IT202000009856A1 - DEVICE FOR SANITATION/SANIFICATION OF AN OBJECT, PARTICULARLY A PROTECTIVE MASK, AND METHOD FOR SANITIZATION/SANIFICATION OF AN OBJECT - Google Patents

Description

DEVICE FOR SANITATION/SANIFICATION OF AN OBJECT, PARTICULARLY A PROTECTIVE MASK, AND METHOD FOR SANITIZATION/SANIFICATION OF AN OBJECT

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a device for sanitizing/sanitising an object, particularly, but not exclusively, a protective mask.

In this text, for convenience? do you use the expression ?sanitization/sanitization? with the same meaning as the expression: ?sanification/sanitization/disinfection/sterilization?.

The found ? applicable in the health sector, however pu? also be applied in other sectors such as industry, crafts or in the private sector.

Nowadays, protective masks are in fact used in various fields such as, for example, the surgical-hospital one, the artisan-industrial one, or the private one.

Normally these masks are suitable for filtering harmful and/or toxic external agents for humans.

Such harmful agents are, for example , pathogens such as germs, spores, bacteria or viruses, which, if they reach for example the airways of a human being, can compromise them with even lethal results.

These protective masks comprise a body which at least partially envelops the user's face and remains anchored to it thanks to the presence of two elastic bands or laces to be tied, or other fastening systems.

Usually the masks have:

- or a rigid pre-shaped body that follows the portion of the face that includes the nose and mouth, of a user, which has a three-dimensional footprint (commonly referred to as "clamshell masks"),

- or a body in floppy material, with substantially two-dimensional dimensions (when not worn), which is adapted, so as to entirely cover the portion of the face which includes the nose and mouth, of a user, when they are worn (commonly referred to as "duckbill masks"),

- or a body made of floppy material, with substantially two-dimensional dimensions, which includes the nose and mouth portion of the face (commonly referred to as "surgical masks").

The masks can also be distinguished, essentially in two types:

- masks without a filter, which are substantially made of a single body of material in itself? filter, such as, for example, some types of felt or non-woven fabric (TNT), - masks with filter, which are made by assembling components of different materials and have a filter, usually in TNT, in a portion placed at/ proximity? of the user's mouth.

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led to the emergence of some problems related to the considerable use of protective masks.

One of the problems most felt by the affected populations? due to the impossibility of reuse of the mask and its not easy availability.

In fact, in most cases, protective masks are disposable and must be replaced after a few hours of use.

This aspect ? bound:

- on the one hand, to the contamination of the mask, during its normal use, which increases as the hours go by,

- on the other, to the impossibility? of a sufficient/total sanitation/sanitization of the same.

The sanitization / sanitization of the masks, in fact, usually? carried out through the use of disinfectants, with the use of UV rays or by washing with water and detergents.

Sanitization / sanitization through the use of disinfectants eliminates pathogens by chemical means.

This is done by spraying liquid disinfectant (usually denatured alcohol), or by immersing the mask inside it or inside its vapours.

This known technique has some drawbacks.

First of all, this procedure is long, as ? necessary exposure of the mask to the disinfectant in the order of a few hours.

Furthermore, the masks made of floppy material, such as for example the TNT, flake and / or deteriorate if subjected to the chemical action illustrated above, losing the ability to heal. filtering after some procedures.

Again, if the mask does not lose its capacity? filtering, however remains impregnated with harmful substances if inhaled by man.

As regards the second known process, the sanitization/sanitization through the use of an ultraviolet UV radiation, exploits an electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths. court of visible light.

The UV can be divided into various categories, the short category (UVC) ? considered "UV germicidal".

In fact, at certain wavelengths the UV? harmful to bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms.

However, this procedure has limitations. The radiations are not penetrating as their action is unable to pass through the fabric and other materials: the ray in fact only affects the superficial part of the mask exposed to UV light (and the greater the thickness of the latter and the much the lower the effectiveness of the beam in penetration), without considering that many masks (especially the surgical ones) are structured like an accordion, so that the ray strikes only the part exposed to the light and not the internally bent part.

In addition, many other masks are made up of multiple? layers of fabric and the action of the UV light is reduced only to the directly exposed surfaces.

Finally, the third procedure commonly used for sanitizing/sanitizing involves washing the mask in a liquid containing water and/or soaps and/or detergents.

The drawback of this procedure consists in the fact that many masks lose their capacity? filtering after just a few washes; others, for example those in TNT, cannot even be wet as they tear.

There are also protective masks on the market whose materials are added or covered with antibacterial and/or antiviral substances.

However, over time, as the sterilization operations follow one another, the antibacterial/antiviral substances fail and the mask loses its protective capacity.

The task of this invention? that of realizing a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which is capable of improving the known technique in one or more? of the above aspects.

Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is that of creating a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows sanitizing/sanitizing without losing its ability to be sanitized. filter, and can be reused.

Another purpose of the invention? that of developing a device for sanitizing / sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows the mask to be sanitized in a more efficient way. easy and fast compared to devices of the known type.

Another purpose of the invention ? that of making a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows it to be sanitized/sanitized without the direct action of chemical substances.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art in an alternative way to any existing solutions.

Not the last purpose of the invention ? that of making a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which is highly reliable, relatively easy to make and at competitive costs.

This task, as well as these and other purposes which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, characterized in that it comprises:

- means that can be heated when subjected to electromagnetic fields emitted in the microwave spectrum and of heating at least by conduction of at least one object,

- means for detecting the temperature of said heating means.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the sanitizing/sanitizing device, particularly a protective mask, according to the invention, illustrated, by way of example and not in limitation, in the attached drawings , in which:

- figure 1 illustrates a side view of a device for sanitizing/sanitising an object, particularly a protective mask, in a first closed configuration;

figure 2 illustrates a different view of the device of figure 1, in a second, open configuration.

With reference to the cited figures, a device for sanitizing/sanitising an object, particularly a protective mask, according to the invention, is indicated globally with the reference number 10.

In figure 1, ? shown is the device 10 in the operating phase, used to sanitize/sanitize an object, in the case illustrated a mask 11 with substantially two-dimensional dimensions.

In figure 2, on the other hand, the device 10 ? in open, non-operational configuration.

One of the peculiarities of the invention consists in the fact that it comprises means 12a, 12b, which can be heated when subjected to electromagnetic fields emitted in the microwave spectrum and for heating at least by conduction of at least one object.

For convenience, ?the means 12a, 12b, heatable when subjected to electromagnetic fields emitted in the microwave spectrum and heating at least by conduction of at least one object?, are indicated simply with the expression ?heating means 12a, 12b? .

The heating means 12a, 12b are necessary to generate the heat suitable for inactivating/killing the pathogens.

Indeed, the inactivation and/or death of pathogens, when they are exposed to heat, occurs exponentially.

The pathogens of a homogeneous population do not all die at the same time and ? therefore, an exposure to heat for a certain period of time is necessary.

TDT (Thermal Death Time) is defined as thermal death time, the time, expressed in minutes, necessary to cause the destruction and consequent inactivation and/or death of microorganisms or pathogens at a certain temperature and with a probability set.

The population decreases exponentially at regular time intervals.

For example, most bacteria die when exposed to 70°C for about ten minutes.

The TDT ? linked to a probability? for two reasons:

- thermal inactivation of pathogens is not a quantitatively absolute and exact phenomenon,

- the inactivation curve, being exponential, tends to zero asymptotically as time increases, but never reaches the zero value.

The device 10 comprises means 13 for detecting the temperature of the heating means 12a, 12b.

In particular, the device 10 has a substantially book-like structure, with a base 14.

These heating means 12a, 12b are associated/fixed to one of the surfaces of the base 14, so that they face each other in the operative configuration of the device 10.

In particular, the heating means 12a, 12b are such as to adapt to the shape of the object to be sanitized/sanitized.

In the case, not shown in the figures, where the object to be sanitized/sanitized? a mask with a rigid shape with three-dimensional dimensions, such as for example a shell-shaped mask, the heating means 12a, 12b, in the operating phase, adapt to the shape of the object and trace it so as to result in any case facing each other in the operating configuration of the device 10.

In this case, the heating means 12a, 12b, in the operating phase, assume a configuration of a complementary male-female coupling with the mask interposed.

Base 14? made of plastic material. Such plastic material ? for example:

- rigid silicone for food use, in areas 16a, 16b, to which the heating means 12a, 12b are associated/fixed,

- soft silicone, in correspondence with the zone 15 intermediate between the zones 16a, 16b, to which the heating means 12a, 12b are associated/fixed.

With the term ?rigid? in this description it is understood that the material ? self-supporting.

For example, such rigid silicone ? the one produced by Guardini S.p.A. of Volpiano (TO).

With the expression ?floppy?, in the present description, it is meant that the material ? not self-supporting and/or plastically deformable.

These heating means 12a, 12b, which can be activated by microwaves, comprise two bags, 12a and 12b respectively, made of limp plastic material, containing a fluid and suitable for facing each other in the operative configuration of the device 10.

This fluid? preferably, but not exclusively, glycerin.

In some embodiments the fluid can be a mixture containing one or more? of the following substances: water, linseed oil, palm oil, olive oil, paraffin or similar.

The limp plastic material of which ? made each bag?, for example, soft silicone like one of those of the series known under the commercial name of ?SILIMOLD AD FOOD? of the company Poolkemie S.r.l. of Turin.

Alternatively, such limp plastic material can be the PA6 produced by the company Tenax S.p.A. of Vigan? (LC).

These means 13 for detecting the temperature of the heating means 12a, 12b comprise, for example, one or more? thermometric strips associated with at least one bag 12a, 12b.

These thermometric strips are, for example, those produced by the company Testo S.p.A. of Settimo Milanese (MI).

In a variant embodiment, not shown in the figures, this thermometric strip is visible through a corresponding window obtained on the base 14.

The use of the device 10 ? the following. To sanitize/sanitize an object, such as a mask, the latter is inserted between the two bags 12a, 12b, like a sandwich, bringing the device 10 from the open configuration, of figure 2, to the closed, operational configuration, of figure 1.

The device 10 is then placed in a microwave oven and the latter is turned on.

The microwaves activate the heating means 12a, 12b, kinetically exciting the molecules of the fluid contained in the bags and raising their temperature.

The user can check the temperature of the bags 12a, 12b, visually verifying the indication on the thermometric strip 13.

Once the desired temperature has been reached, necessary to inactivate/kill the pathogens, with a safety margin, the user switches off the microwave oven and checks the temperature on the bags 12a, 12b, for the pre-established TDT.

For example, from experimental tests, yes? demonstrated that for the SarsCoV2 coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, the heat treatment at 63?C for a 4-minute TDT reduces, almost to zero, the contamination of the mask as well as? of any other object affected by the thermal action.

Therefore, to inactivate up to almost zero the SarsCoV2 coronavirus on a generic surgical mask, such as that of the company Gardening S.r.l. of Genoa, made up of three layers of non-woven polypropylene, with a melting point of 160?C, ? it is sufficient to bring the temperature of the bags to 150?C using a microwave oven, and then turn off the microwave oven, why? this temperature introduces an adequate safety margin and makes it possible to maintain the temperature on the mask, above 100°C, during the cooling phase, due to the TDT of this pathogenic agent, without compromising the filtering power of the mask itself.

In a variant embodiment, not shown in the figures, the means 13 for sensing the temperature comprise a thermochromic substance in the fluid inside the bags.

This thermochromic substance? able to change color depending on the temperature.

Then:

- thermometer strips are not necessary,

- the bags are at least partially transparent,

- based on 14 ? place at least one window for direct visual contact with the inside of the bags,

- in the vicinity? of that window? placed a portion with a reference color, corresponding to the color that the thermochromic substance assumes when it reaches the desired temperature.

In this case, the use of the device? analogous to that previously described with the difference that the temperature of the heating means 12a, 12b is detected through a comparison between the color of the fluid inside the bag and the reference color placed near? of the window.

Yes ? in practice it has been observed that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects by providing a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows sanitizing/sanitizing without the latter losing its ability to be sanitized. filter, and can? then be reused.

With the found yes? developed a device for sanitizing / sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows you to sanitize / sanitize the masks in a more efficient way. easy and fast compared to devices of the known type.

Again, with the found yes ? created a device for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask, which allows it to be sanitized/sanitized without the direct action of chemical substances.

The found, what? conceived, ? susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, provided? compatible with the specific use, as well as? the contingent dimensions and shapes may be any according to the requirements and to the state of the art.

Where features and techniques mentioned in any claim are followed by reference marks, have those marks been affixed for the sole purpose of enhancing intelligibility? of the claims and consequently such reference marks have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference marks.

Claims (12)

1. Device (10) for sanitizing/sanitizing an object, particularly a protective mask (11), characterized in that it comprises: - means (12a, 12b) heatable when subjected to electromagnetic fields emitted in the microwave spectrum and heating at least by conduction of at least one object, - means (13) for detecting the temperature of said heating means (12a, 12b). 2. Device (10), according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a substantially book-like structure. 3. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a base (14), on one of the surfaces of said base (14) said heating means (12a, 12b) being associated/fixed, so as to face each other in the operative configuration of said device (10). 4. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said heating means (12a, 12b) comprise two bags (12a, 12b) containing a fluid and suitable for facing each other in the operative configuration of said device (10). 5. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fluid comprises one or more? of the following substances: glycerin and/or water and/or linseed oil and/or palm oil and/or olive oil and/or paraffin. 6. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (13) for detecting the temperature of said heating means (12a, 12b) comprise one or more? thermometric strips associated with at least one of said bags (12a, 12b). 7. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said base (14) ? in plastic material. 8. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plastic material of said base (14) is: - rigid silicone, in correspondence with the areas (16a, 16b) to which said heating means (12a, 12b) are associated/fixed, - soft silicone, in a zone (15) intermediate between said zones (16a, 16b), to which said heating means (12a, 12b) are associated/fixed. 9. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bags (12a, 12b) are made of soft plastic material. 10. Device (10), according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that the temperature sensing means (13) comprise a thermochromic substance in said fluid and said bags (12a, 12b) are at least partially transparent. 11. Method for sanitizing/sanitizing at least one object (11) characterized in that it comprises a step of heating by means of microwaves heat transmission means (12a, 12b), among which ? place said at least one object (11). 12. Use of bags (12a, 12b) of fluid containing at least water, arranged in sandwiches and heated by microwaves, for sanitizing/sanitizing at least one object (11) placed between them.