Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B55/00—Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging
  • B65B55/02—Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
  • B65B55/04—Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method of rendering material aseptic.
• United States Patent 3,566,575 discloses an aseptic packaging machine for forming, aseptically treating, filling and sealing containers while protecting them with a clear air atmosphere after they have been aseptically treated by a bactericide.
• the aseptic treatment is accomplished by a fogging system to provide for total contact by the bactericide with the internal sufaces of the container and includes a drying station for removal of the residual bactericide after the treatment.
• the suggested bactericide is 35% hydrogen peroxide solution (H 2 0 2 ).
• H 2 0 2 35% hydrogen peroxide solution
• the H 2 0 2 is removed by drying, which is done by jetting hot air down through the open top of the container. Complete removal is desirable since it has been alleged that, even in small residual quantities, H 2 0 2 has a toxic effect on human beings.
• the relatively large amount of H 2 0 2 required is very difficult to dry away completely, especially since the drying is least effective at the bottom of the container, so that again a relatively long time is required. The total time delays involved therefore seriously jeopardize the commercial of the machine.
• the radiation source is directed with Its window inside the carton to cover all internal surfaces.
• the carton is designed so as to avoid any shadows on its inside.
• the radiation source is a gas discharge lamp with a power unit and emits ultraviolet rays cf 200-280 nm (esp. 254 nm) when a lifter has raised a carton around the quartz tube of the lamp.
• Addition UV lamps can be arranged in the chamber. If an electron beam is used instead of the UV lamps, lead screens are required to protect the personnel against X-rays, produced as a secondary effect.
• a preferred material for the cartons is polystyrene foam, strengthened by a surface coating of a homogeneous plastic.
• a method of rendering material aseptic in which the material is contacted with a substance, and the material and the substance are irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, the substance and the radiation having a synergistic sterilizing effect, characterized in that said substance is not toxic in residual quantities,
• Such substance can be water, for example.
• a method of rendering material aseptic in which the material is provided with a layer of a substance and the material and the substance are irradiated with ultravioler. radiation the substance and the radiation having a synergistie.sterilizing effect, characyterized in that said layer is relatively thin and the irradiation is relatively intensive.
• the substance can be hydrogen peroxide solution or water, for example.
• the layer consists of droplets of H 2 0 2 or water.
• the layer is less than 0.1 mm thick, for example about 2u thick. we believe that such a relatively thin layer has the advantage that the droplets do not shelter to a substantial extent from the ultraviolet radiation the organisms to be killed.
• the dosage of the irradiation is advantageously at least 5 mW sec./cm 2 over every part of the material desired to be rendered aseptic, so giving a relatively high dosage.
• a method of rendering material aseptic in which the material is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, characterized in that substantially no radiation the wavelength of which has been substantially changed by the material is reflected by the material.
• Ultraviolet radiation was provided by a hign intensity W-C germicidal lamp (UVC-13-70) produced by Brown, Boveri & Cie of Baden.
• the lamp was so situated relative to the carton that the lowest dosage of any part of the interior surface of the carton was 5 mW-sec./cm 2 with a 10 second exposure of the interior surface.
• H z 0 2 solution was used into the cartons at ambient temperature.
• 0.1 ml of H 2 O 2 in 1% w/v solution was sprayed for 0.6 sec., to give an H 2 0 2 layer thickness of about 2 ⁇ .
• Water was also sprayed into the cartons in a similar manner.
• the present invention is particularly usable in the machine of our Patent Application No. 7 9302970.3
• H 2 0 2 The desired lethal effect'on bacteria of the combined use of H 2 0 2 and UV has been found to be consistently achieved even at very low H 2 0 2 concentrations e.g. down to 0.05% H 2 0 2 solution.
• residual H 2 0 2 can in any case be made very low, without any serious detriment to the bactericidal effect.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10515115

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1981
  • 1981-07-24 EP EP81303417A patent/EP0045201A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1981-07-29 DK DK338481A patent/DK338481A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1981-07-29 AU AU73525/81A patent/AU7352581A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1981-07-29 JP JP56117886A patent/JPS57110252A/ja active Granted

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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