Monitoring cleaning of surfaces

• US 9,458,417 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kleancheck Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Kleancheck Systems LLC
• Inventors: Carling, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Ling
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THUY-AI N
• Application Number:
  US13/793,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 510/100, 510/161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/702 Devices for testing the cleaning process, e.g. test soils
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/28 Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation, e.g. indicators which change colour apparatus involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M1/34; methods involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q1/00
• 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: B08B 13/00 Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam B08B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/40 Specific cleaning or washing processes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/40 Dyes ; Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/42 Brightening agents ; Blueing agents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/842 Clostridium
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/882 Staphylococcus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/883 Staphylococcus aureus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/967 Standards, controls, materials, e.g. validation studies, buffer systems

Abstract

A method for monitoring cleaning of a surface includes applying an amount of transparent indicator material to an area of a surface and measuring the amount of transparent indicator material remaining on the surface. The transparent indicator material may be fixed on the surface by drying and, when a fluorescent material, may be measured through exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning monitoring composition, the composition including:

a carrier;

a transparent indicator soluble in the carrier, wherein the transparent indicator is fluorescent under ultraviolet radiation;

a transparent source of adherence, the transparent source of adherence being adherable to the surface and soluble in the carrier, wherein the transparent source of adherence is a natural glue; and

at least one transparent surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic and nonionic surfactants;

wherein the composition is transparent upon drying on a surface.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier is soluble in water.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the carrier is a detergent.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a biodegradable anionic surfactant.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a biodegradable nonionic surfactant.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carrier includes at least one of ammonium laureth sulfate, cocamide mea, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium lauryl sulfate lauramide DEA, glycerine, and sodium pareth-23 sulfate.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition includes between 35% and 45% carrier.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator comprises a transparent ink containing a fluorescent water based tracer.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises less than 5% transparent indicator.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition includes between 38% and 58% transparent source of adherence.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition includes between 0.5% and 1.5% surfactant.

12. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the percentage of transparent source of adherence within the composition is at least three times the percentage of transparent indicator material within the composition.

13. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the percentage of transparent source of adherence within the composition is at least five times the percentage of transparent indicator material within the composition.

14. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the percentage of transparent source of adherence within the composition is at least ten times the percentage of transparent indicator material within the composition.

15. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 38% and 58% transparent source of adherence and less than 5% transparent indicator material.

16. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the percentage of transparent source of adherence within the composition is substantially greater than the percentage of transparent indicator material within the composition.

17. A surface cleaning monitoring composition, the composition comprising:

a carrier;

a transparent indicator soluble in the carrier, wherein the transparent indicator is fluorescent under ultraviolet radiation; and

a transparent source of adherence, the transparent source of adherence being adherable to the surface and soluble in the carrier, wherein the transparent source of adherence is a natural glue; and

wherein the composition is transparent upon drying on a surface, and

wherein the at least one transparent surfactant is between 0.5% and 1.5% of the composition and is non-ionic.