Methods and systems for sterilization

• US 10,646,602 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Deep Science LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Regina M
• Application Number:
  US11/593,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,939 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0011 using physical methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0088 Liquid substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0094 Gaseous substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/081 Gamma radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/082 X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/084 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/087 Particle radiation, e.g. electron-beam, alpha or beta radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/183 Ozone dissolved in a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/186 Peroxide solutions
• 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 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 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to sterilization methods and systems that may be used within numerous contexts, such as health-care and manufacturing facilities.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one sterilization unit at least one of mountable on at least one wall or configured for positioning on at least one mobile platform in at least one facility, the at least one sterilization unit configured for applying one or more sterilization agents to one or more objects in the at least one facility and including one or more electronic circuitry devices including at least;

circuitry configured for receiving, via at least one wireless communication link, at least one or more instructions specifying the one or more objects for applying the one or more sterilization agents and specifying one or more sterilization parameters associated with application of the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters including at least circuitry configured for steering at least one radiation beam in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies at least one type of sterilizing radiation for application to the specified one or more objects and at least one sterilization parameter that steers the at least one radiation beam to the specified one or more objects; and

circuitry configured for transmitting to one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects at least one or more signals indicative of applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects, wherein the transmitting is via the at least one wireless communication link and the at least one or more signals are configured at least for determining whether the specified one or more objects have been sterilized in accordance with one or more sterilization protocols.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

at least one of;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents including at least one or more chemicals;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents including at least infrared radiation;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents including at least sonic radiation;

or

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents including at least gamma radiation.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting one or more signals indicating at least one determination of whether the specified one or more objects have been sterilized in accordance with the one or more sterilization protocols including at least one of;

circuitry configured for transmitting the one or more signals to one or more controlling units;

or

circuitry configured for transmitting the one or more signals to one or more recording units.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents including at least ultraviolet light.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting to one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects at least one or more signals indicative of applying the specified one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting to one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects at least one or more signals indicative of applying the specified one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects, wherein the transmitting is via the at least one wireless communication link and the one or more signals are configured for reconfiguring the one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects including at least reconfiguring to indicate application of the at least one type of sterilizing radiation to the specified one or more objects.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting to one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects at least one or more signals indicative of applying the specified one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting to one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects at least one or more signals indicative of applying the specified one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects, wherein the transmitting is via the at least one wireless communication link and the one or more signals are configured for reconfiguring the one or more sterilization indicators associated with the specified one or more objects including at least reconfiguring to indicate one or more parameters associated with application of the at least one type of sterilizing radiation to the specified one or more objects.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions wherein the specified one or more objects are associated with the one or more sterilization indicators included in one or more gloves that indicate at least an intensity of application of the one or more sterilization agents.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions wherein the specified one or more objects are associated with the one or more sterilization indicators that indicate at least application of one or more types of the one or more sterilization agents.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving one or more optical signals indicating at least an intensity of application of the one or more sterilization agents.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters including at least circuitry configured for shaping at least one radiation beam in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that shapes the at least one radiation beam for application of the shaped at least one radiation beam to the specified one or more objects.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters including at least circuitry configured for shaping and steering at least one radiation beam in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that shapes and steers the at least one radiation beam to the specified one or more objects for application of the shaped and steered at least one radiation beam to the specified one or more objects.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

at least one of;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies at least one type of sterilizing radiation for not applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects;

or

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies whether to apply the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

at least one of;

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies at least one intensity for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects;

or

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies at least one frequency for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with at least one sterilization parameter that specifies when one or more sterilization agents were last applied to the specified one or more objects.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying multiple types of chemical sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying multiple types of radiation sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying multiple types of radiation sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions including one or more parameters indicative of one or more of immediacy, latency, intensity, or time-integrated intensity of sterilizing radiation of the multiple types of radiation sterilization agents associated with the specified one or more objects.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for applying the one or more sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters comprises:

circuitry configured for applying multiple types of radiation sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects in accordance with the specified one or more sterilization parameters specified by the at least one or more instructions designating one or more of type, frequency, or duration for applying the multiple types of radiation sterilization agents to the specified one or more objects.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the one or more sterilization indicators configured for indicating at least an intensity at which the one or more sterilization agents have been applied to the specified one or more objects.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of;

the one or more sterilization indicators configured for indicating at least one or more types of the one or more sterilization agents have been applied to the specified one or more objects;

or

the one or more sterilization indicators configured for indicating whether the one or more sterilization agents should be applied to the specified one or more objects.