Germicidal apparatuses with configurations to selectively conduct different disinfection modes interior and exterior to the apparatus

• US 9,867,894 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenex Disinfection Services, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Xenex Disinfection Services, LLC.
• Inventors: Stibich, Mark A., Froutan, Paul P., Simmons, Sarah E., Dale, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US14/790,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20170000916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• 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 2209/111 Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/211 Use of hydrogen peroxide, liquid and vaporous
• 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: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/18 Radiation A61L9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/22 Ionisation

Abstract

Apparatuses are provided which include one or more germicidal sources, power circuitry coupled to the germicidal source/s, and a shield. The shield and/or at least one of the germicidal source/s are moveable within the apparatus and the apparatus is configured such that the shield and/or the germicidal source/s may be brought in and out of proximity with the other and upon doing so germicide projected from one or more of the germicidal source/s is either substantially contained in the apparatus or is projected exterior to the apparatus for different disinfection modes of the apparatus. The apparatuses include a processor and processor-executable program instructions for activating the power circuitry to operate the at least one germicidal source when the germicidal source is not encased within the apparatus and for activating the power circuitry to operate at least one germicidal source when the germicidal source/s are encased within the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a germicidal source;

power supply circuitry coupled to the germicidal source;

a shield, wherein the shield and/or the germicidal source are moveable relative to each other, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that;

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought in proximity to the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is substantially contained within an interior cavity of the apparatus; and

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought out of proximity with the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is projected into an ambient of the apparatus;

a sensor to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said in proximity with each other and/or to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said out of proximity with each other;

an electronic user interface comprising input controls allowing selection of different disinfection modes conducted by the apparatus, wherein the different disinfection modes comprise a first disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting a medium inside the apparatus and a second disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting a medium exterior to the apparatus;

a processor; and

a storage medium having program instructions which are executable by the processor for;

receiving input from the electronic user interface regarding a selected disinfection mode;

upon receiving input of the first disinfection mode;

determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other, activating a corrective action for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved said in proximity with the other; and

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined first set of operating parameters for the apparatus; and

upon receiving input of the second disinfection mode;

determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, activating a corrective action for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved said out of proximity with the other; and

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other, activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined second set of operating parameters for the apparatus different from the first set of operating parameters, wherein the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters comprise different amounts of power supplied from the power supply circuitry to operate the germicidal source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined first set of operating parameters comprises a lower amount of power to operate the germicidal source than the predetermined second set of operating parameters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an air moving device to draw air into the interior cavity when the germicidal source and the shield are in proximity with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters comprise different speeds at which to operate the air moving device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predetermined first set of operating parameters comprises a higher speed to operate the air moving device than the predetermined second set of operating parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the storage medium is void of program instructions for activating the air moving device upon receiving input of the second disinfection mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the germicidal source comprises:

a germicidal lamp;

a transparent barrier circumjacent the germicidal lamp forming a plenum around the germicidal lamp; and

an air moving device to draw air into the plenum.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional sensor to detect movement and/or occupancy within an ambient of the apparatus; and

an actuator coupled to the germicidal source or to the shield, wherein the program instructions for activating the corrective actions for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved comprise activating the actuator; and

wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions for;

activating the additional sensor to operate upon receiving input of the first disinfection mode; and

upon the additional sensor not detecting movement and/or occupancy for a preset duration, activating the actuator to move the germicidal source or the shield out of said proximity with the other.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the germicidal source is one of a plurality of germicidal sources of the apparatus coupled to the power supply circuitry, and wherein the storage medium comprises program instructions for:

activating the power supply circuitry to selectively operate a subset of the multiple germicidal sources upon receiving input of the first disinfection mode and upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are in proximity with each other; and

activating the power supply circuitry to selectively operate a different subset of the multiple germicidal sources upon receiving input of the second disinfection mode and upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are not in proximity with each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the germicidal source is a germicidal lamp.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the germicidal source is a source of germicidal plasma, germicidal vapor, germicidal liquid, and/or germicidal gas.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shield is a chamber, and wherein the chamber comprises:

a port dimensionally configured for the germicidal source to pass therethrough; and

a plenum extending between the port and the air moving device and/or an air inlet of the chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the germicidal source is a germicidal lamp, and wherein the plenum comprises sidewalls that are transparent to germicidal light projected from the germicidal lamp.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the germicidal lamp is an ultraviolet lamp, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

first and second air outlets to exhaust air from the plenum, wherein the first air outlet comprises an ozone reducing device; and

an air flow regulator arranged and configured to selectively allow air flow through the first air outlet and selectively allow air flow through the second air outlet, wherein the storage medium comprises program instructions for controlling the air flow regulator such that;

air is routed through the first air outlet when the power supply circuitry is activated in accordance with the predetermined first set of operating parameters; and

air is routed through the second air outlet when the power supply circuitry is activated in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters comprise different durations for operating the germicidal source.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the germicidal source is a pulsed germicidal source, and wherein the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters comprise different frequencies to pulse operation of the germicidal source.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first disinfection mode comprises a first subset disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting air inside the interior cavity and a second subset disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting one or more objects inside the interior cavity.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional sensor to detect movement and/or occupancy within an ambient of the apparatus; and

an actuator coupled to the germicidal source or to the shield, wherein the program instructions for activating the corrective actions for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved comprise activating the actuator; and

wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions for;

activating the additional sensor to operate prior to activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

inhibiting activation of the power supply circuitry upon the additional sensor detecting movement and/or occupancy prior to said activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

terminating operation of the germicidal source upon the additional sensor detecting movement and/or occupancy subsequent to said activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

upon said inhibiting activation of the power supply circuitry or terminating operation of the germicidal source, activating the actuator such that the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other; and

subsequently activating the power supply circuitry to operate the germicidal source.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield is a chamber or is configured in accompaniment with features of the apparatus to form a chamber sufficient to encase the germicidal source within the interior cavity of the apparatus when the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, and wherein the chamber comprises:

an input port accessing the interior cavity,

a door to open and close the input port; and

one or more shelves and/or baskets arranged along one or more interior walls of the chamber and/or along an interior portion of the door.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a heat shield and/or a heat sink.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield is a chamber or is configured in accompaniment with features of the apparatus to form a chamber sufficient to encase the germicidal source when the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a cooling device and/or a dehumidifier within the chamber and/or in proximity to an air inlet of the chamber.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing surrounding the germicidal source, wherein the shield is a chamber comprising a port that dimensionally configured to receive the germicidal source and the housing, and wherein the housing or the port comprises a seal.

23. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters comprise different speeds at which to operate the air moving device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the predetermined first set of operating parameters comprises a higher speed to operate the air moving device than the predetermined second set of operating parameters.

25. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first disinfection mode comprises a first subset disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting air inside the plenum and a second subset disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting one or more objects inside the interior cavity.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a germicidal source;

power supply circuitry coupled to the germicidal source;

a shield, wherein the shield and/or the germicidal source are moveable relative to each other, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that;

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought in proximity to the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is substantially contained within an interior cavity of the apparatus; and

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought out of proximity with the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is projected into an ambient of the apparatus;

a sensor to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said in proximity with each other and/or to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said out of proximity with each other;

an electronic user interface comprising input controls allowing selection of different disinfection modes conducted by the apparatus, wherein the different disinfection modes comprise a first disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting a medium inside the apparatus and a second disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting a medium exterior to the apparatus;

an additional sensor to detect movement and/or occupancy within an ambient of the apparatus;

an actuator coupled to the germicidal source or to the shield;

a processor; and

a storage medium having program instructions which are executable by the processor for;

receiving input from the electronic user interface regarding a selected disinfection mode;

upon receiving input of the first disinfection mode, determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other, activating the actuator to move the germicidal source and/or the shield said in proximity with the other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or subsequent to the actuator being activated to move the germicidal source and/or the shield said in proximity with the other;

activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined first set of operating parameters for the apparatus;

activating the additional sensor; and

upon the additional sensor not detecting movement and/or occupancy for a preset duration, activating the actuator to move the germicidal source or the shield out of said proximity with the other; and

upon receiving input of the second disinfection mode, determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, activating the actuator to move the germicidal source and/or the shield said out of proximity with the other; and

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other or subsequent to the actuator being activated to move the germicidal source and/or the shield said out of proximity with the other, activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined second set of operating parameters for the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions for:

activating the additional sensor subsequent to receiving input of the second disinfection mode and prior to activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

inhibiting activation of the power supply circuitry upon the additional sensor detecting movement and/or occupancy prior to said activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

terminating operation of the germicidal source upon the additional sensor detecting movement and/or occupancy subsequent to said activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with the predetermined second set of operating parameters;

upon said inhibiting activation of the power supply circuitry or terminating operation of the germicidal source, activating the actuator such that the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other; and

subsequently activating the power supply circuitry to operate the germicidal source.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the predetermined first set of operating parameters are different from the second set of operating parameters.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

a germicidal source;

power supply circuitry coupled to the germicidal source;

a shield, wherein the shield and/or the germicidal source are moveable relative to each other, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that;

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought in proximity to the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is substantially contained within an interior cavity of the apparatus; and

the shield and/or the germicidal source may be brought out of proximity with the other such that germicide projected from the germicidal source is projected into an ambient of the apparatus;

a sensor to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said in proximity with each other and/or to detect whether the germicidal source and the shield are said out of proximity with each other;

an electronic user interface comprising input controls allowing selection of different disinfection modes conducted by the apparatus, wherein the different disinfection modes comprise;

a first disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting air inside the apparatus;

a second disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting objects inside the apparatus; and

a third disinfection mode for primarily disinfecting surfaces exterior to the apparatus;

a processor; and

a storage medium having program instructions which are executable by the processor for;

receiving input from the electronic user interface regarding a selected disinfection mode;

upon receiving input of the first disinfection mode or the second disinfection mode;

determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other, activating a corrective action for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved said in proximity with the other; and

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other;

activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined first set of operating parameters for the apparatus if the received input is for the first disinfection mode;

activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined second set of operating parameters for the apparatus if the received input is for the second disinfection mode, wherein the predetermined second set of operating parameters is different from the predetermined first set of operating parameters; and

upon receiving input of the third disinfection mode;

determining whether the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other or said out of proximity with each other;

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said in proximity with each other, activating a corrective action for the germicidal source and/or the shield to be moved said out of proximity with the other; and

upon determining the shield and the germicidal source are said out of proximity with each other, activating the power supply circuitry in accordance with a predetermined third set of operating parameters, wherein the predetermined third set of operating parameters is different from the predetermined first and second sets of operating parameters.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the predetermined first, second and third sets of operating parameters comprise different amounts of power supplied from the power supply circuitry to operate the germicidal source.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising an air moving device to draw air into the interior cavity when the germicidal source and the shield are in proximity with each other, wherein the predetermined first, second and third sets of operating parameters comprise different speeds at which to operate the air moving device.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the predetermined first, second and third sets of operating parameters comprise different durations for operating the germicidal source.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the germicidal source is a pulsed germicidal source, and wherein the predetermined first, second and third sets of operating parameters comprise different frequencies to pulse operation of the germicidal source.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the shield comprises one or more shelves and/or baskets.