Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SYSTEMS, CABINETS AND METHODS FOR DISINFECTING OBJECTS
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 15/673,033,
filed
August 9, 2017 and also claims priority U.S. Patent Application No.
15/363,917, filed
November 29, 2016.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the disinfection of objects and, more
specifically to,
systems, cabinets and methods for disinfecting objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by
virtue of
their inclusion within this section.
In general, germicidal systems are designed to subject one or more surfaces
and/or
objects to a germicide to deactivate or kill microorganisms residing upon the
surface/s and/or
object/s. Applications of germicidal systems include but are not limited to
sterilization,
object disinfection, and room/area decontamination. Examples of area/room
decontaminations system are those used in hospital rooms to disinfect the
objects therein and
those used in agricultural operations, such as those which are used to breed
and/or farm
animals. Examples of sterilizing systems are those used for sterilizing
surgical tools, food or
pharmaceutical packaging. A challenge in many applications is accessing all
surfaces of an
object to insure thorough disinfection of the object. In particular, some
germicidal systems
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may only effectively treat surfaces which are facing the germicidal system
and, thus, surfaces
not facing the system may not be disinfected adequately.
Furthermore, surfaces of an object which are in contact with a surface of
another
object, such as the surface of an object touching the surface of a table or
surfaces of a
plurality of objects stacked upon each other are hidden from exposure and,
thus, such surfaces
are not disinfected. Objects which are particularly susceptible for being in
contact with other
objects are those which are relatively small and portable. Furthermore, such
objects are often
handled by humans, making them more likely to have germs on their surfaces.
Some
germicidal systems include trays for objects to be positioned on such that
access to surfaces
of the objects may be manipulated. Such trays, however, are labor and time
intensive in that
the objects must be carefully positioned to avoid overlapping the objects and,
further, that the
objects must be turned over during a disinfection process to insure
disinfection of surfaces
that were originally placed in contact with the trays.
A further challenge in many settings in which moveable equipment is used, such
as
in hospitals or agricultural operations, is for the moveable equipment to be
adequately and
consistently disinfected. For example, in hospitals, moveable equipment such
as wheelchairs,
mobile work stations, vital sign monitors and the like are frequently used
and, thus, are highly
prone to contamination by infectious microorganisms. Furthermore, such
equipment is
generally used in multiple locations in the hospital and, thus, tracking its
use, its need for
disinfection and/or insuring it has been disinfected in accordance with a set
schedule can be a
challenge. Moreover, the equipment faces the same challenges as mentioned
above when
disinfected by a germicidal system which effectively only treats surfaces
facing the germicidal
system.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to develop devices and processes that
can aid
in disinfecting objects, particularly accessing all surfaces of objects during
a disinfection
process with minimal labor involved and minimal interruptions to the
disinfection process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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Systems, cabinets and methods are provided for disinfecting objects. The
following
description of various embodiments of systems, cabinets and methods is not to
be construed
in any way as limiting the subject matter of the appended claims.
An embodiment of a system for disinfecting objects includes a disinfection
apparatus
and a cabinet. The disinfection apparatus includes a base supporting a
germicidal source that
extends out from the base. The base includes components operationally coupled
to the
germicidal source for operating the germicidal source and an air moving device
configured to
draw in air from an external ambient of the base. The disinfection apparatus
is configured to
route the air from the air moving device to the germicidal source. The cabinet
includes a port
and one or more air vents extending between an interior of the cabinet and an
exterior of the
cabinet. The port has a periphery that surrounds a portion of the disinfection
apparatus such
that when the disinfection apparatus is operating the air moving device draws
in air from an
external ambient of the cabinet and the drawn-in air and a germicide emitted
from the
germicidal source is projected into the cabinet.
An embodiment of a method for disinfecting one or more items includes
positioning a
disinfection apparatus in proximity to a cabinet, wherein the disinfection
apparatus has a base
supporting a germicidal source and the base includes components operationally
coupled to the
germicidal source for operating the germicidal source. The method further
includes inserting
the germicidal source into the cabinet such that at least a portion of the
base is retained
exterior to the cabinet and is operationally coupled to the germicidal source.
Moreover, the
method includes placing one or more items into the cabinet, closing the
cabinet with the
germicidal source and the one or more items in the cabinet and the base of the
disinfection
apparatus exterior to the cabinet, and then subsequently starting the
disinfection source such
that the germicidal source emits a germicide into the cabinet.
An embodiment of a cabinet includes a first port having a dimensionally
adjustable
periphery that is configured to conform to a periphery of an item partially
inserted into the
first port to seal the first port against the inserted item. The cabinet
further includes a second
port having a door and one or more air vents extending between an interior of
the cabinet and
an exterior of the cabinet.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon
reading the
following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
Fig. 1 illustrates an example flowchart of a method for disinfecting one or
more objects in a
cabinet;
Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an example shelf having nubbles for
suspending
objects thereon;
Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example cabinet for disinfecting
one or more
objects;
Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic top view of another example cabinet for
disinfecting one or
more objects;
Figs. 5-7 illustrate schematic top views of different example cabinets having
partitionable
chambers for disinfection one or more objects;
Fig. 8 illustrates an example flowchart of a method for disinfecting one or
more objects in a
cabinet having partitionable chambers;
Fig. 9 illustrates an example a top view of an example basket designed to hold
a stethoscope;
Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the example basket shown in Fig.
9 taken along
axis A-A; and
Fig. 11 illustrates a perspective view of another example cabinet for
disinfecting one or more
objects having a disinfection apparatus and a wheelchair disposed in proximity
to the cabinet;
Fig. 12 illustrates a perspective view of a system for disinfecting one or
more objects;
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Fig. 13 illustrates an example flowchart of another method for disinfecting
one or more
objects in a cabinet; and
Fig. 14 illustrates a perspective view of another example cabinet for
disinfecting one or more
objects.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative
forms,
specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and
will herein
be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings
and detailed
description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular
form disclosed, but
on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and
alternatives falling
within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the
appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Devices and methods are provided that increase the versatility of
operationally
independent disinfection apparatuses, allow a majority if not all exterior
sides of an object to
be simultaneously disinfected and offer a manner to determine if an object has
been deemed
suitable for a particular disinfection system. More specifically, methods are
provided which
include placing one or more objects into a cabinet, placing a disinfection
device into the
cabinet, closing the cabinet with the disinfection device and the one or more
objects inside the
cabinet and remotely starting the disinfection device to disperse a germicide
within the closed
cabinet as set forth in Fig. 1. In addition, a method is provided in Fig. 8
for disinfection of
objects in a partitionable cabinet. Moreover, cabinets are provided which are
specifically
configured to enable such a processes as illustrated in Figs. 3-7.
Furthermore, support
structures are provided which are configured to confirm an object placed
thereon is suitable
for a particular disinfection system, an example of which is set forth in
Figs. 9 and 10. Other
examples of systems, cabinets and methods for disinfecting objects are
provided in Figs. 11-
14 which enable a germicidal source to be inserted into a cabinet while
retaining at least a
portion of a base supporting the germicidal source exterior to the cabinet.
The objects considered for use in the methods, cabinets and support structures
provided herein may include any configuration (i.e., shape, size, weight,
material,
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construction, etc.) and may particularly depend on the configuration of the
cabinet in which
they are to be disinfected or the support structure upon which they are to be
arranged for a
disinfection process. In some cases, objects which are relatively small and
portable may be
suitable for some of the cabinets described herein. In particular, some of the
cabinets
described herein include support structures, such as trays, shelving and/or
baskets to hold
objects during a disinfection cycle. In such cases, objects occupying less
than approximately
1.0 ft3 and, in some cases, objects occupying less than approximately 0.5 ft3
may be
particularly applicable for such processes. In other cases, the cabinets
described herein may
be configured to disinfect larger objects, particularly those occupying more
than
approximately 1.0 ft3 or even those occupying more than 5.0 ft3. In any case,
the methods,
cabinets and support structures described herein may, in some cases, be used
in hospitals. In
such embodiments, objects which may be considered for use in the methods,
cabinets and
support structures provided herein may include medical items which are kept
within a
hospital, including medical equipment and supplies. Non-medical items may be
considered
for use in the methods, cabinets and support structures provided herein as
well, such as but
not limited to pens, pads of paper, pamphlets and television remote controls.
In any case,
objects of the same configuration or of different configurations may be
considered for a given
disinfection process.
As noted above, Fig. 1 outlines a method for disinfecting one or more objects
in a
cabinet. As shown, block 10 includes placing one or more objects into a
cabinet. In some
cases, the step of placing the one or more objects into the cabinet may
include placing the one
or more objects onto a floor of the cabinet. In addition or alternatively, the
step of placing the
one or more objects into the cabinet may include wheeling the one or more
objects into the
cabinet. Either embodiment may be particularly suitable for placing a
relatively large object
into the cabinet particularly those occupying more than approximately 1.0 ft3.
Examples of
relatively large objects may include but are not limited to medical equipment,
wheeled over-
the-bed tables, intravenous poles, and carts. Examples of a system and
cabinets having
configurations suitable for placing one or more objects onto a floor of a
cabinet and/or
wheeling object/s into a cabinet are shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 14 and are
described in more
detail below.
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In some additional or alternative cases, the step of placing the one or more
objects into
the cabinet of Fig. 1 may include placing one or more of the object/s on one
or more shelves
arranged in the cabinet, placing one or more of the object/s on one or more
trays arranged in
the cabinet and/or placing one or more of the object/s in one or more baskets
arranged within
a cabinet as set forth in block 22. In some embodiments, the step of placing
the one or more
objects into the cabinet may additionally or alternatively include placing the
one or more
objects on one or more trays, on one or more shelves and/or in one or more
baskets and then
placing the one or more trays, the one or more shelves and/or the one or more
baskets in the
cabinet as respectively set forth in blocks 24 and 25. In any case, the
shelving, basket/s
and/or tray/s may be arranged at any location in the cabinet. In some
embodiments, one or
more shelves, one or more baskets and/or one or more trays may be attached
and/or extend
from sidewalls of the cabinet and/or door/s of the cabinet. In addition or
alternatively, one or
more baskets, one or more shelves and/or one or more trays may be hung from
the ceiling of
the cabinet. Furthermore, one or more baskets and/or one or more trays may be
arranged on a
floor of the cabinet and/or may be arranged on a shelf in the cabinet.
In any case, the shelving, the basket/s and/or the tray/s considered for the
methods,
cabinets and support structures provided herein include portions which are
transparent to
germicidal light and/or include through holes. In some embodiments, the size
of the through
holes in the shelving, basket/s and/or tray/s may be large relative to the
framework
surrounding the through holes (i.e., the through holes may occupy more space
than the
framework surrounding the through holes, such as commonly found in wired racks
or
polymer frameworks having a configuration similar to a wire rack). In some
cases, the
framework surrounding the through holes may be partially or entirely made of
materials
transparent to germicidal light. In some embodiments, regardless of whether
the shelving,
basket/s and/or tray/s include through holes, one or more of the shelves,
basket/s and/or tray/s
may be made of entirely material/s transparent to germicidal light. An example
of a material
transparent to germicidal light is quartz, but other materials may be
considered.
In some cases, the shelving, basket/s and/or trays may include one or more
suspension
nubbles for objects to be placed on and such that they may be suspended above
the attached
shelving, basket or tray. The suspension nubble/s may allow a greater surface
area of object/s
to be exposed to germicide that is projected from a disinfection device
arranged in the cabinet
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and, thus, may increase the efficacy of disinfecting the object/s during a
disinfection process.
In some cases, the suspension nubble/s may comprise a material which is
transparent to
germicidal light, particularly for embodiments in which a disinfection device
to be used in the
cabinet comprising the shelving, basket or tray has a germicidal light source.
In some of such
embodiments, the other portions of the shelving, basket or tray comprising the
one or more
suspension nubbles may not be transparent to germicidal light or include
through holes. In
particular, in some cases, the only portion of a shelf, basket or tray made of
a material
transparent to germicidal light may be the one or more suspension nubbles. In
other cases,
however, the other portions of the shelving, basket or tray comprising the one
or more
.. suspension nubbles may include a material transparent to germicidal light
or include through
holes. In alternative embodiments, the suspension nubble/s may not be
transparent to
germicidal light.
An example shelf 34 is illustrated in Fig. 2 having a variety of nubbles. In
particular,
Fig. 2 shows shelf 34 with a wire rack having suspension nubbles 35, 36 and 37
attached to
bars of the rack. As shown, suspension nubbles 35 are conical, which may be
advantageous
for minimizing the amount of contact with an object placed thereon. An
alternative shape for
suspension nubbles may be spherical, as shown by nubbles 36 in Fig. 2. Several
other shapes
may be considered as well, such as but not limited to pyramids and triangular
prisms.
Another type of suspension nubble configuration that may be considered for the
shelving,
basket/s and/or tray/s for the cabinets and methods described herein may be a
suspension
nubble having a substantially flat upper surface by which to receive an
object. For example,
circular wafers, such as shown by suspension nubbles 37 in Fig. 2, or any
other shaped wafers
may be used. Alternatively, square or rectangular blocks or inverted cones or
prisms may be
used. In any of such cases, the substantially flat upper surface of a
suspension nubble may, in
some embodiments, may be roughed to aid in retaining an object thereon. In
other cases,
however, the substantially flat upper surface of a suspension nubble may be
smooth.
Regardless of their shape, nubble/s may, in some cases, have a height of at
least
approximately 2 cm. In other embodiments, suspension nubble/s may have a
height of less
than approximately 2 cm. In some cases, all suspension nubbles on a shelf,
basket and/or tray
may have the same height. Such a configuration may aid in stabilizing an
object that spans
more than one of the suspension nubbles for support. In other embodiments, the
height of
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some or all suspension nubbles on a shelf, basket and/or tray may be
different. Furthermore,
in some cases, a shelf, basket and/or tray may have suspension nubbles of the
same
configuration (i.e., the same shape and/or size). In other embodiments, the
size and/or shape
of some or all suspension nubbles on a shelf, basket and/or tray may be
different.
In any case, suspension nubble/s may, in some embodiments, be affixed to a
shelf,
basket and/or tray such that they are not readily removable from or moveable
along the shelf,
basket and/or tray. In yet other cases, suspension nubble/s may be attached in
a manner such
that they do not move along the shelf, basket and/or tray to which they are
attached, but yet
may be removed from the shelf, basket and/or tray by human force. In this
manner, the
suspension nubble/s may be adjusted for different objects and/or different
disinfection cycles.
In other embodiments, suspension nubble/s may be configured to move (e.g.,
slide) along the
shelf, basket and/or tray to which they are attached. In any case, suspension
nubbles may
include any attachment or mounting means for coupling to a shelf, basket
and/or tray. In
some embodiments, a suspension nubble may include one or more lower members
that are
configured to attach to a particular surface configuration. For example, in
cases in which a
suspension nubble is attached to a wired rack, the suspension nubble may
include one or more
lower members dimensionally and collectively configured to securely conform to
a bar of the
wired rack. Although Fig. 2 shows suspension nubbles attached to a bars of a
wire rack, the
use of nubbles are not necessarily so restricted. In particular, suspension
nubbles may be
attached to any surface of shelf, basket and/or tray of any configuration.
In any case, in some embodiments, the upper portion of suspension nubble/s may
include a different material than their attachment/mounting means. For
example, in some
cases, the upper portion of a suspension nubble may include a material that is
transparent to
germicidal light, such as quartz for instance, to allow a greater surface area
of an object
arranged thereon to be exposed to germicidal light during a disinfection
cycle. The
attachment/mounting means of the nubble, however, may include a different
material and, in
particular embodiments, may include a material which is not transparent to
germicidal light.
A variance in materials between the upper portion of a suspension nubble and
its
attachment/mounting means may be particularly applicable for embodiments in
which the
material used for the upper portion of the suspension nubble is not conducive
for coupling to
the material of the shelving, basket/s or tray/s. Alternatively, the upper
portion of suspension
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nubble/s and their attachment/mounting means may be made of the same
material/s and, in
particular embodiments, may be in the form of a single composite material.
The term "cabinet" as used herein refers to an article for enclosing and
holding one or
more items, wherein the article has a door for receiving the one or more items
and for closing
the cabinet, and wherein the article may be either moved wholly or moved by
dismantling at
least some of the framework of the cabinet and reconstructing the cabinet from
the dismantled
framework at a different location. The term is distinct from areas of a
building that are
primarily bordered by fixed constructs of a building, such as by drywall or
concrete, in that
those constructs cannot be dismantled and readily reused to construct a wall.
In particular,
the term "cabinet" as used herein does not refer to rooms in a building,
hallways, bathrooms,
or closets having fixed sidewalls composed of materials commonly used to
define interior
spaces within a building such as but not limited to drywall or concrete. In
contrast, the term
is inclusive to reconstructable and/or moveable articles. For example, the
term is inclusive to
wall mounted articles, including but not limited to backless boxes which
utilize a wall of a
room to form an enclosure for the cabinet. In particular, wall mounted
cabinets may be either
moved wholly or moved by dismantling the cabinet and reconstructing the
cabinet from the
dismantled framewok at a different location. Furthermore, the term "cabinet"
as used herein
encompasses free-standing reconstructable or moveable enclosures. Moreover,
the term
encompasses reconstructable or moveable articles which utilize the floor
and/or the ceiling to
form the enclosure for the cabinet. As such, articles which do not include a
floor and/or a
ceiling but which form an enclosure with a floor or ceiling of a building may
be considered
herein a cabinet when the article is arranged in such a manner.
As shown in block 12, the method outlined in Fig. 1 further includes placing a
disinfection device into the cabinet. The doubled arrow line between blocks 10
and 12
indicates that either process may be conducted prior to the other or they may
be performed at
substantially the same time. In any case, the method continues to block 14 to
close the
cabinet and further to block 16 to remotely start the disinfection device to
disperse a
germicide within the closed cabinet. In particular, a user interface remote to
the disinfection
apparatus and wirelessly coupled to the disinfection apparatus to start
operation thereof may
be activated by a user outside of the cabinet.
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In some cases, the disinfection device may be configured to be independently
operational from the cabinet. Alternatively stated, the disinfection device
placed into the
cabinet may be configured to be operational independent from the cabinet. More
specifically,
the disinfection devices considered herein may be free-standing devices having
their own
power source and/or a power cord for accessing their own power. Thus, the
functional
features of the disinfection device need not be coupled to the cabinet for the
disinfection
device to operate. Such a configuration of a disinfection device does not
necessarily mandate
that the disinfection device be operationally independent from the cabinet
during a
disinfection cycle, but rather that it merely has the configuration to do so.
For instance, as set
forth in more detail below, the cabinets described herein may, in some
embodiments, include
a power outlet arranged along an interior surface for receiving a power plug
and further a
power cord coupled to the power outlet and extending out from an exterior
surface of the
cabinet. Such a configuration may be useful for supplying power to the
disinfection device
through the cabinet. In particular, a power plug of a disinfection device may
be plugged into
the power outlet of the cabinet and the power cord of the cabinet may be
plugged into a power
outlet coupled to a mains power supply of a building. In this manner, the
power cord of the
disinfection device need not be routed exterior to the cabinet. In other
embodiments,
however, the power cord of the disinfection device may be routed exterior to
the cabinet, such
as under a sidewall of the cabinet or through a hole along a sidewall of the
cabinet, to directly
connect the disinfection device to a power outlet coupled to a mains power
supply of a
building.
In any case, the method outlined in Fig. 1 includes terminating operation of
the
disinfection device as denoted in block 20 and subsequently removing one or
more of the
object/s and/or the disinfection device. In some embodiments, operation of the
disinfection
device may be terminated upon receiving a signal from a remote user interface
of the device.
In this manner, the timing of the termination may be selected by an
individual. In other cases,
operation of the disinfection device may be automatically terminated after a
predetermined
amount of time (which may be a time preset by an individual setting up a
particular
disinfection cycle in the cabinet or may be a default time preset for
disinfection cycles
conducted in the cabinet). In yet other embodiments, operation of the
disinfection device may
be automatically terminated after a predetermined amount of germicide is
detected in the
cabinet as denoted in block 30 in Fig. 1 and described in more detail below.
In general, a
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disinfection device may include program instructions to terminate its
operation based on any
one or more of such bases for termination. In some cases, a disinfection
device may further
include program instructions to terminate its operation upon detecting motion
of a door
comprising the cabinet as denoted in block 32 in Fig. 1 and described in more
detail below.
The disinfection devices considered herein may be any device configured to
generate a
dispersible germicide. In particular, the disinfection devices considered
herein may be any
device or apparatus configured to generate a germicide in form of a liquid, a
vapor, a gas, a
plasma or germicidal light. In some cases, a disinfection device may be
configured to
generate more than one type of germicide. As used herein, the term "germicide"
refers to an
agent for deactivating or killing microorganisms, particularly disease
carrying and/or disease
producing microorganisms (a.k.a, germs). The term "kill," as used herein,
means to cause the
death of an organism. In contrast, the term "deactivate," as used herein,
means to render an
organism unable to reproduce without killing. As such, a germicide which is
configured to
deactivate a microorganism, as used herein, refers to an agent which renders a
microorganism
unable to reproduce but leaves the organism alive. Furthermore, the term
"disinfection
device" as used herein refers to a collection of one or more components used
to generate and
disperse a germicide. In some embodiments, a disinfection device may include
components
in addition to the component/s used to generate the germicide to effect the
dispersal of the
germicide from the generation component/s. In any case, the disinfection
devices described
herein may include any number of germicidal sources, depending on the design
specifications
of the disinfection device.
In some cases, a germicidal source of the disinfection devices described
herein may be
configured to generate a liquid, vapor, gaseous or plasma germicide that is
molecularly
configured to deactivate and/or kill microorganisms. As used herein, the
phrase "molecularly
configured" refers to the elemental composition of a substance (i.e., the
number and type of
atoms making up a substance) to impart the function stated after the phrase.
In some
embodiments, the functionality of a liquid, vapor, gaseous or plasma germicide
to deactivate
and/or kill a microorganism may be attributed to the elements constituting the
germicide and,
thus, such germicides may be referenced as being molecularly configured to
deactivate and/or
kill microorganisms. This is in contrast to liquid, vapor, gaseous or plasma
germicides which
impart their deactivation and/or killing functionality by the manner in which
they are used.
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For example, boiling water and steam are often effective sterilizing agents
due to the
temperature at which they are employed rather than their molecular
composition. An
example of a gaseous germicide which deactivates or kills microorganisms by
the manner in
which it is used is air at a very high temperature. Furthermore, the
germicidal effectiveness
of some plasma germicides is primarily due to the presence and activity of
charged particles
making up the plasma rather than the molecular composition of the charged
particles.
An example of a gaseous germicide that is molecularly configured to kill
microorganisms is ozone. Examples of plasmas germicides that are molecularly
configured
to deactivate or kill microorganisms are those that employ or generate
reactive oxygen
species. Examples of liquid and vapor germicides that are molecularly
configured to
deactivate or kill microorganisms include liquid and vapor disinfection
solutions having a
principle disinfection agent such as but not limited to bleach, hydrogen
peroxide, chlorine,
alcohol, quaternary ammonium compounds or ozone. In any of such cases, the
liquid and
vapor germicides may be aqueous or non-aqueous. It is noted that although
germicidal
sources which are configured to generate a liquid, vapor, gaseous or plasma
germicide that is
molecularly configured to deactivate or kill microorganisms are discussed in
detail above, the
disinfection devices considered herein may, in some embodiments, include a
germicidal
source configured to generate a liquid, vapor, gaseous or plasma germicide
which imparts its
deactivation or killing functionality by the manner in which it is used, such
as via boiling
water, steam or heated air. In any case, examples of disinfection devices
which may be
configured to disperse liquid, vapor, gaseous, or plasma germicides include
but are not
necessarily limited to liquid sprayers, foggers, plasmas torchers and misting
systems
including wet and dry mist systems. As used herein, the term "mist" refers to
a suspension of minute globules of a liquid in a gas. For use herein, a
germicidal mist is
categorized as a liquid germicide.
As noted above, a germicidal source of the disinfection devices described
herein may,
in some embodiments, be a source configured to generate germicidal light. The
term
"germicidal light" refers to light which is capable of deactivating or killing
microorganisms,
particularly disease carrying and/or disease producing microorganisms (a.k.a.,
germs).
Ranges of light which are known to be germicidal include ultraviolet light
between
approximately 200 nm and approximately 320 nm, particularly 220 nm and between
260 nm
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and 265 nm, and visible violet-blue light (also known as high-intensity narrow-
spectrum
(HINS) light) between approximately 400 nm and approximately 470 nm,
particularly 405
nm. In some embodiments, a germicidal light source may generate ranges of
light which are
not germicidal such as but not limited to visible light greater than
approximately 500 nm, but
such capability will not deter from the reference of the light sources being
germicidal.
Furthermore, a light source or lamp may, in some cases, be characterized in
the type of light it
generates, but such characterization need not limit the light source or lamp
to generating only
that type of light. For example, an ultraviolet lamp is one which generates
ultraviolet light
but it may produce light of other wavelengths. In any case, the germicidal
light sources
considered for the disinfection devices described herein may be of any size
and shape,
depending on the design specifications of the disinfection devices. The terms
"germicidal
light source" and "germicidal lamp" are used interchangeably herein and refer
to a collection
of one or more components used to generate and disperse germicidal light.
Examples of germicidal light sources which may be configured to generate
ultraviolet
light and/or HINS light include discharge lamps, light emitting diode (LED)
solid state
devices, and excimer lasers. HINS lamps are generally constructed of LEDs. A
discharge
lamp as used herein refers to a lamp that generates light by means of an
internal electrical
discharge between electrodes in a gas. The term encompasses gas-discharge
lamps, which
generate light by sending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas
(i.e., a plasma). The
term also encompasses surface-discharge lamps, which generate light by sending
an electrical
discharge along a surface of a dielectric substrate in the presence of a gas,
producing a plasma
along the substrate's surface. As such, the discharge lamps which may be
considered for the
germicidal sources described herein include gas-discharge lamps as well as
surface-discharge
lamps. Discharge lamps may be further characterized by the type of gas/es
employed and the
pressure at which they are operated. The discharge lamps which may be
considered for the
germicidal sources described herein may include those of low pressure, medium
pressure and
high intensity. In addition, the gas/es employed may include helium, neon,
argon, krypton,
xenon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, mercury vapor,
sodium
vapor and any combination thereof. In some embodiments, various additives
and/or other
substances may be included in the gas/es. In any case, the discharge lamps
considered for the
germicidal sources described herein may include those which generate
continuous light and
those which generate light in short durations, the latter of which are often
referred to as
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flashtubes or flashlamps. Flashtubes or flashlamps that are used to supply
recurrent pulses of
light are often referred to as pulsed light sources.
A commonly used gas-discharge lamp used to produce continuous light is a
mercury-
vapor lamp, which may be considered for some of the disinfection devices
described herein.
It emits a strong peak of light at 253.7 nm, which is considered particularly
applicable for
germicidal disinfection and, thus, is commonly referenced for ultraviolet
germicidal
irradiation (UVGI). A commonly used flashlamp which may be considered for the
disinfection devices described herein is a xenon flashtube. In contrast to a
mercury-vapor
lamp, a xenon flashtube generates a broad spectrum of light from ultraviolet
to infrared and,
thus, provides ultraviolet light in the entire spectrum known to the
germicidal (i.e., between
approximately 200 nm and approximately 320 nm). In addition, a xenon flashtube
can
provide relatively sufficient intensity in the spectrum which is known to be
optimally
germicidal (i.e., between approximately 260 nm and approximately 265 nm).
Moreover, a
xenon flashtube generates an extreme amount of heat, which can further
contribute to the
deactivation and killing of microorganisms.
Although they are not readily available on the commercial market to date, a
surface-
discharge lamp may be considered for some of the disinfection devices
described herein as
noted above. Similar to a xenon flashtube, a surface-discharge lamp produces
ultraviolet
light in the entire spectrum known to the germicidal (i.e., between
approximately 200 nm and
approximately 320 nm). In contrast, however, surface-discharge lamps operate
at higher
energy levels per pulse and, thus, greater UV efficiency, as well as offer
longer lamp life as
compared to xenon flashtubes. It is noted that the aforementioned descriptions
and
comparisons of a mercury-vapor lamp, a xenon flashlamp, and a surface
discharge lamp in no
way restrict the disinfection devices described herein to include such lamps.
Rather, the
aforementioned descriptions and comparisons are merely provided to offer
factors which one
skilled in the art may contemplate when selecting a germicidal light source
for disinfection
devices described herein.
As noted above, in some cases, the germicidal light source may be an excimer
laser
and, thus, the germicidal light used to disinfect objects in the cabinet may
be a narrow beam
of light. In such cases, a disinfection device comprising the laser may be
configured to move
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the laser such that multiple or all locations in the cabinet are disinfected.
Alternatively, a
disinfection device may be configured to distribute germicidal light into an
ambient of a room
in a spacious manner such that at least the portions of an object in the
vicinity of the
disinfection device may be simultaneously disinfected. The disinfection device
may be of any
shape, size, or configuration in which to achieve such an objective.
In some cases, it may be advantageous for the methods and cabinets described
herein
to utilize a room disinfection device. More specifically, the methods and
cabinets described
herein may, in some cases, utilize disinfection devices with configurations to
facilitate room
disinfection. As used herein, the term "room disinfection device" refers to a
device
configured to disinfect a space which is suitable for human occupancy so as to
deactivate,
destroy or prevent the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms in the area.
The phrase "a
space which is suitable for human occupancy" as used herein refers to a space
in which an
adult human being of average size may comfortably occupy for at least a period
of time to eat,
sleep, work, lounge, partake in an activity, or complete a task therein. In
some cases, spaces
suitable for human occupancy may be bounded and include a door for entering
and exiting the
room. In other cases, a space suitable for human occupancy may be an area with
indeterminate boundaries. Examples of spaces which are suitable for human
occupancy
include but are not limited to single patient rooms, multiple occupancy
patient rooms,
bathrooms, walk-in closets, hallways, bedrooms, offices, operating rooms,
patient
examination rooms, waiting and/or lounging areas and nursing stations.
Although some
disinfection devices used for the systems and methods described herein may be
configured for
room disinfection, the systems and methods need not be so limited. As such, a
disinfection
device used in the systems and methods described herein need not include all
or any of the
features described below that are generally associated with room disinfection
devices.
In general, a room disinfection device includes configurations to distribute
an
effective amount of germicide in a spacious manner to an ambient of a room in
which the
device is arranged to maximize the number of surfaces and objects disinfected
in the room.
The device may be of any shape, size, or configuration in which to achieve
such an objective.
An example configuration of a room disinfection device which may be
particularly
considered for the disinfection devices discussed herein is for the germicidal
source to be
arranged within the device to distribute a germicide approximately 360 around
the source. In
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such cases, the room disinfection device may be void of a component sufficient
to block the
germicide approximately 360 around the device such that germicide emitted
from the
germicidal source substantially encircles the device. Another configuration of
a room
disinfection device is to be automated to move through a room or area while
the germicidal
source is projecting germicide into an ambient of the room or area. For
instance, some room
disinfection devices include motorized wheels and processor-executable program
instructions
for activating the motorized wheels in accordance with a predetermined route
and/or in response
to sensors to maneuver around obstacles in the room or area while the
germicidal source is
emitting germicide/s. It is noted that although a room disinfection device may
include such a
configuration, such a movement feature would not be used in conjunction with
the methods
and cabinets disclosed herein.
Another common feature of room disinfection devices which may be optionally
included in the disinfection devices considered for the methods described
herein is to be
configured to direct germicidal light to a region approximately 2 feet and
approximately 4
feet from a floor of a room in which the apparatus is arranged. In particular,
the region
between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4 feet from a floor of a room
is considered a
"high touch" region of a room since objects of frequent use are generally
placed in such a
region. Examples of configurations which offer such light direction are
disclosed in U.S.
Patent Application Serial Nos. 13/706,926 filed December 6, 2012 and
13/708,208 filed
December 7, 2012 and International Patent Application No. PCT/U52014/059698
filed
October 8, 2014, all of which are incorporated herein by reference as if set
forth fully herein.
Other features specific to room disinfection devices are disclosed in such
documents as well.
For example, other features of room disinfection devices include wheels and/or
a handle to
affect portability for the devices. In addition, many room disinfection
devices include
configurations for remotely starting the devices such that individuals need
not be present in
the room when operation of the device commences.
Another feature of a room disinfection device which may be included in the
disinfection devices considered for the methods described herein is to include
configurations
to distribute an effective amount of germicide to achieve at least a 2-log
reduction in bacterial
contamination on surfaces within a room or area that are greater than 1 meter
or even 2 or 3
meters from the germicidal source. Configurations used to generate such an
effect generally
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depend on the configuration of the germicidal source, particularly the size of
the germicidal
source, the intensity and/or frequency at which the germicide is dispersed and
the orientation
of the germicidal source in the apparatus. In general, the germicidal sources
considered
herein may, in some embodiments, be any shape, size, orientation or
configuration and may
be conducted at parameters to achieve a desired reduction in bacterial
contamination on
surfaces within a room or area that are greater than 1 meter or even 2 or 3
meters from the
apparatus. An example of an orientation of a germicidal source which may aid
in achieving
such an effect is that the germicidal source may be vertically arranged (e.g.,
the germicidal
source may be arranged lengthwise substantially perpendicular to a horizontal
plane of the
support structure) to aid in distributing the germicide greater distances
within a room or area.
Moreover, power fluxes of at least 1.0 W/m2 may be generally used to achieve
at least a 2-log
reduction in bacterial contamination on surfaces within a room or area that
are greater than 1
meter from the germicidal source.
In some cases, room disinfection devices may utilize configurations of other
components in the device (i.e., other than the configurations of the
germicidal source) to aid
in achieving a desired reduction in bacterial contamination on surfaces within
a room or area
that are greater than 1 meter or even 2 or 3 meters from the germicidal
source. For example,
room disinfection devices may, in some embodiments, include an actuator
coupled to the
germicidal source and processor-executable program instructions for activating
the actuator to
move the germicidal source while the germicidal source is projecting germicide
into an
ambient of a room or area to aid in the distribution of germicide in a room or
area. More
specifically, the germicidal source may be moved in vertical, horizontal
and/or diagonal
directions via the actuator while the germicidal source is projecting
germicide into an ambient
of a room or area. Such a configuration may, in some embodiments, be included
in the
disinfection devices considered for the methods described herein and activated
during a
disinfection cycle in a cabinet. In particular, moving the germicidal source
within a cabinet may
aid in distributing the germicide among the different support structures in
the cabinet.
Another component which is often included in room disinfection devices which
may
be included in the disinfection devices considered for the methods described
herein is a
movement detection sensor and/or a room/area occupancy sensor, such as a
motion sensor, a
thermal sensor, a Doppler sensor, or a photo recognition sensor. In
particular, to prevent
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inadvertent exposure of a germicide to individuals during disinfection of a
room or an area,
the disinfection devices considered herein may include program instructions to
inhibit or
terminate activation of a power supply circuit to the germicidal source upon
detecting
movement and/or occupancy in the area/room in which the apparatus is arranged.
In some
cases, in order to use such disinfection devices in cabinets in which objects
arranged therein
are moved during a disinfection process (as described in more detail below),
the disinfection
devices may include a switch to activate and deactivate the movement detection
or occupancy
sensor comprising the device.
In other embodiments, the movement detection or occupancy sensor/s and
associated
program instructions of a disinfection device may be used when the
disinfection device is
placed in a cabinet for disinfecting objects. In particular, the method
disclosed herein may
include positioning the room disinfection device in the cabinet such that a
movement sensor
comprising the room disinfection device is in alignment with a door of the
cabinet as set forth
in block 28 of Fig. 1. In this manner, if the door to the cabinet is opened
during operation of
the disinfection device, power supply to the disinfection device will be
terminated as set forth
in block 32 of Fig. 1. In some of such embodiments, the cabinet may be void of
mechanism/s
to move objects therein. In other cases, the detection range of the movement
sensor may be
such that it is limited to the vicinity of the cabinet door and, thus, objects
may be moved
within the cabinet without detection of the sensor. Alternatively, the
cabinets described
herein may have a switch to activate and deactivate the mechanism/s used to
move objects
arranged therein such that it may be used in conjunction with a disinfection
device having an
active movement sensor.
In yet other embodiments, the cabinets disclosed herein may include an
alternative
safety mechanism/system to ensure door/s of the cabinet are closed when a
disinfection
device therein is projecting a germicide (i.e., a safety mechanism/system that
does not include
use of a movement sensor or an occupancy sensor comprising the disinfection
device). For
example, the cabinet may include a latch sensor on a door, which sends a
signal to terminate
operation of a disinfection apparatus when the door latch is opened.
Alternatively, the
cabinet may include a lock on a door and a germicidal sensor configured to
prevent the
inactivation of the lock when sensing a predetermined amount of germicide in
the cabinet.
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Other safety mechanism/system ensuring door/s of the cabinet are closed when a
disinfection
device therein is projecting a germicide may be considered.
In any case, cabinets are provided herein which are specifically configured to
enable
simultaneous disinfection of a majority if not all surfaces of one or more
objects disposed
therein. As described in detail above, the cabinets include shelving, one or
more baskets
and/or one or more trays, at least portions of which are transparent to
germicidal light and/or
comprise through-holes. As further described above, the shelving, basket/s
and/or tray/s may
be arranged along the sidewalls, door/s, ceiling or floor of the cabinet. In
addition to such
support structures (i.e., shelving, basket/s and/or tray/s), the cabinets
include a void of
sufficient size to accommodate a disinfection device. In general, disinfection
devices come in
various sizes and, thus, the size of the void may vary, depending on the
design of the cabinet.
Some disinfection devices, particularly room disinfection devices, are
relatively large units
(i.e., 10 ft3 or greater) and, thus, the void may, in some cases, be of
sufficient size to
accommodate such a device. In any case, the shelving, basket/s and/or tray/s
of the cabinet
are adjacent to the void and, in some cases, circumvent the void. In some
embodiments, the
void may centered in the cabinet, but in other embodiments the void may not be
centered in
the cabinet. In any case, portions of the support structures facing the void
may be transparent
to germicidal light and/or may include through-holes such that objects placed
on the support
structures may be exposed to a germicide projected from a disinfection device
occupying the
void. In some embodiments, the cabinet and/or the one or more support
structures may
include an automated means for moving one or more objects placed on or in the
one or more
support structures, such as a vibrator for example. For example, the cabinet
may include
vibrating wire racks.
An example of a cabinet having some of the aforementioned features is
illustrated in
Fig. 3. In particular, Fig. 3 illustrates cabinet 40 having interior void 42
of at least 10 ft3, tray
44, shelving 46 and baskets 48 adjacent the interior void, wherein at least
portions of the tray,
shelving and baskets facing the interior void are transparent to germicidal
light and/or
comprise through-holes. In addition, cabinet 40 includes door 43. In some
cases, cabinet 40
may include one or more loading ports with closable doors along its exterior
sidewalls to
access one or more of tray 44, shelving 46 and/or baskets 48 as an additional
or alternative
manner in which to load one or more objects into the cabinet. An example
loading port 45 is
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shown in Fig. 3 accessing shelving 46. As set forth above, interior void 42 is
of sufficient
size to accommodate disinfection device 50.
In some embodiments, the cabinets considered herein may have alignment markers
and/or an alignment system such that a disinfection device may be placed in a
predetermined
position within the void of the cabinet as denoted in block 26 of Fig. 1. In
some cases, the
alignment markers and/or alignment system may be configured such that a
germicidal source
of the disinfection device is a specified distance from the support structures
upon which
objects will be placed in the cabinet. In particular, some types of germicidal
sources generate
intense amounts of heat and, thus, pose a risk of causing items too close to
the source of
getting too hot to touch after a disinfection process, melting or catching
fire. An exemplary
range of distances that the alignment markers and/or alignment system may be
based on to
separate the disinfection device from the support structures may between
approximately 3
inches and approximately 12 inches, but shorter and longer distances may be
suitable,
depending on the germicidal source of the disinfection device.
Various other configurations may be considered for the cabinets as well. For
example, in some cases, the cabinets may be absent a floor or, alternatively,
include a floor
with a tapered lip such that in either case a disinfection device may be
easily loaded into the
cabinet. In the latter of such embodiments, the cabinet may include a door
extending in
proximity to the tapered lip. In any case, a cabinet may include a single door
by which to load
objects and a disinfection device into the cabinet. In other embodiments,
cabinet may include
multiple doors. For instance, a cabinet may include a first door for primarily
loading a
disinfection device into the cabinet and a second door for primarily loading
objects into the
.. cabinet. In other cases, cabinets that have multiple doors may not have
loading designations
for their doors. In some embodiments, a cabinet may include doors on opposing
sides of the
cabinet.
In any case, the cabinets considered herein may, in some embodiments, include
a
.. power outlet along its interior for receiving a power plug of a
disinfection device. The power
outlet may be coupled to a power cord extending out from an exterior surface
of the cabinet
such that the disinfection device may be coupled to a mains power supply of a
building when
arranged in the cabinet. Alternatively, a cabinet may include an opening such
that a power
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cord of a disinfection device may be routed therethrough to a power outlet
along a wall of a
room in which the cabinet is arranged. In yet other cases, a cabinet may be
void of such
provisions, particularly if the cabinet is specifically designed to
accommodate a particular
disinfection device that is powered by its own battery.
In some embodiments, the cabinets provided herein may be free-standing units.
In
other cases, the cabinets may be mounted to a wall. In either case, the
cabinets may extend to
a floor of a room in which it is arranged, but in other embodiments, they may
not. In some
embodiments, the sidewalls and doors of the cabinets may be sealed to prevent
a germicide
generated from a disinfection device therein from leaking out of the cabinet.
In other cases,
the cabinets may not be sealed. In some embodiments, the cabinets may include
a highly
reflective material along one or more of its interior surfaces, including the
sidewalls, ceiling
and/or floor of the cabinet, if applicable. In some cases, the highly
reflective materials may
be those highly reflective to ultraviolet light and/or visible violet-blue
light. In particular, it
may be advantageous for at least a portion of the cabinets to include a
material which exhibits
greater than 50% reflectance to ultraviolet light and/or visible violet-blue
light, or more
specifically, greater than 85% reflectance to ultraviolet light and/or visible
violet-blue light.
Examples of reflective materials which may be employed include but are not
limited to
metalized nylon, Teflon, aluminum, reflective paint, biaxially-oriented
polyethylene
terephthalate (boPET) (e.g., Mylar), and GORE DRP Diffuse Reflector Material
available
from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. In addition or alternative to being highly
reflective, the
cabinets may include a variety of other material characteristics along its
interior surface, such
as but not limited to being antimicrobial.
In some cases, the cabinets described herein may include one or more fans,
such as
shown by reference number 49 in Fig. 3, for cooling the interior of the
cabinets and/or
dispersing a liquid or gas germicide generated by a disinfection device
arranged in the cabinet
Fig. 3. The one or more fans may be arranged interior to the cabinet and/or
may be arranged
within the sidewalls, floor or ceiling of the cabinet. In embodiments in which
the cabinet
includes one or more fans arranged within its walls, the fans may be
configured to drawn air
in or out of the cabinet. In some cases, the cabinet may include an ozone
reducing device
disposed within a wall, floor or ceiling of the cabinet extending between an
interior of the
cabinet to an exterior of the cabinet such as shown by reference number 51 in
Fig. 3. In
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particular, ozone may, in some cases, be created as a byproduct from the use
of a germicidal
light source, specifically if the lamp generates ultraviolet light of
wavelengths shorter than
approximately 240 nm since such a spectrum of UV light causes oxygen atoms of
oxygen
molecules to dissociate, starting the ozone generation process. Ozone is a
known health and
air quality hazard and, thus, the release of it by devices is regulated.
Examples of ozone
reducing devices which may be included in the cabinets described herein
include but are not
limited to a carbon filter or a device which produces free radicals catalysts
that covert ozone
to diatomic oxygen.
In some embodiments, the cabinets described herein may include one or more
germicide dose sensor/s, such as shown by reference number 41 in Fig. 3 for
detecting the
amount of germicide dispersed in the cabinet. In some cases, the germicide
dose sensor/s
may be configured to affect the operation of a disinfection device arranged in
the cabinet. In
particular, the cabinet and/or the disinfection device may include a storage
medium with
processor executable program instructions to shut off the disinfection device
when a signal is
received from the germicide dose sensor/s indicating that a predetermined dose
of germicide
is detected within the cabinet as denoted in block 30 of Fig. 1. In additional
or alternative
embodiments, the cabinets described herein may include a humidity and/or
temperature
control system, such as shown by reference number 47 in Fig. 3. In particular,
the cabinets
.. described herein may include dehumidifiers and/or cooling devices to
control the humidity
and temperature of the interior of the cabinet. In particular, controlling the
humidity and/or
temperature of an environment sometimes may improve the germicidal efficacy of
a
germicidal source and, thus, may be used to optimize disinfection cycle time.
In some cases, the cabinet may include a system for identifying objects placed
in the
cabinet to ensure objects placed in the cabinet are those that have been
deemed suitable for a
particular disinfection system. In some embodiments, a system for identifying
objects may
include a scanning system, such as a barcode reader or an RF receiver, that is
used to identify
objects placed in the cabinet having identification tags attached thereto. In
addition or
alternatively, a system for identifying objects may include a weight sensor in
one or more of
the support structures of the cabinet. In particular, a weight sensor may be
used to verify
whether the weight of an object placed on or in the support structure is in an
appropriate
range for what it has been identified as via a scanning system of the cabinet.
In addition or
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alternatively, a support structure of the cabinet may be designated for
receipt of a particular
object (or a particular type of object, such as a type of medical device) and
the weight sensor
may be used to verify whether the weight of an object placed in or on the
support structure is
in an appropriate range for the object which support structure is designated.
In some of such
cases, the support structure may have sidewalls having a peripheral contour
similar to the
object for which it is designated as described in more detail below in
reference to Figs. 9 and
10. In other embodiments, the support structure may not have a distinct shape,
but yet be
designated for a particular object or object type for verification purposes.
In any case, the
cabinets described herein may include a system to ensure objects on the
support structures of
the cabinet are not touching each other, such as but not limited to a machine
vision system.
In some embodiments, the cabinets provided herein may include a user
interface. The
user interface may be used for setting disinfection process parameters and/or
communicating
conditions of various systems comprising the cabinet, including but not
limited to process
parameters and/or conditions for any of the features noted above. In general,
the user
interface may be configured to project audio commands (i.e., have a speaker
and program
instructions for sending signals for an audio command to be broadcasted)
and/or display
visual commands (i.e., include as screen and program instructions for
displaying text or
pictorial information thereon) for setting disinfection process parameters
and/or
communicating conditions of various systems comprising the cabinet. It is
noted that the
aforementioned features of chamber 40 described in reference to Fig. 3, namely
the shelving,
basket/s, tray/s, user interface, identification system, weight sensor,
germicide dose sensors,
humidity and/or temperature controllers, ozone filter, fans and loading ports,
are optional and
are not mutually inclusive.
As shown in Fig. 3 and described above, the configuration of cabinet 40 is
specific to
having void 42 substantially central to cabinet 40 with tray 44, shelves 46
and baskets 48
arranged around void 42. The cabinets described herein, however, are not
necessarily so
limited. In particular, cabinets considered herein may have off-center void
regions for
accommodating a disinfection device. Fig. 4 illustrates a top view schematic
drawing of
cabinet 60 having disinfection device 54 disposed off-center in the cabinet,
particularly in
portion 62 of the cabinet opposing portion 64 having one or more objects 56
disposed therein.
In general, one or more objects 56 may include object/s of any configuration
(i.e., shape, size,
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weight, material, construction, etc.). In some cases, object/s 56 may be
disposed on tray/s,
shelving and/or basket/s arranged in portion 64. In some of such cases, the
tray/s, shelving
and/or basket/s may be arranged along interior surfaces of portion 64 such as
described for the
tray/s, shelving and/or baskets of cabinet 40 in Fig. 3. In addition or
alternatively, the tray/s,
shelving and/or basket/s may be supported by a free-standing rack arranged in
portion 64 of
cabinet 60. In some cases, the free-standing rack may include wheels or some
other
displacement mechanism to affect mobility and portability of the rack. In such
embodiments,
the rack may be preloaded with one or more objects 56 prior to being placed in
portion 64 of
cabinet 60. In other cases, the rack may not include a displacement mechanism
and, in some
embodiments, the rack may be secured within cabinet 60.
In alternative embodiments, one or more objects 56 may be placed on the floor
of
cabinet 60 or the floor upon which the cabinet is arranged. In such cases, one
or more objects
56 may not be placed on a specific support structure within cabinet 60. In
some of such
embodiments, one or more of object/s 56 may include wheels or some other
displacement
mechanism to affect mobility and portability of the object/s. Alternatively,
one or more of
object/s 56 may be void of displacement mechanisms. In any case, to
accommodate a rack or
free standing objects within portion 64, portion 64 may include a void space
sufficient to
receive the rack or free-standing object. The void space may be on the order
of greater than
approximately 1.0 ft3, greater than approximately 5.0 ft3 and, in some cases,
greater than
approximately 10.0 ft3, but smaller void spaces may be considered.
As noted above in reference to Fig. 3, some of the cabinets disclosed herein
may
include a void space greater than approximately 10.0 ft3 to accommodate a
disinfection
device generally configured for room disinfection. In some embodiments,
portion 62 may
include such a void space. In other cases, however, disinfection device 54
need not be so
large and, thus, portion 62 may be smaller than 10.0 ft3. In general,
disinfection device 54
may include any device configured to generate a dispersible germicide.
Although disinfection
device 54 may be configured to be independently operational from cabinet 60
and/or may be
configured for room disinfection, disinfection device 54 need not be so
limited. In particular,
disinfection device 54 may, in some embodiments, be operationally dependent on
cabinet 60,
specifically that the power used to operate the device is drawn through the
cabinet. In
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addition or alternatively, disinfection device 54 need not include all or any
of the features
described above that are generally associated with room disinfection devices.
As shown in Fig. 4, cabinet 60 may include doors 66 for allowing separate
access to
portions 62 and 64. Such a configuration may ease loading of one or more
objects 56 and
disinfection device 54 into the cabinet. In alternative embodiments, however,
cabinet 60 may
include a single door. In addition or alternatively, cabinet 60 may include
closable loading
ports along its exterior surface aligned with support structures in portion 64
when cabinet 60
includes such support structures. In any case, the door/s and/or loading
port/s may be
arranged along any portion of the cabinet and, thus, the positions of the
door/s and loading
port/s should not be limited to be on opposing ends of the cabinet as shown in
Fig. 4.
Furthermore, the door/s and loading port/s of the cabinet may be hinged doors,
sliding doors,
or retractable doors and, thus, should not be limited to the hinged doors
shown in Fig. 4.
Although portion 62 of cabinet 60 is shown absent of object/s therein, use of
the
cabinet should not be so limited. In particular, one or more objects may be
placed in portion
62 as long as they do not interfere with the arrangement of disinfection
device 54. Fig. 5
illustrates cabinet 70 having support structures 76 (i.e., tray/s, shelving
and/or baskets)
arranged adjacent to disinfection device 54 in portion 72 of the cabinet. In
addition, cabinet
70 includes portion 74 having one or more objects 56 placed therein as
similarly described for
one or more objects 56 in portion 64 of cabinet 60 in Fig. 4. To increase
efficiency, it may be
advantageous in some cases to successively load one or more objects into
portions 72 and 74
of cabinet 70. In such embodiments, it may be advantageous to partition
portion 74 from
portion 72 such that the one or more objects placed in portion 72 may be
disinfected from a
germicide projected from disinfection device 54 while one or more objects 56
are placed into
portion 74. As such, cabinet 70 includes moveable partition 78 to separate
portions 72 and 74
of cabinet 70.
In general, moveable partition 78 is configured to block transmission of a
germicide
generated by disinfection device 54. In embodiments in which the germicide is
a liquid, gas,
mist or plasma, any non-pervious material may be used for partition 78, such
as glass,
plastics, metals, or wood. In some of such cases, at least the side of
partition 78 facing
disinfection device 54 may include a material which is resistant to chemical
erosion. In other
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cases, particularly in which the germicide generated by disinfection device 54
is germicidal
light, at least the side of partition 78 facing disinfection device 54 may
include a material
which attenuates the germicidal light. Further to having partition 78, cabinet
70 may, in some
embodiments, include sensor 79 for detecting when partition 78 is in position
to separate
.. portions 72 and 74 of the cabinet.
Cabinets with more than one partition are illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In
particular,
Fig. 6 illustrates cabinet 80 having moveable partitions 83 respectively
separating portions 84
and 86 from portion 82 and sensors 89 for detecting when partitions 83 are in
position to
respectively separate portions 84 and 86 from portion 82. In addition, Fig. 7
illustrates
cabinet 90 having moveable partitions 93 respectively separating portions 94,
96, 97, and 98
from portion 92. Furthermore, Fig. 7 illustrates cabinet 90 having sensors 99
for detecting
when partitions 93 are in position to respectively separate portions 94, 96,
97, and 98 from
portion 92. As respectively shown in Figs. 6 and 7, portions 82 and 92
accommodate
disinfection device 54 and each of portions 84, 86, 94, 96, 97 and 98
accommodate one or
more objects 56. Moreover, each of cabinets 80 and 90 include doors 66 for
respectively
accessing portions 84, 86, 94, 96, 97 and 98. In some cases, cabinet 80 and/or
cabinet 90 may
include an additional door for loading disinfection device 54. It is noted
that partitions 83
differ from partition 78 of cabinet 70 and partitions 93 of cabinet 90 in that
they are
retractable within the cabinet. The variation of the partitions, however, is
not specific to the
configuration of cabinet 80 nor are partitions 78 and 93 specific to cabinets
70 and 90. Any
type of moveable partition may be employed in the cabinets described herein,
including but
not limited to those shown in Figs. 5-7 but as well as those which move
vertically from or
through the ceiling of the cabinets or from the floor of the cabinet.
Moreover, portions 84,
86, 94, 96, 97 and 98 need not be the same size within a cabinet.
A method of disinfecting objects within cabinets having partitionable portions
or
chambers, such as shown and described above in reference to Figs. 6 and 7, is
shown in Fig.
8. In particular, Fig. 8 includes block 100 in which one or more objects are
placed into a
second portion of a cabinet, which is adjacent a first portion of a cabinet
having a disinfection
device arranged therein or at least configured to accommodate a disinfection
device. In the
latter of such embodiments, a disinfection device may be placed within the
first portion of the
cabinet during or after the one or more objects are placed into the second
portion of the
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cabinet. In any case, the method continues with closing at least the first and
second portions
of the cabinet as denoted in block 102. Subsequently in block 104, the
disinfection device is
remotely started to disperse a germicide within at least the first and second
portions of the
cabinet.
At some point before, during or after any of the processes denoted in blocks
100, 102
and 104, a third portion of the cabinet is segregated from the first portion
of the cabinet (i.e.,
the portion of the cabinet designated to house the disinfection device) using
a germicide
blocking partition, such as those described above in reference to Figs. 5-7.
After such
segregation, one or more objects are placed into the third portion of the
cabinet as denoted in
block 108 of Fig. 8. Due to the germicide blocking partition, the process of
block 108 may,
in some cases, be performed while the disinfection device is generating and
projecting a
germicide into the first and second portions of the cabinet. Such a method may
be similarly
facilitated for other chambers of the cabinet such that there may be a
succession of
simultaneous loading the cabinet with object/s and disinfecting object/s
within the cabinet
among the different chambers. In addition, portions of a cabinet may also be
segregated after
disinfecting objects therein such that the objects may be removed from the
cabinet while
objects in a different portion of the cabinet are being disinfected.
Further to the idea of ensuring objects placed in a cabinet are those that
have been
deemed suitable for a particular disinfection system, support structures are
provided which
are configured to confirm an object placed thereon/therein is suitable for a
particular
disinfection system. In particular, support structures are provided which
include sidewalls
shaped to emulate a peripheral contour of a particular object, such as a
medical device. The
sidewalls may be sidewalls of a base of a support structure or may extend up
from the base of
the support structure. In some embodiments, the periphery of the support
structure and the
areal space of the base may be slightly larger than the object it is
configured to receive. In
this manner, the object may be inset within the support structure in cases in
which the
sidewalls of the support structure extend up from the base. In other
embodiments, the
periphery of the support structure and the areal space of the base may be
substantially equal or
smaller than the object it is configured to receive. In such cases, the object
may be suspended
above the base of the support structure when the sidewalls of the support
structure extend up
from the base.
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In any case, the configuration of the sidewalls to match a peripheral contour
of a
particular object offers visual confirmation that the object has been deemed
suitable for the
particular disinfection system the support structure comprises. In some cases,
the support
structure may additionally include contour sensors along its base and/or
sidewalls to
electronically confirm the peripheral contour of an object placed on the
support structure
matches that of the specifically shaped sidewalls. In any case, the support
structure may
include a shelf, basket or a tray. An example of a support structure having
such features is
illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. In particular, Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate basket
110 having base
118 with sidewalls 116 extending up from the base and shaped to match a
peripheral contour
of stethoscope 114. In some cases, the base and/or sidewalls may include
materials
transparent to germicidal light and/or one or more through-holes for the
transmission of
germicide therethrough.
In some cases, the support structure may include a weight sensor, such as
shown with
weight sensor 112 in Figs. 9 and 10, to verify whether the weight of an object
placed on the
support structure is in an appropriate range for what it has been designed to
receive. In
addition or alternatively, the support structure may include a scannable
identification tag to
coincide with a scanning identification system of a cabinet in which the
support structure is to
be arranged. In any of such cases, the support structure may, in some cases,
include a means
for conveying information to a user of the support structure (e.g., via visual
display and/or
audio commands) of the state of such various features. In some of such
embodiments, the
support structure may include a processor and a storage medium comprising
program
instructions executable by the processor for activating said means for
conveying information
upon receiving signal/s from the various features. For example, the support
structure may
include processor executable program instructions for activating said means
for conveying
information upon the weight sensor detecting a force that exceeds a
predetermined threshold
and/or upon a multiple of the contour sensors detecting contact with an
object.
As noted above, other examples of systems, cabinets and methods for
disinfecting
objects are provided in Figs. 11-14, particularly ones which are configured to
enable a
germicidal source to be inserted into a cabinet while retaining at least a
portion of a base
supporting the germicidal source exterior to the cabinet. In particular, Fig.
11 illustrates
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cabinet 120 having exterior structure 122, port 124, door 126 and air vents
128. As shown in
Fig. 11, exterior structure 122 is configured such voided space 130 is
arranged below port
124. Voided space 130 is dimensionally configured to receive and accommodate
at least a
portion of a base of a disinfection apparatus and, in some cases, all of the
base or the entire
disinfection apparatus. As further shown in Fig. 11, port 124 may, in some
embodiments,
extend out of cabinet 12, past the exterior surface of exterior structure 172.
In other cases,
however, port 124 may be inset or flush with the exterior structure 172.
As set forth in more detail below in reference to Figs. 12 and 13, a
germicidal source
of a disinfection apparatus is inserted into port 124 when the disinfection
apparatus is placed
in voided space 130. In order to accommodate the insertion of the germicidal
source, either
port 124 and/or portions 123 of exterior structure 122 above voided space 130
may be
configured to move. For example, portions 123 of exterior structure 122 may
include a
pliable material, such as a fabric or any non-textile pliable material. In
this manner, the
portion of exterior structure 122 above voided space 130 and port 124 attached
thereto may
be moved up when a disinfection apparatus is placed into voided space 130 and
then moved
down around the germicidal source thereafter. In some embodiments, additional
portions of
exterior structure 122 or all of exterior structure 122 may be made of one or
more pliable
materials. In such cases, cabinet 122 may include a frame to support the
pliable material/s.
The frame may be exterior or interior to the pliable material.
In additional or alternative embodiments, portions 123 of exterior structure
122 above
voided space 130 as well as port 124 may be configured to open, particularly
along but not
limited to a face of the exterior structure122 and/or port 124 that is in the
direction in which a
disinfection apparatus is to be received. For example, a front, side and/or
back facing portion
of exterior structure 122 above voided space 130 and/or a front, side and/or
back facing part
of port 124 may include a zipper or another type of fastener system (such as
but not limited to
Velcro, snaps, and magnets) to open and close adjoining flaps of either
exterior structure 122
and/or port 124. In other cases, the front, side or back facing parts of port
124 and/or the
portions of exterior structure 122 above voided space 130 may include doors,
particularly if
they are made of rigid materials. In any case, closable openings afforded
along front, side or
back facing parts of port 124 and/or portions 123 of exterior structure 122
may allow a
germicidal source of a disinfection apparatus being received into voided space
130 to be
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inserted into cabinet 122 and then surrounded by port 124 and portions 123 of
exterior
structure 122.
In general, the size of voided space 130 may vary depending on the design
specifications of cabinet 120. In some cases, the size of voided space 130 may
be particularly
designed for dimensional characteristics of a particular disinfection
apparatus to be used with
cabinet 120. In other embodiments, the size of voided space 130 may not be
specific to a
particular disinfection apparatus. In either case, provisions, such as a
shelf, may be added to
voided space 130 to accommodate disinfection apparatuses that are not tall
enough to have
their germicidal source inserted into the cabinet via port 124. More
specifically, a shelf may
be placed on the floor of voided space 130 or affixed to a wall of exterior
structure 122 in
voided space 130 such that relatively small disinfection apparatus may be used
in
accompaniment with the cabinet to disinfect object/s therein. Although
exterior structure 122
is shown having support beams on the outer corners of voided space 130, the
support beams
.. may be omitted from cabinet 120 if they are not needed for structural
support. In this manner,
there may be fewer restrictions on the width of the disinfection apparatuses
that may be
received into voided space 130. Although the cabinets described herein should
not be so
limited, in some embodiments, cabinet 120 may be used in accompaniment with a
disinfection apparatus configured for room/area disinfection for the
disinfection of objects
therein. In such cases, a general and example range of width, depth and height
dimensions
for voided space 130 may be between approximately 2 feet and approximately 4
feet each, but
smaller or larger dimensions may be considered.
As shown in Fig. 11, exterior structure 122 may be configured such that the
floor of
voided space 130 is substantially level with the floor of the room in which
the cabinet is
arranged. In particular, exterior structure 122 may configured such that the
floor of voided
space 130 is the floor of the room or includes a flooring of cabinet 120
substantially level
with the floor of the room. In either case, such a configuration may
facilitate ease for
receiving a disinfection apparatus into voided space 130 having wheels to
affect its mobility,
as is commonly associated with but not necessarily limited to room/area
disinfection
apparatuses. In yet other cases, the floor of voided space 130 may be arranged
above the floor
of a room in which the cabinet is arranged. For example, in some embodiments,
the floor of
voided space 130 may be a fraction of an inch or even more than an inch above
the floor of
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the room in which the cabinet is arranged. In such cases, the floor of voided
space 130 may,
in some embodiments, include a tapered lip such that a disinfection device
with wheels may
be easily loaded into space. In yet other cases, the floor or voided space 130
may be arranged
more than a few inches above the floor of the room in which the cabinet is
arranged. In such
embodiments, the floor of voided space 130 may, in some cases, include a ramp
such that a
disinfection device with wheels may be more easily loaded into space. In yet
other
embodiments, the floor of voided space 130 may not include a ramp or a tapered
lip.
In any case, the cabinets described herein are not restricted to being used
with
disinfection apparatus having wheels and, thus, in some embodiments, the floor
of voided
space 130 may be arranged a foot or more above a floor of the room in which
the cabinet is
arranged. In some cases, a cabinet may have a voided space with a floor
arranged between
approximately 2.5 and approximately 3.5 feet above a floor of the room in
which the cabinet
is arranged. Such a configuration may be ergonomically advantageous in
embodiments in
which a disinfection apparatus that is easily carried by a human is used in
accompaniment
with the cabinet to disinfection objects therein. In particular, having a
voided space with a
floor within such a height range may inhibit the human from having to bend to
position the
apparatus in the voided space.
As noted above, exterior structure 122 is configured such voided space 130 is
arranged
below port 124, particularly in embodiments in which port 124 is arranged
along a surface of
exterior structure 122 that is parallel with a floor in which cabinet 120 is
arranged. The
cabinets disclosed herein, however, are not limited to such a location of port
124. On the
contrary, port 124 may be alternatively arranged along a surface of exterior
structure 122 that
is perpendicular with a floor in which cabinet 120 is arranged. An example of
such a cabinet
is shown in Fig. 14 and described in more detail below. In yet other
embodiments, port 124
may be arranged along a surface of exterior structure 122 that is at an angle
between 0 and
90 with a floor in which cabinet 120 is arranged. In either of such cases,
depending of the
configuration of the disinfection apparatus and, more particularly, depending
how far a
disinfection apparatus is configured to extend a germicidal source beyond the
confines of its
base, cabinet 120 may not have a voided space to accommodate a base of a
disinfection
apparatus (such as voided space 130).
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Regardless of the position of port 124 along exterior structure 122 of cabinet
120, port
124 may have a periphery that surrounds a portion of an item partially
inserted into the port.
In general, port 124 may be annular, meaning it is or forms an encircling
structure around an
opening. Although the inner and/or outer edges of port 124 may be circular,
the term
"annular", as used herein, is not limited to having circular outer or inner
edges. On the
contrary, port 124 may have inner and outer edges of any shape. In some cases,
the periphery
of port 124 may be dimensionally adjustable as is denoted by the arrowed lines
on port 124 in
Fig. 11. In this manner, the periphery of port 124 may be widened to allow an
item of a
particular size to be easily inserted through the port. Examples of materials
or items which
may be employed at the periphery of port 124 to impart adjustable dimensions
include but are
not limited to elastic rings, adjustable width clamps, and Velcro straps. In
some additional or
alternative embodiments, the periphery of port 124 may be configured to come
into contact
with a portion of an inserted item that has a width within a particular range.
For example,
port 124 may include an adjustable periphery that can adjust down to a width
within a
particular range. In addition or alternatively, the periphery of port 124 may
include fasteners,
such as but not limited to snaps, magnets, and hooks or loops, for attaching
to a portion of an
item partially inserted therein. In some cases, the disinfection apparatus
partially inserted into
port 124 may have matching fasteners around a designated portion thereof to
mate with
fasteners along the periphery of port 124.
In some embodiments, the periphery of port 124 may be configured to conform to
a
periphery of an item partially inserted therein such that the periphery
substantially seals the
port against the item. The term "substantially seal", as used herein, refers
to joining multiple
items to a sufficient degree such that there is negligible transmission of
fluids therethrough.
For example, in an embodiment in which port 124 is substantially sealed
against a portion of
a disinfection apparatus with its germicidal source inserted into cabinet 120,
the term
"substantially sealed" in such a context means that that less than 1% of
germicide generated
by a germicidal source in the cabinet is transmitted through the joined
interface of the port
and the disinfection apparatus. Regardless of the manner the periphery of port
124 is
configured to encircle an item, the dimensions and materials used to
constitute port 124 may
vary depending on the design specifications of cabinet 120 and, more
specifically, the
dimensions of the disinfection apparatus/es to be employed with cabinet 120.
An example
range of widths which port 124 may be configured to accommodate is between
approximately
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6 inches and approximately 18 inches, but smaller and larger dimensions as
well as wider and
narrower ranges may be considered.
In addition to port 124, cabinet 120 includes another port for loading items
into
interior space 132 of cabinet. As shown in Fig. 11, the loading port include
door 126.
Although door 126 is shown as a retractable rolling door, the door is not
necessarily so
limited. In particular, door 126 may alternatively be a sliding door, an
accordion door, a
hinged door or a flap door (which may be fastened to the side edge of cabinet
120 when
loading items into interior space 132). In cases in which cabinet 120 is to be
used in a small
or narrow space, such as a hallway for example, it may be advantageous for
cabinet 120 to
include a retractable door, an accordion door or a flap door to access
interior space 132 to
minimize the area occupied by the door when opened. In any case, cabinet 120
may include a
single door for accessing interior space 132 as shown in Fig. 11 or,
alternatively, may include
multiple doors. In either embodiment, the door/s may be arranged along any
side (i.e., the
front, side or back) of cabinet 120.
As shown in Fig. 11, the floor of interior space 132 may be substantially
level with the
floor of the room in which the cabinet is arranged and door 126 may extend to
a floor of
cabinet 120. In embodiments in which cabinet 120 does not include a floor,
door 126 may
extend to a floor of a room in which the cabinet is arranged. In either case,
door 126 may, in
some embodiments extend up to a height of 5 feet or more. Such configurations
may ease the
loading of items into interior space 132. In particular, having door 126
extend to a floor of
cabinet 120 or the floor of the room may ease the loading of items having
wheels or items
carried into interior space 132 by a human. In addition, having door 126
extend to a height of
5 feet or more may generally allow a person to at least partially enter
interior space 132 to
place items therein. In yet other cases, cabinet 120 may have a floor arranged
above the floor
of a room in which the cabinet is arranged. In such cases, the floor of
cabinet 120 may, in
some embodiments, include a tapered lip or a ramp such that an item with
wheels may be
easily loaded into interior space 132.
In any case, configurations to have door 126 extend to a height of 5 feet or
more and
extend down to or close to the floor of the cabinet or room in which the
cabinet is arranged
allows relatively large items (i.e., items occupying more than approximately
1.0 ft3 or even
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those occupying more than 5.0 ft3) to be loaded into interior cavity 132
(i.e., as long as the
width of door 216 and the depth of cabinet 120 are appropriately sized to
accommodate such
items). Example dimension ranges of the width of door 216 and the depth of
cabinet 120 to
be able to accommodate relatively large items may be between approximately 2
feet and
approximately 5 feet each. Accordingly, the area of interior space 132 may
sometimes be
greater than 20 ft3 or even greater than 30 ft3. In cases in which cabinet 120
is to be used in a
small or narrow space, such as a hallway for example, it may be advantageous
to limit the
depth of cabinet 120 to be between approximately 2 feet and approximately 5
feet and the
overall length of cabinet 120 to be between approximately 6 feet and
approximately 8 feet. In
any case, examples of relatively large items which are commonly used in
hospitals and which
may be well suited to be disinfected in cabinet 120 include but are not
limited to wheelchairs,
mobile work stations, vital sign monitors, wheeled over-the-bed tables,
intravenous poles,
carts, isolettes, ultrasounds, and ventilators.
Although cabinet 120 is shown in Fig. 1 and described above particularly for
the
disinfection of relatively large items, the features of cabinet 120 described
above (i.e., port
124 and voided space 130) to enable a germicidal source to be inserted into a
cabinet while
retaining at least a portion of a base supporting the germicidal source
exterior to the cabinet
may be employed in a cabinet specifically configured to disinfect relatively
small objects (i.e.,
objects occupying less than approximately 1.0 ft3 and, in some cases, objects
occupying less
than approximately 0.5 ft3). As such, in some of such embodiments, the
interior space of the
cabinet may be substantially smaller than that described for cabinet 120 of
Fig. 11.
Furthermore, door 126 need not extend to a floor of a room in which the
cabinet is arranged
or extend up to a height of 5 feet or more. In some embodiments, cabinet 120
may be used to
disinfect multiple items at the same time, including any combination of
multiple large items
and/or multiple small items as long as space permits in interior space 132.
In any case, cabinet 120 may include air vents 128 to exhaust heat out of the
cabinet.
As shown in Fig. 11, air vents 128 may, in some embodiments, be arranged along
an upper
portion of cabinet 120, particularly along the ceiling and/or the upper
sidewalls of the cabinet,
since hot air rises. In some cases, however, cabinet 120 may additionally or
alternatively
include air vents on lower sidewalls of the cabinet and/or along a floor of
the cabinet if the
floor of the cabinet is elevated above the floor in which the cabinet is
arranged. Furthermore,
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cabinet 120 may include any number of air vents, including a single air vent
or any plurality
of air vents. In addition, cabinet 120 need not include air vents grouped in
clusters of three as
shown in Fig. 11. Thus, the location, number and relative arrangement of air
vents in cabinet
120 should not be limited to the depiction of air vents 128 in Fig. 11. In any
case, air vents
may generally include filters to prevent germicide generated in cabinet 120
from exiting air
vents into the external ambient of the cabinet.
As noted above, the cabinets described herein may include a variety of
features,
including a highly reflective material along one or more of its interior
surfaces, including the
sidewalls, ceiling and/or floor of the cabinet, if applicable. As such,
cabinet 120 may include
a highly reflective material along one or more of its interior surfaces,
including the sidewalls,
ceiling and/or floor of the cabinet. In some cases, the highly reflective
materials may be those
highly reflective to ultraviolet light and/or visible violet-blue light. In
addition or alternative
to being highly reflective, cabinet 120 may include a variety of other
features generally
described above for cabinets described herein. For example cabinet 120 may
include any
number and combination of shelving, basket and/or trays attached to its
sidewalls and/or
ceiling. Other features that are described above and which cabinet 120 may
include are door
sensors, motion or occupancy sensors, alignment markers, power outlet, power
cord, user
interface, fans, ozone filters, germicidal dose sensor (such as shown by
reference numeral 134
in Fig. 11), humidity and/or temperature control systems, object
identification systems, and
moveable partitions. The descriptions of such features are referenced from
above for cabinet
120 and are not reiterated for the sake of brevity. Furthermore, cabinet 120
may be a free-
standing unit or may be a wall mounted unit. Moreover, cabinet 120 may, in
some
embodiments, be a construct which is not readily mobile. In other embodiments,
cabinet 120
may be configured for mobility, such as but not limited to being readily
collapsible and/or
having wheels along its bottom portion.
As set forth above, voided space 130 and interior space 132 are sized to
accommodate
a portion of disinfection apparatus and an item to be disinfected,
respectively. An example of
a disinfection apparatus and an item to be disinfected that may use in
accompaniment with
cabinet 120 are shown in Fig. 11 with double arrowed lines indicating the
apparatus and item
may be positioned in and out of voided space 130 and interior space 132,
respectively. As
shown in Fig. 11, wheelchair 138 may be an item disinfected in cabinet 120.
Other items,
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including larger or smaller items, however, may be considered. Fig. 11 further
illustrates
disinfection apparatus 140 having germicidal source 142 extending out from
base 144.
Germicidal source 142 may include any of the germicidal sources described
above for the
disinfection apparatuses disclosed herein. The descriptions of such germicidal
sources are
referenced from above for germicidal source 142 and are not reiterated for the
sake of brevity.
It is noted that germicidal source 142 and base 144 may be of any shape or
size and,
thus, germicidal source 142 and base 144 should not be limited to the
depiction of
disinfection apparatus in Fig. 11. Furthermore, in some cases, germicidal
source 142 may
include a a casing around the source of the germicide it is configured to emit
and, thus, in
some embodiments, both a source of a germicide and casing surrounding the
source of the
germicide may be inserted into port 124 of cabinet 120. For example, in
embodiments in
which germicidal source 142 includes a source of germicidal light, germicidal
source may, in
some cases, include a transparent barrier around the source of light. The
transparent barrier
may serve to protect the source of light from damage and/or provide a plenum
through which
a cooling fluid may be transported.
In addition to supporting germicidal source 142, base 144 of disinfection
apparatus
140 includes components 148 operationally coupled to the germicidal source for
operation
thereof and also air moving device 146 for drawing air into base 144 from the
ambient of the
base. Components 148 may include any mechanisms and program instructions to
facilitate
the generation and dispersal of germicide from germicidal source 142. The
number and types
of components included in base 144 will generally depend on the germicide the
germicidal
source is configured to generate and further on the design specifications of
the germicidal
source to disperse the germicide therefrom. As an example, in embodiments in
which the
germicidal source is a pulsed discharge lamp, components 148 may include
energy storage
element/s, trigger voltage circuitry and pulse duration circuitry. Regardless
of the type of
germicidal source used and its specification, components 148 will generally
include power
circuitry, a user interface and optionally a battery. If one or more
operations of germicidal
source 142 are computer-operated, components 148 may further include a
processor and
program instructions for performing the computer-operated tasks.
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As noted above, air moving device 146 serves to draw in air from an ambient of
base
144. In general, disinfection apparatus 140 includes one or more air inlets
such that air
moving device 146 can readily access and draw in air from an ambient of base
144. The air
inlets may be along the sidewalls, top and/or bottom of the exterior
containment unit of base
144. In addition or alternatively, the exterior containment unit of base 144
may not enclose
the bottom of base 144 extending between wheels 149 and the lack of enclosure
may serve as
an air inlet. In any case, air moving device 80 may include any device
configured to cause air
to flow, including but not limited to a fan, pump or a turbine. In addition to
having air inlets
along base 144 for air moving device 146 to access, disinfection apparatus 140
is configured
.. to route air drawn in from the air moving device to germicidal source 142.
The
configurations of disinfection apparatus 140 to affect such action may include
having air
moving device 146 arranged at the base of germicidal source 142 and configured
to expel the
drawn-in air upward. In other cases, disinfection apparatus may include a duct
between air
moving device 146 and a base of germicidal source 142.
In addition to air moving device 146 and components 148, base 144 may include
additional components for the operation of disinfection apparatus 140. Example
features
include but are not limited to alignment markers, object movement mechanisms,
a power
cord, one or more batteries, a user interface, ozone filters and germicidal
dose sensors.
.. Descriptions of such features are referenced from above as discussed in
reference to
disinfection apparatus 50 of Fig. 3 and are not reiterated for disinfection
apparatus 140 for the
sake of brevity. In some cases, disinfection apparatus 140 may be a room
disinfection device
and, thus, may include one or more features commonly associated with such
devices.
Example features include but are not limited to automated movement of
disinfection
apparatus 140, automated movement of germicidal source 142 relative to base
140, wheels
and/or a handle to affect portability of the device, configurations for
remotely starting the
disinfection apparatus, motion or occupancy sensors and door sensors.
Additional example features include germicidal source 142 arranged within
.. disinfection apparatus 140 to distribute a germicide approximately 360
around the source
and/or to a region approximately 2 feet to approximately 4 feet from a floor
of a room. In
addition or alternatively, disinfection apparatus 140 may include
configurations to distribute
an effective amount of germicide to achieve at least a 2-log reduction in
bacterial
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contamination on surfaces within a room or area that are greater than 1 meter
or even 2 or 3
meters from the germicidal source. For example, disinfection apparatus 140 may
be
configured to project a germicide from germicidal source 142 at a power flux
of at least
approximately 1.0 W/m2. Descriptions of the aforementioned features are
referenced from
above as discussed in reference to features commonly associated with room
disinfection
devices and are not reiterated for disinfection apparatus 140 for the sake of
brevity.
A method for disinfecting one or more items in a cabinet that enables a
germicidal
source to be inserted into the cabinet while retaining at least a portion of a
base supporting the
germicidal source exterior to the cabinet is shown in the flowchart depicted
in Fig. 13.
System 150 resulting from performing such a method with cabinet 120,
disinfection apparatus
140 and wheelchair 138 of Fig. 11 is shown in Fig. 12. As set forth in blocks
160 and 162 of
Fig. 13, a method of disinfecting one or more items in a cabinet may include
positioning a
disinfection apparatus in proximity to a cabinet and inserting a germicidal
source of the
disinfection apparatus into the cabinet such that at least a portion of the
base is retained
exterior to the cabinet and is operationally coupled to the germicidal source.
The result of
such actions performed with cabinet 120 and disinfection apparatus 140 is
shown in Fig. 12
with base 144 of disinfection apparatus 140 arranged within voided space 130
and germicidal
source 142. Germicidal source 142 is depicted in dashed lines to indicate it
is encased within
cabinet 120. Although port 124 is shown in Fig. 12 around the base of
germicidal source 142
at the top of base 144, port 124 may alternatively be arranged around a
portion of base 144 as
long at least a portion of base 144 is retained exterior to cabinet 120.
In some cases, the steps of blocks 160 and 162 of positioning a disinfection
apparatus
in proximity to a cabinet and inserting a germicidal source of the
disinfection apparatus into
the cabinet may include wheeling the disinfection apparatus into the
appropriate positions
relative to the cabinet. In other cases, the steps of blocks 160 and 162 of
positioning a
disinfection apparatus in proximity to a cabinet and inserting a germicidal
source of the
disinfection apparatus into the cabinet may involve a person carrying the
disinfection
apparatus and placing it is appropriate positions relative to the cabinet. In
either case, the step
of block 162 of inserting a germicidal source of the disinfection apparatus
into the cabinet
may, in some embodiments, including closing the cabinet around the
disinfection apparatus
and, in some embodiments, may include sealing the cabinet around the
disinfection apparatus.
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As noted above, the disinfection apparatuses considered for the systems and
methods
disclosed herein may be, in some cases, configured to be independently
operational from the
cabinet. In other embodiments, however, a disinfection apparatus may need to
be coupled to
a power source through the cabinet in order to operate. In either case, the
methods disclosed
herein for disinfecting item/s in a cabinet, including the method outlined in
Fig. 13, may, in
some embodiments, include connecting the disinfection apparatus to a power
source through
the cabinet. Such a process may be generally conducted any time the
disinfection apparatus is
in an appropriate position for the connection to be made, such as prior to,
during or
subsequent to inserting the germicidal source of the disinfection apparatus
into the cabinet.
As further shown in blocks 164 and 166 of Fig. 13, a method for disinfecting
one or
more objects in a cabinet may include placing one or more items into the
cabinet and closing
the cabinet. The result of such actions performed with cabinet 120 and
wheelchair 138 is
shown in Fig. 12 with wheelchair 138 arranged in interior space 132 of cabinet
120 and door
126 closed. Wheelchair 138 is depicted in dashed lines to indicate it is
behind closed door
126. The doubled arrow line between blocks 162 and 164 indicates that either
process may
be conducted prior to the other or they may be performed at substantially the
same time. The
doubled arrow line between block 164 and the space above block 160 indicates
that the
placement of item/s into the cabinet may be conducted prior to positioning the
disinfection
apparatus in proximity to the cabinet or they may be performed at
substantially the same time.
In any case, the process of block 166 of closing the cabinet may be performed
by closing the
door of the loading port after the process of block 164 of placing the one or
more items into
the cabinet. In addition, the process of block 166 includes closing the port
configured to
receive the germicidal source after the germicidal source is inserted therein.
Subsequent to closing the cabinet with the germicidal source and the one or
more
items to be disinfected arranged therein and at least a portion of the base of
the disinfection
apparatus exterior to the cabinet, the method outlined in Fig. 13 includes
starting the
disinfection apparatus to disperse a germicide within the closed cabinet as
denoted in block
168. The process of starting operation of the disinfection apparatus may be
conducted at a
user interface of the disinfection apparatus, at a user interface of the
cabinet or via a remote
user interface (i.e., a user interface remote to the disinfection apparatus
and the cabinet). In
any case, although not shown in Fig. 13, the method outlined therein includes
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operation of the device and subsequently removing one or more of the items
loaded therein
and/or removing the germicidal source from the cabinet. The termination
process may
include any of the operations described in reference to blocks 20, 30 and 32
of Fig. 1.
Descriptions of such operations are referenced from above as discussed in
reference to Fig. 1
and are not reiterated for the method outlined in Fig. 13 for the sake of
brevity.
The result of performing the step outlined in block 168 of Fig. 13 for system
150 of
Fig. 12, specifically starting operation of disinfection apparatus 140 with
germicidal source
142 arranged interior to cabinet 120 and at least a portion of base 144
exterior to cabinet 120,
is shown in Fig. 12 with germicidal source projecting germicide 158 into the
interior of
cabinet 120. The dispersal of germicide 158 may generally depend on the
configurations of
germicidal source 142, but in cases in which germicidal source 142 is a
germicidal light
source, reflective materials along the sidewalls, ceiling and/or floor of the
interior of cabinet
120 may aid in the distribution of germicidal light in the cabinet. As shown
in Fig. 12, the
operation of disinfection apparatus 140 also causes air moving device 146 to
drawn in air 154
from the exterior ambient of base 144 and, as a result, exhaust 156 is
discharged from cabinet
120 through air vents 128. A benefit of the configurations of cabinet 120 and
disinfection
apparatus 140 as well as performing the method outlined in Fig. 13 with
cabinet 120 and
disinfection apparatus 140 is that heat generated in the cabinet during a
disinfection cycle
may be removed from the cabinet without the use of an auxiliary air
circulation system added
to the cabinet. In particular, the systems, cabinets and methods shown and
described in
reference to Figs. 11-14 allow relatively cool air to be drawn in from an
external ambient of a
cabinet via the base of a disinfection apparatus.
An alternative cabinet configuration which may be used for the methods
disclosed
herein and, particularly for use in the method outlined in Fig. 13, is shown
in Fig. 14. In
particular, Fig. 14 illustrates cabinet 160 having a different configuration
than cabinet 120 of
Fig. 11, namely the location of the port to receive a germicidal source of a
disinfection
apparatus, the location of the air vents and the configuration of the voided
space. All other
possible features of cabinet 160 may be the same as described for cabinet 120
of Fig. 11.
Descriptions of the possible features of cabinet 130 are referenced for
cabinet 160 and are not
reiterated for the sake of brevity. As shown in Fig. 14, cabinet 160 may
include port 174
arranged along a sidewall of exterior structure 172. Such placement of port
174 may be
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advantageous for receiving a germicidal source of a disinfection apparatus
having a
germicidal source facing or extending sideways from a base of the disinfection
apparatus (i.e.,
rather than having a germicidal source extending up from a top surface of a
base of a
disinfection apparatus). As denoted by the arrowed lines along the periphery
of port 174, port
174 may include an adjustable periphery such that the periphery of the port
may be widened
to allow an item of a particular size to be easily inserted therethrough, such
as a germicidal
source of a disinfection apparatus and potentially a casing around the
germicidal source. As
shown in Fig. 14, port 174 may, in some embodiments, be substantially flush
with the
exterior surface of exterior structure 172. In other cases, however, port 174
may be inset or
extend out of exterior structure 172. Inset or flush ports may also be
considered for port 124
of cabinet 120 depicted in Fig. 11.
Cabinet 160 further includes voided space 176 below port 174. Voided space 176
is
configured to accommodate a portion of a base of a disinfection apparatus that
supports a
germicidal source to be inserted into port 174, particularly when the
germicidal source does
not extend past the confines of the base supporting it. The depth of the
indentation of voided
space 176 relative to the side of exterior structure 172 comprising port 174
may generally
vary and, in some cases, may depend on the dimensional characteristics of the
disinfection
apparatus intended to be used with cabinet 160 for the disinfection of item/s
therein. In some
cases, however, cabinet 160 may not have voided space 176 below port 174. In
other words,
the portion of exterior structure 172 comprising port 174 of may alternatively
extend down to
the bottom of the cabinet such that there is no indentation in cabinet 160
below port 174.
Such a configuration may be advantageous in embodiments in which a
disinfection apparatus
having a germicidal source that extends past the confines of the base
supporting it is used
with the cabinet to disinfection item/s therein.
Although port 174 is shown on an upper portion of an end of exterior structure
172,
the location of port 174 need not be so restricted. In particular, port 174
may be alternatively
arranged along a front facing or back facing side of cabinet 160 or even the
end of cabinet
160 adjacent door 126. In addition or alternatively, port 174 may be arranged
along a lower
portion of exterior structure 172 in some cases. In some embodiments, it may
be
advantageous for portion 174 (as well as for port 124 of cabinet 120 in Fig.
11) to be arranged
at least 12 inches above a floor of a space upon which the cabinet is
arranged. In particular,
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cabinets 160 and 120 are intended to be used with disinfection apparatuses
having germicidal
sources extending out from the bases supporting them and bases of portable
disinfection
apparatuses, particularly portable room disinfection devices, generally have a
base height of at
least a foot. As such, placing ports 174 and 124 along cabinets 160 and 120 at
least 12 inches
above a floor of a space upon which the cabinets are arranged may increase the
compatibility
of the cabinet to be used with a portable disinfection apparatus, particularly
a portable room
disinfection apparatus.
Although cabinets 120 and 160 are respectively depicted in Figs. 11 and 14
show ports
124 and 174 at one end of the cabinets, the location of ports 124 and 174 are
not necessarily
so limited. In particular, cabinets 120 and 160 may be configured to have
ports 124 and 174
arranged closer to a midpoint along a length of the cabinets and, in some
cases, substantially
at such midpoints. In such cases, cabinet 120 and/or 160 modified in such a
manner may
include multiple areas to load and disinfect items and/or include moveable
partitions to
.. section off multiple areas of the cabinets, similar to the description of
the cabinets shown in
Figs. 4-8.
The term "storage medium", as used herein, refers to any electronic medium
configured to hold one or more set of program instructions, such as but not
limited to a read-
only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic or optical disk, or magnetic
tape. The
term "program instructions", as used herein, refers to commands within
software which are
configured to perform a particular function. Program instructions may be
implemented in any
of various ways, including procedure-based techniques, component-based
techniques, and/or
object-oriented techniques, among others. Program instructions may be
transmitted over or on
.. a carrier medium such as a wire, cable, or wireless transmission link.
It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this
disclosure
that this invention is believed to provide support structures, systems,
cabinets and methods
for disinfecting objects. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of
various
aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view
of this description.
Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is
for the purpose of
teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the
invention. It is to be
understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to
be taken as the
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presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for
those
illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and
certain features of
the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one
skilled in the art
after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be
made in the
elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as
described in the following claims. The term "approximately" as used herein
refers to
variations of up to +/- 5% of the stated number.
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