Sports equipment and facility disinfection

• US 8,992,829 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DD Sterozone LLC
• Original Assignee: Medizone International Inc.
• Inventors: Shannon, Michael Edward, Zoutman, Dick Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Conley, Sean E
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPAMER, DONALD R
• Application Number:
  US13/821,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20130164172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 422/28
• US Class Current: 422/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/202 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/25 Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/26 Textiles, e.g. towels, beds, cloths
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/01 Deodorant compositions compositions released by contact with a liquid A61L9/05
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/015 using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone A61L9/20 takes precedence ; evaporation in general B01B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

A process for treating sports equipment and sports facility rooms to inactivate “superbug” bacteria such as MRSA, VRE and P. aeroginosa, which comprises subjecting the equipment or the room, and surfaces therein, to a disinfecting atmosphere which includes ozone at a concentration of 2-350 ppm by weight and hydrogen peroxide at an amount of 0.2-10 wt. %, at a relative humidity of at least 60%, and for a period of at least 30 minutes sufficient for an effective kill of the bacteria; and subsequently removing ozone from the atmosphere, down to 0.04 ppm or less.

Claims

1. A process for treating sports equipment and sports facility rooms to inactivate superbug bacteria, consisting of:

subjecting the equipment or the room, and surfaces therein, to a disinfecting atmosphere which includes ozone at an amount of 2-350 ppm by weight and hydrogen peroxide at an amount of 0.5-10 wt. %, at a relative humidity of at least 60%, wherein said amount of hydrogen peroxide is derived from a supply solution of 0.2%-10% hydrogen peroxide, and for a period of at least 30 minutes sufficient for an effective kill of the bacteria; and

subsequently removing ozone from the atmosphere, down to 0.04 ppm or less.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 10-200 ppm.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 20-200 ppm.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 35-90 ppm.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen peroxide amount in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 0.5-7%.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen peroxide amount in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 1-5%.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the time of exposure is from about 30 to about 120 minutes.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the time of exposure is from about 60 minutes to about 105 minutes.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the superbug is MRSA, VRE, P. aeroginosa, or E. coli.

10. A process for treating sports equipment and sports facility rooms to inactivate superbug bacteria, consisting of:

subjecting the equipment or the room, and surfaces therein, to a disinfecting atmosphere which includes ozone at an amount of 2-350 ppm by weight and hydrogen peroxide at an amount of 0.5-10 wt. %, at a relative humidity of at least 60%, wherein said amount of hydrogen peroxide is derived from a supply solution of 0.2%-10% hydrogen peroxide, and for a period of at least 30 minutes sufficient for an effective kill of the bacteria; and

subsequently removing ozone from the atmosphere, down to 0.04 ppm or less;

including the additional step of subjecting fibrous or porous surfaces in the room or on the equipment to physical agitation while exposed to the disinfecting atmosphere.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 10-200 ppm.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 20-200 ppm.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the ozone concentration in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 35-90 ppm.

14. The process of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen peroxide amount in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 0.5-7%.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen peroxide amount in the disinfecting atmosphere is from 1-5%.

16. The process of claim 10, wherein the time of exposure is from about 30 to about 120 minutes.

17. The process of claim 10, wherein the time of exposure is from about 60 minutes to about 105 minutes.

18. The process of claim 10, wherein the physical agitation is conducted with the application of brushes.

19. The process of claim 10, wherein the physical agitation is conducted with application of air pressure flow.

20. The process of claim 10, wherein the superbug is MRSA, VRE, P. aeroginosa, or E. coli.