Systems which determine operating parameters and disinfection schedules for germicidal devices

• US 9,744,255 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenex Disinfection Services, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Xenex Disinfection Services, LLC.
• Inventors: Stibich, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US13/706,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20130330235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/06 Hot gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• 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 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• 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 2202/16 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: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Systems are disclosed which include processor-executable program instructions for receiving data regarding characteristics of a room in which one or more disinfection sources are arranged and determining, based on the received data, individual operating parameter/s for the one or more disinfection sources. Other systems are provided which include processor-executable program instructions for discerning, for each of a plurality of disinfection sources, a target location, region, object or surface within a room in which the disinfection sources are arranged. The systems further include program instructions for comparing the target locations/regions/objects/surfaces and executing corrective actions upon detecting two or more locations/objects/surfaces are within a predetermined distance of each other and/or upon detecting two or more regions overlap.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a disinfection source; and

a processing subsystem comprising one or more processors and program instructions executable by the one or more processors for;

receiving room identifying information of a room;

determining, based on the room identifying information, a schedule of rates of germicidal discharge from the disinfection source for the disinfection source to disinfect the room, wherein the disinfection source is configured to emit a germicide to a region of the room between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from a floor of the room when the disinfection source is arranged in the room; and

subsequent to determining the schedule of rates of germicidal discharge, sending commands to set or adjust rates of germicidal discharge from the disinfection source in accordance with the determined schedule of rates of germicidal discharge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further for determining, based on the room identifying information, a run time of the disinfection source, a position of the disinfection source within the room, a speed at which the disinfection source moves throughout the room, and an orientation of a component comprising the disinfection source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the disinfection source comprises a pulsed disinfection source, and wherein the program instructions are further for determining, based on the room identifying information, a pulse duration of the disinfection source and/or a pulse frequency of the disinfection source.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of disinfection sources, wherein the disinfection source is one of the plurality of disinfection sources, and wherein the program instructions are further for:

identifying, based on the room identifying information, a target location, region, object or surface within the room for each of the plurality of disinfection sources; and

determining, for each of the plurality of disinfection sources, one or more individual operating parameters which are specific to disinfecting their target location, region, object or surface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least some of the plurality of disinfection sources are disposed on distinct apparatuses, wherein the processing subsystem is at least partially distributed among the distinct apparatuses such that at least one of the distinct apparatuses comprises one of the one or more processors and program instructions executable by the one processor for sending first target information regarding a target location, region, object or surface of a disinfection source comprising the at least one distinct apparatus, and wherein the at least another of the distinct apparatuses comprises another processor of the one or more processors and program instructions executable by the another processor for:

receiving the first target information;

comparing the received first target information with second target information regarding a target location, region, object or surface of a disinfection source comprising the at least another distinct apparatus; and

altering one or more operating parameters of its disinfection source when the compared first and second target information indicate target locations, regions, objects or surfaces for the at least one distinct apparatus and the at least another distinct apparatus are within a predetermined distance of each other.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the disinfection source comprises a liquid, gas, vapor, plasma, ultraviolet light, and/or high-intensity narrow-spectrum (HINS) light disinfection source.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the room identifying information is a room number and/or a room name.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of disinfection sources, wherein the disinfection source is one of the plurality disinfection sources, wherein the processing subsystem further comprises program instructions which are executable by the one or more processors for receiving data regarding a quantity and/or type of at least a subset of the plurality of disinfection sources to be used to disinfect the room, and wherein the program instructions for determining the schedule of rates of germicidal discharge from the disinfection source are further based on the data regarding the quantity and/or type of at least the subset of disinfection sources.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of disinfection sources, wherein the disinfection source is one of the plurality disinfection sources, and wherein the plurality of disinfection sources comprises one or more portable disinfection devices and one or more disinfection devices fixedly disposed within the room.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of disinfection sources, wherein the disinfection source is one of the plurality disinfection sources, and wherein each of the plurality of disinfection sources are portable.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reflector, wherein the disinfection source comprises a germicidal light source, and wherein the program instructions are further for determining, based on the room identifying information, an orientation of the reflector.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions for determining an orientation of the reflector comprise program instructions for determining, based on the room identifying information, a schedule of orientations of the reflector.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing subsystem further comprises program instructions which are executable by the one or more processors for receiving data regarding physical attributes of the room, and wherein the program instructions for determining the schedule of rates of germicidal discharge from the disinfection source are further based on the physical attribute data.

14. A system, comprising:

a disinfection source; and

a processing subsystem comprising one or more processors and program instructions executable by the one or more processors for;

receiving room identifying information of a room; and

determining, based on the room identifying information, a schedule of power supplied to the disinfection source for the disinfection source to disinfect the room, wherein the disinfection source is configured to emit a germicide to a region of the room between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from a floor of the room when the disinfection source is arranged in the room; and

subsequent to determining the schedule of power supplied to the disinfection source, sending commands to set or adjust amounts of power supplied to the disinfection source in accordance with the determined schedule of power supplied to the disinfection source.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further for determining, based on the room identifying information, a run time of the disinfection source, a position of the disinfection source within the room, a speed at which the disinfection source moves throughout the room, and an orientation of a component comprising the disinfection source.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the disinfection source comprises a pulsed disinfection source, and wherein the program instructions are further for determining, based on the room identifying information, a pulse duration of the disinfection source and/or a pulse frequency of the disinfection source.