Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AIR PURIFICATION AND DISINFECTION APPARATUS
AND METHODS OF USE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
100011 The present invention relates to a personal air
purification and disinfection
apparatus and methods of its use, and in particular to apparatuses and systems
that eliminate
harmful airborne particles and microorganisms from ambient air as it passes
through the device,
so as to prevent the organisms entering the body of an individual user of the
apparatus.
BACKGROUND
100021 The background description includes information that may
be useful in
understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the
information provided
herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that
any publication specifically
or implicitly referenced is prior art.
100031 Social distancing and the use of personal protective
equipment (PPE), such as mask
and face shields, have been recommended to protect individuals and control
spread of airborne
viruses, such as, SARS-CoV-2 (or the COVID-19) virus. However, these measures
may not be
sufficient to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus especially in confined
spaces. Most face
masks have questionable ability to block fine virus particles. In infected
individuals, the masks
block the escape of large virus droplets thus forcing them to breath in more
and more viruses with
each breath and reinfect themselves with the viruses they should be expelling.
Social distancing is
of questionable value in a facility where people move around because the virus
droplets take eight
minutes or more to drop from a height of five feet. Inevitably, a virus "halo"
from the infected
person lies in wait for the next person to pass by. Lockdowns have only
temporary value because
the virus is still present in the ambient air when the lockdown is lifted. To
be effective, the virus
has to be destroyed and the battle should be preferably outside the body since
we do not yet know
the long- term complications suffered by individuals who are supposedly
"cured" of the COVID-
19 virus nor the long-term effects of current vaccines. Recent studies have
found that the COVID-
19 virus and other variants spread not only through close personal contacts
but also through the
air. Even if the virus droplets fall down within a six-foot radius, the
viruses in these droplets are
not destroyed. Instead, these droplets dry up, release the virus particles of
about 0.1 micron to
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float into the air converting rooms, buildings, airplanes, etc. into something
similar to smoke filled
facilities. Even an N95 mask cannot block these particles completely.
[0004] For example, the COVID-19 virus can infect buildings,
airplanes, buses, trains and
other structures that have inadequate disinfection functionality in the
associated air conditioning
systems or in air conditioners with sluggish air movement. Such air
conditioners can function as a
"vector equivalent" for the COVID-19 virus and other microorganisms.
Individuals in
confined/enclosed spaces are constantly exposed to this deadly virus every
time they inhale the air
from an infected building or structure and the masks may not be able to
protect the individuals
because either the masks cannot block such fine virus particles or the masks
that can partially block
such particles eventually fail due to overloading. Ideally, these air
conditioners can be upgraded
to protect against the COVID-19 virus and others. However, this is a time
consuming process and
involves a lot of expenditure.
[0005] Therefore, there is an ongoing need to provide better
systems and devices that are
specifically designed to protect an individual from the COVID-19 virus and
other microorganisms.
If this can be done by destroying such harmful agents outside the human body,
the fight against
them in the body with resulting short term and long term complications can be
avoided. The
importance of such a reliable personal protection device cannot be overstated.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present disclosure relates to a portable system and
apparatus for personal bio-
protection that overcome the limitations of existing methods to prevent the
exposure of individuals
to disease causing microorganisms and other harmful agents. It also includes
an endotracheal tube
in fluidic communication with a ventilator. Present day conventional
ventilators have no reliable
way of destroying COVID-19 or other similar organisms. A way of destroying the
viruses going
into the ventilator is urgently needed. An air purification and disinfection
system and methods of
its use are urgently needed and are disclosed. The system includes an
apparatus having a housing,
ultraviolet disinfection chambers, an air mover, and an air-tight air
distribution unit in
communication with the housing that contains multiple disinfection chambers.
Air is passed
through the disinfection chamber where it is purified and disinfected before
it is delivered to the
user of the apparatus through the air distribution unit in the form of an air
tight face mask which
takes air exclusively coming from the unit, thus functioning as a "mask
ventilator" or alternately
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through an endotracheal tube in fluidic communication with a ventilator. The
apparatus can be
configured as an open or a closed circuit system based on whether the exhaled
air is released
outside or sent back to the unit. In either case the inhaled air is
exclusively from the unit and the
individual takes no air from the outside. The system may be configured to
purify air for an
individual user in an airplane, a conference room, or a classroom as
individually installed units, or
as a totally portable unit for an individual user outside those facilities. As
a portable unit the
disinfection chamber can be incorporated into a back pack, a vest, a purse, a
briefcase, a shoulder
bag, a cervical collar, or any other format for being carried by the use
outside those facilities.
100071 The air purification and disinfection system for an
individual can be coupled to a
face mask or a ventilator. The system disinfects and purifies the air using UV
(and in particular,
Far-UVC and UV-C) radiation, HEPA filtration, carbon dioxide absorption,
activated charcoal
absorption, or any combination thereof. While the systems and apparatuses of
the present invention
are configured for disinfection and purification of air, it is also noted that
as used herein, the term
"disinfects" also implies both disinfection and purification.
100081 According to an embodiment, an apparatus (or "device") can
include: (a) a housing
110 having a housing inlet and a housing exit, wherein the housing is opaque
to UV-C light; (b)
an inner box 600 with multiple disinfection chambers embedded within the inner
box , each
chamber containing a number of UV-C light sources 602 arranged in a convoluted
pattern, wherein
each of the chambers have an air inlet and an air outlet; (c) an air mover;
and (d) an air distribution
unit in communication with the air outlet of the outer housing wherein the air
distribution unit
delivers purified and disinfected air to a user of the apparatus. The
disinfection chambers use UV
radiation that is strong, has close proximity to the microorganisms in the air
and ensures the
required duration of contact with the microorganisms by manipulating the speed
of air movement
by the air mover with multiple air flow settings.
100091 According to an embodiment, an air purification and
disinfection system
comprises: (a) a housing having a housing inlet and a housing exit, wherein
the housing is opaque
to UV-C light; (b) an air mover in communication with the housing outlet or
inlet, wherein the air
mover controls a rate of air flow through the system; (c) an inner box with
multiple disinfection
chambers embedded within the housing and may be transparent to UV-C light,
each chamber
containing a number of UV-C light sources arranged in a convoluted pattern,
wherein each of the
chambers has an air inlet and an air outlet; and (d) an air distribution unit
in fluidic communication
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with the air outlet of the outer box wherein the air distribution unit
delivers purified and disinfected
air to a user of the system.
100101 According to an embodiment, an air purification and
disinfection apparatus
comprises: (a) a housing having a housing inlet and a housing exit; (b) a
filter for removing
allergens and microorganisms; (c) a pump; and (d) an air distribution unit in
communication
with the air outlet of the housing of the apparatus, wherein the air
distribution unit delivers purified
and disinfected air to a user of the apparatus.
100111 According to an embodiment, a method of purifying and
disinfecting an air flow
comprises: (a) providing an apparatus having: (i) a housing with a housing
inlet and a housing
exit/outlet, (ii) an inner box with multiple disinfection chambers with an air
inlet, an air outlet,
and each disinfection chamber containing a number of UV-C light sources
arranged in a
convoluted pattern, (iii) an air mover, and (iv) an air distribution unit in
fluidic communication
with the air outlet of the housing of the apparatus; (b) an air mover
controlling a rate of flow of an
air source that moves through the apparatus; (c) moving the air source through
the housing and
into the disinfection chambers; (d) exposing the air source in close proximity
to the UV-C light
sources for a sufficient time period to disinfect the air source; (e) sending
the disinfected air source
to the air distribution unit; and (0 delivering the purified and disinfected
air source to a user of the
apparatus.
100121 Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
inventive subject matter
will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments,
along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent
like components
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
100131 FIG. lA is a schematic representation of an air
purification and disinfection
apparatus.
100141 FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplary portable air purification
and disinfection system.
100151 FIG. 2A is a schematic representation of an air
disinfection chamber.
100161 FIGs. 2B to2D illustrate examples of a housing and
disinfection chamber of an air
purification and disinfection system.
100171 FIGs. 2E to 2G illustrate an exemplary embodiment where
the housing is
configured as a cervical collar.
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[0018] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
air purification and
disinfection apparatus with its top removed.
[0019] FIGs. 3B to 3C illustrate an embodiment of the air
purification and disinfection
system housing.
[0020] FIGs. 4A to 4K illustrate several embodiments of a
ventilator and methods of using
the air purification and disinfection system in conjunction with a ventilator.
FIG. 5A illustrates an
exemplary portable air purification and disinfection system and a sealable
full face transparent
mask.
[0021] FIGs. 5A and 5C illustrate one embodiment of a full face
mask
[0022] FIGs. 5D and 5E illustrate one embodiment of a half face
mask.
[0023] FIGs. 6A to 6M illustrate different views of inner chamber
of the air purification
and disinfection system and internal details.
[0024] FIGs. 7A ¨ 7C illustrate several embodiments of a
transport carrier for the air
purification and disinfection system
100251 FIG. 7D illustrates the use of the personal air
purification and disinfection system
in an airplane.
[0026] FIGs. 7E and 7F illustrate the use of the personal air
purification and disinfection
system in an office environment integrated with a desk/conference table, in
accordance with an
embodiment.
[0027] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of a
sealable half face mask
connected to of the air purification and disinfection system integrated with
speakers connectable
to a mobile phone of a user, in accordance with an embodiment.
100281 FIG. 9 shows a controller device displaying a software
application to control
operation of the air purification and disinfection system, in accordance with
an embodiment.
[0029] FIGs. 10 to 12 illustrate exemplary flow diagrams for
functioning of the air
purification and disinfection system, in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure and
additional features and
benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon
consideration of the following
detailed description of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that
the description
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herein, being of example embodiments, is not intended to limit the claims of
this patent (or any
patent claiming priority hereto). On the contrary, the intention is to cover
all modifications,
equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this
disclosure and the appended
claims. Many changes may be made to the particular embodiments and details
disclosed herein
without departing from such spirit and scope.
[0031] As used herein and throughout various portions (and
headings) of this patent
(including the claims), the terms "invention", "present invention" and
variations thereof are not
intended to mean every possible embodiment encompassed by this disclosure or
any particular
claim(s). Thus, the subject matter of each such reference should not be
considered as necessary
for, or part of, every embodiment hereof, or of any particular claim(s),
merely because of such
reference. Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for
infringement
purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or
limitations specified in
the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention"
may in some cases
refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be
recognized that references to
the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not
necessarily all, of the
claims. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that
follow, the meaning of
"a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise. Also,
as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on"
unless the context
clearly dictates otherwise.
[0032] All methods described herein can be performed in any
suitable order unless
otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The
use of any and all
examples, or exemplary language (for instance, -such as-) provided with
respect to certain
embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and
does not pose a
limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the
specification should
be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice
of the invention.
[0033] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used
in a claim is not defined,
it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have
given that term as
reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[0034] The present disclosure relates to a system and apparatus
for personal bio-protection
that overcomes the limitations of existing systems to prevent the exposure of
individuals to disease
causing microorganisms and other harmful agents and more importantly to
prevent the harmful
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agents and microorganisms getting the into human body. The purpose is to
destroy such organisms
and agents outside the human body. An air purification and disinfection system
and methods of its
use are disclosed. The system includes an apparatus having a housing, an inner
box with multiple
ultraviolet disinfection chambers, an air mover, and an air distribution unit
in fluidic
communication with the housing. Air is passed through the disinfection
chambers where it is
purified and disinfected before it is delivered to the user of the apparatus
through the air
distribution unit. The apparatus can be configured as an open or a closed
circuit system. The
personal system may be configured to purify air for an individual in an
airplane, a conference room
or a classroom, or as a portable unit for an individual user anywhere else. As
a portable unit the
disinfection chamber can be incorporated into a back pack, a vest, a purse, a
briefcase, a shoulder
bag, a cervical collar, or any other format for being carried by the user.
[0035] The present invention relates to an air purification and
disinfection apparatus, and
in particular, to a device that eliminates harmful airborne particles and
microorganisms from
ambient air as it passes through the device before the purified air is
delivered to an individual who
will be inhaling air exclusively from the unit. Alternately the air circulator
160 (pumps) can be
installed at the base of the housing outlet/exit 122. One embodiment of the
air purification and
disinfection apparatus 100 is shown in FIG. 1. The air purification and
disinfection system or
apparatus 100 includes a housing 110 having an inlet 120 and an outlet/exit
122, wherein the
housing is opaque to UV-C light; a transparent/opaque inner box 140 with
multiple ultraviolet
disinfection chambers 610 embedded within the housing, wherein the chambers
contain a plurality
of UV-C emitting light sources 150; a purified air distribution unit 170 in
fluidic communication
with the housing outlet/exit 122 and the air disinfection unit 140, also
called a disinfection box; a
power source 180 with a battery 182; a Printable Circuit Board (PCB) 295/316
enclosed in a PCB
enclosure 317; and an air circulator 160. The air purification and
disinfection apparatus 100 may
be configured to have fewer or more components than shown in FIG. 1A.
100361 A perspective view of one embodiment of the system 100 is
seen in FIG. 1B. This
embodiment shows a half face mask 508 as the purified air distribution unit
170, the housing 110
as an opaque back pack, the housing air intake 120 receiving air flow from the
canister 190 and
the user's exhaled air from the face mask 508 through tube 136. The apparatus
100 is designed
to provide a continuous source of purified and/or disinfected air for an
individual user (e.g., a
healthcare worker, a first responder, or a staff member at an assisted care
facility) and to provide
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a practical solution that can prevent exposure of individuals to infection and
contaminants by
isolating/protecting the person substantially from the surrounding
contaminated and/or impure air
and allowing the individual to breath in air exclusively from the unit where
the organisms are
destroyed thus making sure that the organisms are destroyed outside the human
body.
[0037] Housine
[0038] The housing 110 for the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 substantially
contains or is connected to all the components of the air purification and
disinfection apparatus.
The walls of the housing 110 are typically made of a material that is opaque
to UV-C light thereby
blocking the leakage of UV-C and far UV-C light so that there is no UV-C harm
done to the person
using the device or people around the user.
[0039] The housing has an inlet 120 that allows for the entry of
ambient air or another
approved source of air. In an open circuit embodiment, all or the majority of
the air entering the
inlet 120 of the housing is ambient air; however, another air stream, such as
an oxygen enriched
air stream, may also be permitted to enter the device 100 for purification or
decontamination.
Alternative closed circuit embodiments recycle, purify and disinfect the air
inhaled and exhaled
from the user of the device in addition to the ambient air and the
supplemental oxygen.
[0040] The housing also has an outlet/exit 122 that allows for
the exit of the purified or
decontaminated air from the housing. The air exiting the housing through
outlet/exit 122 is
generally delivered to a purified air distribution unit 170, such as a mask or
a ventilator through
tube 134
[0041] The air purification and disinfection apparatus 100 may
utilize an air mover 160 or
161 circulator (such as an air pump 160/161 or a fan 203) in communication
with the inlet 120 to
ensure a controlled rate of air flow through the device 100 by selecting one
or other of multiple
power settings in 160/161.
[0042] The housing 110 can take on any configuration (e.g., a
backpack, a box, a briefcase,
a shoulder bag, a briefcase, or a cervical collar). One embodiment of the
apparatus housing 110
and its contents is shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A shows an air purification and
disinfection apparatus
100 without a UV-C disinfectant chamber. The apparatus shown includes a pump
330, batteries
182, an activated carbon filter 312, a HEPA filter 325, and a Printable
Circuit Board (PCB)
295/316 enclosed in a PCB enclosure 317. The pump 330 draws in a mixture of
external/ambient
air and exhaled air through the inlet 120 with or without supplemental oxygen.
The air source
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entering the inlet 120 may be oxygen enriched. Once it enters the inlet 120
the air is filtered first
through a HEPA filter 325 and then through an activated carbon filter 312. The
filtered and
purified air flow is then pumped out to an air distribution unit 170.
Batteries 182 are provided for
powering the pump 330 and the PCB. The PCB can be configured to enable control
of the air flow
and other functions of the apparatus. This embodiment is particularly useful
to protect a user from
allergens or harmful vapors.
[0043] FIGs. 3B ¨ 3C illustrate yet another embodiment of the
housing 110. The housing
in this example is an outer box 302 having a top cover 304 with a plurality of
holes 305 for
dissipation of heat from inside the housing, a back cover 306, a HEPA filter
325, a pocket 310 for
holding a phone or a PC 320, and an inner box 315 or disinfection chamber 140
located inside the
outer box 302, as shown in FIG. 3C. The inner box 315 is configured to house a
plurality of UV-
C disinfection chambers 610 (as disclosed, for instance, in FIGs. 6C and 6D)
through which the
air can flow in a combination of serpentine as well as helical paths.
[0044] Air Purifiers/Enhancers
100451 Filters. As shown in FIG. 1A one or more filters may be
used to decontaminate the
air supplied to the user of the apparatus 100. A filter 325 may be positioned
at a base of the housing
110 to filter the incoming airflow. For example, airflow entering the inlet
120 may be filtered to
filter out fine particulates and/or microorganisms. Exemplary filters are High
Efficiency
Particulate Air filters (i.e., HEPA filters) or 0.22 micron filters.
Alternatively, an inline replaceable
carbon dioxide absorbent filter 235 may be used on the line bringing air into
the housing 110 from
the air distribution unit 170. In some embodiments, an activated carbon filter
312 can be used
after the UV-C disinfection chamber to filter the purified air before it is
sent to the distribution
unit 170.
[0046] Oxygen Source or Concentrator. The air purification and
disinfection apparatus
100 can also include an air/oxygen source, such as, a canister of oxygen or an
oxygen concentrator,
in fluidic communication with the device 100. For example, a canister 190 can
be selectably
attached to the housing 110, either attached to the outside of the housing or
within the housing.
One embodiment of an oxygen canister 190, illustrated in FIG. 1, is attached
to the outside of the
housing. In this embodiment a first end of the tubing 132 is connected to the
canister, while a
second end of the tube 132 can be directly connected to inlet 120 of the
device or the oxygen can
be mixed with ambient air before entering the inlet 120 by connecting the
second end of tube 132
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to an air control mixing valve 192. The ambient air will be supplied to valve
192 through an air
inlet 138. The ratio of oxygen to air may be electronically controlled through
the mixing valve
192.
100471 Similarly, an oxygen concentrator 275 as depicted in Figs.
2B, 2C & 2D can be
used to treat air and concentrate oxygen to a desired level for the user.
Patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory ailments can utilize this
feature to process their
oxygen supply. The oxygen concentrator 275 is often placed inside of the
housing 110 as shown
in FIG. 2B.
100481 Carbon Dioxide Absorption Unit. A carbon dioxide
absorption unit 235 may also
be included in the air purification and disinfection apparatus 100 As
illustrated in FIG. 2B, the
carbon dioxide absorption unit may be positioned in the housing 110. One
embodiment of the
carbon dioxide absorption unit 235 is a replaceable canister having a material
that can absorb
carbon dioxide from an incoming airflow. The material can include, without
limitation, soda lime,
BaralymeTM, or Amsorbg. The air passing through a carbon dioxide absorption
unit 235 will be
substantially free of carbon dioxide and may be sent to the oxygen
concentrator 275 to be further
processed. In an otherwise healthy individual where there is no virus load in
the exhaled air, the
exhaled air can be released out of the mask and there is no need for the
carbon dioxide absorption
canister.
100491 Activated Charcoal Filter Unit. An activated charcoal 312
placed between the
inner box (140,600,315) and the pump (160, 330) can filter out any heavy metal
or other fumes
that might escape from the inner box (140,600,315) with its disinfection
chambers 610, 622, 225.
By placing an activated carbon absorption unit in an air pathway of the air
purification and
disinfection apparatus 100, heavy metal fumes, volatile organic compounds, or
other
toxic/poisonous vapors can be absorbed and removed.
100501 Disinfection Chamber
100511 The housing 110 has an inner box 140 enclosing multiple
disinfection chambers
610 embedded within the housing. The walls of the inner box 140 are typically
made of a material
that is either transparent to UV-C light or opaque to UV-C light. The
disinfection chambers 610
have a number of UV-C light sources 150 mounted within the chambers 610. The
inner box 140
will have an air flow inlet 210 and an air flow outlet 205 as shown in FIG.
2A. Fig. 2A represents
only the inner box 140 of the housing 110 of unit 100.
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[0052] Pump/Fan/Air Mover
This can be in the form of a pump (314, 330, 161) or a series of fans 203 as
in FIG.
2A. In one embodiment the pump 160 (from Fig. 1A), 330 (from Fig. 3C),
314(from Fig. 6E) is
placed just before the outlet of housing 110. The pump moves air through the
entire system. (a)
the housing, including all filters and the inner box MO (from Fig. 1A), 600
(from Figs. 6A, 6B),
315 (from Fig. 3C) with its disinfection chambers, and (b) into the air
distribution unit 170 (from
Fig. 1A). The pump functions at different power levels that can be
electronically controlled. By
altering the power level of the pump, the air circulation can be made faster
or slower. The pump
pressure levels also determine the air pressure inside the sealed airtight
distribution unit 170. In
the case of 170 this will be adjusted to the comfort level of the individual
breathing through the
mask.
[0053] UV Light Sources
[0054] UV light is a well-known disinfectant/decontaminant. Many
UV light emitting
devices are available in the marketplace. These devices are used to "sterilize-
surgical suites,
airports, and other such spaces. However, for effective
disinfection/decontamination, the UV light
has to be strong enough to destroy/kill the microorganisms from close, direct
proximity.
Additionally, the microorganisms have to be exposed to the UV light for a
sufficient duration of
time before they can be neutralized. Such high energy UV radiation and long
exposure to UV
radiation can injure normal human cells like skin, cornea, and other cells.
Therefore, UV light
should not be allowed to come near the hands or other area of the skin.
Furthermore, exposure of
skin to UV radiation can cause skin irritation and other ailments.
[0055] There are UV protected free standing air filtration and
disinfection systems
available in the market. These units are installed inside the rooms where
people can move around
freely without risk of UV-C radiation. Such units treat only portions of the
room air and so the rest
of the room will still contain a virus load. This is similar to using a fan
with a sealed back to flush
away smoke. There is a smoke free area just in front of the fan but not in the
rest of the room.
Similarly, the currently available UV-C free standing disinfection units
inside a room will clear
the virus from an area in front of the unit, while leaving the rest of the
room with the same virus
load. Even though the continuous working of these units can reduce the virus
load, if there is no
additional virus loads coming into the room.
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[0056]
UV light is electromagnetic radiation beyond the wavelength of the
visible violet
or beyond the spectrum that the human eyes can see. The UV light itself has a
spectrum ranging
from a 100 nanometer to 400 nanometers. UV of wavelengths from 315 nm to 400
nm is called
UV-A, from 280 nm to 315 nm UV-B, and from 200 nm to 280 nm UV-C. Far UV-C
light has a
spectrum ranging from 207 nm - 222 nm. For the purposes of this application,
the terms "UV-
C/UVC/far UV-C/far UVC" are used interchangeably herein.
[0057]
The earth's ozone layer blocks the UV-C, but allows UV-A and UV-B to
reach
earth. The shorter the light wavelength is, the less it will penetrate human
skin. UV-A and UV-B
can damage human skin and are the ones implicated in sunburn, skin cancer, and
an increased risk
of cataracts. UV-C from the sunlight cannot normally reach the earth because
it is filtered out by
the earth's ozone layer. Far UV-C and UV-C light penetration into the skin is
low, but is sufficient
to cause some damage. However, UV-C light does penetrate microorganisms and
denature the
RNA/DNA of those microorganisms, causing cell damage and making the
reproduction of those
microorganisms impossible.
100581
The kill rate of UV-C light depends on the specific microorganism you
are trying
to destroy as well as the UV-C dosage the organism receives. Dosage (J/m2) is
a combination of
exposure time and intensity
(microwatts per square centimeter). UV dose
=UV bulb_power*Exposure time/(4*pi*UV bulb distance^2. The intensity is a
measure of the
power of the UV-C and its proximity to the organism, where Intensity, E=
UV bulb_power/UV bulb di stance^2.
[0059]
The number, type, and the placement of the UV-C bulbs 150 in the
disinfection
chambers will ensure that the bacteria and viruses in the air flow passing
through the disinfection
chambers 610 will receive a sufficient UV-C dosage to kill any microorganisms
in the air.
[0060]
The UV-C light sources 150 can be any type of UV-C light source. UV-C
light
sources may include mercury lamps, fluorescent tubes, pulsed xenon lamps,
excimer lamps, UV-
C LEDs, and UV-C lasers. Once the UV-C bulb is selected and the wattage or
irradiance is known,
the exposure time to achieve the desired dosage can be calculated and the
appropriate time for the
air path to spend passing through the disinfection chambers in close proximity
to the UV-C lights
can be determined. The speed of air movement is adjusted to meet this demand
by adjusting the
power levels in the air mover 160/161 (from 1A), 330 (from 3C), and 314 (from
6E). A convoluted
air path through the disinfection chambers will extend the time that the air
spends passing through
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the chambers 610. The time the air spends in the disinfection chambers is
further controlled by
the speed of air movement through the chambers as controlled by the air mover.
100611 One exemplary embodiment of the disinfection box 140 is
illustrated in FIG. 2A.
The entire Fig. 2A represents only the inner box 140 of housing 110 of unit
100. Here the inner
box 140 has to be opaque because there is no outer box 110. Optionally, one or
more miniature
fans 203 are positioned at the base of an inner box 140. The fans 203 are
configured to draw air
through the disinfection air inlets 210 into the disinfection box 140. The
disinfection box includes
multiple air disinfection chambers separated by sheets 207. Each sheet 207
includes a plurality of
UV light sources 150 which are configured to emit far UV-C light. The UV light
sources 150 can
be cylindrical UV-C lamps or UV-C LEDs. As shown in FIG. 2A, for example, the
sheets 207 can
be arranged in such a manner that a serpentine airflow pathway is created
through the disinfection
chambers 610 for the incoming airflow inside the disinfection box 140. For
instance, a gap is
created between two adjacent sheets 207 such that the airflow can pass around
the sheets in a
serpentine manner providing an air flow path that is in close proximity to the
UV-C lights 150.
Increasing the number of sheets 207 and the twists and turns in the serpentine
path will increase
the time that the airflow will spend inside the chamber 140.
100621 Other exemplary embodiments of the disinfection box 140
are shown in FIGs. 2B
¨ 2G, 650 as shown in 4B-4K and 600 as shown in 6A-6H. The disinfection box
includes multiple
UV-C light sources 150 enclosed within cylindrical or rectangular
containers/chambers 225 which
behave like disinfection chambers 610. Each cylindrical or rectangular
container/chamber housing
the UV-C light sources has an airflow inlet 251 and an airflow outlet 252 that
are commonly on
opposed ends of the container. As shown in FIG. 2B, an airflow outlet from a
first cylindrical
container/chamber may be in fluidic communication with an airflow inlet of a
second cylindrical
container/chamber and so on. Thus, the disinfected outflow from the first
cylindrical
container/chamber can enter the second cylindrical container/chamber where it
is again exposed
to UV-C light. The disinfected outflow from the second cylindrical
container/chamber can then
enter a third cylindrical container/chamber where it is again subjected to
further disinfection. The
container/chamber are optionally lined with reflective material and titanium
dioxide to concentrate
the UV-C and also to make the device more lethal to the microorganisms in the
air flow. The
reflective and titanium dioxide coatings can be one over the other or can be
in alternate up and
down full length longitudinal strips inside the containers/chambers, and all
other relevant surfaces.
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100631 The cylindrical or rectangular containers/chambers 225 are
attached to upper
ballasts 230A and lower ballasts 230B. An optional cooling chamber 290,
equipped with one or
more small fans 291, in communication with the disinfection box 140 may be
positioned to
dissipate any heat generated by the large number of light sources operating
within close proximity
to each other within the disinfection box 140. FIGs. 2D and 2E illustrate
other embodiments of
the UV-C light sources. In these embodiments, the disinfection box 140
includes UV-C LED light
sources 150 enclosed in containers/chambers 225 attached to upper and lower
LED drivers 231A
and 231B respectively.
100641 Each cylindrical or rectangular enclosure/chamber housing
the UV-C or UV-C LED
light sources has an airflow inlet 251 and an airflow outlet 252 that are
commonly on opposed
ends of the enclosure or container. As shown in FIGs. 2D and 2E, an airflow
outlet from a first
cylindrical container/chamber may be in fluidic communication with an airflow
inlet of a second
cylindrical container/chamber and so on. Thus, the disinfected outflow from
the first cylindrical
container/chamber can enter the second cylindrical container/chamber where it
is again exposed
to UV-C light. The disinfected outflow from the second cylindrical
container/chamber can then
enter a third cylindrical containers/chambers where it is again subjected to
further disinfection.
The containers/chambers are optionally lined with reflective material and
titanium dioxide to
concentrate the UV-C and also to make the device more lethal to the
microorganisms in the air
flow. The reflective and titanium dioxide coating can be one over the other or
can be in alternate
up and down full length longitudinal strips on the inside of the
cylindrical/rectangular
containers/chambers.
100651 The ballasts and/or LED drivers that run the UV-C light
sources 250 can be along
the upper and lower borders of the disinfection box 140. The cylindrical or
rectangular chambers
or containers 225 can hang down from the top ballasts or drivers or project up
from the bottom
ballasts or LED drivers in an alternating fashion. For instance, a first and
third container/chamber
225 can be connected to a top ballast/LED driver and a second and fourth
container/chamber can
be connected to a bottom ballast/LED driver. By alternately turning on and off
the first and third
and the second and fourth containers/chambers, heat production can be
minimized and the life of
the UV-C sources can be extended. Any additional cylinders and ballasts
arrangement can be
planned in a similar fashion.
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[0066] The disinfection box 140 illustrated in FIGs. 2B-2E
further include a carbon dioxide
absorption unit 235, an oxygen concentrator 275, a battery 182 as the power
source 180, a PCB
(not shown), and a cooling chamber 290.
[0067] Other embodiments of the apparatus 100 configured as a
cervical collar are shown
in FIGs. 2F and 2G. FIG. 2F illustrates a cervical collar 110 that includes a
UV-C disinfectant box
140. The disinfectant box 140 includes a combination of one or more UV-C
source tubes 150
enclosed in cylindrical chambers or containers 225 attached to upper ballast
230A and lower
ballast 230B, while FIG. 2G shows one or more UV-C LED lights 150 that are
enclosed in
cylindrical chambers/containers 225 attached to upper LED drive 231A and lower
LED drive
231B.
[0068] The light sources can generate heat so that a heat sink or
other type of cooling unit
290 can be incorporated in close contact with the UV-C sources to carry the
heat away from the
circulating UV-C treated air. The extracted heat is then expelled through from
the collar using
small fans 291 at the bottom of the collar, behind the chambers/containers
225. The partitions and
the chamber walls can be coated with either one or both a reflective material
and titanium dioxide.
The multiple reflections of the UV-C will impinge the microorganisms on all
sides, and the
titanium dioxide can augment the lethal property of the disinfection chamber
towards all
microorganisms. As shown in FIGs. 61 ¨ 6M, the surface of these reflecting and
titanium dioxide
coated walls can be made irregular to increase the light reflection and
distribution to the passing
air containing the microorganisms.
[0069] As illustrated in FIGs. 2B to 2G, the air purification and
disinfection apparatus
includes a disinfection box 140, a carbon dioxide absorption unit 235, oxygen
concentrator 275,
battery 182 with PCB provision, and cooling chamber 290. An air-filled cushion
tube along the
bottom and top of the collar on the inside (not shown) will prevent the collar
from hitting the back
of the user's neck uncomfortably.
[0070] Optionally a tube 221, as shown in FIGs. 2F to 2G can be
built into the collar to
provide purified, disinfected air from the UV-C disinfectant box outlet 205 to
the bottom of the
collar on a second side where the air goes out through a pump 161/330 and a
threaded outlet or
spout 227A. The tube 220A can be coupled to spout 227A to carry the air to the
inlet of an air
distribution unit 170.
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100711 FIG. 2G illustrates another embodiment of the housing 110
configured as a
wearable cervical collar. As shown, the disinfection box is devoid of a carbon
dioxide absorption
unit and oxygen concentrator having only UV-C tubes 250 enclosed in
cylindrical chambers or
containers 225 and the HEPA filter.
100721 FIGs. 6A-6D illustrate details of yet another embodiment
of a disinfection box MO.
FIGs. 6A-6D show the inner box 600 made of a transparent/opaque material,
wherein a plurality
of UV-C light sources 602, a plurality of ballasts 604, a plurality of
dividers 606, and a plurality
of helixes or helical airflow diverters 608 make up more than one disinfection
chamber 610. Box
600 represents box 140 taken out of the outer box 110 in Fig. lA & 6E. This is
only to highlight
the details of the inner box 140 containing multiple disinfection chambers
610.
100731 FIG. 6A shows internal details of the inner box 600
without the dividers 606 and
the helixes 608 to highlight the arrangement of the ballasts 604 and the UV-C
tubes 602. The
ballasts 604 can be positioned along the upper and lower sides of the inner
box 600 and groups of
the UV-C tubes 602 can hang down from the upper ballasts 604 or project up
from the bottom
ballasts 604 in an alternating fashion. The exemplary illustrations of FIGs.
6A and 6C show four
groups of four UV-C tubes 602 in each disinfectant chamber 610, however any
other number is
well within the scope of the present disclosure.
100741 FIG. 6B shows the internal details of the inner box 600
without the UV-C tubes
602 to highlight the arrangement of the dividers 606 and the helixes 608. As
can be seen, the
dividers 606 are arranged in parallel and divide the inner box along a length
of the inner box 600
to form the plurality of disinfectant chambers 610 oriented along a width of
the inner box 600. The
dividers 606 are attached to the sides of the inner box in an air tight
fashion and are arranged in a
staggered manner with the alternate dividers 606 providing a passage for the
air between the
adjacent disinfectant chambers 610 on the top and bottom ends. The passage
provides the
functionality of the inlet and the outlet for the adjacent disinfectant
chambers 610 and enabling
flow of the stream of air through the plurality of disinfectant chambers 610
in a zig-zag manner
along the length of the inner box 600. Each disinfectant chamber 610 includes
a helical airflow
diverter 608 configured to create a helical path for the stream of air along a
length of the
disinfectant chamber 610 and to expose microorganisms in the airflow to UV-C
or far UV-C light
emitted by the ultraviolet light sources for an extended and optimal duration,
with close contact.
The inside of each disinfection chamber 610 can be lined with layers of
reflecting material and
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titanium dioxide that are applied one over the other or in alternating strips
and can have a smooth
or rough surface.
100751 FIG. 6C shows all the internal parts of the inner box 600,
i.e., the UV-C tubes 602,
the dividers 606 and the helixes 608. As can be seen, the groups of the UV-C
tubes 602 are located
such that each group lies between two adjacent dividers 606 (thereby making up
a disinfectant
chamber 610), and the UV-C tubes 602 of the group in each disinfectant chamber
610 are located
such that the corresponding helical airflow diverter 608 is covered front and
back by the UV-C
tubes 602 to irradiate the air flowing through the disinfectant chamber 610 in
helical manner
continuously, in close proximity and for a long and needed duration.
100761 FIG. 6D shows a top view of the inner box 600 showing the
sequential flow of air
from right to left through different disinfectant chambers 610, wherein the
flow in each individual
chamber 610 is helical due to the presence of the helical airflow diverter
608, and zig-zag or
serpentine as air moves from one disinfectant chamber 610 to other due to
change in direction of
the flow by 180 degrees on account of the configuration of the dividers 606
inside the disinfectant
chambers 610, thereby providing an extended exposure to UV-C radiations.
100771 FIG. 6E illustrates unit 300, same as unit 100, how the
inner box 600 is placed
within the housing 110 or outer box 302/110. The pump 314/330 draws in ambient
air through the
inlet 120. Once the air enters the inlet, it is filtered through a HEPA filter
325 before entering the
inner box 600/315/140. The inner box 600 is configured to house a plurality of
UV-C disinfectant
chambers 610 (as disclosed, in FIGs. 6B, 6C, and 6D) and 622 (as disclosed in
FIGs 6G and 6F)
through which the air can flow in a combination of serpentine as well as
helical paths. The
disinfected air may then be filtered through an activated charcoal filter 312.
The purified and
disinfected air is then pumped out to an air distribution unit 170.
100781 An alternate embodiment of the inner box 620 is
illustrated in FIGs. 6F ¨ 6H. This
embodiment is very similar to 6C except for the fact that the spaces between
the disinfection
chambers are solid and can be transparent/opaque. This will force the air to
take the helical and
serpentine path in close proximity to the UV-C sources without any leakage of
air into dead spaces.
Inner box 620 is a solid block configured to house a plurality of oval UV-C
disinfectant chambers
622 equivalent to 610 as disclosed in FIGs 6B, 6C and 6D. Each disinfectant
chamber has a
removable inspection window 615 to assist in the maintenance of the internal
components of the
inner box 620. The disinfectant chamber 622 contains a number of UV-C light
sources 602 and
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a helical airflow diverter 608. The internal surface of the oval chamber wall
624 may be smooth
or rough, but is preferably a rough crenulated surface 625 as shown in FIG.
61. Typically the
rougher the surface is, the more angular reflective angles it contains as seen
in FIGs. 6J ¨ 6M. For
example, the less crenulated angular internal surface shown in FIGs. 6J and 6K
reflects the UV-C
light rays 626 fewer times than a more crenulated angular surface as shown in
FIGs. 6K and 6M.
[0079] When the inner box 620 is in use, air flow enters the
inlet 120 and passes through a
I-IEPA filter 325 before it enters the first disinfection chamber 622. The
disinfection chambers 622
are connected alternately on the top air passage 680 and the bottom air
passage 681 so that the air
has to travel the full length of all the chambers in a zig-zag and serpentine
pathway. Each of these
chambers contains UV-C tubes/LEDs along the outer edges of the oval with
circular helical
devices in the center. This further reduces the dead space in the inner box
and forces the
organisms/harmful agents in the air to have a prolonged, direct, close contact
to the UV-C
radiation. Optionally the oval chambers are lined with reflective material and
titanium dioxide to
concentrate the UV-C and also to make the device more lethal to the offending
agent. The
reflective and titanium dioxide coatings can be one layer over the other or
the coatings can be in
alternate up and down full length longitudinal strips along the internal
surface of the oval chamber
wall, and any other available internal space.
100801 Air Distribution Units
100811 Mask Ventilator
100821 The air distribution unit 170 distributes the purified and
disinfected air exiting from
the outer box 110 to the user of the apparatus or from 650 when only an inner
box is needed. The
air that has been filtered and disinfected in the box 140 is transported
inside the outer box 110 and
pumped out to an outlet/exit to the user. A couple of examples of suitable air
distribution devices
are face masks and endotracheal tubes used in conjunction with ventilators. In
the case of an
endotracheal tube 402 being the air distribution unit, the disinfection box
650 is directly connected
to the air distribution, since the ventilator part the other units enclosed in
the outer box 110 of the
apparatus 100.
100831 Other embodiments of the air distribution device 170
include electronic
components; therefore the housing 110 may have a battery 182 as the power
source 180 and a
printed circuit board (PCB) 295/316 enclosed in enclosure 317 in electronic
communication with
any such electronic components. For example, a soft tube, such as, tube 220A
or tube 220B (as
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shown in Fig. 2G) coupled to an electric cable 222. This electric cable allows
the transfer of electric
power to the mask, as well as for electric signal to/from an electric device
in the mask, such as, a
microphone 518, ambient light 573 and miniature pumps 330.
100841 Endotracheal Tube and Conventional Ventilators
The air purification and
disinfection box 650 can be incorporated into a mechanical ventilator to
disinfect and purify the
air going back to an individual patient. The inner box 140 of the original
outer box 110 becomes
the outer box 650 of the modified apparatus 100. A ventilator is a machine
that provides
mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs to
deliver breaths to a
patient who is physically unable to breathe or is breathing insufficiently.
Ventilators are
computerized microprocessor-controlled machines, but patients can also be
ventilated with a
simple, hand-operated bag valve mask. Ventilators are chiefly used in
intensive-care medicine,
home care, and emergency medicine (as standalone units) and in anaesthesiology
(as a component
of an anaesthesia machine).
100851 A conventional ventilator 400 (see FIG. 4A) generally
carries a patient's exhaled
air away from the patient through tubing 405, conditions the air, and delivers
the conditioned air
(or air with increased oxygen) back to the patient through tubing 401 to an
endotracheal tube 402
or a facial mask. When an air purification and disinfection box 650 is
incorporated into the air flow
passing through a ventilator as seen in FIGs. 4B ¨ 4J, the disinfection box
650 can disinfect, purify
and/or condition the airflow.
100861 Modified Unit 100. One embodiment of the apparatus
incorporates a "modified
unit 100" that utilizes only the inner box of apparatus. The original system
100 has an inner box
140/600/315 enclosed in an outer box 110 to accommodate the filters and a
pump. The
conventional ventilators already have them and the apparatus needed here is
only the inner box of
the original system 100 which can be incorporated into the ventilator air flow
as seen in FIGs. 4B
¨ 4C. The apparatus shown in FIGs. 4B ¨ 4C includes an outer box 650 which in
reality is
equivalent to the inner box 140, having a top lid 652, a bottom lid 655, a
removable inlet spout
672, and a removable outlet spout 674. The top lid 652 has a number of holes
653 that allow the
transfer of heat from one or more heat sinks to the outside air. The top lid
also encloses the top
ballasts 654. Similarly, the bottom lid encloses the bottom ballasts 656. The
interior of the outer
box 650 is similar to one of the other inner box embodiments already described
and is configured
to house a plurality of UV-C tubes in UV-C compartments 658. Typically each
compartment 658
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contains a UV-C tube and a helical airflow diverter 662. The compartments 658
are separated
from each other by dividers 660. The groups of the UV-C tubes lie between two
adjacent dividers
660 (thereby making up a disinfection chamber or compartment). Alternately the
structure may be
similar to 6H. The compartments with their UV-C lights and helical airflow
diverter 662 irradiate
the air flowing through the compartment in a helical manner. The outer box may
optionally include
inspection windows 476 that may be used to monitor the operation and viability
of the components
of the compartments 658.
100871 FIG. 4D illustrates an embodiment that incorporates the
disinfection box 650 into
the ventilator 410 air flow, In this embodiment, an exhaled air line 414 goes
from the patient to a
flow diverter 413, where the exhaled air is diverted into air line 416. The
diverted air flow goes
through a one directional valve 417 into the disinfection box 650. The
purified, disinfected air that
exits the apparatus is sent to the ventilator 410 via tubing 418. The
oxygenated, purified, and
disinfected air exiting the ventilator is sent back to the patient through
tubing 415.
100881 FIG. 4E illustrates a second embodiment of incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 420 air flow. In this embodiment, exhaled air from the
patient passes through
air line 423, through a one directional valve 425, and into the ventilator
420. Oxygenated air from
the ventilator is sent via tubing 424 to the disinfection box 650 for
purification and disinfection.
The oxygenated, purified, and disinfected air flow from the apparatus then
flows through tubing
426, through a one directional valve 427, and returned to the patient through
tubing 428.
100891 FIG. 4F illustrates a third embodiment for incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 430 air flow. Tubing 432 carries the patient's exhaled air
to the ventilator 430
where it is oxygenated. The oxygenated air flow is sent to the disinfection
box 650 through tubing
434 and then back through tubing 436 to the ventilator 430. The oxygenated,
purified, and
disinfected air flow is returned back to the patient through tubing 438
100901 FIG. 4G illustrates a fourth embodiment for incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 440 air flow. Tubing 442 carries the patient's exhaled air
to the ventilator 440
where it is oxygenated. The oxygenated air flow is sent to the disinfection
box 650 through tubing
444 and then the oxygenated, purified, and disinfected air flow is returned
back to the patient
through tubing 446.
100911 FIG. 4H illustrates a fifth embodiment for incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 450 air flow. Tubing 452 carries the patient's exhaled air
to the disinfection box
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650, once the air is purified and disinfected it is sent to the ventilator 450
where it is oxygenated
via tubing 454. The oxygenated, purified, and disinfected air flow is returned
back to the patient
through tubing 456.
[0092] FIG. 41 illustrates a sixth embodiment for incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 460 airflow. Tubing 466 carries the patient's exhaled air
to the ventilator 460.
Tubing 462 carries the patient's exhaled air from the ventilator to the
disinfection box 650. Once
the air is purified and disinfected, it is returned to the ventilator 460
where it is oxygenated via
tubing 464. The oxygenated, purified, and disinfected air flow is returned
back to the patient
through tubing 468.
[0093] FIG. 4J illustrates a seventh embodiment for incorporating
the disinfection box 650
into the ventilator 470 air flow. Tubing 472 carries the patient's exhaled air
to the ventilator 470.
The exhaled air is oxygenated and purified and then returned to the patient
through tubing 474.
[0094] FIG. 4K is a more detailed illustration of how the
disinfection box 650 interacts
with the ventilator 470 in the seventh embodiment. The ventilator's access 480
allows the patient's
exhalations to enter the ventilator through tubing 472. Tubing 472 is
connected to input tubing
478 that delivers the patient's exhalations to the disinfection box 650 where
they are purified and
disinfected. The purified and disinfected patient's exhalations are delivered
via tubing 475 to a gas
mixing chamber 476. The gas mixing chamber 476 further conditions the purified
and disinfected
patient's exhalations by mixing them with ambient air delivered through tubing
471 and oxygen
delivered through tubing 473. The flow rate of the air source through the
disinfection box 650 and
the mixture chamber 476 is controlled by a flow controlling unit 477. The
purified, disinfected,
and conditioned air is returned to the patient via tubing 474. Other
operational controllers for the
ventilator 470 are the micro-controller unit 482, various sensors 484, the
mode regulator 481, and
a positive pressure breath source 488. A person skilled in the art will
recognize that many
configurations of the ventilator 470 and its components can be made to enhance
certain patient
goals. Furthermore, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the
modified ventilator 470
can have fewer or more components that shown in FIG. 4K and described above.
[0095] Face Masks and Mask Ventilators. Exemplary examples of
face masks as air
distribution units 170 are illustrated in FIGs. 1B, 5A and 5E. FIGs. 1B, 5A
and 5D exemplify face
masks that can be personally transported using a back pack or a briefcase.
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100961 For example, FIG. 5A illustrates an embodiment of a
transparent, air tight sealable,
full face mask 500 connected exclusively to the housing 110 and disinfection
chamber shown in
FIG. 2B. Unlike the conventional face masks there is no air movement between
the outside air
and the air inside the mask except the air coming exclusively from the
apparatus. The face mask
500 is configured to circulate a user's exhaled air to the disinfection
chamber via tubing 220B
where it is purified and disinfected before it is sent back to the user
wearing face mask 500 via
tubing 220A.
100971 FIGs. 5B and 5C show more details of the face mask 500.
The mask 500 can
optionally include an ambient light source 573, a microphone 518, and an
opening 575 to insert a
straw. A fan 576 on the face mask 500 can be coupled to the wearable air
purification and
disinfection apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 5A. The edges of the mask 500 can be
fitted below the
hairline, in front of the ears and below the chin. The mask 500 can have an
air-filled collapsible
tube 571 along its circumference. The mask can be held in place through one or
more fasteners
572. For instance, the fastener 572 can include elastic bands, belts, or
straps fastened using a hook
and loop fastening mechanism (such as, Velcro). The fastener 572 and the
collapsible air tube 571
along the circumference of the mask can ensure that the mask 500 can be worn
in an airtight
manner, complimented by the air pressure inside the mask.
100981 The mask 500 can further have an air inlet port and an air
exit/outlet port. The exit
port 577B includes a screw spout which can be coupled with one end of a soft
tube 220B which
has receiver screw threads inside on both ends. The inlet port 577A is similar
to the exit port and
has a spout for the incoming air through soft tube 220A. These ports can be
located at the bottom
left and right sides of the mask. An opening 575, that may optionally have a
selectably sealable
elastomeric cover, can be positioned in the middle of the mask 500, towards
the bottom surface.
The elastomeric cover is configured to keep the opening closed when not in
use. A straw or a
spout (or any such sipping/drinking means) can be inserted through this
opening 575 for the user
of the mask 500 to drink liquids, such as water, coffee or any other beverage,
and even pureed
food.
100991 The air coming through the inlet of the mask 500 can be
released into the mask
through a long tube 578 located proximal to the lower edge of the mask. The
tube 578 includes
multiple holes/openings so that the air flow is directed from bottom up. A
small vertical separation
(not shown) can be provided to prevent the air going directly into the exit
port. When the exit port
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is closed, air will go all the way up to the top of the mask 500. An elongated
N95 or N95-type
filter sheet 579 is positioned along the width of the top edge of the mask
500. The sheet 579 is
configured to filter out all types of particulates such that the air exiting
the mask 500 is
substantially clean. This sheet 579 is secured in position and enclosed with a
zipper arrangement
58L The zipper can be closed in patients having virus in their exhaled air so
that their exhaled air
is not released outside. Instead the air goes out through exit tube577B back
into the housing unit
110 to be purified and disinfected.
1001001 One or more miniaturized fans 576 can be placed along a
lower edge of the mask
500. The fans 576 are configured to drive the air upwards and can also assist
in defogging the mask
500. The fog can also be prevented by spraying or wiping the inside of the
mask 500. The fans 576
can be turned on or off by the user to clean the mask. The fans 576 can have
two or more speed
options. Additionally, a very thin row of LED light sources 573 can be placed
around the mask
500 such that there is just enough lighting to make the face visible through
the mask.
1001011 FIGs. 5B, 5D and 5E illustrate embodiments of a half face
mask. For example, FIG.
1B shows a half face mask 508 in communication with the air purification and
disinfection
apparatus 100. The face mask 508 may be transparent and sealable and takes air
exclusively from
the apparatus without any air coming directly from the outside air. In the
half face mask 508
shown in FIG. 1B, the purified, disinfected air is delivered to the mask 508
via tubing 134 and the
user's exhaled air is returned to the housing intake via tubing 136. More
specifically, a first end
of tubing 134 is connected to the wearable housing 110 while a second end of
the tubing 134 is
fitted within a first opening in a tight-fitting medical grade mask 508. The
user can, therefore, be
provided with substantially pure/disinfected air for inhalation and any virus
from an infected
person is not released to the outside air. Unlike with a regular surgical or
N95 mask, these infected
people are not forced to rebreathe their own viruses that they are trying to
expel. Air that is exhaled
by the user/wearer of the wearable housing 110 is routed from the mask 508 to
the housing 110 by
tubing 136. One end of the tubing 136 is fitted within a second opening in the
mask 508 while a
second end of tubing 136 is connected to a housing air inlet 120. The exhaled
air is filtered to
remove the carbon dioxide through a carbon dioxide filter and another HEPA
filter and then mixed
with the air/oxygen mixture in the outer box 110 and released to the inner box
140 containing the
disinfection chambers. The filtered and disinfected air is again routed to the
mask 508. For further
protection, the user wearing the portable housing 110 can be air washed to
remove any residual
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surface contamination before going into a change room. The entire system
provides a substantially
close circuit device to supply exclusively disinfected purified air to the
individual. Optionally,
when worn by the healthy individuals, the exit port can be left open and not
connected to the
chamber. The system including the enclosed pump and air-tight face mask can
function as a
portable mask ventilator.
[00102] Another embodiment of a half face mask 510 is shown in
FIGs. 5D and 5E. FIG.
5D is an exemplary perspective view from the rear of a half face mask. The
face mask 510 may
be sealable and multipurpose. The face mask 510 may be a transparent like the
face mask 500. The
mask 510 is held tight over the face through elastic loops taken around the
ears 502 or straps like
the straps 572 on the mask 500. The mask 510 may further include LED lights
512 (also referred
to as ambient LED and these terms are used interchangeably hereinafter)
located around a
periphery of the mask to light up the face of the user, a microphone 518, and
a straw opening 516.
The mask 510 may further include a metal clip 504 located on the top side that
allows a user to fit
the mask snugly around the nose, and a N95 filter 507 located below the metal
clip 504 that can
filter outgoing air to reduce the risk of the user releasing microorganisms,
such as bacteria or
viruses, into the air. The mask 510 can include a battery 514 to power the LED
lights 512. A tube
187 can be arranged along the lower border of the mask to carry the incoming
purified air from
the housing and disinfection chamber to a plurality of holes 503 that can
release air in an upward
direction. The air stream from the holes 503 can defog the mask and thereby
improve visibility. A
collapsible tube 506 can be arranged around the mask to make it airtight.
[00103] Transport Carrier
[00104] Some embodiments of the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 are
configured to be incorporated within a pre-existing space such as a room, or a
desk (see FIG.7E),
an airplane overhead compartment or passenger seats (see FIG. 7D), or under a
conference table.
Even though used in open spaces, the units are meant for personal use and
there will be one such
unit per person.
[00105] Other embodiments of the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 are
configured to be mobile. For example, the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 can be
configured to be carried or worn by an individual. A transport carrier 700 can
be used by an
individual to carry their own air purification and disinfection apparatus 100
around with them.
Several of the illustrated embodiments of the transport carrier 700 also serve
as the housing 110
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for the apparatus 100. For example, a transport carrier 700 can be a backpack
(see FIGs. 1B and
5A) that can be conveniently worn by a user, such as, a healthcare worker, or
any user who requires
an uninterrupted supply of disinfected and purified air. Other embodiments of
a transport carrier
700 are a purse or briefcase (see FIGs. 7A and 5E), a vest pack, a hip pack, a
shoulder bag (see
FIGs. 7B and 7C), or a cervical collar (see FIGs. 2E-2G).
[00106] FIGs. 2E-2G illustrate different embodiments where the
housing 110 of the
apparatus is configured as a cervical collar. The cervical collar can be worn
around the neck of a
user with the collar part positioned towards the back of the neck and any
attachments positioned
along the front or the sides of the user's neck. The purified, disinfected air
from the cervical collar
can be received by the user, for instance, through a first soft tube 220A
which is connected to a
first side of the cervical collar through a threaded outlet or out spout 227A.
The air enters the collar
from the second side through a second soft tube 220B connected to an inlet
227B to cervical collar.
The two ends of the opening 272 to the collar are configured to encircle the
neck of the user. The
cervical collar (or the other embodiments of the wearable device disclosed
herein) can serve as the
housing 110 or they can be further coated with or enclosed within an UV-C
opaque material to
control UV-C light leakage. The cervical collar opening 272 can be configured
to be flexible or
made in a plurality of sizes depending on the user's neck size. For example,
it can be manufactured
in small, medium and large sizes.
[00107] Power Source
[00108] The air purification and disinfection apparatus 100 is
connectable to a power source.
The apparatus 100 may have a plug that will plug the apparatus into an
electrical system or the
apparatus 100 may have a compartment to hold or contain a power source 180.
The compartment
can accept one or more power sources 180. The power source is often one or
more batteries 182
which are generally removable and replaceable from the apparatus 100
[00109] The power source 180 can include batteries 182 that can be
recharged and/or
replaced, to meet the power requirements of the apparatus 100. Such batteries
can be lithium ion,
nickel cadmium, nickel-metal hybrid, alkaline or any other type of batteries.
[00110] User Interface
[00111] The operation of the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 in medical
facilities such as intensive care units will typically be controlled using a
computer program
application (not shown) installed on a computer device. In other embodiments,
the air purification
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and disinfection apparatus 100 can be operated using a computer program
application (not shown)
on a portable smart device, such as, a mobile phone. In yet other embodiments,
the air purification
and disinfection apparatus 100 can be controlled using a controller device.
1001121 The air purification and disinfection apparatus 100 can
include a controller
embodied within a printed circuit board or PCB (not shown here). The PCB can
also incorporate
a wireless communication means to enable wireless communication, such as using
Bluetooth,
between the air purification and disinfection apparatus 100 and the mobile
phone of the user. The
phone can be configured with an application to control the apparatus 100. FIG.
8 shows an
apparatus 100 attached to a mask 510 where the components of the apparatus 100
and its mask
510 can be coupled to a user interface such as a telephone or a PCB, Bluetooth
906, battery, volume
control and speakers 904 connectable to the mask and controlled by the PCB 316
in the apparatus.
1001131 FIG. 9 shows an exemplary screen display of a controller
device 900. The screen
display can include the status of the battery of the apparatus (i.e., the
extent of charge on the
battery), status of the controller device 900 being connected or not connected
to the apparatus 100,
a button to open the speaker functionality of the apparatus 100. The display
can also include a
button to open the airflow functionality of the apparatus 100, wherein by
opening the airflow
functionality, the controller device can be used to increase or reduce the
airflow at which the
apparatus 100 delivers purified, disinfected air to the mask 510. As can be
understood the flow
rate can be changed by changing speed of the pump 330 through the controller.
The controller
device 900 can also be used to control other functionalities, such as
operating the LED lights 512
of the mask 510, turning ON or OFF the UV-C light sources 150, adding
supplemental air or
oxygen to the air stream, etc. Alternatively, a software program installed on
a mobile device can
be used to control the operation of the air purification and disinfection
apparatus 100 using Wi-Fi
or Bluetooth.
1001141 FIGs. 12 to 14 illustrate exemplary flow diagrams for
functioning of the controller
of the portable air disinfection system, wherein as shown in the flow diagrams
the controller of the
purification and disinfection apparatus 100 can carry out the functionalities
of checking, charge
level of the battery of the apparatus 100 and not turning the apparatus 100 to
ON if the battery is
not adequately charged; displaying the status of the battery; switching on the
UV-C tubes 150;
changing speed of the pump 330 based on inputs from the user; connecting the
speakers and
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changing their volume based on input from the user; providing Bluetooth or
wired connectivity to
the speakers; and controlling the ambient LEDs 512 of the mask 510.
[00115] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, on actuation of a
power switch of the
apparatus 100 and/or the system, the controller can perform a pre-check
operation before starting
the apparatus 100, such as checking a charge level/voltage level of the
battery. If the charge level
of the battery is low then status of the battery can be displayed and the
apparatus 100 is turned
OFF. On the other hand, if it is found that the battery is charged above a
threshold level, the
controller can, after displaying the status of the battery, activate the
apparatus 100 (i.e., the UV-C
lamp and the air pump can be turned ON). The controller can further determine
whether the
apparatus 100 has been operating for a period of more than 5 minutes, if not,
then the controller
can check whether the Bluetooth of the mobile device is connected.
Furthermore, after getting a
positive Bluetooth connection, the controller can send commands associated
with a change of
airflow to the speed controller of the air pump to change the airflow based
upon requirement.
[00116] In addition, when the controller finds that the apparatus
100 is operating for more
than 5 minutes, the controller can reset the timer, and again check the charge
level/voltage level of
the battery of the apparatus 100. Thus, the controller is configured to check
the battery status
periodically, such as but not limited to every five minutes, to ensure that
the battery is not drained.
[00117] As shown in FIG. 11, when the battery is charged above the
threshold level, the
controller can activate/turn ON a speaker of the apparatus 100. In addition,
the controller can
change volume of the speaker based on requirement, after checking availability
of the Bluetooth
connectivity. If the Bluetooth is found connected, the controller can check
status and/or change
status of the speakers, such as Bluetooth speakers.
1001181
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, after actuation of the power switch of the
apparatus 100 and/or the system, the controller can check whether the ambient
LED is OFF. If it
is found that the ambient was OFF, the controller can enable the functionality
of turning ON the
ambient LED. Further, if it is found that the ambient LED is not OFF, then the
controller can
further checks if the ambient LED is ON. If it is found that the ambient was
ON, the controller
can enable the functionality of turning the ambient lights.
[00119] This device can also include a controller that can be
embodied in a printed circuit
board (PCB) 295. The PCB can function as a conductor of the system. It can
show the battery
level, turn on or off the UV-C sources 150, control the fans 210, control the
air flow into and out
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of the apparatus 100, and several other functions. The PCB 295 can also be
used to sync the unit
functions with a smart phone through an app and Bluetooth.
1001201 Methods of Use
1001211 A method of purifying and disinfecting an air source using
the apparatus or system
illustrated in FIG. 1 includes the steps of introducing the air source into
the housing inlet 120 using
an air mover to control the rate of air flow through the system; treating the
air source in the housing
110 before sending the air source to the disinfection chambers enclosed in the
inner box 140;
exposing the air source in close proximity to the UV-C light sources 150 for a
sufficient time
period to disinfect the air source; sending the disinfected air source to the
air distribution unit 170;
and delivering the purified and disinfected air source to a user of the
apparatus.
1001221 The air source may be treated or purified in the housing
110 using oxygen
enhancement, EfEPA filtration, 0.22 micron filtration, carbon dioxide
absorption, activated
charcoal absorption, or any combination thereof
The treated or purified air source is then
introduced into the disinfection chambers enclosed in the inner box 140 where
it is disinfected by
exposing it to a sufficient dose of UV-C radiation to kill virulent bacteria,
viruses, and other
microorganisms. Once the air source has been purified and disinfected, it is
distributed to the user
of the apparatus via a face mask or a ventilator.
1001231 While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the
invention, additional
embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic
scope thereof. The
scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention
is not limited to the
described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a
person having
ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with
information and
knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.
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