JP6283197B2 - Disinfection, sterilization or sterilization device and sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus and a sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method for performing environmental purification using a pulse laser ablation (PLA) method. Here, in this invention, environmental purification shall mean performing disinfection, sterilization, or sterilization.

Recently, there are environmental applications as one of the plasma application, a method for environmental remediation (to perform sterilization, and sterilization or sterilization) have been developed. And it is already being used in medical institutions.

However, environmental cleanup process of (sterilization, by performing such sterilization, sterilization) is not sufficiently examined is hard to say that these effects are sufficient. In addition, recently, killing of mad cow pathogens and malignant proteins that cannot be controlled by heat or drugs has been desired, but sufficient results have not appeared.

This is due to the fact that weakly ionized atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma has been used as a surplus in the conventional environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization or sterilization, etc.), and sufficient sterilization, This is because sterilization or sterilization may not have been possible.

Therefore, it is conceivable to use the pulse laser ablation (PLA) method disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a method for performing environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization). This is achieved by irradiating a substrate on which an active layer of a material such as silicon or tungsten is coated with a pulsed laser beam, and transporting material particles constituting the plasma plume emitted by the energy onto the substrate, for example. A thin film is deposited thereon. In other words, by utilizing the energy of the plasma plume generated by irradiating the pulsed laser beam, it is considered that it is possible to perform the environmental purification (by performing such sterilization, disinfection or sterilization).

In addition, the disinfection method for packing shown by patent document 2 is known as what performs environmental purification | cleaning (performing disinfection, disinfection, or sterilization). This uses a maximum power pulsed radiation device with a high brightness light source and treats solids, liquids, gases or combinations thereof contained therein through packaging.

  Also known is a device for the inactivation of therapeutic fluid pathogens using sterilizing radiation, as shown in US Pat. In this, a continuous and thin fluid flow path is formed by the belt chamber, and the sterilizing radiation passing through the plate is irradiated to the fluid passing through the fluid flow path.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2008-513781 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-532463) Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2004-513034 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-540997) Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2003-520463 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-554722)

However, the method using the pulse laser ablation (PLA) method of Patent Document 1 described above basically indicates that a thin film is deposited on a substrate, for example, and environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization). Etc.) are not provided.

Moreover, in the disinfection method for packing of patent document 2, since the solid itself, liquid, gas, or those combination contained in it through a package is irradiated and processed, it has the characteristic of the laser. It is considered that matched environmental purification (performing sterilization, sterilization or sterilization, etc.) is possible. However, there is a problem that environmental purification (such as sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) may not be reliably performed for those that do not match the characteristics of the laser.

Moreover, in the method using the sterilizing radiation of Patent Document 3, since the sterilizing radiation that passes through the plate is irradiated to the fluid that passes through the fluid flow path, environmental purification (sterilization and sterilization) that matches the characteristics of the sterilizing radiation. or the like to perform a sterile), but is considered to be, environmental clean (sterilization for those that do not match the characteristics of the sterilizing radiation, by performing such sterilization, sterilization) is not performed reliably There was a problem of fear.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and is a sterilization , sterilization or sterilization apparatus and sterilization capable of reliably performing environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, etc.). It aims at providing the sterilization or sterilization method.

The sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber having a transmission window, a target disposed inside the vacuum chamber and irradiated with pulsed laser light incident from the outside through the transmission window; And a placement means for placing an object to be sterilized, sterilized or sterilized so as to face the target, and a plasma plume generated from the surface of the target is the object to be sterilized, sterilized or sterilized It is characterized by irradiating an object.
Further, the placing means is provided so that the placing means can be freely contacted and separated in a direction facing the target, and is subject to sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization by the contacting and separating operation of the placing means. The object is moved to any ionosphere having a different energy of the plasma plume.
Further, the target is made of a metal having a sterilizing effect.
The sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method of the present invention includes a step of irradiating a target disposed inside the vacuum chamber with an external pulse laser beam incident through a transmission window of the vacuum chamber; And a step of irradiating an object to be sterilized, sterilized, or sterilized placed on the placing means arranged so as to face each other with a plasma plume generated from the surface of the target.
In addition, the method includes a step of moving the sterilization target, the sterilization target, or the sterilization target to any ionosphere having a different energy of the plasma plume by bringing the placement unit into contact with and separating from the target in a direction facing the target. .
Further, the target is made of a metal having a sterilizing effect.
In the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus and the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method of the present invention, an external pulse laser beam incident through the transmission window of the vacuum chamber is applied to a target disposed inside the vacuum chamber. When irradiated, a plasma plume is generated from the surface of the target. And the plasma plume which generate | occur | produced from the surface of the target is irradiated to the sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization object mounted in the mounting means arrange | positioned so as to oppose a target.
Here, immediately after the pulse laser beam is irradiated, the plasma plume generated in the very vicinity of the target is considered to be in a completely ionized state, and is known to have high energy.
It is also known that the energy decreases and the density of electrons and ions decreases as the distance from the target surface increases. It is also known that almost only radical particles exist.
Therefore, for bacteria to be sterilized that have been long-lived or strong, which could not be sterilized until now, by using an ionosphere with high energy, environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization or Sterilization etc.) can be performed reliably.
In addition, by using an ionosphere with intermediate or low energy, environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, etc.) is performed without causing much damage to the underlying material (those that must not be sterilized). Can be performed reliably.
Moreover, since UV (ultraviolet) and VUV (vacuum ltraviolet) are also generated from the plasma plume, these UV and VUV are sterilized, sterilized or sterilized , and the environment is purified by the UV and VUV. It is also possible to perform sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, or the like.
Furthermore, as described above, since the plasma plume also includes a portion of only radical particles, environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, etc.) by using only the portion of the radical particles. It is also possible to carry out surely.

According to the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus and the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method of the present invention, the object to be sterilized, sterilized or sterilized is irradiated with a plasma plume having various ionospheres from high energy to low energy. As a result, environmental purification (such as sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) can be reliably performed.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the disinfection, disinfection, or sterilization apparatus of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the disinfection, disinfection or sterilization method of the disinfection , disinfection or sterilization apparatus of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the disinfection, disinfection or sterilization method of the disinfection , disinfection or sterilization apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 1 , the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus 10 includes a vacuum chamber 11. In the illustrated example, the vacuum chamber 11 has a circular shape, but is not limited to this shape, and may be an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape.

  The vacuum chamber 11 is provided with transmission windows 12 and 13. From the transmission window 12, a pulse laser beam 20 output through a condenser lens 21 of an Nd-YAG laser (not shown) is irradiated inside the vacuum chamber 11.

  Note that the Nd-YAG laser outputs laser light having a wavelength of 1064 nm and high tissue depth, and is used in medical institutions and the like. Further, the pulsed laser light 20 uses the second high wavelength 532 nm of the laser light.

From the transmission window 13, for example, infrared light 22 for detecting the state of bacteria (whether sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization has been performed) is irradiated inside the vacuum chamber 11. The detection of the state of the bacteria will be described later.

  A support arm 15 that supports the target 14 is disposed in the vacuum chamber 11 so as to penetrate from the outside to the inside. Here, the target 14 is irradiated with the pulse laser beam 20 described above, and is made of a transition metal such as Ag or copper having a bactericidal effect. Note that the target 14 is not limited to these transition metals, and other metals such as zinc may be used.

  In this way, by configuring the target 14 with a transition metal such as Ag and copper having a bactericidal effect, ions having a bactericidal effect generated by ionization by irradiation with the pulsed laser light 20 effectively act on bacteria and the like. It will be.

  Here, when a pulse laser beam 20 is irradiated from the target 14, a plasma plume 23 is generated as shown (pulse laser ablation (PLA) method). Moreover, the plasma plume 23 becomes a high ionization layer 23a, a medium ionization layer 23b, and a low ionization layer 23c in order toward the direction away from the target 14.

  That is, immediately after the pulse laser beam 20 is irradiated, the plasma plume 23 generated in the immediate vicinity of the target 14 is considered to be in a completely ionized state and is known to have high energy.

  It is also known that as the distance from the surface of the target 14 increases, the energy decreases and the density of electrons and ions decreases. It is also known that almost only radical particles exist.

Therefore, in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the plasma plume 23 is shown as a high ionization layer 23a, a medium ionization layer 23b, and a low ionization layer 23c in order in a direction away from the target 14. Then, by appropriately using these high ionization layer 23a, middle ionization layer 23b, and low ionization layer 23c, environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) is surely performed. Details thereof will be described later. To do.

  The support arm 15 that supports the target 14 is disposed so as to be rotatable with respect to the vacuum chamber 11. The support arm 15 may not be arranged so as to be rotatable.

A movable arm 16 that is movable in the direction of the arrow is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 11. In addition, the moving direction of the movable arm 16 is a direction facing the support arm 15 described above. The movable arm 16 is provided with a mounting table 17 on which an object 24 for environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) to be sterilized, sterilized, sterilized, or the like is mounted.

Then, due to the movement of the movable arm 16, the mounting table 17 comes in contact with and separates from the target 14 in the direction facing the target 14. By such movement of the mounting table 17, the environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) object 24 is positioned in any of the high ionosphere 23 a, the medium ionosphere 23 b, and the low ionosphere 23 c of the plasma plume 23. Yes.

  Note that the thickness of the high ionization layer 23a, the medium ionization layer 23b, and the low ionization layer 23c of the plasma plume 23 may be measured in advance and set based on the measurement results when the mounting table 17 is moved.

Next, the sterilization , sterilization or sterilization method by the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus 10 described above will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, an MCT detector 40 connected to a personal computer 30 having a monitor 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization apparatus 10.

  Here, the MCT detector 40 is a quantum semiconductor detector having a composition of HgCdTe (mercury cadmium telluride), and is abbreviated as an MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) detector. Further, the MCT detector 40 is kept at a low temperature by liquid nitrogen or the like to suppress the generation of free carriers due to thermal excitation.

Further, the MCT detector 40 includes a reflecting mirror 41 that reflects infrared light (including reflected X-rays) from the environment purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) object 24, and an infrared ray from the reflecting mirror 41. Concave reflecting mirrors 42 and 43 that collect light (including reflected X-rays), and light reception of a small area that detects infrared light (including reflected X-rays) collected by these reflecting mirrors 42 and 43 Surface 44.

  And when environmental purification is performed, the pulse laser beam 20 is irradiated toward the target 14 arrange | positioned inside the vacuum chamber 11 mentioned above. At this time, the surface of the target 14 is vaporized (sublimated) to generate a plasma plume 23 (pulse laser ablation (PLA) method).

  Here, the plasma plume 23 is observed, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, this figure shows an image of the entire plasma plume 23 taken by an ICCD (Intensified CCD) camera 50.

  Note that t1, t2, and t3 shown in the figure indicate elapsed times (for example, after 0.1 second, after 1 second, after 10 seconds, etc.) since the target 14 is irradiated with the pulse laser beam 20. Further, the side surface is a side view of the irradiated pulsed laser beam 20, and it appears that the pulsed laser beam 20 moves from right to left or from left to right.

  Further, the front is viewed from the direction in which the pulse laser beam 20 is irradiated, and the pulse laser beam 20 appears as a dot.

Here, as described above, the plasma plume 23 is a high ionosphere 23a, a medium ionosphere 23b, and a low ionosphere 23c in this order in the direction away from the target 14. At this time, when the mounting table 17 is brought into contact with or separated from the target 14 by the movement of the movable arm 16 described above, the environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) object 24 is moved to the high ionization layer 23a of the plasma plume 23, It is located in either the middle ionosphere 23b or the low ionosphere 23c.

Then, the plasma plume 23 of any one of the high ionization layer 23a, the medium ionization layer 23b, and the low ionization layer 23c is irradiated to the object 24 for environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) . In this way, by placing the environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization or sterilization) object 24 in any of the high ionization layer 23a, the medium ionization layer 23b, and the low ionization layer 23c of the plasma plume 23, the respective high ionization layers 23a, It becomes possible to selectively use the ionosphere 23b and the low ionosphere 23c.

In this case, for the bacteria to be sterilized that have been long-lived or strong, which could not be sterilized until now, by using the high ionization layer 23a, environmental purification (sanitization, sterilization or reduction) Will be performed reliably).

In addition, by using the middle ionization layer 23b or the low ionization layer 23c, environmental purification (such as sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) is performed while keeping the underlying material (those that must not be sterilized) not much damaged. Can be reliably performed.

Further, UV generated from the plasma plume 23 (ultraviolet), VUV order (vacuuming Ltraviolet) is also emitted to the environment clean object 24, (to perform sterilization, and sterilization or sterilization) the UV, environmental purification by VUV Is possible. Further, as described above, most of the plasma plume 23 is because it is also present only portion of the radical particles, environmental clean (sterilize by utilizing only portion of the radical particles, sterilization or sterilization, etc. Can also be performed.

  Further, as described above, since the target 14 is made of a transition metal such as Ag or copper having a bactericidal effect, ions having a bactericidal effect generated by ionization due to irradiation with the pulsed laser light 20 are applied to bacteria or the like. It works effectively.

The internal environmental clean the vacuum chamber 11 infrared light 22 through the transmission window 13 when irradiated toward the (sterilization, sterilization or sterile) object 24, environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization or sterile ) Infrared light (including reflected X-rays) is reflected from the object 24. The reflected infrared light (including the reflected X-rays) is collected by the concave reflecting mirrors 42 and 43 via the reflecting mirror 41 and detected by the light receiving surface 44 having a very small area.

When the output signal from the MCT detector 40 is taken into the personal computer 30, the infrared spectrum that has been Fourier transformed is displayed on the monitor 31. By confirming this infrared spectrum, it is possible to confirm whether the environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization or sterilization) object 24 has been sterilized, sterilized or sterilized .

As described above, in this embodiment, the target 14 disposed inside the vacuum chamber 11 is irradiated with the pulsed laser light 20 from the outside that is incident through the transmission window 12 of the vacuum chamber 11, and the plasma plume is irradiated from the surface. 23, and the plasma plume 23 is irradiated to an environmental purification (sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) object 24 placed on a mounting table 17 which is a mounting means arranged to face the target 14. It was to so.

  Here, as described above, it is known that the plasma plume 23 has various ionospheres (high ionosphere 23a, medium ionosphere 23b, and low ionosphere 23c) from high energy to low energy. It is also known that almost only radical particles exist.

Therefore, by using the high ionization layer 23a, environmental purification (such as sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) for bacteria to be sterilized, which has a long life or has been solid, which has hardly been sterilized until now. Can be performed reliably.

In addition, by using the middle ionization layer 23b or the low ionization layer 23c, environmental purification (such as sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization) is performed while keeping the underlying material (those that must not be sterilized) not much damaged. Can be performed reliably.

Further, the above-mentioned UV generated from the plasma plume 23 (ultraviolet), VUV (vacuum ltraviolet) ( to perform sterilization, and sterilization or sterilization) environmental purification by also becomes possible.

Furthermore, environmental purification (by performing sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, or the like) by using only the radical particles of the plasma plume 23 described above can be performed reliably.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mounting table 17 is a mounting means, since the provided so as to be freely separable in a direction opposite to the target 14, the contact and separation operation of the mounting table 17, environmental cleanup (sterilization Sterilization or sterilization) The object 24 can be moved to any ionosphere (high ionosphere 23a, medium ionosphere 23b, low ionosphere 23c) having different energies of the plasma plume 23, and the respective high ionosphere 23a, medium ionosphere 23b, It becomes possible to selectively use the low ionization layer 23c.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the target 14 is comprised with transition metals, such as Ag and copper with a bactericidal effect, the ion with the bactericidal effect which generate | occur | produces by ionization by irradiation of the pulse laser beam 20 with respect to a microbe etc. Effective.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Sterilization, sterilization, or sterilization apparatus 11 Vacuum tank 12, 13 Permeation | transmission window 14 Target 15 Support arm 16 Movable arm 17 Mounting stand 20 Pulse laser beam 21 Condensing lens 22 Infrared light 23 Plasma plume 23a High ionosphere 23b Middle ionosphere 23c Low ionosphere 24 Target for environmental purification (sanitization, sterilization or sterilization) 30 Personal computer 31 Monitor 40 MCT detector 41-43 Reflector

Claims (6)

A vacuum chamber having a transmission window;
A target disposed inside the vacuum chamber and irradiated with pulsed laser light incident from the outside through the transmission window;
It is disposed so as to face the target, and includes a mounting means for mounting a sterilization, sterilization or sterilization target object,
A plasma plume generated from the surface of the target is irradiated on the sterilization, sterilization or sterilization object. The placing means is provided so as to be able to contact and separate in a direction facing the target,
The contact and separation operations of the placing location means, the disinfectant, sterilization according to claim 1, sterilization or sterilization object is characterized in that it is moved to any ionospheric energy different of the plasma plume, sterilization Or sterilizer . The sterilization , sterilization, or sterilization apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the target is made of a metal having a sterilization effect. Irradiating a target disposed inside the vacuum chamber with an external pulse laser beam incident through a transmission window of the vacuum chamber;
Removal, characterized in that it comprises a step of irradiating sterilization placed on the mounting means arranged so as to face the target, a plasma plume generated from the surface of the target to sterilization or sterilization objects Bacteria, sterilization or sterilization method. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of moving the sterilization object, the sterilization object, or the sterilization target to any ionosphere having a different energy of the plasma plume in a direction facing the target. 4. The sterilization, sterilization or sterilization method according to 4. The sterilization , sterilization or sterilization method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the target is made of a metal having a sterilization effect.

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