Surveying sterilizer methods and systems

• US 8,932,535 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• 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): Yoo, Regina M
• Application Number:
  US12/587,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100111775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 422/292, 422/24
• US Class Current: 422/292
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation

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 sterilization system comprising:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas; and

one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive one or more signals associated with one or more instructions to avoid applying sterilizing radiation to the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive one or more signals associated with one or more instructions to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more objects within the one or more areas.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive one or more signals associated with one or more readings obtained from one or more sensor units.

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

one or more stationary survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive one or more signals indicating that one or more humans are present or absent within the one or more areas.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive one or more signals associated with one or more instructions that indicate where to apply sterilizing radiation within the one or more areas.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply ultraviolet light to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas and based at least partly on one or more readings obtained from one or more sensor units, at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more stationary sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

11. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the sterilization system is configured for mounting on a wall or a ceiling.

12. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to selectively apply sterilizing radiation to one or more surfaces within the one or more areas while avoiding application of sterilizing radiation to one or more other surfaces within the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas and according to one or more sterilization protocols, at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

13. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to selectively apply sterilizing radiation to one or more surfaces within the one or more areas while avoiding application of sterilizing radiation to one or more other surfaces within the one or more areas by steering one or more emissions of radiation in a prioritized manner based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas and according to one or more sterilization protocols, at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

14. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas comprises:

one or more mobile survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas.

15. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more mobile sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

16. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply at least one of the following types of sterilizing radiation;

gamma radiation, sonic radiation, or infrared radiation.

17. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more surfaces or objects within the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas.

18. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas comprises:

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

19. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas comprises:

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

20. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more areas comprises:

one or more survey units configured to produce one or more models of one or more of the following types of areas;

room or transportation vehicle.

21. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas based at least partly on the one or more models of the one or more areas at least partly in response to a determination that one or more humans are absent from the one or more portions of the one or more areas comprises:

one or more sterilization units configured to apply sterilizing radiation to one or more portions of the one or more areas for sterilization up to one or more specified levels less than one-hundred percent.

22. The sterilization system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensor units.