WO2018050956A1

WO2018050956A1 - Disinfecting device and method for disinfecting

Info

Publication number: WO2018050956A1
Application number: PCT/FI2017/000015
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harri Hakkarainen
Original assignee: Cleamix Oy
Priority date: 2016-09-16
Filing date: 2017-09-15
Publication date: 2018-03-22
Also published as: FI129333B; FI20160231A

Abstract

The object of this invention is a disinfecting method to be utilised for cleaning. It is characteristic of the invention that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is sprayed from one or more containers (9) by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps ( 10) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising elements (5) where the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and that warm gas (6) is blown by one or more blowers (1) through vaporising element(s) or vaporising sur- face(s) (5) into the cleanable target(s) or space. A disinfecting device to be utilised for cleaning is also presented. It is charac- teristic of the invention that the disinfecting device comprises one or more containers (9) and one or more pumps (10) for containing and transferring hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising elements (5).

Description

DISINFECTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISINFECTING OBJECT OF INVENTION

The object of this invention is a disinfecting method to be utilised for cleaning in cleanable targets, such as in human and animal living environments as well as in growing/storing environments of human and animal food or in human and animal transport/travelling environments. A further object of this invention is a disinfecting device to be utilised for cleaning in cleanable targets, such as in human and animal living environments as well as in growing/storing environments of human and animal food or in human and animal transport/travelling environments.

CLEANABLE TARGETS IN MORE DETAIL

Cleaning is used for destroying the functional ability of microbes and bacteria. It is possible to clean any spaces or items which have become affected by microbes, bacteria, spore growths, such as hospitals.

Disinfecting is required for:

cleaning of hospital facilities; controlling nosocomial infections and contagious diseases.

- cleaning ambulances and patient transport means.

- cleaning fire and rescue service transport means and equipment.

- cleaning air conditioning systems in buildings,

cleaning laboratory facilities (e.g. safety cabinets).

cleaning rooms, machines and transport equipment in food industry,

decreasing product loss in manufacturing biofuels; cleaning only the polluted item.

cleaning polluted items/equipment in the army, bioterrorism, biowarfare targets.

- cleaning transport means and other equipment, e.g. outfits, in safety applications.

- cleaning spaces / animal production facilities polluted due to animal diseases, cleaning polluted transport means in transport logistics (ships, airplanes etc.). - preventing and controlling pests, vermin and micro-organisms, such as e.g. controlling ants, silverfish (Lepisma saccharind) etc.

General harmful items to be disinfected and their targets:

Bacteria, microbes, viruses and pests/vermin. E.g. in hospitals, homes, stores, laboratories, usually targets/facilities used by humans and animals. Bacteria, microbes, viruses and pests/vermin. Cleaning facilities/areas after pollution e.g. after biological warfare/terrorism. After a natural catastrophe (destroying live material, e.g. disinfecting cadavers, whereby they cannot spread bacteria, microbes or viruses).

Bacteria, microbes, viruses and pests/vermin. Various ducts, pipings, channels, networks, tunnels, e.g. air conditioning channels, water pipes (when empty), sewer ducts, intended for material transfer.

Bacteria, microbes, viruses and pests/vermin. Vehicles on air, land and water, e.g. ambulances, fire trucks, buses, passenger vehicles, airplanes, ships, rockets, work machinery.

PRIOR ART

Currently, cleaning is done by diluted hydrogen peroxide by spraying the agent in question directly to the cleanable target/targets.

The problem of this is non-migration: the agent will not migrate everywhere. Hydrogen peroxide also has a corrosive effect because it is corrosive in its liquid form It is difficult to adjust the quantity of hydrogen peroxide concentration because dosing hydrogen peroxide evenly on a cleanable surface is impossible. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is non-uniform, whereby the cleaning time varies. Close to the humidity point, inaccurate dosing causes hydrogen peroxide to condensate back to liquid, whereby liquid hydrogen peroxide remains in the cleanable target, which will corrode the target.At present, cleaning with hydrogen peroxide is slow, inaccurate and thus expensive work. Furthermore, part of the cleanable target will not clean evenly or at all.

PURPOSE OF INVENTION

The purpose is that disinfecting is performed with hydrogen peroxide gas (H₂0₂), whereby corrosion will not occur as hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) is not corrosive in its gaseous state.

The above-mentioned disadvantages can be eliminated and the above-mentioned object provided by a disinfecting method according to the invention which is characterised by what is defined in the characterising part of claim 1, and the advantageous embodiments of the method are the subject of claims 2-5. The disinfecting device according to the invention is characterised by what is defined in the characterising part of claim 6, and the advantageous embodiments of the fastening element are the subject of dependent claims 7-9. The most important advantages of the invention are that the invented disinfecting method provides accurate dosing of hydrogen peroxide gas into the cleanable target. The quantity of hydrogen peroxide can be dosed accurately by spraying hydrogen peroxide from one or more nozzles as liquid mist onto a vaporising material or a vaporising surface on which the hydrogen peroxide will quickly evaporate into gas. Particularly hydrogen peroxide sprayed from several nozzles will spread evenly on the vaporising material or the vaporising surface.

The quantity of hydrogen peroxide can be dosed via the nozzles individually for different sides of the evaporating/vaporising material or vaporising surface. By one or more noz- zles, hydrogen peroxide liquid is sprayed as aerosol or drops into a special vaporising chamber in which the hydrogen peroxide is vaporised by warm gas, gas heated by microwaves, laser or infrared. From the closed vaporising chamber, vapour is blown through a vaporising element/surface onto the target to the cleaned. The vaporising element/surface will stop hydrogen peroxide remaining in the liquid form which will be vaporised in the vaporising element or in one or more vaporising surfaces. It is evident that the use of the invented disinfecting method provides large cost-savings in cleaning.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Hydrogen peroxide (sometimes hydrogen superoxide) H₂0 is one oxide of hydrogen having the CAS number of 7722-84- 1. Another, more familiar oxide of hydrogen is water (H₂0).

Hydrogen peroxide is a strongly oxidising compound. When heated, it decomposes into water and oxygen, whereby the process simultaneously releases energy.Some metals and impurities function as catalysts in the decomposing process. Hydrogen peroxide liquid can be stabilised, inter alia, with phosphoric, sulphuric, boric or citric acid or acetanilife or acetophenetide when wishing to retard the decomposing process.

Hydrogen peroxide of concentration below 85 per cent will not burn but it is a strongly oxidising agent, whereby hydrogen peroxide with a burning material causes a severe risk of fire or explosion. Hydrogen peroxide of concentration over 85 per cent will burn when decomposing by a blue flame i.e. its decomposing reaction is different from more diluted hydrogen peroxide liquids. When decomposing, hydrogen peroxide forms water and oxygen:2 H₂0₂→ 2 H₂0 + 0₂.

Hydrogen peroxide is unstable and decomposes by itself but the reaction is very slow. The reaction can be accelerated by using a catalyst (e.g. manganese dioxide). In hydrogen peroxide, the oxidation number of oxygen is -I, in decomposition products 0 (0₂) and -II (H₂0). Thus, disproportioning occurs in the reaction in which the oxidation number both increases and decreases.

The bleaching and disinfecting properties of hydrogen peroxide are based on a very reactive free oxygen atom forming in the decomposition reaction. Applications

Hydrogen peroxide has been used as an oxidising component in carrier-rocket fuel.In manufacturing, hydrogen peroxide is used, inter alia, for bleaching pulp mass and textiles and as a disinfectant in medical and food industries. Hydrogen peroxide used in manu- facturing usually has the concentration of 35 or 50 per cent of hydrogen peroxide but there are also other concentrations available. Hydrogen peroxide of concentration 30-59 per cent goes in a lower transport space. In disinfecting, it is also possible to use 100 per cent hydrogen peroxide. In low (below 5 per cent) concentrations, hydrogen peroxide is used in in the cosmetic industry, inter alia, in bleaching hair and e.g. in cleaning liquids of contact lenses and in disinfecting wounds. Its disinfecting capability is based on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide the blood functioning as a catalyst. The releasing oxygen kills bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is currently used quite extensively because its possible access to air or otherwise to the nature causes only short-term hindrance. When released, it decomposes quickly to form water and oxygen and will thus not cause long-term problems for the environment or the people. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 shows a perpendicular top view of a disinfecting device according to an invented disinfecting method; its side view can be exactly the same if the shape of the disinfecting device seen from the top is a square, a rectangle or a circle.

Fig. 2 shows a perpendicular side view of another disinfecting device according to the invented disinfecting method.

The parts and sections of the disinfecting device shown in the figures:

One or more blowers 1 , one or more heating sections 2, one or more vaporising chambers

3, one or more spraying elements 4 and one or more evaporating elements 5.

The blower 1 is most advantageously a known axial blower or an equivalent device transferring gas which blows the gas in the direction of arrow 6.Most advantageously, material to be filtered is air; no air filter/cleaner known from construction engineering is shown in the figures.Gas 6 can be air, nitrogen, argon or their mixture.

The blower 1 blows gas through the heating section 2 into the vaporising chamber 3. The heating section 2 is most advantageously a previously known one or more microwave transmitters and/or one or more laser units and/or one or more infrared heaters and/or an air heater operating by electric resistance and/or an air heater operating e.g. by liquid gas. The task of the heating section 2 is to heat the air so much that hydrogen peroxide will vaporise.

The spraying element 4 is a previously known liquid nozzle from which liquid hydrogen peroxide is sprayed by pumping hydrogen peroxide by means of fluid pressure with a known pumping method as small mist into the vaporising chamber 3 from one or more holes in the spraying element 4. The shape of the hole(s) in the spraying element 4 can be circular, fan-like or some other known shape.

The blower 1 blows the hydrogen peroxide mist through the vaporising element 5, whereby the vaporising element 5 vaporises the hydrogen peroxide mist into hydrogen peroxide gas due to the large contact area of the vaporising element 5. Hydrogen peroxide mist adheres to the large contact area of the vaporising element 5. Despite its relatively small external measures, the vaporising element 5 has a large vaporising area due to its fibre material: each fibre surface is part of the vaporising surface. This hydrogen peroxide gas is used for disinfecting. Because the hydrogen peroxide gas has a high content, even 600-800 ppm (parts per million), disinfection with it is extremely quick and effective. T/FI2017/000015

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The vaporising element 5 can be of known fibre material, such as textile fibre, glass fibre. In the figure, there are also hydrogen peroxide mist 7 and hydrogen peroxide gas 8. A container 9 is a known container which contains hydrogen peroxide.

A pump 10 is a known pump by which hydrogen peroxide is transferred in its liquid form. The pump 10 can be a variable-displacement pump or provided with a flow-control valve, a separate flow-control valve or a flow-control valve integrated in the pump.

A preheater 11 is a known electrical or hydraulic or fuel-operated liquid heater which preheats hydrogen peroxide liquid. All parts of the disinfecting device are adjustable: inter alia, temperature, rotation speed and pressure can be adjusted as desired. There can be one or more of all of the parts, e.g. it is possible to provide hydrogen peroxide mist 7 coming through all of the spraying elements 4 from one container 9 by piping with one preheater 11 and by means of the pump 10. Fig. 2 shows one or more pipings 12 for hydrogen peroxide and one or more legs 13 for keeping the device in Fig. 2 erect. In Fig. 2, the vaporising element 5 is a pouch to which gas 6 is blown from its lower end by the blower 1, whereby the gas 6 fills the vaporising element 5 to the position of Fig. 2. At the same time, gas 6 is heated on the heating section 2. Then, the pumping of hydrogen peroxide is started into one or more pipings 12 being erect somewhere in middle of the apparatus. Spraying elements 4 in the piping 12 start to spray hydrogen peroxide mist 7 onto the inner surface of the vaporising element 5, having penetrated which, hydrogen peroxide forms hydrogen peroxide gas 8. The extra hydrogen peroxide mist 7 falls downwards along the inner surface of the vaporising element 5 from which it is collected to the container 9 and pumped further back to the cycle.

The figure shows a disinfecting method to be utilised for cleaning in which hydrogen peroxide (Η₂0₂) is sprayed from one or more containers 9 by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps 10 through one or more spraying elements 4 into one or more vaporising elements 5 where the hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed and warm gas 6 is blown by one or more blowers 1 through vaporising element(s) or vaporising surface(s) 5 into the cleanable target(s) or space.

The pump 10 is a variable-displacement pump or one or more flow-control valves have been located into connection with it or after it, by means of which the flow rate of hydrogen peroxide through the spraying element(s) 4 is adjusted. There can be one or more of hydrogen peroxide pipings and the hydrogen peroxide pipings can include one or more spraying elements 4, the spraying element can be a hole/holes in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s) and/or the spraying element 4 can be spraying nozzle(s) in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s).

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) is sprayed from one or more containers 9 by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps 10 through one or more spraying elements 4 into one or more vaporising chambers 3 into which vaporising chamber 3 one or more blowers 1 blow gas 6 through one or more heating sections 2 which gas 6 heats hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) from which vaporising chamber 3 the hydrogen peroxide vapour travels blown by the blower 1 into the vaporising element 5 where hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and warm gas 6 is blown by one or more blowers 1 through vaporising element(s) or vaporising surface^) 5 into the cleanable target(s) or space.

The density/gas contamination of hydrogen peroxide is 600-800 ppm/m³ (parts per million in a cubic metre).

The disinfecting device comprises one or more containers 9 and one or more pumps 10 for containing and transferring hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) through one or more spraying elements 4 into one or more vaporising elements 5.

The pump 10 is a variable-displacement pump or one or more flow-control valves have been located into connection with it or after it, by means of which the flow rate of hy- drogen peroxide through the spraying element(s) 4 is adjusted.

There can be one or more of the hydrogen peroxide pipings and the hydrogen peroxide pipings can include one or more spraying elements 4, the spraying element 4 can be a hole/holes in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s) and/or the spraying element 4 can be spraying nozzle(s) in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s).

The disinfecting device comprises one or more containers 9 and one or more pumps 10 for containing and transferring hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps 10 through one or more spraying elements 4 into one or more vaporising chambers 3 into which vaporising chamber 3 one or more blowers 1 blow gas 6 through one or more heating sections 2 which gas 6 heats hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) from which vaporising chamber 3 the hydrogen peroxide vapour travels blown by the blower 1 into the vaporising element 5 where hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and warm gas 6 is blown by one or more blowers 1 through vaporising element(s) or vaporising surface(s) 5 into the clean- able target(s) or space. At the first end of closed vaporising chamber 3, there is the blower 10 and, at the second end, the vaporising element 5. All of the side walls of the vaporising chamber 3 can include spraying elements 4 and their pipings. AN EXAMPLE ON UTILISING THE INVENTION

Cleaning of surfaces to be disinfected is performed with one or more invented disinfecting devices. Before starting the disinfection, the targets to be disinfected must have been cleaned mechanically by a known technique if possible (mechanical cleaning of e.g. foodstuffs or other porous targets can be difficult).

The disinfecting device(s) is/are located in a closed space, normal room height, e.g. a 2.5-metre freight container or room. The temperature in the space is 25-35 °C.The room must have a good ventilation access in which is connected a blower and a filter unit known from ventilating buildings. Many air conditioning control devices to stabilise the humidity level are located in the room, which are devices known of air conditioning of buildings, inter alia, laboratories in which air temperature, humidity and cleanliness are controlled and monitored closely. The disinfecting device(s) is/are located in the room. The disinfecting device(s) is/are started by remote control by a known technique. The disinfecting process is automatic and takes, depending on the condition of the room, from a few hours to 24 hours; the duration of the process depends on the cleanable target. After disinfecting, the room is ventilated through known filters into the outdoor air. The cleaned device(s) is/are ready for transferring for further measures. The quality assurance documentations comes e.g. from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. A novel feature in the invention is keeping the fibre material i.e. the vaporising element 5 moist by means of spray piping by hydrogen peroxide to be sprayed. The flow-control valve adjusts the flow into the piping and constant pressure is maintained in the piping, whereby spraying is even. Dosing can be continuous or intermittent. The higher the content ppm/m³ (parts per million in a cubic metre), the quicker the bacteria die. The blower blows heated air (air can be heated by microwaves, electric resistances, laser) which air conveys alongside hydrogen peroxide as vapour into the cleanable target. Hydrogen peroxide is of concentration 30-59 per cent (goes in a lower transport space). It is also possible to use 100 per cent hydrogen peroxide. The invented disinfecting device can be manufactured by known methods of known materials, most advantageously of metals.

It is obvious for those skilled in the art that the above embodiment examples are relatively simple of their construction and operation for the sake of the description being illustra- tive. Using the model described here, it is possible to manufacture very different constructions which utilise the inventive idea depicted. The invention is not limited solely to the alternatives described above, but many modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. A disinfecting method to be utilised for cleaning, characterised by spraying hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) from one or more containers (9) by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps (10) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising elements (5) where the hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and blowing warm gas (6) by one or more blowers (1) through vaporising element(s) or vaporising surface(s) (5) into the cleanable target(s) or space.

2. A disinfecting method according to claim 1, characterised by the pump (10) being a variable-displacement pump or one or more flow-control valves having been located into connection with the pump (10) or after it, by means of which the flow rate of hydrogen peroxide through the spraying element(s) (4) is adjusted.

3. A disinfecting method according to claim 1, characterised by that there can be one or more of the hydrogen peroxide pipings and the hydrogen peroxide pipings can include one or more spraying elements (4), the spraying element (4) can be a hole/holes in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s) and/or the spraying element (4) can be spraying noz- zle(s) in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s).

4. A disinfecting method according to claim 1, characterised by spraying hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) from one or more containers (9) by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps (10) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising chambers (3) in which vaporising chamber (3) one or more blowers (1) blow gas (6) through one or more heating sections (2), which gas (6) heats hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂), from which vaporising chamber (3) the hydrogen peroxide vapour travels blown by the blower (1) into the vaporising element (5) where hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hydrogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and by blowing warm gas (6) by one or more blowers (1) through vaporising element(s) or va- porising surface(s) (5) into the cleanable target(s) or space.

5. A disinfecting method according to claim ^characterised by gas contamination of hydrogen peroxide being 600-800 ppm/m³ (parts per million in cubic metre).

6. A disinfecting device to be utilised for cleaning, characterised in that the disinfecting device comprises one or more containers (9) and one or more pumps (10) for containing and transferring hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising elements (5).

7. A disinfecting device according to claim 6, characterised in that the pump (10) is a variable-displacement pump or one or more flow-control valves have been located into connection with the pump (10) or after it, by means of which the flow rate of hydrogen peroxide through the spraying element(s) (4) is adjusted.

8. A disinfecting method according to claim 6, characterised in that there can be one or more of the hydrogen peroxide pipings and the hydrogen peroxide pipings can include one or more spraying elements (4), the spraying element (4) can be a hole/holes in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s) and/or the spraying element (4) can be spraying noz- zle(s) in the hydrogen peroxide piping(s).

9. A disinfecting device according to claim 6, characterised in that the disinfecting device comprises one or more containers (9) and one or more pumps (10) for containing and transferring hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) by fluid pressure caused by one or more pumps (10) through one or more spraying elements (4) into one or more vaporising chambers (3) in which vaporising chamber (3) one or more blowers (1) blow gas (6) through one or more heating sections (2), which gas (6) heats hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂), from which vaporising chamber (3) the hydrogen peroxide vapour travels blown by the blower (1) into the vaporising element (5) where hydrogen peroxide (H₂0₂) forms hy- drogen peroxide gas by means of which cleaning/disinfecting is performed, and that warm gas (6) is blown by one or more blowers (1) through vaporising element(s) or vaporising surface(s) (5) into the cleanable target(s) or space.