US20040001773A1 - System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization - Google Patents

System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20040001773A1
US20040001773A1 US10/164,838 US16483802A US2004001773A1 US 20040001773 A1 US20040001773 A1 US 20040001773A1 US 16483802 A US16483802 A US 16483802A US 2004001773 A1 US2004001773 A1 US 2004001773A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
container
sterilization
voltage potential
energetic ions
electrode
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
US10/164,838
Other versions
US6667007B1 (en
Inventor
John Schmidt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Princeton University
Original Assignee
Princeton University
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Princeton University filed Critical Princeton University
Priority to US10/164,838 priority Critical patent/US6667007B1/en
Assigned to TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE reassignment TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SCHMIDT, JOHN A.
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US6667007B1 publication Critical patent/US6667007B1/en
Publication of US20040001773A1 publication Critical patent/US20040001773A1/en
Assigned to ENERGY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF reassignment ENERGY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF CONFIRMATORY LICENSE (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65BMACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B55/00Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging
    • B65B55/02Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
    • B65B55/04Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23LFOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/26Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by irradiation without heating
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61LMETHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2/00Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/02Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor using physical phenomena
    • A61L2/14Plasma, i.e. ionised gases

Definitions

  • the invention relates to sterilization processing and particularly to the use of energetic ions for the sterilization of surfaces.
  • sterilization to protect against danger from harmful microorganisms is a critical concern.
  • the sterilization of containers for food products is particularly important, and improvements in container sterilization processes can be expected to have a large economic impact.
  • sterilization of an object may be carried out by subjecting the object to heated steam pressure, to permeation by a gas such as hydrogen peroxide or ethylene oxide, and to ionizing radiation, such as a gamma-rays.
  • the method of the invention operates to cause a cold plasma to be disposed near a surface to be sterilized, and that cold plasma is then subjected to a pulsed voltage differential for producing energized ions in the plasma that are directed toward the surface. Those energized ions then operate to achieve spore destruction on a surface to be sterilized.
  • a series of pulses of total duration in the range of one millisecond should be sufficient for the doses required. With pulses of this duration the charge buildup on insulating surfaces should be well within a usable range. If larger doses are required, additional pulsing can be used. The heating of the container surface is minimal for the doses required.
  • FIG. 1 provides a schematic depiction of the application of the method of the invention for a container to be sterilized.
  • a primary object of sterilization for product packaging is, of course, the destruction of microorganisms that might otherwise contaminate the product so packaged.
  • microorganisms that might otherwise contaminate the product so packaged.
  • bacterial spore a primary object of sterilization for product packaging.
  • the sterilization method of the invention is expected to be effective on the full range of microorganisms which may be encountered and all such applications are intended to be within the scope of the claimed invention.
  • Techniques for spore destruction can be divided into two categories: (1) techniques that destroy the spore shell to get to the spore center, and (2) techniques that directly impact the spore center. At their present state of development the former techniques take minutes or longer for spore destruction. This is too slow for production line applications. The latter techniques include heat and electromagnetic radiation. As explained in the Background section, both of these techniques suffer from significant limitations in respect to the sterilization of product packaging containers.
  • the methodology of the invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by directly impacting the spore center with high energy ions.
  • a cold plasma is disposed near a surface to be sterilized and subjected to pulsed voltage differential with the surface that produces energized ions in the plasma directed toward the surface. Those energized ions then operate in a known manner to achieve spore destruction on the surface to be sterilized.
  • a range of approaches can be used to create low density (e.g. 10 8 cm ⁇ 3 ) cold plasmas near the surface to be sterilized.
  • the surface to be sterilized is then pulsed to the required voltage (e.g. 50 kV) for a series of short periods (e.g. 1-50 microseconds), and the resulting ion deposition will be in the range required.
  • the required voltage e.g. 50 kV
  • short periods e.g. 1-50 microseconds
  • the surface to be sterilized is a conductor, that surface may be constituted as one of the electrodes for the pulsed voltage potential across the plasma.
  • the surface to be sterilized is an insulator (e.g.
  • the plastic it can be backed by a conductor and the capacitive displacement current will support the charge densities required.
  • the backing conductor can be pulsed with a greater number of pulse repetitions with a period between pulses to allow the low-density low-voltage plasma to discharge the insulator surface. Glow discharge cleaning with the cold plasma discharge could be used to help clean the surface of coatings over the microbes if desired.
  • FIG. 1 provides a schematic illustration of the application of the method of the invention to a generic container.
  • the container (A) is evacuated to a desired pressure (illustratively, in the 0.1-100 milliTorr range).
  • a gas feed is used to inject a working gas (e.g. hydrogen) into the container in this pressure range.
  • a plasma discharge is initiated in the container with known techniques, such as glow discharge or rf. If a glow discharge is used, the electrode (B) could be segmented to act as an anode and cathode, or a low frequency voltage could be induced between the electrode and the conforming conductor (C) outside the container.
  • the launcher could be any of a number of known configurations, including an external coil, the indicated electrodes or alternately driven segments of the external conductor.
  • a high voltage is driven between the internal electrode (B) and the conforming conductor (C) external to the container, by a power supply with modulator (D).
  • conforming conductor (C) may also be placed at or near the inside surface of the container, but in that case the conductor should be made porous in order to permit ions attracted thereto to pass through and reach the container surface.
  • the polarity of the voltage will be established to attract ions to the container. The energetic ions will damage the microorganisms on the container surface.
  • the penetration depth of energetic ions into microbes has some uncertainty because data is not available for microbes. However, data is available for materials that are sufficiently similar to support the validity of the process. The penetration depth in materials is strongly energy dependent and increases with increasing energy. The penetration depth decreases with increasing atomic number of the ions used. For this reason light ions, such as hydrogen, are preferable as a working gas. 50 keV hydrogen ions should be sufficient to penetrate about one micron for the analog material. In addition, it is believed likely that spore material is somewhat easier to penetrate.
  • the voltage increase of the surface with a charge density of 3.3 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 8 Coul ⁇ cm ⁇ 2 will be about 700 volts. This voltage drop is small compared to the total voltage drop of approximately 50 kV as required. If increased charge densities are required, then more pulses can be used as outlined above.
  • a novel method and apparatus for container sterilization has been described using energetic ions to penetrate and destroy microorganisms with a range of sizes.
  • these ions should be able to penetrate spore coatings for spore diameters up to and greater than a micron.
  • these ions are expected to be effective in destroying sizes that are quite large. If conditions are encountered where the microorganisms are too large to be destroyed by energetic ions with a realizable energy, this method of the invention can be used in conjunction with other sterilization techniques.

Abstract

A method of sterilization of a container is provided whereby a cold plasma is caused to be disposed near a surface to be sterilized, and the cold plasma is then subjected to a pulsed voltage differential for producing energized ions in the plasma. Those energized ions then operate to achieve spore destruction on the surface to be sterilized. Further, a system for sterilization of a container which includes a conductive or non-conductive container, a cold plasma in proximity to the container, and a high voltage source for delivering a pulsed voltage differential between an electrode and the container and across the cold plasma, is provided.

Description

    RELATED APPLICATIONS
  • The present invention is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/760,513 filed Jan. 12, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,029, issued Jun. 11, 2002, which is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/175,785, filed Jan. 12, 2000, both applications of which are assigned to the same assignee and incorporated herein by reference.[0001]
  • FIELD OF THE INVENTION
  • The invention relates to sterilization processing and particularly to the use of energetic ions for the sterilization of surfaces. [0002]
  • BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • In the field of food processing, as well as in other fields, sterilization to protect against danger from harmful microorganisms is a critical concern. For the food industry, the sterilization of containers for food products is particularly important, and improvements in container sterilization processes can be expected to have a large economic impact. In the current art, sterilization of an object may be carried out by subjecting the object to heated steam pressure, to permeation by a gas such as hydrogen peroxide or ethylene oxide, and to ionizing radiation, such as a gamma-rays. [0003]
  • While steam-pressure sterilization can be effective, plastic packaging which will withstand the requisite temperature is more expensive than similar packaging which does not have to withstand the high-temperature. The penetration depth of high-energy electromagnetic radiation (e.g., gamma rays) is roughly six orders of magnitude greater than the size of the microorganism to be destroyed. Accordingly, high-energy radiation is effective for slow volume sterilization but inefficient for rapid surface sterilization. This inefficiency is manifested in long time scales for surface sterilization. Finally, while UV radiation has the right penetration depths for surface sterilization, sufficient intensities are difficult to achieve for providing the desired destruction rate. [0004]
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  • Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a more efficient sterilization process for food-product containers and the like. To that end, the method of the invention operates to cause a cold plasma to be disposed near a surface to be sterilized, and that cold plasma is then subjected to a pulsed voltage differential for producing energized ions in the plasma that are directed toward the surface. Those energized ions then operate to achieve spore destruction on a surface to be sterilized. [0005]
  • The cold plasma discharge with the parameters needed for the approach of the invention should be easily produced by a range of established techniques. The power requirements for the high voltage pulses are very modest. [0006]
  • A series of pulses of total duration in the range of one millisecond should be sufficient for the doses required. With pulses of this duration the charge buildup on insulating surfaces should be well within a usable range. If larger doses are required, additional pulsing can be used. The heating of the container surface is minimal for the doses required.[0007]
  • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
  • FIG. 1 provides a schematic depiction of the application of the method of the invention for a container to be sterilized.[0008]
  • DETAILED DESCRIPTION
  • An improved methodology is disclosed herein for sterilization of containers used for packaging contents requiring a sterile environment. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the containers of interest are those used for packaging food products and the invention will be described in respect to such food-product containers. It should be understood, however, that the method of the invention is also applicable to the sterilization of containers for other products requiring sterile packaging, such as medical cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. [0009]
  • A primary object of sterilization for product packaging is, of course, the destruction of microorganisms that might otherwise contaminate the product so packaged. Among the more difficult microorganisms to eliminate during sterilization are bacterial spore. For the purpose of illustrating the operation and principle of the method of the invention, the focus of the description hereafter will be the destruction of such spore. However, the sterilization method of the invention is expected to be effective on the full range of microorganisms which may be encountered and all such applications are intended to be within the scope of the claimed invention. [0010]
  • Techniques for spore destruction can be divided into two categories: (1) techniques that destroy the spore shell to get to the spore center, and (2) techniques that directly impact the spore center. At their present state of development the former techniques take minutes or longer for spore destruction. This is too slow for production line applications. The latter techniques include heat and electromagnetic radiation. As explained in the Background section, both of these techniques suffer from significant limitations in respect to the sterilization of product packaging containers. The methodology of the invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by directly impacting the spore center with high energy ions. [0011]
  • A. Description of the Preferred Embodiment [0012]
  • As a predicate to the description of the preferred embodiment, it is to be noted that light ions (e.g., hydrogen) having energies in the 20-70 keV or greater range have penetration depths comparable to spore sizes. This short range results in very high damage coefficients. Modest ion fluences (e.g. 3·10[0013] −8 coul cm−2) in this energy range will provide damage in the Mrad range required for spore destruction. [The destruction of bacterial spores by energized ions is further explained by Russell, The Destruction of Bacterial Spores, Academic Press, 1982, p. 121.]
  • According to the method of the invention, a cold plasma is disposed near a surface to be sterilized and subjected to pulsed voltage differential with the surface that produces energized ions in the plasma directed toward the surface. Those energized ions then operate in a known manner to achieve spore destruction on the surface to be sterilized. [0014]
  • A range of approaches (e.g. rf or glow discharge) can be used to create low density (e.g. 10[0015] 8 cm−3) cold plasmas near the surface to be sterilized. The surface to be sterilized is then pulsed to the required voltage (e.g. 50 kV) for a series of short periods (e.g. 1-50 microseconds), and the resulting ion deposition will be in the range required. If the surface to be sterilized is a conductor, that surface may be constituted as one of the electrodes for the pulsed voltage potential across the plasma. If, on the other hand, the surface to be sterilized is an insulator (e.g. plastic) it can be backed by a conductor and the capacitive displacement current will support the charge densities required. In the event that a greater charge is required, the backing conductor can be pulsed with a greater number of pulse repetitions with a period between pulses to allow the low-density low-voltage plasma to discharge the insulator surface. Glow discharge cleaning with the cold plasma discharge could be used to help clean the surface of coatings over the microbes if desired.
  • FIG. 1 provides a schematic illustration of the application of the method of the invention to a generic container. The container (A) is evacuated to a desired pressure (illustratively, in the 0.1-100 milliTorr range). A gas feed is used to inject a working gas (e.g. hydrogen) into the container in this pressure range. A plasma discharge is initiated in the container with known techniques, such as glow discharge or rf. If a glow discharge is used, the electrode (B) could be segmented to act as an anode and cathode, or a low frequency voltage could be induced between the electrode and the conforming conductor (C) outside the container. If high frequency rf is used to initiate plasma discharge, the launcher could be any of a number of known configurations, including an external coil, the indicated electrodes or alternately driven segments of the external conductor. After the low density discharge has been initiated, a high voltage is driven between the internal electrode (B) and the conforming conductor (C) external to the container, by a power supply with modulator (D). Note that conforming conductor (C) may also be placed at or near the inside surface of the container, but in that case the conductor should be made porous in order to permit ions attracted thereto to pass through and reach the container surface. The polarity of the voltage will be established to attract ions to the container. The energetic ions will damage the microorganisms on the container surface. [0016]
  • In a further embodiment adapted for use with small containers having open mouths or where difficulty is experienced or expected in producing the low temperature discharge in a small space in the container, a more planer discharge could be generated above and into a group of containers and the ions accelerated into the container surfaces by the process described above. [0017]
  • B. Illustrative Operating Characteristics for Invention [0018]
  • For the purpose of illustrating the operation of the invention, it is assumed that one megaRad is required to assure spore destruction. It should be understood, however, that a somewhat higher dose may be required for some microorganisms. One Rad is one esu per cc of charge (i.e. 3.3·10[0019] −10 coul·cm−3·Rad−1). Therefore 3.3·10−10 coul·cm−3·Rad−1×1·106 Rad=3.3·10−4 Coul·cm−3 will be the required dose. If the penetration depth is one micron, then the surface charge will be 1·10−4 cm×3.3·10−4 Coul·cm−3=3.3·10−8 Coul·cm−2. If each high energy ion produces approximately 100 ion electron pairs, the surface charge required is in the 10−9 Coul·cm−2 range. For 50 keV ions the energy density will be only 1.65·10−3 joul·cm−2.
  • It is noted that the penetration depth of energetic ions into microbes has some uncertainty because data is not available for microbes. However, data is available for materials that are sufficiently similar to support the validity of the process. The penetration depth in materials is strongly energy dependent and increases with increasing energy. The penetration depth decreases with increasing atomic number of the ions used. For this reason light ions, such as hydrogen, are preferable as a working gas. 50 keV hydrogen ions should be sufficient to penetrate about one micron for the analog material. In addition, it is believed likely that spore material is somewhat easier to penetrate. [0020]
  • As a test case, one can assume a cold plasma discharge with a hydrogen density of 1·10[0021] 8 cm−3 and a temperature of 2 eV. The ion sound speed (cs) will be about 1.4·106 cm/sec. The current density to an electrode will be about:
  • j=enc s=1.6·10−19 coul×1·108 cm−3×1.4·106 cm/sec=2·10−5 A·cm−2
  • To achieve 3.3·10[0022] −8 Coul.cm−2 will require a total pulse duration of about 1.5 msec.
  • The capacitance of a container surface with a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm and a dielectric constant of about 2 will be:[0023]
  • 0.5 μF·m−2
  • The voltage increase of the surface with a charge density of 3.3·10[0024] −8 Coul·cm−2 will be about 700 volts. This voltage drop is small compared to the total voltage drop of approximately 50 kV as required. If increased charge densities are required, then more pulses can be used as outlined above.
  • Surface heating by the sterilization method of the invention is expected to be minimal. The solution to the heat diffusion equation for a step function heat deposition is an error function of the variable x(Kt)[0025] −1/2, where (K) is the thermal diffusion coefficient. For simplicity, the penetration depth (h) is estimated as h (Kt)1/2 for (K) approximately 4·10−3·cm2·sec−1. The temperature increase can be estimated as T u/hC where u is the energy flux and C is the heat capacity of the surface. With u 1.5·10−3 J/cm2 and C 2 J·cm−3·K−1 the temperature increase for a 2-millisecond pulse is about ¼ centigrade. Thus, there is considerable temperature margin.
  • Conclusion [0026]
  • A novel method and apparatus for container sterilization has been described using energetic ions to penetrate and destroy microorganisms with a range of sizes. In particular these ions should be able to penetrate spore coatings for spore diameters up to and greater than a micron. For microorganisms without coatings these ions are expected to be effective in destroying sizes that are quite large. If conditions are encountered where the microorganisms are too large to be destroyed by energetic ions with a realizable energy, this method of the invention can be used in conjunction with other sterilization techniques. [0027]
  • Although the methodology of the invention, and illustrative applications of that methodology, have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, alterations and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. [0028]

Claims (19)

1. A method for sterilization of container surfaces comprising the steps of:
evacuating said container to a desired pressure;
injecting a working gas into said container at said desired pressure;
causing a plasma discharge to be initiated in said working gas;
pulsing a voltage potential across said plasma discharge operative to produce energetic ions in said plasma; and
accelerating said energetic ions toward said container surfaces using the pulsed voltage potential;
wherein said energetic ions effect a sterilization of said container by destruction of microorganisms on surfaces of said container.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of pulsing the voltage potential comprises applying a voltage potential for a short period of time.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the short period of time comprises 1-50 microseconds.
4. The method for sterilization of claim 1, wherein said plasma discharge is initiated by a glow discharge technique.
5. The method for sterilization of claim 1, wherein said plasma discharge is initiated by an RF signal.
6. The method of sterilization of claim 1, wherein said energetic ions are deposited on said container surface by a capacitive displacement current.
7. The method for sterilization of claim 1, wherein said applied voltage is of a magnitude to impart an ion energy on the order of 50 keV.
8. A method for sterilization of interior surfaces of a container comprising the steps of:
forming a plasma discharge in a working gas disposed within said container;
pulsing a voltage potential between said plasma discharge and an interior surface of said container, said voltage potential being operative to produce energetic ions in said plasma; and
accelerating said energetic ions toward the interior surfaces using the voltage potential;
wherein said energetic ions effect a sterilization of said container surfaces by destruction of microorganisms on said surface
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of pulsing the voltage potential comprises applying a voltage potential for a short period of time.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the short period of time comprises 1-50 microseconds.
11. The method for sterilization of claim 8, wherein said plasma discharge is initiated by a glow discharge technique.
12. The method for sterilization of claim 8, wherein said plasma discharge is initiated by an RF signal.
13. The method for sterilization of claim 8, wherein said applied voltage is of a magnitude to impart an ion energy on the order of 50 keV.
14. An apparatus for sterilization of a container comprising:
means for evacuating said container to a desired pressure;
means for injecting a working gas into said container at said desired pressure;
a first electrode introduced through an aperture of said container and protruding into an interior portion thereof;
a second electrode established at a surface of said container; and
a modulated power supply connected between said first and said second electrode and operative to provide a pulsed voltage potential between said electrodes having a duration of 1-50 microseconds;
wherein a plasma discharge is caused to be initiated in said injected working gas and said pulsed voltage potential between said electrodes produces energetic ions in said plasma, said energetic ions being accelerated toward the surfaces of the container and effecting sterilization of said container by destruction of microorganisms on surfaces of said container.
15. The sterilization apparatus of claim 14, wherein a portion of said container structure is constituted as said second electrode.
16. The sterilization apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second electrode is disposed outside of said container and the energetic ions are deposited on the surface by a capacitive displacement current.
17. The sterilization apparatus of claim 14, wherein a polarization of said potential difference between said first and said second electrode is established to attract ions to an interior surface of said container.
18. The sterilization apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second electrode is constituted of a porous material and established proximate to interior surfaces of said container.
19. The sterilization apparatus of claim 14, wherein said potential difference between said first and said second electrode is established at a magnitude to impart an ion energy on the order of 50 keV.
US10/164,838 2000-01-12 2002-06-07 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization Expired - Fee Related US6667007B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10/164,838 US6667007B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2002-06-07 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US17578500P 2000-01-12 2000-01-12
US09/760,513 US6403029B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2001-01-12 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization
US10/164,838 US6667007B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2002-06-07 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/760,513 Continuation-In-Part US6403029B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2001-01-12 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US6667007B1 US6667007B1 (en) 2003-12-23
US20040001773A1 true US20040001773A1 (en) 2004-01-01

Family

ID=26871572

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/760,513 Expired - Fee Related US6403029B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2001-01-12 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization
US10/164,838 Expired - Fee Related US6667007B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2002-06-07 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/760,513 Expired - Fee Related US6403029B1 (en) 2000-01-12 2001-01-12 System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (2) US6403029B1 (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2018102102A1 (en) * 2016-12-01 2018-06-07 Kronenthal Richard L Sterile compositions for human cosmetic products
US10194672B2 (en) 2015-10-23 2019-02-05 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Reactive gas, reactive gas generation system and product treatment using reactive gas
US10925144B2 (en) 2019-06-14 2021-02-16 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Electrode assembly, dielectric barrier discharge system and use thereof
US11896731B2 (en) 2020-04-03 2024-02-13 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Methods of disarming viruses using reactive gas

Families Citing this family (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6131811A (en) 1998-05-29 2000-10-17 E-Micro Corporation Wallet consolidator
US7083087B1 (en) 2000-09-18 2006-08-01 E-Micro Corporation Method and apparatus for associating identification and personal data for multiple magnetic stripe cards or other sources
US6403029B1 (en) * 2000-01-12 2002-06-11 The Trustees Of Princeton University System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization
US8366871B2 (en) * 2003-06-16 2013-02-05 Ionfield Holdings, Llc Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using plasma
US8092643B2 (en) * 2003-06-16 2012-01-10 Ionfield Systems, Llc Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using plasma
US20060162741A1 (en) * 2005-01-26 2006-07-27 Cerionx, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects with plasma
CN1806066A (en) * 2003-06-16 2006-07-19 赛润克斯公司 Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma device to clean and sterilize the surface of probes, cannulas, pin tools, pipettes and spray heads
US8092644B2 (en) * 2003-06-16 2012-01-10 Ionfield Systems, Llc Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using plasma
US20060272674A1 (en) * 2005-06-02 2006-12-07 Cerionx, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using plasma
US20060272675A1 (en) * 2005-06-02 2006-12-07 Cerionx, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using plasma
US20060162740A1 (en) * 2005-01-21 2006-07-27 Cerionx, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects using non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma
US20060237030A1 (en) * 2005-04-22 2006-10-26 Cerionx, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning and surface conditioning objects with plasma
WO2007095205A2 (en) 2006-02-14 2007-08-23 Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. Electron beam emitter
US9472382B2 (en) 2007-04-23 2016-10-18 Plasmology4, Inc. Cold plasma annular array methods and apparatus
US7633231B2 (en) * 2007-04-23 2009-12-15 Cold Plasma Medical Technologies, Inc. Harmonic cold plasma device and associated methods
US10039927B2 (en) 2007-04-23 2018-08-07 Plasmology4, Inc. Cold plasma treatment devices and associated methods
US9656095B2 (en) 2007-04-23 2017-05-23 Plasmology4, Inc. Harmonic cold plasma devices and associated methods
US9440057B2 (en) 2012-09-14 2016-09-13 Plasmology4, Inc. Therapeutic applications of cold plasma
KR101621830B1 (en) * 2009-01-22 2016-05-17 시부야 코교 가부시키가이샤 Apparatus and method for sterilizing vessel with electron beam
WO2013040481A1 (en) 2011-09-15 2013-03-21 Cold Plasma Medical Technologies, Inc. Cold plasma sterilization devices and associated methods
US9295280B2 (en) 2012-12-11 2016-03-29 Plasmology4, Inc. Method and apparatus for cold plasma food contact surface sanitation
WO2014106258A1 (en) 2012-12-31 2014-07-03 Cold Plasma Medical Technologies, Inc. Cold plasma electroporation of medication and associated methods
DE102015121773B4 (en) 2015-12-14 2019-10-24 Khs Gmbh Method and apparatus for plasma treatment of containers
US11357243B2 (en) 2016-07-04 2022-06-14 Charles Adriano Duvoisin System and method for the electromagnetic energizing of packaged content and corresponding device

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3383163A (en) * 1964-01-24 1968-05-14 Little Inc A Treatment of surfaces
US5302343A (en) * 1987-02-25 1994-04-12 Adir Jacob Process for dry sterilization of medical devices and materials
GB2230644B (en) * 1989-02-16 1994-03-23 Tokyo Electron Ltd Electron beam excitation ion source
US5330800A (en) * 1992-11-04 1994-07-19 Hughes Aircraft Company High impedance plasma ion implantation method and apparatus
US5603893A (en) * 1995-08-08 1997-02-18 University Of Southern California Pollution treatment cells energized by short pulses
US6010613A (en) * 1995-12-08 2000-01-04 Cyto Pulse Sciences, Inc. Method of treating materials with pulsed electrical fields
US6403029B1 (en) * 2000-01-12 2002-06-11 The Trustees Of Princeton University System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10194672B2 (en) 2015-10-23 2019-02-05 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Reactive gas, reactive gas generation system and product treatment using reactive gas
US11000045B2 (en) 2015-10-23 2021-05-11 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Reactive gas, reactive gas generation system and product treatment using reactive gas
US11882844B2 (en) 2015-10-23 2024-01-30 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Reactive gas, reactive gas generation system and product treatment using reactive gas
WO2018102102A1 (en) * 2016-12-01 2018-06-07 Kronenthal Richard L Sterile compositions for human cosmetic products
US10058159B2 (en) 2016-12-01 2018-08-28 Richard L. Kronenthal Sterile compositions for human cosmetic products
US10925144B2 (en) 2019-06-14 2021-02-16 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Electrode assembly, dielectric barrier discharge system and use thereof
US11896731B2 (en) 2020-04-03 2024-02-13 NanoGuard Technologies, LLC Methods of disarming viruses using reactive gas

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US6403029B1 (en) 2002-06-11
US6667007B1 (en) 2003-12-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6667007B1 (en) System and method of applying energetic ions for sterilization
US7615931B2 (en) Pulsed dielectric barrier discharge
US9387269B2 (en) Cold plasma jet hand sanitizer
US5693376A (en) Method for plasma source ion implantation and deposition for cylindrical surfaces
US3779706A (en) Process for bulk sterilization, minimizing chemical and physical damage
Park et al. Sterilization using a microwave-induced argon plasma system at atmospheric pressure
KR101401826B1 (en) Method for cold plasma treatment of plastic bottles
US4348357A (en) Plasma pressure pulse sterilization
EP1356828B1 (en) Sterilizing apparatus and method using the same
US3600126A (en) Asepsis process and apparatus
GB2282954A (en) Shock wave sterilizer for fluid food
JPH10204636A (en) Surface treatment of article and apparatus therefor
EP0011414A1 (en) Process and apparatus for electron beam irradiation of surfaces
Koulik et al. Atmospheric plasma sterilization and deodorization of dielectric surfaces
EP1218916A1 (en) Electron beam plasma formation for surface chemistry
US20140003998A1 (en) Plasma Sterilization System
US5904866A (en) Method of sterilizing electrically, non-conductive, pressure-sensitive containers having a filling opening
RU2102084C1 (en) Method for sterilizing objects
Schmidt System And Method Of Applying Energetic Ions For Sterlization
JPH07184618A (en) Sterilization of vessel with plasma and aseptic filling method
JP4386650B2 (en) Sterilizer
JPH08165563A (en) Electron-beam annealing device
RU2254143C2 (en) Method for sterilizing objects
Meixler et al. Surface sterilization with high energy ions
US20210315089A1 (en) System and Method for Plasma-Electron Sterilization

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE, NEW JERSEY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SCHMIDT, JOHN A.;REEL/FRAME:013119/0704

Effective date: 20020625

AS Assignment

Owner name: ENERGY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF, DISTRICT OF C

Free format text: CONFIRMATORY LICENSE;ASSIGNOR:PRINCETON UNIVERSITY;REEL/FRAME:016043/0649

Effective date: 20041020

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 4

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362

FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 20111223