Treatment of material

• US 5,744,094 A
• Filed: 02/24/1994
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elopak Systems Ag
• Original Assignee: Elopak Systems Ag
• Inventors: Stanley, Christopher John, Bergmann, Karin, Castberg, Helge Bakketun, Hyde, Peter John, Ness, Karen Margaret Montgomery
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKANE, ELIZABETH L
• Application Number:
  US08/122,599
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 422/22, 422/24, 422/28, 250/455.11, 250/495.1, 250/492.1, 426/237, 426/241, 426/248
• US Class Current: 422/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

A sterilizing method includes subjecting material, for example packaging board, to laser UV alone, or substantially simultaneously with laser IR and/or hydrogen peroxide to obtain a synergistic effect between the UV and IR and/or hydrogen peroxide, to render micro-organisms present at said material non-viable.

Claims

1. A method of sterilizing a solid surface, comprising providing a continuous solid surface, and irradiating said surface with laser UV of a wavelength which is bactericidal and producing a power density of laser UV at said surface such that the laser UV does not deleteriously melt said solid surface and yet renders micro-organisms thereat non-viable.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said surface is three-dimensional and the direction and intensity of the UV radiation is controlled to promote a substantially even intensity over said surface.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the UV radiation is applied by way of a hologram (H) in order to promote said substantially even intensity over said surface.

4. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising irradiating said surface with IR.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said IR is laser IR.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein said surface is irradiated with said UV and said IR simultaneously.

7. A method according to claim 4, 5, or 6, wherein a synergistic effect is obtained between said UV and said IR in rendering micro-organisms at said surface non-viable.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein hydrogen peroxide is present at said surface and is irradiated by said UV.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said hydrogen peroxide is present at said surface and a synergistic effect is obtained between said UV and said hydrogen peroxide in rendering micro-organisms at said surface non-viable.

10. A method of subjecting a continuous surface of a three-dimensional object to laser radiation which is at least partly laser UV, comprising providing a three-dimensional object having an extensive three-dimensional surface, and controlling the direction and intensity of the laser radiation, which is at least partly laser UV so as to promote a substantially even radiation intensity over said surface.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said radiation is applied by way of a hologram (H) in order to promote said substantially even intensity over said surface.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said surface is a food-contact surface of packaging material.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said food-contact surface is of thermoplastics.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said food-contact surface is of a thin polymer layer.

15. A method of sterilizing a material comprising providing a material to be sterilized, irradiating the material with IR and with laser UV simultaneously, to produce at said material a bactericidal effect rendering microorganisms at said material non-viable.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said IR is laser IR.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein a synergistic effect is obtained between said UV and said IR in rendering micro-organisms at said material non-viable.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said material is a packaging material.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said material is thermoplastics.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said material is a thin polymer layer.

21. A method of sterilizing a material, comprising providing a material to be sterilized, irradiating the (same) material with IR and UV to produce at said material a bactericidal effect, characterized in that said UV is laser UV.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said IR is laser IR.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said material is irradiated with said IV and said IR simultaneously.

24. A method according to claim 21, 22, or 23, wherein a synergistic effect is obtained between said UV and said IR in rendering micro-organisms at said material non-viable.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein said material is a packaging material.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said material is thermoplastics.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said material is a thin polymer layer.

28. A method of sterilizing a material, comprising providing a material to be sterilized, irradiating the (same) material with UV and exposing the same to hydrogen peroxide to produce at said material a bactericidal effect, characterized in that said UV is laser UV.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein a synergistic effect is obtained between said laser UV and said hydrogen peroxide in rendering micro-organisms present at said material non-viable.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein said material is a packaging material.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said material is thermoplastics.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein said material is a thin polymer layer.

33. A method of sterilizing a solid surface constituting a food contact surface of packaging material, comprising providing a solid surface to be sterilized, irradiating said surface with laser UV of a wavelength which is bactericidal, thereby to render micro-organisms at said surface non-viable.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said surface is three-dimensional and the direction and intensity of the UV radiation is controlled to promote a substantially even intensity over said surface.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the UV radiation is applied by way of a hologram (H) in order to promote said substantially even intensity over said surface.

36. A method according to claim 33, and further comprising irradiating said surface with IR.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein said IR is laser IR.

38. A method according to claim 36, wherein said surface is irradiated with said UV and said IR simultaneously.

39. A method according to claim 36, 37, or 38, wherein a synergistic effect is obtained between said IV and said IR in rendering micro-organisms at said surface non-viable.

40. A method according to claim 33, wherein hydrogen peroxide is present at said surface and is irradiated by said UV.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein said hydrogen peroxide is present at said surface and a synergistic effect is obtained between said UV and said hydrogen peroxide in rendering micro organisms at said surface non-viable.

42. A method according to claim 33, wherein said food-contact surface is of thermoplastics.

43. A method according to claim 42, wherein said food-contact surface is of a thin polymer layer.