Sterilizing device and a method for sterilizing of fluids

• US 8,674,322 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guido Kohler
• Original Assignee: Guido Kohler
• Inventors: Kohler, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US11/578,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,254 Days
• Field of Search: 422/20, 422 22- 24, 422/119, 422/128, 250/436, 210/748.1
• US Class Current: 250/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/487 using high frequency electromagnetic fields, e.g. pulsed electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3227 Units with two or more lamps
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

The invention is directed to an improved sterilizing device (1) for sterilizing of a fluid by UV-radiation. The sterilizing device (1) has a modular setup with at least one flange (2, 3), an inner and an outer tube (4, 5) and comprises at least one UV-lamp (16) for emitting UV-radiation. A lamp tag (32) attached to or incorporated in the at least one UV-lamp (16) comprises information regarding the UV-lamp (16). The lamp tag (32) is interconnected with a lamp sensor unit (18) and/or a control unit (19) and may comprise sensors to control the sterilizing process.

Claims

1. A sterilizing device having a distal end and a proximate end for sterilizing a fluid by UV-radiation, the sterilizing device comprising:

at least one UV-lamp for emitting UV-radiation that is located between the distal end and the proximate end,

a lamp tag that is one of attached to and incorporated in the at least one UV-lamp and comprises information regarding the UV-lamp, as

the lamp tag is interconnected with at least one of a lamp sensor unit and a control unit;

a first gap is arranged between an inner and an outer tube and a second gap is arranged between a jacket pipe and the outer tube, the first gap defines a first flow path that interconnects a first main connection piece of a first flange and a first intake/outlet and a second gap defines a second flow path that interconnects a second main connection piece of a second flange and a second intake/outlet,

wherein the at least one UV-lamp is received within the inner tube and a third gap is arranged between a glass cylinder of the UV-lamp and the inner tube,

the sterilizing device comprises a tank,

the first main connection piece of the first flange, the first gap, and the first inlet/outlet allow an exchange of water between the tank and the first main connection piece,

the first intake/outlet couples the first flow path with the tank and the second intake/outlet couples the second flow path with the tank, and

the first intake/outlet and the second intake/outlet are both located adjacent each other at the distal end of the sterilizing device and the first main connection piece and the second main connection piece are both located adjacent each other at the proximal end of the sterilizing device, and the first flow path being independent of the second flow path.

2. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizing device is provided with a fluid quality monitoring sensor, the fluid quality monitoring sensor is either mounted on the first main connection piece or the first flange.

3. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizing device further comprises an additional ultrasonic reactor provided for destroying at least one of contaminants, bacteria and microbes.

4. The sterilizing device according to claim 3, wherein the additional ultrasonic reactor is located outside of the outer tube, and is either attached to an outer surface of the outer tube or inline to the outer tube.

5. The sterilizing device according to claim 3, wherein the additional ultrasonic reactor is located inside of the outer tube.

6. The sterilizing device according to claim 3, wherein the additional ultrasonic reactor has one of a ring shape, a cylindrical shape and a conical shape.

7. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the lamp tag comprises at least one sensor for measuring at least one of a surface temperature of the UV-lamp and a working life of the UV-lamp.

8. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the lamp tag comprises a memory for storing information about at least one of a specification, a condition of the UV-lamp and wear of the UV-lamp, and the lamp sensor unit is located within the inner tube radially between the UV-lamp and the inner tube.

9. The sterilizing device according claim 1, wherein the lamp tag is an RFID-tag wirelessly interconnected with the control unit and comprises identification information of the UV-lamp such that the control unit recognizes the identification of the UV-lamp so as to inhibit insertion of an incompatible lamp into the device.

10. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the inner tube is made of a material transparent to UV-radiation, a vortex unit is arranged around the inner tube which forms a helical flow of the fluid around the inner tube.

11. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the first flange comprises an interface flange for interconnection of at least one of a filter unit, a valve gate, a sensor unit and a water meter.

12. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the first flange comprises a mechanical fluid treatment system for decomposition of organic and chemical contamination.

13. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first flange and the second flange comprises at least one of an exchangeable vortex and conveyer unit.

14. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first flange and the second flange comprises a flow measuring unit for measuring a volume of fluid passing through the sterilizing device.

15. The sterilizing device according to claim 14, wherein the flow measuring unit comprises first and second coils arranged opposite to each other and first and second electrodes arranged opposite to each other and perpendicular to the first and the second coils.

16. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first flange, the second flange, the inner tube and the outer tube comprise a pressure sensor.

17. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein a sensor unit is arranged at one side of the first gap for measuring at least one of an intensity of UV-radiation passing through the fluid and a temperature of the fluid.

18. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein a lamp sensor unit is arranged between the UV-lamp and the inner tube and comprises at least one of a lamp temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the at least one UV-lamp, a fluid temperature sensor for measuring at least one of a temperature of the fluid in the gap, and a velocity sensor for measuring velocity of the fluid in the gap.

19. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the outer tube is clamped between the first flange and the second flange interconnected by tie rods.

20. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizing device comprises a coil to induce a time-varying magnetic field in the fluid passing through the sterilizing device to at least one of eliminate mineral scale, control microbiological populations, and control corrosion.

21. The sterilizing device according to claim 20, wherein the coil is arranged concentrically to one of the inner and the outer tubes.

22. The sterilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the lamp tag comprises at least one sensor for measuring the surface temperature of the UV-lamp.

23. The sterilization device according to claim 22, comprising a cooling unit for the UV-lamp which is controlled by the control unit and adapted to control the UV-lamp depending upon the measured temperature.

24. The sterilization device according to claim 23, wherein the cooling unit is adapt to compute the operating life time of the UV-lamp on a basis of the measured temperature.

25. The sterilization device according to claim 23, wherein the cooling unit is adapt to compute the operating life time of the UV-lamp on a basis of the measured temperature and information about the UV-lamp stored in the lamp tag.

26. The sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the glass cylinder is a replacable bulb of the UV-lamp.