Electronic indicator for monitoring efficacy of a cleaning cycle

• US 9,575,022 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bommarito, G. Marco, Kang, Myungchan, Palazzotto, Michael C., Nies, Timothy J., Witcher, Kelvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/429,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150233852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4295 Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the crockery or tableware, e.g. nature or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/46 Devices for the automatic control of the different phases of cleaning ; Controlling devices A47L15/449 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/04 Heat A61L2/08 takes precedence
• 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 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/00 Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/44 Current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/021 before and after chemical transformation of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/023 where the material is placed in the field of a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/22 by investigating capacitance

Abstract

An electronic indicator includes artificial soil and sensor. An electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator can vary due to a change in the volume of the artificial soil. In some embodiments, the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator can be measured by an electrical characteristic reader and used to determine efficacy of a cleaning cycle.

Claims

1. An electronic indicator to monitor efficacy of a cleaning cycle, comprising:

a barrier layer comprising a first dielectric material, the barrier layer having a first barrier surface and a second barrier surface, the first barrier surface being opposite to the second barrier surface;

a volume of wash-removable artificial soil disposed on at least a portion of the first barrier surface; and

a sensor having a first major sensor surface and an opposing second major sensor surface,

wherein the first major sensor surface is adjacent to the second barrier surface, and

wherein an electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator varies in response to a change in the volume of the artificial soil.

2. The electronic indicator of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to produce a sensor signal associated with the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator when the electronic indicator is measured by an electrical characteristic reader.

3. The electronic indicator of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an interdigitated electrode sensor.

4. The electronic indicator of claim 3, wherein the interdigitated electrode sensor comprises three or more electrodes.

5. The electronic indicator of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer comprising a second dielectric material and having a first insulating layer surface and an opposing second insulating layer surface, wherein the first insulating layer surface is adjacent to the second major sensor surface and covers at least a portion of the second major sensor surface.

6. The electronic indicator of claim 5, further comprising a shielding layer comprising a conductive material disposed on at least a portion of the second insulating layer surface.

7. The electronic indicator of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness in the range of 5 nm to 5 mm.

8. The electronic indicator of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator comprises at least one of capacitance characteristic, impedance characteristic, and conductance characteristic.

9. A wash efficacy measurement system, comprising:

an electronic indicator configured to be disposed in a wash chamber during a cleaning cycle, the electronic indicator comprising;

a barrier layer comprising a dielectric material, the barrier layer having a first barrier surface and a second barrier surface, the first barrier surface being opposite to the second barrier surface;

a volume of wash-removable artificial soil disposed on at least a portion of the first barrier surface; and

a sensor having a first major sensor surface and an opposing second major sensor surface, wherein the first major sensor surface is adjacent to the second barrier surface,

wherein the sensor is configured to produce a sensor signal associated with an electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator when the electronic indicator is measured by an electrical characteristic reader, and

wherein the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator varies in response to a change in the volume of the artificial soil; and

an electrical characteristic reader configured to measure an after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator after the cleaning cycle starts, wherein the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator indicates an efficacy of the cleaning cycle.

10. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises an interdigitated electrode sensor.

11. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 10, wherein the interdigitated electrode sensor comprises two electrodes, and wherein the electrical characteristic reader is further configured to provide direct current or alternating current potentials to the two electrodes.

12. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 9, wherein the electrical characteristic reader is further configured to measure a before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator without artificial soil before the cleaning cycle, wherein the efficacy of the cleaning cycle is determined based on the before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator and the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

13. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 9, wherein the electrical characteristic reader is further configured to measure a before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator with artificial soil before the cleaning cycle, wherein the efficacy of the cleaning cycle is determined based on the before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator and the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

14. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 9, wherein the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator comprises at least one of capacitance characteristic, impedance characteristic, and conductance characteristic.

15. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 9, wherein the electrical characteristic reader is configured to the after-wash electrical characteristic during the cleaning cycle.

16. The wash efficacy measurement system of claim 15, further comprising:

a processor electronically coupled to the electrical characteristic reader, the processor configured to receive the after-wash electrical characteristic and generate a signal indicative of the efficacy of the cleaning cycle.

17. An electronic indicator to monitor efficacy of a cleaning cycle, comprising:

a barrier layer comprising a first dielectric material, the barrier layer having a first barrier surface and a second barrier surface, the first barrier surface being opposite to the second barrier surface;

a volume of wash-removable artificial soil disposed on at least a portion of the first barrier surface;

a sensor having a first major sensor surface and an opposing second major sensor surface, the first major sensor surface being adjacent to the second barrier surface; and

an insulating layer comprising a second dielectric material and having a first insulating layer surface and an opposing second insulating layer surface,

wherein the first insulating layer surface is adjacent to the second major sensor surface and covers at least a portion of the second major sensor surface, and

wherein the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator varies in response to a change in the volume of the artificial soil.

18. A method for measuring wash efficacy, comprising:

(1) disposing an electronic indicator in a wash chamber during a cleaning cycle, the electronic indicator comprising;

a sensor configured to produce a sensor signal associated with an electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator, and

a volume of wash-removable artificial soil disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the electronic indicator,

wherein the electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator varies in response to a change in the volume of the artificial soil;

(2) measuring an after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator after the cleaning cycle; and

(3) recording the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an efficacy of the cleaning cycle based on the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

measuring a before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator with artificial soil before the cleaning cycle,

determining the efficacy of the cleaning cycle based on the before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator and the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

measuring a before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator without artificial soil before the cleaning cycle,

determining the efficacy of the cleaning cycle based on the before-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator and the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating steps (1) to (3) to collect a plurality of after-wash electrical characteristic of electronic indicators.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a threshold electrical characteristic based on the plurality of after-wash electrical characteristic of electronic indicators, wherein the threshold electrical characteristic is used to determine efficacy of a cleaning cycle.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

comparing the after-wash electrical characteristic of the electronic indicator to an action limit,

providing a signal indicative of a predefined action based on the comparison.