Room fogging disinfection system and method

• US 9,511,162 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mar Cor Purification, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Original Assignee: Mar Cor Purification, Inc. (Steris PLC)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Mason, Gentle, Thomas M. Jr., Petersen, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyner, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/543,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20150064066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 422/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/11 Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps
• 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 2202/15 Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers
• 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 2209/111 Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/135 Vaporisers for active components
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/14 Filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/21 Use of chemical compounds for treating air or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/24 using sterilising media

Abstract

A method for disinfecting a room includes generating a fog from an enclosure having first and second air inlets and an air dispersion outlet including a fan configured to draw air into the enclosure through first and second air inlets and to force air out of the enclosure. A filter assembly is disposed relative to the second air inlet such that air that flows between the exterior and interior of the enclosure through the second air inlet passes through the filter assembly. The method further includes actuating an air intake assembly, activating the fan, actuating the air intake control assembly, and deactivating the fan.

Claims

1. A method for disinfecting a room, the method comprising:

generating a disinfecting fog from an enclosure including a first air inlet, a second air inlet, and an air dispersion outlet including a fan configured to draw air into the enclosure through the first and second air inlets and to force air out of the enclosure, the enclosure further including a filter assembly disposed relative to the second air inlet such that air that flows between the exterior and interior of the enclosure through the second air inlet passes through the filter assembly;

actuating an air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet;

activating the fan to draw air through the open first air inlet and out of the air dispersion outlet to disperse the fog into the room;

actuating the air intake control assembly to close the first air inlet to draw the fog from the room through the second air inlet and the filter assembly;

actuating the air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet;

dispensing an antimicrobial coating substance relative to the fan to disperse the antimicrobial coating substance into the room; and

deactivating the fan after drawing fog from the room through the second air inlet and after dispersing the antimicrobial coating substance into the room.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing the antimicrobial coating substance includes dispensing room temperature antimicrobial coating substance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet comprises:

opening a plurality of louvers to permit air flow between an exterior of the enclosure and an interior of the enclosure via the first air inlet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the air intake control assembly to close the first air inlet comprises:

closing a plurality of louvers to prevent air flow between an exterior of the enclosure and an interior of the enclosure via the first air inlet such that air flows through the second air inlet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the disinfecting fog comprises:

drawing a disinfecting substance from a chemical reservoir; and

forcing the disinfecting substance through an atomizing nozzle.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

sensing one or more ambient conditions in the room.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensing step comprises sensing one or more of heat sources, humidity, motion, and temperature in the room.

8. The method of claim 6, and further comprising:

altering conditions in the room based on the sensed ambient conditions.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising:

delaying generation of the disinfecting fog until the environmental control system alters the ambient conditions of the room to threshold ambient conditions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial coating substance is dispersed into the room after drawing the fog from the room through the second air inlet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing the antimicrobial coating substance comprises dispersing the antimicrobial coating substance as a fog into the room.

12. A method for disinfecting a room, the method comprising:

generating a disinfecting fog from an enclosure including a first air inlet, a second air inlet, and an air dispersion outlet including a fan configured to draw air into the enclosure through the first and second air inlets and to force air out of the enclosure, the enclosure further including a filter assembly disposed relative to the second air inlet such that air that flows between the exterior and interior of the enclosure through the second air inlet passes through the filter assembly, and a chemical dispersion assembly configured to generate a disinfecting fog relative to the air dispersion outlet via a chemical reservoir configured to retain a disinfecting substance, a first atomizing nozzle configured to transform the disinfecting substance into the disinfecting fog, a second atomizing nozzle, and a third atomizing nozzle, wherein the first, second and third atomizing nozzles are spaced on different sides of the air dispersion outlet external of the enclosure;

actuating an air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet;

activating the fan to draw air through the open first air inlet and out of the air dispersion outlet to disperse the fog into the room;

actuating the air intake control assembly to close the first air inlet to draw the fog from the room through the second air inlet and the filter assembly; and

deactivating the fan after drawing fog from the room through the second air inlet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein prior to deactivating the fan, the method further comprises:

actuating the air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet; and

dispensing an antimicrobial coating substance relative to the fan to disperse the antimicrobial coating substance into the room.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein dispensing the antimicrobial coating substance includes dispensing room temperature antimicrobial coating substance.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein actuating the air intake control assembly to open the first air inlet comprises:

opening a plurality of louvers to permit air flow between an exterior of the enclosure and an interior of the enclosure via the first air inlet.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein actuating the air intake control assembly to close the first air inlet comprises:

closing a plurality of louvers to prevent air flow between an exterior of the enclosure and an interior of the enclosure via the first air inlet such that air flows through the second air inlet.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the disinfecting fog comprises:

drawing a disinfecting substance from a chemical reservoir; and

forcing the disinfecting substance through an atomizing nozzle.

18. The method of claim 12, and further comprising:

sensing one or more ambient conditions in the room.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sensing step comprises sensing one or more of heat sources, humidity, motion, and temperature in the room.

20. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

altering conditions in the room based on the sensed ambient conditions.