating state and the non-irradiating state in dependence on a state of movement of the sterilizer.

19. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 18, wherein the selector selects the non-irradiating state when the sterilizer stops moving.

20. A sterilizer as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a thermometer which measures a temperature of the object; and

a controller which stops the far-infrared radiation from the emitter when the object temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

21. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising:

a movable housing;

an emitter on said housing which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object to be sterilized;

a liquid supply on said housing which supplies liquid over the object; and

a controller which controls the emitter such that a temperature of the object does not exceed a predetermined value.

22. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising:

a first chamber in which the object to be sterilized is inserted;

an emitter on said first chamber which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object inserted in said first chamber;

a second chamber in which the object is inserted; and

a liquid supply on said second chamber which supplies liquid over an object inserted in said second chamber.

23. The sterilizer of claim 22, further including a first detector associated with said first chamber for detecting the insertion of an object in said first chamber and activating said emitter to emit radiation, and a second detector associated with said second chamber for detecting the insertion of an object in said second chamber and activating said liquid supply to supply liquid.

24. A sterilizer for an object independent of the sterilizer itself, comprising:

a chamber in which the object is inserted when the object is to be sterilized;

an emitter on said chamber which emits far-infrared radiation toward an object to be sterilized from a plurality of directions of the chamber; and

a liquid supply on said chamber which supplies liquid over the object from a plurality of directions of the chamber.

25. The sterilizer of claim 24, further including a detector for detecting the insertion of an object in said chamber and activating said emitter and said liquid supply.