Foot/footwear sterilization system

• US 8,784,731 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hepco Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hepco Medical LLC
• Inventors: Gil, Patricia Carol, Gil, Asher, Gil, Daniel, Knoth, Norman D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chorbaji, Monzer R
• Application Number:
  US14/187,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140170019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 148 Days
• Field of Search: 422/1, 422/24, 422/32, 422/119, 422/186.3, 250/580, 250/455.11, 250/491.1, 250/504.R, 250/492.1, 607/88, 607/94
• US Class Current: 422/24
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0294 Electromagnetic, i.e. using electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/00 Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor for contact lenses A61L12/00; atomisers for disinfecting agents A61M; sterilisation of packages or package contents in association with packaging B65B55/00; treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F; disinfecting paper D21H21/36; disinfecting devices for water closets E03D; articles having provision for disinfection, see the relevant subclasses for these articles, e.g. H04R1/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/26 Textiles, e.g. towels, beds, cloths
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/18 Radiation A61L9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/00 Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems

Abstract

A foot/shoe sanitizing system includes a housing having at least one opening and at least one ultraviolet emitting device supported within the housing. The ultraviolet emitting devices direct ultraviolet light around and/or through the set of foot/shoe support bars towards the foot or shoe placed on the foot/shoe support bars. The ultraviolet emitting devices are controllably powered to emit ultraviolet light and/or ozone onto the foot/shoe. In a preferred embodiment, the ultraviolet emitting device emits light that includes short wavelength ultraviolet light, causing the formation of ozone in the area of the shoe, thereby killing pathogens that are not easily killed with ultraviolet light alone. The system includes a sheet of activated carbon for catalyzing the ozone into harmless concentrations of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. A foot/shoe sanitizing system comprising:

a housing having at least one opening;

at least one ultraviolet emitting device supported within the housing, the at least one ultraviolet emitting device for directing ultraviolet light on a foot/shoe placed in the at least one opening;

a source of power interfaced to each of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device, the source of power operatively powering each of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device, thereby the at least one ultraviolet emitting device emits ultraviolet light;

means for detecting an identification of a user of the foot/shoe sanitizing system; and

a carbon material located at the bottom of the housing.

2. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, wherein the carbon material is a sheet of activated carbon.

3. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, wherein the carbon material is a removable and replaceable sheet of activated carbon.

4. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, wherein the carbon material is a removable and replaceable fibrous activated carbon mat.

5. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, wherein the carbon material is a fibrous activated carbon mat.

6. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device emits ultraviolet light with a wavelength below 240 nm, thereby causing O₂ molecules to split into two O₁ atoms and some of the O₁ atoms combining with other O₂ molecules to form ozone (O₃).

7. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 6, wherein the carbon material is oxidized by the ozone, thereby converting the ozone into carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide.

8. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface operatively interfaced to the means for detecting and wherein an identification record is sent through the wireless interface to a remote system.

9. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 8, wherein the remote system provides access based upon verification of the identification record that was sent sent by the means for detecting.

10. A method of killing pathogens on a shoe, the method comprising:

providing a foot/shoe sanitizing system comprising;

a housing having at least one opening;

at least one ultraviolet emitting device supported within the housing, the at least one ultraviolet emitting device directing ultraviolet light on a foot/shoe placed in the at least one opening;

a source of power interfaced to each of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device, the source of power operatively powering each of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device, thereby the at least one ultraviolet emitting device emits ultraviolet light;

means for detecting an identification of a user of the foot/shoe sanitizing system; and

a activated carbon material located at the bottom of the housing;

placing the shoe into one of the at least one opening;

obtaining an identification of the user from the means for detecting;

emitting ultraviolet light from the at least one ultraviolet emitting device, the ultraviolet light radiating at least one of the pathogens on the shoe, the ultraviolet light forming breaking oxygen molecules into singlet oxygen (O₁), some of the singlet oxygen combining with dioxygen (O₂) forming ozone (O₃);

the ultraviolet light and the ozone killing at least one of the pathogens;

removing the shoe from the at least one opening; and

the ozone settling to the bottom of the housing and oxidizing the activated carbon material to form carbon monoxide (CO) and/or carbon dioxide (CO₂).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the activated carbon material is a sheet of activated carbon.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the activated carbon material is a removable and replaceable sheet of activated carbon.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the activated carbon material is a removable and replaceable fibrous activated carbon mat.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the activated carbon material is a fibrous activated carbon mat.

15. A foot/shoe sanitizing device comprising:

a housing having two openings, each of the openings sized to allow entry of a shoe;

a processor, the processor located within the housing;

at least one ultraviolet emitting device supported within the housing, the at least one ultraviolet emitting device for directing ultraviolet light onto shoes placed within the openings;

a source of power, power to each of the at least one ultraviolet emitting device controlled by the processor,

one or more shoe sensors, the shoe sensor(s) for detecting the presence of at least one of the shoes within one of the openings, the shoe sensor(s) are operatively coupled to the processor; and

an activated carbon material within the housing.

16. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 15, wherein at least some of the ultraviolet light is at a wavelength below 240 nm which breaks oxygen molecules into singlet oxygen (O₁), and some of the singlet oxygen combining with dioxygen (O₂) forming ozone (O₃), the ozone for destroying pathogens on the foot/shoe, the activated carbon material for oxidizing the ozone to form carbon monoxide (CO) and/or carbon dioxide (CO₂).

17. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 15, wherein the activated carbon material is a sheet of activated carbon.

18. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 15, wherein the activated carbon material is a removable and replaceable sheet of activated carbon.

19. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 18, wherein the fibrous activated carbon mat is removable and replaceable.

20. The foot/shoe sanitizing system of claim 15, wherein the activated carbon material is a fibrous activated carbon mat.