Surveying sterilizer methods and systems

• US 8,758,679 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasaki, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US12/800,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 422/3, 422 20- 24, 422/28, 250/461.1, 250/453.11, 250/454.11, 250/455.11, 700/266
• US Class Current: 422/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• 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: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Methods and systems for surveying and sterilizing one or more areas or one or more portions of one or more areas are described.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas;

one or more sterilization units; and

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more rooms.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models that indicate one or more positions of one or more objects within one or more areas.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models that indicate one or more positions of one or more surfaces within one or more areas.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more survey units that is associated with one or more sensors and that is configured to create one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas based at least partly on information received from the one or more sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more stationary-type survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas comprises:

one or more mobile-type survey units configured to produce one or more three-dimensional models of one or more portions of one or more areas.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units comprises:

one or more mobile-type sterilization units.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units comprises:

one or more stationary-type sterilization units.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components are included within the one or more sterilization units.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components are included within the one or more survey units.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply one of more of the following types of sterilization agents;

gamma radiation, sonic radiation, chemical, infrared radiation, steam, gas, and/or ultraviolet light.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply at least one selected sterilization agent based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models and on one or more sterilization protocols, at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models and on at least one determination that at least one specified time interval has elapsed, at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models and on at least one sterilization status, at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply in a specified order of priority one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents to one or more objects based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents to one or more surfaces based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more processing components configured to at least (i) signal the one or more sterilization units to apply one or more sterilization agents to one or more portions of the one or more areas while avoiding at least one other portion of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more three-dimensional models at least partly in response to one or more humans being absent from at least one portion of the one or more areas and (ii) signal the one or more sterilization units to avoid applying one or more sterilization agents at least partly in response to one or more humans being present within at least one portion of the one or more areas.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors.