EP4232098A1

EP4232098A1 - Device for access control with physical disinfection

Info

Publication number: EP4232098A1
Application number: EP21791035.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jürgen GERSTENMEIER
Original assignee: JK Holding GmbH
Current assignee: JK Holding GmbH
Priority date: 2020-10-23
Filing date: 2021-10-20
Publication date: 2023-08-30
Also published as: TW202216219A; AU2021363748A1; TWI821760B; AR123859A1; IL302314A; JP2023547783A; MX2023004502A; US20230381360A1; CA3194138A1; CN116390775A; CO2023004648A2; KR20230097007A; CH717988A1; WO2022084870A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for access control. The device (1) comprises a first physical barrier (1) for delimiting an irradiation space (2) along a passage direction (A). The device further comprises an irradiation device (10) for subjecting a living being (3) in the irradiation space (2) to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm, particularly preferably to optical radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm. The present invention also relates to a method for access control and to a use of said device.

Description

Access control device with physical disinfection

The present invention relates to an access control device with an integrated physical disinfectant and a corresponding access control method, all in accordance with the preambles of the independent claims.

Technological background

There is a need for regulated access control in private or public buildings or premises, in which a further level of hygienic security is provided in addition to the usual controls. For example, particularly sensitive buildings or premises, such as retirement and nursing homes, may have the need, in addition to normal access control, or as an alternative, to ensure that persons entering the premises or building carry out some disinfection of hands or other parts of the body have performed.

In times of increased pandemic alertness, a container with disinfectant is usually placed in entrance areas, e.g. of shopping centres, hospitals or nursing homes. This requires that every visitor uses the disinfectant conscientiously and correctly. However, under certain circumstances, dangerous germs can still be present on the clothing, shoes or other parts of the body of the visitor and thus get into the site.

In times of increased pandemic alertness, there is also a need to design access locks for particularly sensitive areas in such a way that essentially complete disinfection of all surfaces can take place. Ideally, such a device can be used in a modular manner and can be installed at short notice if required. Of course, such a device can be an integral part of a disinfection lock, such as those set up in corresponding intensive care units, quarantine rooms or operating theaters in hospitals.

Previous systems are not able to ensure that all people carry out the necessary hygienic safety measures conscientiously and correctly. There is therefore a need for access control devices that are secure and meet the high hygienic requirements for access to a site or building.

Presentation of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an access control device which overcomes at least one disadvantage of the known. In particular, an access control device is to be provided that guarantees a standardized requirement for disinfection for the corresponding access control. The access control device can preferably be networked with other systems.

At least one of these objects has been solved with an access control device according to the characterizing part of the independent claims.

One aspect of the present invention relates to an access control device. The device includes a first physical barrier for delimiting an irradiation space along a passage direction.

The device further comprises at least one radiation device for subjecting a living being in the radiation room to optical radiation. The optical radiation has a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm. The optical radiation particularly preferably has a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm, the peak of the optical radiation is very particularly preferably at approximately 207 nm or approximately 222 nm, where "approximately" is understood to mean a peak deviation of between ± 2 nm.

Physical disinfection takes place through the exposure of the living being and any clothing and/or objects worn by the living being. The UV-C radiation emitted in the said wavelength range is particularly suitable for rendering microorganisms harmless, for example by causing DNA and RNA damage in these organisms and thus reducing the pathogen potential of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other possible pathogens. The said wavelength range is largely harmless to higher organisms (cf. Long-term effects of 222 nm ultraviolet radiation C sterilizing lamps on mice susceptible to ultraviolet radiation, Yamano, Nozomi et al., Photochemistry and Photobiology, doi: 10.11 1 1/php.13269).

One advantage of the access control device mentioned is that this radiation, which is harmless to people, can be set up in a public space and can be operated continuously. In this way, it can be ensured, independently of any conscientiousness when disinfecting, for example the hands, that a minimum of disinfection performance has passed over a person who is looking for access to a building or site. The irradiation device is particularly preferably designed to inactivate viruses from the corona virus family and to emit UV radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm, with an energy of between 0.3 mJ/cm ² and 500 mJ/m ² in the irradiation room, in particular between 2 mJ/cm ² and 50 mJ/cm ² , very particularly preferably between approximately 2 mJ/cm ² and 20 mJ/cm ² .

Without being bound to this theory, the wavelength ranges mentioned seem to be wavelengths that are primarily absorbed in the skin's surface, the cuticle, and which do not succeed in penetrating human cells and causing the unwanted cell damage there cause it in the way that other UV radiation can cause it. In terms of the present invention, the passage direction can be defined on one side or on both sides. For example, a device according to the invention can also be provided in order to carry out the corresponding disinfection only after leaving a building or site. A device according to the invention can, for example, also be designed so that it can only be passed in one direction. Leaving the building or premises would then take place, for example, via a second device which is arranged in the opposite sense to the direction of passage and thus separates a passage flow from the entry flow.

In a particular embodiment, the irradiation space is defined in such a way that at least parts of the body of the living being are covered by the optical radiation. For example, the irradiation room can be designed to cover at least the hands of the living being.

In a particular embodiment, the device has a modular structure, so that a module is designed to form an irradiation room for at least parts of the body include. For example, a module may be designed to include an irradiation room for the subject's hands. Individual modules can be designed in order to cover an entire living being in a radiation room in a combinable manner. This can be advantageous, for example, when individual parts of a body require different doses of energy in order to be adequately disinfected. It can also be an advantage if carried objects are also to be subject to disinfection. An example of a module can serve as a receptacle for objects carried in the hands, for example. Thus, a lock according to the invention can additionally be designed with a module for the hands and a storage module. A corresponding irradiation room for the hands and one for the objects that have been put down can thus be provided, which enables a particularly reliable disinfection.

In the context of the present invention, living beings can be people who, for example, are looking for access to a building or premises. However, it is also conceivable to use the device mentioned in an agronomic operation, in which case the living beings mentioned can be animals. Accordingly, animal-friendly disinfection can be carried out at certain locks with the device according to the invention. Coupled with other functions, the operation of such a sluice is particularly advantageous, since a fully automatic process can be set up in this way, which ensures that certain rooms to which animals can have independent access are exposed to a comparatively lower germ pressure if the animals use the corresponding device pass to access control.

In a particular embodiment, the irradiation device comprises an excimer-based illuminant. It is particularly preferably a Kr-Br excimer lamp or a Kr-Cl lamp. Excimer lamps are used in many industrial applications and work on the basis of an excited dimer (eg KrCl gas) by applying an alternating current and driving this dimer to a higher energy state. A synthetic quartz glass creates a physical barrier between at least one electrode. Well-known applications of excimer lamps are in semiconductor manufacturing, where wavelengths peaking around 172 nm are used to break down organic compounds and generate ozone to combat dirt particles. In a particular embodiment, the illuminant is an excimer-based lamp, which essentially emits light of a wavelength with a peak of 207 nm, in particular a wavelength with a peak of essentially 207 nm, at which at a relative power of ten percent or more the emission spectrum is > than 200 nm and < than 214 nm, more preferably > than 204 nm and < than 210 nm.

In an alternative particular embodiment, the illuminant comprises an excimer-based lamp which essentially emits light of a wavelength with a peak of 222 nm, in particular a wavelength with a peak of essentially 222 nm, at which at a relative power of ten percent or more the emission spectrum is > than 215 nm and < than 229 nm, more preferably > than 219 nm and < than 225 nm.

In a particular embodiment, a device according to the invention can have a plurality of irradiation devices, it being possible for each irradiation device to have a different excimer-based illuminant.

In addition to the corresponding pair of dimers, a lamp according to the invention can comprise a suitable short-pass and/or band-pass filter. In a further special embodiment, the short-pass filter has an interference filter composed of at least one, preferably two, filter layers.

In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a first sensor. The first sensor is particularly preferably an optical sensor. In terms of the present invention, an optical sensor is primarily suitable for detecting visible or non-visible light, for example. Such a sensor can also be an infrared sensor, for example, which is able to detect infrared light.

In a further special embodiment, the optical sensor is also an image sensor that is able to capture light in an image.

The image sensor is particularly preferably designed to record images in the infrared range. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first sensor comprises a "focal plane array". This sensor is designed to place a row of optical sensors in an array.

In a particular embodiment, the first sensor is an infrared sensor that is designed to capture a thermal image of a living being in the irradiation room.

In a particular embodiment, the physical barrier can be converted from a closed to an open state. For the purposes of the present invention, a physical barrier can be understood to mean a barrier that prevents a living being directly, i.e., e.g., by blocking, or indirectly, e.g., by instructions, from proceeding in a passage direction. In a particular embodiment, such a physical barrier would make sense at an entrance to a building or site. For example, the physical barrier may include an effective barrier such as a glass door, tree, portal, sliding door, or swinging door, but it may be accomplished by a directly recognizable instruction to stop moving that is recognized by the living being. For example, simple traffic lights with a red-green system can be sufficient to act as a physical barrier to delimit a radiation room.

For the purposes of the present invention, the closed state of a physical barrier can be understood as the state in which the living being is not prevented from advancing in the passage direction and no corresponding instructions prevent the living being from proceeding in this passage direction. Correspondingly and analogously, the open state would enable the living being to continue in the direction of passage, resp. no visual or auditory signals would try to prevent the creature from doing so. A barrier can be converted if it can change from one open or one closed state to the other, e.g. by fulfilling a predefined condition.

In a special embodiment, a certain length of stay in the radiation room can be provided as a predefined condition.

In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a control unit for actuating the physical lock. The control unit is designed to actuate the physical lock based on predefined criteria. This Actuation can include, for example, a predefined criterion from the group consisting of: length of time the living being is in the irradiation room, body temperature of the living being, change in the body temperature of the living being, duration of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, exposure intensity of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, changes in the surface temperature of the living being, medical condition of the living being and optical recognition of the living being.

In a particular embodiment, the first sensor is designed to detect, measure or record at least one of these predefined criteria on the living being. In a specific example, a first sensor designed as an infrared sensor could be designed to capture a thermal image of a living being in the radiation room. A predefined criterion could be a body temperature of the living being, for example, or a change in the surface temperature of the living being, for example. In this example, the control unit could be arranged to actuate the physical barrier, e.g. from a closed to an open state, when a certain change in the surface temperature of the living being is detected by the first sensor. It is thus possible to determine whether and to what extent the irradiation device has sufficiently covered the living being, and thus the surfaces of the living being have been adequately disinfected. Of course, the surfaces on the skin are not only sufficiently disinfected by this irradiation device, but also corresponding surfaces on clothing and/or objects carried by the living being in the hands or on the back.

In a special embodiment, corresponding protective devices that the living being wears on the body are also sufficiently irradiated by the irradiation device. A change in the surface temperature of a protective suit can serve as an indication that this protective suit has already been sufficiently irradiated. Any folds or kinks or shadows in the protective suit that prevent the protective suit from being completely irradiated are identified by a corresponding detection using the infrared sensor. In this example, auditory or optical information could then also be passed on to the living being, which would make it possible to specifically expose the correspondingly shaded areas so that comprehensive disinfection can take place. In terms of the present invention, an irradiation room can be seen as a correspondingly defined spatial area in which the irradiation device is able to impinge on the optical radiation with a desired intensity. Accordingly, the irradiation space can be defined in a close range to the physical barrier. The irradiation area can be understood either as a defined space, ie with physical limitations, or as a symbolically defined space. In a specific exemplary embodiment, the irradiation room can be defined by a corresponding marking that instructs a living being to position itself correctly with respect to the irradiation device. The irradiation room can also be designed so that only parts of the living being are treated. For example, the irradiation room can include a shaft inside which the hands are to be placed and acted upon accordingly.

In a special embodiment, the radiation room is designed as a radiation chamber. The physical barrier is designed to essentially hermetically seal off the radiation room. For example, curtains can be provided which, in a closed state, seal off the radiation room in an essentially airtight manner.

In a special embodiment, ventilation can also be provided, which generates an overpressure in the irradiation chamber and thus prevents air from penetrating the irradiation chamber from the outside in a hermetically sealed state. In this way it can be ensured, for example, that a decontamination of a living being, i.e. a disinfection process, is not impaired by germs that have already invaded from the outside. The stationary disinfection chamber can consist of statically stable materials such as Plexiglas, glass, PVC or Polydur walls. However, it can also be formed from flexible materials assembled on site. For example, the disinfection chamber can consist of a framework over which appropriate foils are placed that define the disinfection chamber. The disinfection chamber can be hermetically sealed off by appropriate ventilation, as described above.

In particular embodiments, the disinfection chamber is set up as a lock that includes two physical barriers. A first physical barrier is opened to enter the disinfection chamber. A second physical barrier is still closed at this moment and limits the radiation room along the passage direction. The first physical lock is now closed. The disinfection chamber is hermetically sealed. For this purpose, for example, a gas exchange can also take place in the disinfection chamber. Appropriate ventilation and/or air conditioning systems are known to those skilled in the art in order to ventilate such lock chambers. During this time or afterwards, the disinfection chamber can, as mentioned above, be exposed to the appropriate wavelength by means of an irradiation device. After certain criteria have been met, the second physical barrier can be opened and the creature can continue to move in the direction of passage.

In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a ventilation unit for transporting an air flow into and/or out of the radiation room. As already mentioned, such a ventilation flow can be used, for example, to transport cleaned air into the radiation room. Alternatively, this air flow can also be used, for example, to evacuate the radiation room, which in this specific example is designed as a disinfection chamber.

In a particular embodiment, the ventilation unit comprises a disinfection chamber designed to carry out physical disinfection of the air flow. The disinfection chamber can, for example, comprise a UV-C lamp, which is suitable for essentially disinfecting an air flow depending on the dwell time of the air flow in an area exposed to the UV-C lamp. Such UV-C disinfection chambers are known in the prior art. Contrary to the UV-C radiation used in the device in the radiation room, a common UV-C lamp with a wavelength range and a peak of around 254 nm can be used for a disinfection chamber. This wavelength range is a proven range to render germs essentially harmless and is used in UV clarifiers for ventilation and water treatment.

In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a physical barrier designed as a sliding door. The sliding door can be actuated electronically, for example, and can be moved from an open to a closed state and back along guide rails or a plain bearing. A corresponding belt or chain drive can convert the sliding door from one state to the other. In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises an emergency release for mechanically transferring the physical lock into an open state. Since the emergency unlocking can take place mechanically, it is largely independent of any errors in the operating system of the device and can be carried out by the living being concerned if, for example, the physical lock does not allow a maximum length of stay in the radiation room.

In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a second sensor for the optical detection of physiognomic properties for the purpose of face recognition. The device according to the invention can be used, for example, as an entrance control in a building. Such buildings can, for example, replace a key system in which face recognition takes place and only authorized persons can enter the building. The device according to the invention thus not only enables access to the building to be controlled, but also ensures that all affected living beings have gone through a predefined disinfection step by staying in the irradiation room for a predefined period of time. Sensors for optical face recognition are known. Simple cameras can serve as sensors. Face recognition can take place on a control unit, which compares the corresponding corner points of a vectorized image with a database.

In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a third sensor for detecting a living being along a passage direction in front of the device. For example, a stepping plate or a light barrier can be provided, which detects when a living being is moving within an effective range of the device according to the invention.

In a particular embodiment, this third sensor can also be designed to detect a living being in the radiation room. Accordingly, the control unit can be designed to initiate a corresponding access program as soon as a living being has been correspondingly detected. This access program can contain various predefined processes, which regulate the access of the living being to the building or premises.

Alternatively and/or additionally, the third sensor can be designed using an infrared sensor to detect a temperature change in a radiation room, and thus enable a control unit to detect the presence of a living being.

In a particular embodiment, the third sensor includes means for detecting a specific living being. For this purpose, the sensor can be designed to record certain biometric data. This can include face recognition as described at the outset, or corresponding means to capture unique biometric data, such as fingerprints and/or a human retina. Suitable sensors would be, for example, infrared lasers that work in a wavelength range of between 800 and 900 nm. Most biometric sensors create an image, which in turn is converted into corresponding voxels and compared with a database result.

In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention also includes a network connection in order to exchange information with a computer system, such as a server, via a cable or wirelessly.

In a special embodiment, the electronic components of the device according to the invention are housed in a protected manner. This can mean, for example, that the electronic components are arranged in such a way that they cannot be manipulated by a person who intends to pass the device in the direction of passage without the device being largely damaged in the process. Corresponding systems are known from the specialist world and can be taken from the interested expert in the field of security doors.

In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises an input unit that is suitable for receiving an input from a living being that intends to pass the device in the passage direction. The input unit can be a touch-sensitive screen, for example, on which a code can be entered accordingly. Such systems are particularly suitable when the device according to the invention is to be used, for example, as security for buildings such as residential or office complexes, and when it is to be ensured that only authorized persons who are in possession of an access code are able to use the device to pass.

In a particular embodiment, the physical barrier is designed both to grant access to the radiation room and to leave it to allow radiation room. For example, a rotatable physical barrier can be set up in such a way that one direction of passage always remains open. Such a rotary lock is known in the art and can be improved with the teaching according to the invention in that the physical barrier is additionally coupled to a disinfection step, which is ensured by exposure to the mentioned optical radiation in the radiation room.

In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention also includes a control panel for controlling a control unit. This control panel can be required, for example, if third parties want to control the device according to the invention. This can be the case, on the one hand, to define the corresponding predefined criteria, or e.g. by third-party personnel if the access control device is operated during use. For example, airport staff can directly control a device according to the invention, verify the corresponding identification of the living being in the irradiation room and at the same time the compliance of the living being, i.e. the person in the present case, with any instructions in the irradiation room in order to carry out the treatment completely.

In a special embodiment, the irradiation device is movably arranged, so that an irradiation area can be covered. In this embodiment, for example, a rail system could be designed in such a way that the irradiation device can be moved along the rail and thus essentially irradiates an irradiation room from all sides. This departure can be controlled by the control unit and take place depending on these predefined criteria. For example, the speed of the irradiation device can be specified. Appropriate breaks and intervals in the irradiation can also be defined in order to cover parts of the body that are otherwise particularly difficult to reach. This movement can, for example, be coupled with further instructions to the living being, i.e. the person, e.g. by adopting certain postures that are intended to ensure that largely all surfaces are sufficiently exposed to the said optical radiation by the irradiation device.

Such a design of the device could also be stowed away in a space-saving manner and could, for example, be set up in a mobile manner if required, for example if field hospitals or mobile quarantine stations or operating theaters were set up. In a special embodiment, the device according to the invention is designed as a container which has the corresponding irradiation room inside. The container has corresponding irradiation devices on at least two container walls, and an entrance area and an exit area. In this case, the exit area assumes the role of a physical barrier, which prevents the living being from advancing in the direction of passage. The container can be provided with appropriate connections in order to be coupled to a power supply accordingly. It is also conceivable that the container is equipped with appropriate energy sources that enable it to operate in the field for at least a certain period of time. Appropriate batteries or accumulators that can be charged can be provided. The batteries are particularly preferably replaceable. It is also conceivable that the corresponding containers are equipped with solar cells, which can be used to charge the energy sources and to provide energy for operation.

It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that, in an embodiment according to the invention, the features mentioned can be implemented in any desired combination, provided they are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art understands that the method features mentioned below can also justify structural features that can be used in a realization of an access control device according to the invention.

The solution according to the invention provides a technology that can be used in a variety of ways, on the one hand to secure fixed installations, such as buildings or premises, to secure certain areas and complexes within buildings, such as intensive care units or operating rooms, as well as the flexible and modular use in the field, e.g. when dealing with crises and disasters.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for access control. In the method according to the invention, a device for access control is to be provided, particularly preferably a device for access control of the type mentioned at the outset.

The method according to the invention further includes the step of converting a physical lock of the device for access control from an open to an open one closed state as soon as a living being is in an irradiation room of the device for access control. Alternatively, the physical barrier may already be in a closed state when the subject enters the radiation room.

The irradiation room is exposed to an irradiation device, the irradiation device being designed to emit optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm, in particular optical radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm.

In a particular embodiment, the method according to the invention includes the step of detecting at least one living being in the radiation room by means of a sensor, in particular an optical sensor.

In an embodiment according to the invention, the method comprises the steps of generating a thermal image of the living being before the start of the exposure, in particular by means of an infrared sensor, further continuously acquiring a thermal image of the living being during the exposure.

With this method it can be ensured that a corresponding irradiation of the entire surface of the living being has taken place. Without being bound to this theory, a positive effect in the optical radiation of the mentioned wavelength in the UV-C range seems to be that it does not cause any cell damage usually associated with UV radiation. This is due to the fact that the wavelength ranges mentioned are mainly absorbed on the surface of the skin. This leads to heating of the corresponding skin area, so that a difference, measurable by infrared sensors, can indicate to what extent exposure to said radiation was sufficient to deactivate a certain amount of germ-forming organisms and/or viruses.

In a special embodiment of the method according to the invention, a control unit actuates a transfer of the physical lock from a closed to an open state. This is done using predefined criteria. The physical barrier is particularly preferred by the control unit based on at least one predefined criterion from the group consisting of: length of time the living being stays in the radiation room, body temperature of the living being, changes in the Body temperature of the living being, duration of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, intensity of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, changes in the surface temperature of the living being, medical condition of the living being and optical Detection of the living being actuated.

Specifically, in a particular embodiment, for example, a control unit could be configured to actuate a physical barrier based on a measured change in surface body temperature of a living being by transitioning it from a closed to an open state. A difference in the measured surface temperature could e.g. with an infrared sensor, resp. be detected by a thermal imaging camera. If uniform illumination, i.e. exposure of the surface of the living being to the mentioned radiation, is determined in the corresponding wavelength range, the control unit would evaluate this as an indication of sufficient disinfection of the surface and correspondingly control the physical barrier in such a way that the living being passes through the device in the direction of passage can happen. Accordingly, the physical lock could be actuated based on the other predefined criteria or based on a combination of such criteria. Since the optical radiation in the specified wavelength range is not visible to the human eye, the infrared camera can be used, for example, to ensure that there are no "shadow areas" that would mean that the disinfecting UV-C radiation was not sufficient.

Those wavelength ranges in which there is a peak at a wavelength of either 207 nm or 222 nm are particularly preferred. Such a peak can have a deviation of between 1 and 5 nm at the base. Appropriate edge filters are known for generating such a peak. Another predefined criterion can be a length of stay in the radiation room. A residence time in the irradiation room is preferably defined in such a way that a certain proportion of viruses and/or viroids in the effective area of the irradiation device in the irradiation room are inactivated.

Such a residence time is particularly preferably defined in such a way that at least 90 percent of the viruses and/or viroids in the effective area of the irradiation device in the irradiation room are inactivated. A virus inactivation can be considered successful performed if, for example, the virus is no longer infectious, ie the corresponding viruses can no longer infect their corresponding target cells. Without being bound to this theory, the UV radiation in the wavelength ranges mentioned seems to bring about chemical changes in the structural elements of the viruses and/or viroids, which result in the loss of infectivity. Inactivation can go as far as complete denaturation and decay of the virus or viroid. Since the viruses and/or viroids, in contrast to higher organisms, do not have a protective layer, the UV-C radiation in the wavelength range between 200 and 230 nm, which is not particularly harmful to eukaryotic organisms, penetrates directly into the DNA, resp. RNA structures of the affected viruses, resp. Viroids before and leads to damage, eg by dimerization of the nucleic acids, which turn off the ability of the corresponding pathogens to replicate.

In a special embodiment, the control unit is designed in such a way that a dwell time is determined using data measured by sensors. In this embodiment, it is determined whether sufficient irradiation has taken place, for example, based on a measurement. As described above using the thermal imaging camera as an example, it can be determined, for example, whether and to what extent a surface of a living being has been exposed to the UV-C radiation mentioned, and using predefined parameters it can be determined whether this is sufficient, a sufficiently high level to inactivate viruses and/or viroids.

In a particular embodiment, a difference in the surface temperature of the living being is determined and, based on this difference, the length of time the living being stays in the irradiation room, in particular in the effective area of the irradiation unit, is determined.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to the use of an irradiation means, which is designed to emit optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm, for impinging on an irradiation room of an access control device. In this case, the device comprises a physical barrier for delimiting an irradiation space along a passage direction. With the method according to the invention and the use mentioned, a system is provided with which buildings, rooms or premises can be provided with access controls which, in addition to the usual person checks, also enable hygienic conditions to be guaranteed in corresponding structures. For a person skilled in the art, further advantageous refinements of the present invention result from the combinations of the exemplary embodiments mentioned and the following detailed concrete embodiments.

The invention will now be explained in more detail below using specific exemplary embodiments and figures, but without being restricted to these.

The figures are schematic and for the sake of simplicity the same parts have been given the same reference numbers.

character description

Show it:

1a shows a schematic of an access control device according to the invention;

FIG. 1b shows the device from FIG. 1a with additional sensors; FIG.

2a shows a further device according to the invention for access control;

FIG. 2b shows the device of FIG. 2a in a different perspective; FIG.

3a shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention for access control;

FIG. 3b shows the device according to FIG. 3a in a section through the housing; FIG.

4 shows a further device according to the invention for access control;

5a shows a further device according to the invention for access control;

FIG. 5b shows the figure of the device according to FIG. 5a in a top view with partial details; 6 schematically shows the principle of an access control device according to the invention; and

7 shows a device according to the invention with a movable irradiation device.

implementation of the invention

1 shows a device 1 according to the invention, as can be used, for example, for access control for buildings or premises. The device 1 is physically blocked in a passage direction A, so that a person who wants to enter the building is prevented from doing so without undergoing a disinfection process. The device 1 shown as an example is constructed essentially in a trapezoidal manner and defines an irradiation space 2 which is located directly in front of the physical barrier 1 in the passage direction A of the latter. This irradiation room 2 is selected in such a way that the irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2 arranged on both sides of the physical barrier 1 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees illuminate it completely. Optionally, further irradiation devices can be accommodated in the floor of the irradiation room 2, for example by covering the floor with a pane of glass. Also optionally, pictograms can be provided which instruct a person who wants to pass through the physical barrier 1 in passage direction A how they must stand in order to be optimally aligned with the irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2 and possibly also spread their arms or hands in the direction of the irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2. In the present example, the physical barrier 1 comprises two swinging door halves 6.1, 6.2. These can be switched from a closed state, as shown, to an open state by means of appropriate hinges 8.1, 8.2. So that this cannot happen without the person undergoing a disinfection process, a control unit (not shown) can be provided, which controls a bolt that locks the two swinging door halves 6.1, 6.2 and/or blocks the hinges 8.1, 8.2.

The irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2 shown in this example include a plurality of light sources 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, which are each provided with a cover plate 13. The lamp on the far left in the viewing direction is shown as an example by looking through the glass cover into the interior of the lamp. A Kr-Br excimer tube was installed as the illuminant. These tubes are installed in series in groups of three in an irradiation device. Heat exchangers and/or ventilation elements can also be provided on the rear sides of the irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2 in order to dissipate the heat generated by the excimer lamps (not shown in FIG. 1a).

During operation, a person would now step into the irradiation room 2 and go through a disinfection process in which the irradiation devices 10.1, 10.2 expose the irradiation room 2 to UV-C radiation in the wavelengths between 200 and 230 nm. These wavelengths have been recognized as largely harmless to higher organisms and yet exhibit the expected inactivation of bacteria, viruses, viroids and other potential pathogens from UV-C radiation. The application takes place over a predefined period of time and can be controlled by a control unit. It has been shown that exposure to an energy of between 0.5 mJ/cm2 and 10 mJ/cm2 in the radiation room is sufficient to inactivate more than 90 percent of the viroids and viruses in the radiation room. In the present example, the illuminants 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, which are Kr-Br gas lamps, achieve a wavelength with a peak of 207 nm. Short-pass and/or band-pass filters are built into the lamps to keep the corresponding peak as narrow as possible. The Kr-Br lamps used here emit a peak at 207 nm with a half-width of approx. 4 nm.

It has been shown that such lamps are sufficient to significantly increase the corresponding hygiene standards for access controls in buildings.

The variant embodiment of FIG. 1a shown in FIG. 1b also has a pair of sensors 21.1, 21.2. These sensors shown 21 .1, 21 .2 are optical sensors. These optical sensors can be used, for example, to detect entry into the irradiation room 2, which is open in the viewing direction. Furthermore, these optical sensors can be used to check the effect of exposure to the appropriate wavelength. For example, these optical sensors 21.1, 21.2 can be designed as infrared cameras, which are able to detect any increased body temperature of the user in advance and are also able to verify the effectiveness of the radiation by determining whether in the Substantially the entire surface of the person using the disinfecting radiation was applied. For this purpose, the corresponding sensors 21.1, 21.2 can be operatively connected to the control unit and have a corresponding influence on the control of the physical barrier 1, ie the swinging doors 6.1, 6.2. The sensors 21.1, 21.2 can likewise be designed in a specific variant in order to control the intensity of the lamps 10.1, 10.2 with feedback. In the present example, a frame 12 is provided on the device 1B, which on the one hand serves as a support frame for panels with the lamps 10.1, 10.2, and on the other hand also as a stabilizer for the physical barrier 1. The frame 12 can also be used as a mounting base for the optical sensors 21.1, 21.2. The frame can be made of stainless steel.

The swinging doors 6.1, 6.2 shown here have viewing windows. These viewing windows can serve as an additional security measure by allowing a disinfection process to be observed from the outside. The viewing windows can also serve to facilitate optical identification of a person seeking admission.

In addition to checking the effect, the optical sensors 21.1, 21.2 can also be designed to supply the control unit with images, which it can use to identify the person. The device shown is preferably provided with a network connection (not shown) and a power connection (not shown), which makes it possible to call up the corresponding data from an external server or a cloud-based database. Suitable optical sensors 21.1, 21.2 can be thermal imaging cameras, which measure radiation in a wavelength range of between 0.5 and 1000 pm. Suitable are e.g. Cameras designed to create thermographic images. Particularly preferably, the thermographic image can also be used to identify a person, e.g. through vectorization and face recognition. In the present example, a camera with a detector field of (1,024 x 768) IR pixels, a thermal resolution of 0.02 K and an IR image frequency of 240 Hz was used.

Optionally, output units, such as loudspeakers, can also be provided, which give additional auditory instructions to the users, such as the positioning for disinfection described at the beginning with reference to FIG. 1a. 2a shows a device 1 according to the invention, in which a defined irradiation space 2 is delimited by two physical barriers and by panels with irradiation devices 10. FIG. The device shown in FIG. 2a is constructed like a passage or a sluice through which a person seeking admission can step. In the perspective view, a first physical barrier is first shown, which has two oscillating wings 6.1, 6.2, which are at a first control station 7.1, respectively. a second control station 7.2 are installed so that they can be opened and closed. An input unit 22 is provided at the first control station 7.1, which can be used to pass through this first physical barrier and enter the radiation room. This input unit 22 can also include a near-field sensor or a scanner, such as an optical sensor, which is suitable for reading an access card. The operator can use either a code, a release key or an access card to overcome this first physical barrier and enter the radiation room 2 . The irradiation room 2 is shown here as an example with an irradiation device 10 on each side of the wall, with the irradiation device closer to the viewer being shown cut out for a better illustration of the interior. The radiation room 2 is designed here as a corridor through which the person seeking admission has to pass. An optical sensor 21 is attached to the opposite end and to the second physical barrier allowing exit. The second physical barrier can also be equipped with a first station 7.3 and a second station 7.4, which in this essentially symmetrically arranged system makes it possible for the device according to the invention to be operated equally from both sides. In this way, a person can walk through a passage direction from the viewing plane to the second physical barrier and back and pass through the irradiation room 2 in the process. In the present example, the irradiation room 2 comprises a total of four lamps 11.1, 11.2 on each side of the panel and correspondingly as an irradiation device 10. A person inside the irradiation room would allow himself to be irradiated by these four panels from both sides. This system can also be provided with an auditory or other instruction output, which requires that the person pass the radiation room with appropriate gestures. As described above, the sensor 21 can be used to record a thermal image of the person and to carry out a corresponding verification of the effectiveness of the impingement. FIG. 2b now shows the above-described continuity in the opposite direction of FIG. 2a. Correspondingly, a second input field 23 is provided at the control station 7.3, which can also be passed using appropriate release means.

The embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in Figures 2a, 2b is particularly suitable for protecting areas that need to be passed at a certain speed, such as in airports, shopping centers or subway entrances. If there is a need to place a mobile device according to the present invention, this can be done with a device according to FIG. 3a. The device 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 3a comprises a framework with a row of light sources 11, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4. The framework 26 is used to attach a film 25. The film 25 can be used to define an irradiation room 2. In the present example, a zipper is provided with which a first physical barrier can be opened and the radiation room 2 can thus be entered. The foil can consist of a PVC plastic, an acrylic plastic or a polyester plastic. The material is preferably selected in such a way that it has high UV resistance.

During operation, a person would open the zipper of the film 25 and step into the radiation room 2 formed by the framework 26 . He would then close the zipper again, creating a hermetic chamber. After a predetermined exposure to the lighting means 11F, he would again leave the irradiation room 2 in a passage direction.

The internal structure of the device 1 from FIG. 3a is better illustrated in FIG. 3b, where sections of the film 25 are omitted and the corresponding elements are visible. The framework can be used to attach individual hooks and carrier wires (not shown) of the individual light sources. As a physical barrier, at the exit, i. H. in the passage direction, a curtain or another zipper can be provided.

FIG. 4 again shows an embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention, which can be provided as a fixed installation. Also in this device, a physical barrier consists of an entrance barrier to enter the radiation room 2 at all and an exit barrier to prevent the radiation room 2 from entering Exit direction A again. The first physical barrier is a tree barrier, which ensures that only one or at most two people can enter radiation room 2 at a time. The second physical barrier is designed analogously to FIGS. 1a, 1b as a pair of swinging doors 6.1, 6.2. Analogous to FIGS. 2a, 2b, the first physical barrier is formed from a pair of oscillating barriers 6.3, 6.4, which are actuated via control stations 7.3, 7.4. Appropriate scaffolding 30 may be provided to anchor the physical barrier and channel passers-by. The radiation room is also defined by a framework 31 with a ceiling beam 32. Above the radiation room 2 there is a sensor 21 which detects when a person connects in the radiation room. Indicated by dashed lines on the side of the figure, irradiation devices 11 are arranged, which in the present case irradiate a person from the side. These can be incorporated into wall panels or placed as cornerstones of the frame 31 .

5a and 5b show a device 1 according to the invention, in which an additional isolation effect can be achieved in access control. The device 1 is designed as a revolving door, which is mounted on a pedestal and the irradiation room 2 forms a corner of the revolving door arrangement. Each revolving door assembly includes a revolving door panel 6 and an optical sensor 21 mounted on the revolving door panel 6 , which are arranged rotatably about a central axis and housed in a device chamber 32 . The inner radii of the individual spikes are each equipped with panels which include light sources 1 1.3 which rotate with the entire revolving door arrangement. An irradiation device 10 is also provided on each side, permanently installed on a carrier frame on the outer radii, which in turn have illuminants 11.1, 11.2 and act on the irradiation room when it is used. The mode of action is clearly visible in FIG. 5b, where the three illuminants 11.3 mounted radially in the inner radius on the rotary element are visible.

Overall, such a device in fact defines three irradiation rooms 2, each corner of the revolving door forming its own irradiation room. Due to the fact that the revolving doors 6 are largely made of glass, the lamps 11.1, 11.2 arranged on the side also have an effect on the remote cheating and radiation rooms.

In FIG. 6, the mode of operation of the device according to the invention is illustrated schematically. The device 1 has a direction of passage A which is in the opposite direction Direction can of course also be passed as a reverse passage direction A'. A person who now wants to pass through this device 1 enters an irradiation room 2 in the passage direction A, for example by identifying himself at a control station 30 or by entering a corresponding release code at the control station 30 . The person 2 in the irradiation room can now receive auditory information by means of a loudspeaker 29, which explains the disinfection process as a whole and, if necessary, explains whether certain postures are to be adopted. Optionally, a screen can be added to the loudspeaker 29, which graphically shows corresponding concrete instructions. In the direction of passage, further passage is blocked by a physical barrier. In the present example, the physical barrier is a sliding door 6, which can be slid in both directions C along a slide rail and can thus be converted from a closed, as shown, into an open state. Two panels 42 are provided on either side of the physical barrier, which panels enclose the irradiation device 10 and other electrical components. A control unit 43 can also be accommodated in these panels 42 . If a person is now detected by an optical sensor 21 in the irradiation room, the control unit 43 can run a corresponding exposure program which achieves a specific disinfection level. The optical sensors 21 can be accommodated in appropriate housings 28, which also protect the sensors from UV radiation or prevent manipulation of the sensors. If the disinfection is now completed, the physical barrier opens and the person can continue to leave the device in passage direction A.

FIG. 7 describes a special embodiment of the device according to the invention, which is particularly suitable for mobile use. In this example, the physical lock consists of a control station with two pivoting wings 6. The physical lock can already be pre-installed or can also be easily operated manually, for example by opening and closing it by hand. To ensure disinfection, an irradiation device 10 is installed in front of the physical barrier in the passage direction A. The irradiation device 10 is attached to a frame 50 which has a frame profile 51 . The frame profile 21 can serve to be traversed accordingly by a profile runner 52 which can be moved in a belt drive, so that the irradiation device 10 is mounted in a displaceable manner along the frame 50 . The irradiation device 10 can thus define an irradiation space by having a radius around a radiation room defined. The frame 50 rests on two feet 53. The whole system can be mounted ad hoc in specific situations to provide a short-term access control device that includes physical disinfection.

The solution according to the invention provides a device of the type mentioned at the outset, which is versatile, uses a safe technology for disinfecting skin surfaces or objects that is largely harmless to humans and animals and can be used in a modular manner in a wide range of applications.

Claims

26 patent claims

1 . Device (1) for access control, comprising a. a first physical barrier (1) for delimiting an irradiation space (2) along a passage direction (A); b. at least one irradiation device (10) for subjecting a living being (3) in the irradiation room (2) to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm, in particular optical radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation device comprises a lighting means that is excimer-based, in particular a Kr-Br excimer or a Kr-Cl excimer lamp.

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, comprising a first sensor, in particular an optical sensor.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first sensor is an infrared sensor, in particular an infrared sensor that is designed to capture a thermal image of a living being in the radiation room.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the physical barrier can be converted from a closed to an open state.

6. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, comprising a control unit for actuating the physical lock, and wherein the control unit is designed to actuate the physical lock on the basis of predefined criteria, in particular at least one predefined criterion from the group consisting of: length of time the living being stays in the Irradiation room, body temperature of the living being, changes in the body temperature of the living being, duration of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, intensity of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, changes in subject's surface temperature, subject's medical condition, and subject's optical recognition.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the radiation room is designed as a radiation chamber and the physical barrier is designed to seal off the radiation room essentially hermetically.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the physical barrier is transferred from an open to a hermetically sealed state by actuation.

9. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, comprising a ventilation unit for conveying an air flow in and/or out of the irradiation room and/or out.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the ventilation unit comprises a disinfection chamber which is designed to carry out physical disinfection of the air flow.

11 . Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the physical barrier comprises at least one sliding door.

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, comprising an emergency release for mechanically transferring the physical lock into an open state.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a second sensor for the optical detection of physiognomic properties for the purpose of face recognition.

14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, comprising a third sensor for detecting a living being along a passage direction (A) in front of the device.

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the physical barrier is designed both to allow access to the radiation room and to allow exit from the radiation room.

16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 16, comprising a control panel for controlling a control unit.

17. Device according to one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the irradiation device is arranged to be movable, so that a radiation area can be covered.

18. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the device comprises a plurality of irradiation rooms, each irradiation room being designed as a module of an irradiation device for subjecting a living being or parts of a living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm , in particular with optical radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm.

19. A method for access control, comprising the steps of: a. Providing a device for access control, in particular according to claim 1, in a passage direction; b. transitioning a physical lock of the access control device from an open to a closed state as soon as a living being is in an irradiation room of the access control device; c. Subjecting the irradiation room to an irradiation device designed to emit optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 and 230 nm, in particular optical radiation with a peak in a wavelength range of between 207 and 222 nm.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of detecting at least one living being in the radiation room by means of a sensor, in particular an optical sensor.

21 . A method according to any one of claims 19 or 20, further comprising the steps of: 29 a. Generating a thermal image of the living being before the impingement begins, in particular by means of an infrared sensor; b. Continuously capture a thermal image of the living being during exposure.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein a control unit actuates a transfer of the physical barrier from a closed to an open state based on predefined criteria, in particular based on at least one predefined criterion from the group consisting of: length of time the living being stays in the radiation room, body temperature of the living being, changes in the body temperature of the living being, duration of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, intensity of exposure of the living being to optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm, changes in the surface temperature of the living being, medical Condition of the living being and optical recognition of the living being.

23. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein a residence time in the irradiation room is defined in which at least 90% of the viruses and/or viroids in the effective range of the irradiation device in the irradiation room are inactivated.

24. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein a dwell time is determined using data measured by sensors.

25. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein a difference in the surface temperature of the living being is determined and the residence time of the living being in the irradiation room, in particular in the effective range of the irradiation unit, is determined on the basis of this difference.

26. Use of an irradiation means that is designed to emit optical radiation in a wavelength range of between 200 nm and 230 nm for impinging on an irradiation room of a device (1) for access control, the device having a physical barrier for delimiting an irradiation room (2) along a passage direction includes.