JP2002143276A - Method for far infrared sterilizing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a simple sterilization of an arbitrary position of an object which cannot be thermally sterilized at a high temperature without using a matter harmful for a human body such as a disinfectant, ultraviolet rays, or the like, without retaining an excess moisture. SOLUTION: This method for far infrared sterilizing comprises the steps of atomizing a liquefied gas to the object to be sterilized to arrive the air around the object at a dew point, and then emitting a far infrared ray to the object by using a carbon lamp having a high far infrared ray radiation efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for killing bacteria and microorganisms.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional sterilization method, when an object to be sterilized cannot be heated to a high temperature, the object to be sterilized is sterilized by applying a disinfectant or irradiating ultraviolet rays. Also,
Conventionally, methods using far-infrared rays have been proposed.For example, materials that easily absorb far-infrared rays, such as food, are irradiated with far-infrared rays, but eventually the substance itself is heated to a high temperature. This is a method of heat sterilizing bacteria contained in or attached to a substance.

[0003]

Among the above-mentioned conventional sterilization methods, the method of heating up to a high temperature has a problem that heat damage is caused to an object such as a human skin or an instrument. On the other hand, the method using a disinfectant has a problem that it is difficult to completely sterilize it, and that a resistant bacterium is generated, and that the disinfectant itself causes problems such as chemical damage and odor.

[0004] Further, in the method using ultraviolet irradiation, there is a problem in that the shadowed portion of the ultraviolet light is not sterilized, and the object is deteriorated by continuous irradiation. JP-A-4-3648
No. 53 describes a method of performing heat sterilization after adhering a liquid to an object to be sterilized, but the purpose is heating at a high temperature and far infrared absorption properties are not considered.

In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-308369, water having a high absorption rate of far infrared rays is directly applied to an object to be sterilized and then sterilized by irradiating far infrared rays. In addition, there is a problem that if the removal of the residual water is insufficient, it leads to propagation of bacteria. Further, since a conventional ceramic far-infrared heater is also used as the far-infrared ray generating means, it takes time to raise and lower the temperature, so that it is necessary to always supply power, which is not practical and consumes much energy. In addition, although infrared lamps and halogen heaters that can be easily switched on and off when energized are used,
Unlike far-infrared heaters, far-infrared radiation efficiency is poor, so sterilization efficiency is extremely poor and not practical.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use a disinfectant or ultraviolet light that does not damage an object,
Provided is a method that enables simple sterilization by using efficient far-infrared irradiation means without directly supplying water to any part of the object that cannot be heat-sterilized to a high temperature. It is in.

[0007]

The far-infrared sterilization method of the present invention, which achieves the above object, provides an extremely small amount of water having a high efficiency of far-infrared absorption without directly supplying water to an object to be sterilized. As means, a method of supplying humid air or saturated vapor to the surroundings of the object is used, and thereafter, a far infrared ray is irradiated using a carbon lamp having a high far infrared ray radiation efficiency.

Further, as a means for generating humid air or saturated steam as a supply source of an extremely small amount of water, a liquefied gas or air containing the same is used as a cooling means so that moisture in the air reaches a dew point. It is supplied to the surroundings. Further, the carbon lamp is characterized in that a carbon-based material having a high far-infrared radiation efficiency is used as a heat source and is sealed in a heat-resistant container such as quartz together with an inert gas such as argon.

The above-described method for supplying a very small amount of water does not supply extra water to the object or the surroundings.
It can handle not only sterilization of fingers but also sterilization for preserving cultural properties. In addition, since a very small amount of water supplied by the method of the present invention evaporates during the sterilization treatment, it is not necessary to perform a subsequent moisture removal treatment, and it is also possible to prevent the propagation of bacteria due to residual moisture.

It is to be noted that a carbon-based material having high far-infrared radiation efficiency should have a target resistance value during firing and carbonization in a composition having shapeability and exhibiting a high carbon residue yield after firing. For the purpose, after mixing one or two or more kinds of metal compounds such as carbon powders such as carbon black, graphite, and coke powder, metal carbides, metal borides, metal silicides, metal nitrides, and metal oxides, and then molding and firing. In this way, it is possible to control the heat generation by the current and potential as set, and to generate heat, speed and heat efficiency.
It has been confirmed that the above problem can be effectively solved, such as excellent far-infrared ray generation efficiency.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0012]

EXAMPLE 45 parts by mass of chlorinated vinyl chloride resin (T-741 manufactured by Nippon Carbide Co., Ltd.) and 15 parts of furan resin (Hitafuran VF-302 manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) were used as a heating element source of a carbon lamp having high far-infrared radiation efficiency. Parts by weight of a mixed resin based on natural graphite fine powder (Nippon Graphite Co., Ltd.)
To 10 parts by mass of an average particle size of 5 μm) and 30 parts by mass of boron nitride (average particle size of 2 μm manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), 20 parts by mass of a diallyl phthalate monomer as a plasticizer was added, dispersed, mixed, and extruded. Thereafter, by firing in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, a carbon-based rectangular heat source was obtained. This heat source was cut to 50 mm, and a lead was connected to the end and held in a quartz tube in an argon gas atmosphere to produce a small carbon lamp heater, which was set in a device equipped with a reflector. When this device is energized, 100V-300
With W, the temperature of the carbon portion instantaneously reached 1100 ° C., and the temperature of the outer surface of the quartz tube became 700 ° C., thereby confirming the emission of far-infrared rays. 1 and 2 show a comparison of the radiation intensity characteristic and the heat generation start characteristic with a normal metal far-infrared heater source (nichrome).

Next, sterilization was performed using a carbon lamp heater having the above characteristics. First, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus prepared with a phosphate buffer were applied to the surface of a hand that had been sufficiently sterilized and washed, and then water was dried at room temperature. Next, a liquefied gas as a cooling means was sprayed to allow the surrounding air to reach the dew point, so that a very small amount of water was supplied to the hand surface, and then the switch of the far-infrared ray device was turned on to emit far-infrared rays. At this time, far-infrared rays were applied from a place separated by a certain distance (100 mm) by a burn prevention jig. After irradiating for about 5 to 30 seconds after turning on the light, the light was turned off. Immediately after the Escherichia coli application site was transferred to an agar medium, the cells were cultured for 48 hours to examine whether sterilization treatment was possible. As a result, as shown in Table 1, the sterilization effect was confirmed by irradiation for a short time of 15 seconds or more after lighting. This is because carbon lamp heaters have better temperature rise and fall characteristics and far-infrared radiation efficiency than conventional far-infrared lamps. It is considered to be used as. At this time, even if it is irradiated with far infrared rays for about 30 seconds,
There was almost no rise in the temperature of the hand surface layer, and no symptoms such as burns could occur. Further, after the far-infrared irradiation treatment, the adhesion of excess moisture could not be confirmed.

[0014]

[Table 1]

[0015] From these facts, it has been found that the far-infrared ray sterilization method of the present invention enables simple and efficient sterilization.

[0016]

As described above, the sterilization method using the carbon lamp heater according to the present invention has higher heat generation speed, heat generation efficiency, far infrared ray generation efficiency and the like than those using the conventional far-infrared heater. Because of the excellent properties of the carbon-based heating element, the apparatus can be simplified and sterilization can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, unlike the conventional method of directly supplying water to an object, a very small amount of water is added using humid air or saturated steam. It also has the effect of preventing breeding.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a graph showing radiation characteristics of a carbon lamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing heat generation rising characteristics of the carbon lamp of the present invention.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Osamu Shimizu 1091 Tateishi, Fujioka-shi, Gunma Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuru Uchiyama 2-59-7 Narashinodai, Funabashi-shi, Chiba F-term (reference) 4B021 LA41 LP06 LT03 MC01 MP10 4C058 AA01 AA21 BB06 CC02 CC05 DD05 KK05

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A far-infrared ray sterilization method comprising: supplying air containing liquid fine particles around an object to be sterilized; and irradiating far-infrared rays using a carbon lamp. 2. The remote device according to claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas is supplied to the periphery of the object to cause the air around the object to reach the dew point, thereby supplying air containing moisture to the periphery of the object. Infrared sterilization method. 3. The far-infrared sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the carbon lamp is formed by sealing a carbon-based material as a heat source together with an inert gas in a heat-resistant container.