WO2022082304A1 - Dispositif portatif de rayonnement ultraviolet pour la désinfection de surfaces - Google Patents

Dispositif portatif de rayonnement ultraviolet pour la désinfection de surfaces Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022082304A1
WO2022082304A1 PCT/CA2021/051471 CA2021051471W WO2022082304A1 WO 2022082304 A1 WO2022082304 A1 WO 2022082304A1 CA 2021051471 W CA2021051471 W CA 2021051471W WO 2022082304 A1 WO2022082304 A1 WO 2022082304A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
emitters
radiation
controller
angle
sensors
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CA2021/051471
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Fariborz Taghipour
Babak Adeli Koudehi
Peter Justin ENNS
Majid KESHAVARZFATHY
Original Assignee
The University Of British Columbia
Acuva Technologies Inc.
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 The University Of British Columbia, Acuva Technologies Inc. filed Critical The University Of British Columbia
Publication of WO2022082304A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022082304A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS 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
    • A61L2/00—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/02—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor using physical phenomena
    • A61L2/08—Radiation
    • A61L2/10—Ultraviolet radiation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS 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
    • A61L2/00—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/26—Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS 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
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/14—Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS 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
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/16—Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles

Definitions

  • This invention relates to sterilization or disinfection devices, and in particular to surface disinfection devices which include one or more ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitters (i.e. UV disinfection devices) for disinfecting the external surfaces of objects.
  • UV radiation emitters i.e. UV disinfection devices
  • UV radiation is known to be effective in neutralizing pathogens and contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and fungi by damaging the DNA of the pathogens such that they become incapable of reproducing. Accordingly, it is known to use UV radiation for surface disinfection applications.
  • UV disinfection devices that can be easily carried and used by individuals to neutralize surface pathogens using UV radiation therefore provide a suitable alternative to the use of disinfection chemicals.
  • excessive doses of UV radiation can also cause photochemical damage to human tissue.
  • there is a trade-off for UV disinfection devices between having relatively high irradiance UV radiation emission (i.e. sufficiently high to effectively disinfect surfaces) and being safe for human use (i.e. by minimizing or otherwise limiting the UV radiation to human tissue).
  • irradiance UV radiation emission i.e. sufficiently high to effectively disinfect surfaces
  • being safe for human use i.e. by minimizing or otherwise limiting the UV radiation to human tissue.
  • consumer handheld UV disinfection devices which are available on the market. However, such available handheld UV disinfection devices either emit UV radiation that is too weak to be effective or are unsafe for their potential to irradiate users’ tissue.
  • This invention has a number of aspects. These aspects have synergies when combined but may also be applied individually or in any combination. These aspects include, without limitation:
  • apparatus for detecting UV radiation reflected onto a handle the apparatus configured to perform a remedial action when the reflected UV radiation exceeds a threshold
  • apparatus for detecting a distance between UV emitters and the surface to be disinfected the apparatus configured to determine an amount of time for delivering a desired dose
  • One non-limiting aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for disinfecting a surface using UV radiation.
  • the apparatus comprises: a handle member comprising: a grip extending in a longitudinal direction; and a pivot portion comprising a first connector extending from one end of the grip; a radiation member comprising: one or more UV emitters for emitting UV radiation; and a second connector located at an end of the radiation member proximate to the handle, the second connector pivotally coupled with the first connector.
  • the pivot portion may extend at an obtuse angle from one end of the grip.
  • the application may comprise one or more UV sensors located on the handle to detect UV radiation reflected from the surface.
  • the apparatus may comprise a controller connected to receive a signal from the one or more UV sensors, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the signal from the one or more UV sensors indicates that the reflected UV radiation has an irradiance greater than a threshold and, if so, is configured to perform a remedial action.
  • the remedial action may comprise at least one of: decreasing an irradiance of radiation emitted from the one or more UV emitters; causing the one of more UV emitters to discontinue radiation emission; and issuing a warning perceptible to a user of the apparatus.
  • the radiation member may comprise one or more proximity sensors located to detect a distance between the surface and the one or more UV emitters.
  • the apparatus may comprise a controller connected to receive a signal from the one or more proximity sensors.
  • the controller may be configured to: determine an amount of time for which the one or more UV emitters is to be positioned at the distance for a desired dose to be delivered to the surface; wherein the determination of the time for which the one or more UV emitters is to positioned at the distance is based on at least the detected distance between the surface and the one or more UV emitters.
  • the apparatus may comprise an indicator for indicating to a user the amount of time for which the one or more UV emitters is to be positioned at the distance.
  • the time for which the one or more UV emitters is to be positioned at the distance may be based on at least an irradiance of the one or more UV emitters.
  • the desired dose may be determined based on at least a UV dose effective for neutralizing a desired percentage of a particular organism.
  • the apparatus may comprise a controller connected to receive a signal from the one or more proximity sensors.
  • the controller may be configured to output an indication for indicating to a user to either move the apparatus closer to the surface or to move the apparatus further away from the surface based on at least the detected distance between the surface and the one or more UV emitters.
  • the UV emitter may comprise one or more visible light emitters, each visible light emitter comprising one or more visible light sources and associated optics.
  • the one or more visible light emitters may be configured to illuminate an area at least approximately corresponding to a region of the surface irradiated by the one or more UV emitters.
  • a number of visible light emitters may be the same as or different than a number of UV emitters.
  • the associated optics of the one or more visible light emitters may comprise a dynamically adjustable aperture and a size of the aperture may be dynamically adjusted based on a distance between the surface and the one or more UV emitters.
  • the region of the surface irradiated by the one or more UV emitters may be determined based on an area of the surface which receives at least a threshold irradiance of UV radiation.
  • the associated optics may comprise a static aperture.
  • At least one of the first connector and the second connector may obstruct at least a portion of radiation emitted from the one or more UV emitters from reaching the grip of the handle.
  • the apparatus may comprise a shield that extends from the grip, the radiation member and/or the pivot joint which obstructs at least a portion of radiation emitted from the one or more UV emitters from reaching the grip of the handle.
  • the apparatus may comprise a plurality of inputs, and a controller connected to receive activation signals from the plurality of inputs.
  • the controller may be configured to cause the one or more UV emitters to go from a state of not emitting radiation to a state of emitting radiation upon receiving suitable activation signals from all of the plurality of inputs.
  • the two or more inputs may comprise at least one activation button.
  • the controller may be configured to interpret the activation signal from the at least one activation button as being a suitable activation signal when the activation button is actuated by: a double-click actuation; a delayed actuation; and/or a continuous hold actuation.
  • the controller may be configured to interpret the activation signals from the plurality of inputs as being suitable activation signals when the activation signals from all of the plurality of inputs are received simultaneously.
  • the apparatus may comprise one or more indicator lights, each indicator light corresponding to one of the plurality of inputs.
  • the indicator light corresponding to one of the plurality of inputs may be selectively illuminated for at least one of: to indicate a state of the corresponding one of the plurality of inputs; and to indicate to a user that the corresponding one of the plurality of inputs is next in a sequence for activating the one or more UV emitters from a state of not emitting radiation to a state of emitting radiation.
  • the apparatus may comprise an angle sensor to detect the pivot angle between the first and second connectors about a pivot axis; and a controller connected to receive a signal from the angle sensor.
  • the controller may be configured to prevent the one or more UV emitters from emitting radiation when the detected angle is less than a threshold angle about the pivot axis as measured from the longitudinal direction.
  • the threshold angle may be 180°. [0035] The threshold angle may be determined based on an angle at which one or more UV detectors located on the handle detects an irradiance from the one or more UV emitters which is greater than a threshold.
  • the angle sensor may comprise a hall-effect sensor.
  • the angle sensor may comprise a switch that has one state when the pivot angle is less than the threshold angle and a different state when the pivot angle is greater than the threshold.
  • the apparatus may comprise one or more radiation sensors arranged to detect radiation reflected from the surface; and a controller connected to receive a signal from the radiation sensors.
  • the controller may be configured to map the surface based on the signal received from the radiation sensors and to determine a level of UV dose delivered to a part of the surface based on at least the mapping of the surface and a time for which the part of the surface receives radiation emitted by the one or more UV emitters.
  • the controller may be configured to adjust an irradiance of the one or more UV emitters based on the determined level of dose delivered to the part of the surface.
  • the one or more radiation sensors comprise LIDAR sensors.
  • the apparatus may comprise one or more image sensors to obtain images of a region of the surface irradiated by the one or more UV emitters.
  • the apparatus may comprise an image processor, wherein the image processor is configured to analyze the images, and upon the image processor determining that one or more UV sensitive objects are present in the images, the processor may be configured to at least one of: decrease an irradiance of radiation emitted from the one or more UV emitters; and discontinue emission of radiation from the one or more UV emitters.
  • the radiation member may comprise a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the one or more UV emitters for dissipating heat generated by the one or more UV emitters.
  • aspects of the invention may provide methods for fabrication or use of any of the above.
  • Figure 1 A is a plan view of a handheld UV disinfection device according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 1 B schematically depicts radiation being blocked from reaching the grip in the Figure 1 A embodiment.
  • Figure 2 is a plan view of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device having one or more UV sensors according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 3 is a plan view of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device having one or more proximity sensors according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 4 is a plan view of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device having indicator lights according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • Figures 5A-5C are perspective views showing a number of user inputs in various states on the Figure 1A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • Figures 6A-6C schematically depicts the operation of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device at various pivot angles (i.e. various angular configurations of the pivot joint).
  • Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device having a number of UV emitters, a camera, and a light sensor.
  • Figure 8 is a cut-away perspective view of the Figure 1 A, 1 B handheld UV disinfection device having a surface exposed to show a heat exchanger.
  • FIG. 1A is a plan view of an ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer (disinfection device) 10 according to an example embodiment of the invention.
  • UV disinfection device 10 comprises a handle 11 .
  • Handle 11 comprises a grip 12 which extends in a longitudinal direction 100 (indicated by double-headed arrow).
  • Grip 12 is intended to be held by a user when operating UV disinfection device 10.
  • Handle portion 11 further comprises a pivot portion 13 extending from one end of grip 12.
  • Pivot portion 13 comprises a connector 14 that connects to and/or forms part of a pivot joint 18 (described in more detail below).
  • connector 14 is shown as a female connector component having a tubular aperture for receiving a complementary cylindrically shaped male connector component 17 to provide pivot joint 18.
  • UV disinfection device 10 additionally comprises a radiation member 15 which also connects to or forms part of pivot joint 18 via its connector 17.
  • Radiation member 15 comprises a number of UV radiation emitters 16.
  • Radiation member 15 extends in a pivot direction shown by double headed arrow 102 and is pivotal (by pivot joint 18) relative to handle 11 and longitudinal direction 100, such that pivot direction 102 is pivotally adjustable relative to longitudinal direction 100.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 are positioned and oriented such that the principal emission axes of the UV radiation beams emitted therefrom are substantially perpendicular to the pivot direction of extension of radiation member 15.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 may be operated to emit UV radiation 5, either directly or through one or more optical elements, toward surface 2 to disinfect an area of surface 2 intersecting with the cone of UV radiation 5.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 may be operated to emit UV radiation 5 having wavelengths which are in the UV-C range (i.e. wavelengths that are particularly effective for neutralizing germs such as viruses, bacteria, etc.).
  • UV radiation emitters 16 may be designed to emit UV radiation 5 having wavelengths which are on the order of about 100nm to about 290nm.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 may comprise any suitable type of UV radiation emitting devices.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 comprise UV light emitting diodes (LEDs) (i.e. solid state radiation sources which release photons when an electric potential is applied across one or more semiconductor junctions of the radiation source).
  • LEDs UV light emitting diodes
  • UV-LEDs may be smaller, more energy efficient, less expensive to manufacture and/or more environmentally friendly than other types of UV emitting devices.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 comprise low wavelength sources, such as microplasma and excimer laser based emitters.
  • radiation member 15 is pivotally coupled with handle 11 via pivot joint 18, so that the relative angle 0 between pivot direction 102 (i.e. the direction of extension of radiation member 15 from pivot joint 18) and longitudinal direction 100 (i.e. the direction of extension of grip 12) is pivotally adjustable about a pivot axis - see Figures 6A, 6B, 6C where the pivot axis extends into and out of the page in the illustrated views.
  • radiation member 15 comprises a connector 17 located at an end of the radiation member 15 proximate to handle 11 .
  • Connector 17 connects to or forms part of pivot joint 18.
  • connector 17 comprises a male cylindrically shaped portion shaped to be complementary to and to couple with the tubular aperture of female connector 14 such that UV disinfection device 10 is pivotable about a pivot axis (extending into and out of the page in Figures 1 A and 1 B) facilitated by the interface of connectors 14 and 17 at a pivot joint 18.
  • pivot joint 18 allows for relative rotational motion between handle 11 and radiation member 15 (e.g. between longitudinal direction 100 and pivot direction 102) to a pivot angle 0.
  • a user may grasp grip 12 (e.g. with one of their hands) and direct UV radiation emitters 16 of radiation member 15 to point towards an area of surface 2 to be disinfected. Subsequently, the user may activate one or more inputs which in turn activate UV radiation emitters 16 to emit UV radiation 5 which impinges on surface 2 to thereby disinfect a region of surface 2.
  • a user is further able to pivot radiation member 15 (pivot direction 102) relative to handle 1 1 (longitudinal direction 100) so that the user can most comfortably operate UV disinfection device 10 to irradiate surface 2.
  • Pivot Joint 18 may also advantageously allow a user to adjust the relative angle between radiation member 15 (pivot direction 102) and handle 11 (longitudinal direction 100) to sterilize surfaces which would otherwise be inaccessible or cumbersome to reach in other angular configurations of disinfection device 10.
  • disinfection device 10 is designed such that grip 12 is outside of the emission angle of the closest UV radiation emitter 16.
  • pivot portion 13 extends from one end of grip 12 at an obtuse angle a.
  • connectors 14 and 17 may be sized such that pivot joint 18 occludes some of the radiation from UV emitters 16 from impinging in the region of grip 12, particularly with the obtuse angle extension of pivot portion 13 from grip 12. In this manner, the risk of direct UV exposure is minimized or otherwise kept to an acceptably low level, as UV radiation 5 is prevented from reaching a user’s hand when holding disinfection device 10 during normal operation.
  • a screen (not shown) which is opaque to UV radiation is provided to minimize the risk of UV exposure to the user.
  • Pivot joint 18 and the extension of pivot portion 13 from grip 12 at an obtuse angle a also advantageously allows UV disinfection device 10 to enter a compact, storage configuration when not in use.
  • providing a pivot portion 13 which extends at an obtuse angle a from grip 12 allows for the longitudinal direction 100 extension of grip 12 to be offset from pivot joint 18, which in turn permits radiation member 15 and grip 12 to be folded onto one another - i.e. permits radiation member 15 to be rotated to a configuration (not expressly shown) where pivot direction 102 is oriented in longitudinal direction 100 and radiation member 15 and grip 12 are immediately adjacent to one another or even in contact with one another. In such a folded configuration, UV radiation emitters 16 are blocked by a bottom surface of grip 12.
  • a user is protected from exposure to UV radiation from potentially inadvertent activation of UV radiation emitters 16.
  • FIG. 2 shows how UV disinfection device 10 may comprise UV sensors 22 located on a surface of grip 12.
  • UV sensors 22 comprise UV photodiodes or other types photodetectors.
  • secondary exposure from surfaces 2 which comprise materials with high reflectance in the UV range remains an important consideration from a user safety perspective in designing UV surface disinfection devices.
  • PTFE, aluminum, and stainless-steel surfaces can reflect up to 95%, 90%, and 50% of UV-C radiation, respectively.
  • the threshold limit value (TLV) for human UV-C exposure is an effective dose of 3 mJ/cm 2 in an 8-hour timeframe based on current guidelines.
  • UV sensors 22 may be located in the proximity of where users are expected to hold grip 12 without being obscured by a user’s hand during operation of UV disinfection device 10. In the particular case of the illustrated embodiment, two UV sensors 22 are located on grip 12, but any suitable number of UV sensor(s) 22 may be used. During operation of disinfection device 10 when UV radiation emitter 16 is emitting UV radiation 5 to sterilize surface 2, UV sensors 22 may emit sensor signals which are correlated with an irradiance (of reflected UV radiation 25 incident on sensors 22.
  • UV disinfection device 10 may comprise an electronic controller (not shown) which is connected to receive the sensor signals from UV sensors 22.
  • the controller is configured to perform a remedial action.
  • Example remedial actions include, but are not limited to, decreasing an irradiance of radiation emitted from emitters 16, causing emitters 16 to discontinue radiation emission, and issuing a warning to the user of the apparatus indicating that the irradiance of the reflected radiation may be at unsafe levels.
  • the controller and sensors 22 may evaluate an energy, a dose, a flux, or a number of photons and/or the like of reflected radiation 25 incident on sensors 22.
  • a UV dose e.g. measured in mJ/cm 2
  • a product of detected irradiance e.g. in mW/cm 2
  • exposure time e.g. measured in seconds
  • FIG 3 shows how UV disinfection device 10 may additionally comprise a proximity sensor 32 located on a suitable surface of radiation member 15.
  • Proximity sensor 32 operates to detect a distance D between the UV radiation emitters 16 and the surface 2 being irradiated and to output a corresponding proximity sensor signal.
  • proximity sensor 32 may be located such that it is at a centre of UV radiation 5 emitted from UV radiation emitters 16 (see Figure 1 B).
  • proximity sensor 32 may comprise an IR sensor and/or an ultrasound sensor or any other suitable proximity sensor known in the art.
  • UV disinfection device 10 may comprise an electronic controller (not shown) which is connected to proximity sensor 32 to receive the proximity sensor signals.
  • the controller may have knowledge of (or may be provided with (e.g. by user input)) an amount of UV radiation dose for adequately sterilizing surface 2.
  • the controller is pre-programmed with and/or communicatively connected to a database or some other computer-accessible resource which contains information about a wide range of microorganisms for achieving adequate disinfection of particular target pathogens.
  • the controller sets a default target for neutralizing a minimum threshold of pathogens. This minimum threshold may be 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% and 99.9%, for example.
  • a minimum threshold or the neutralization of particular pathogens may be user configurable.
  • the desired dose may be set so that there is at least a 99% reduction of a specific virus. Accordingly, a desired UV dose may be determined based on any of the above parameters or in any other suitable manner.
  • UV dose is typically defined as the product of UV irradiance (the radiant flux per unit area) of the surface and the exposure time.
  • UV irradiance can be described in units of mW/cm 2 and the exposure time may be in seconds.
  • current literature suggests that 10 mJ/cm 2 of UV dose delivered to a surface is required for neutralizing 99.9% of the influenza virus on that surface.
  • an irradiance of 1 mW/cm 2 on a target surface would require the 10 seconds of constant UV exposure for neutralizing 99.9% of the influenza virus.
  • the controller may determine an amount of time for which the UV radiation emitters 16 should be turned on for achieving the desired dose.
  • the controller may additionally consider an activation level (e.g. drive signal level) of radiation emitters 16 in determining the desired amount of irradiation time.
  • the controller in addition to or in the alternative to determining the time for which the UV radiation emitters should be turned on, the controller may be configured to determine an activation level (e.g. drive signal level) of radiation emitters 16 for achieving the desired dose.
  • the controller may additionally or alternatively consider an irradiation time when determining the desired amount of activation level (e.g.
  • the controller may additionally or alternatively provide a user with indications to move closer to (or further away from) a surface being irradiated based on the detected distance.
  • desired dose, proximity and, optionally, irradiation time may be used to control the activation level of UV emitters 16; or
  • desired dose, proximity and, optionally, activation level of UV emitters 16 may be used to control irradiation time;
  • desired dose and proximity may be used to determine some combination of activation level of UV emitters 16 and irradiation time; and/or (iv) desired dose, proximity and/or activation level of UV emitters may be used to provide indications to a user to move closer to (or further from) a surface being irradiated.
  • a maximum threshold for the activation level may be imposed.
  • the activation level may be limited so as to keep the amount of direct or reflected UV radiation within safe human exposure limits
  • UV disinfection device 10 additionally comprises an indicator for indicating to a user an amount of time for which the user should maintain the distance D while radiation is being emitted to achieve the desired dose.
  • the indication may be provided in the form of a visual indicator, an audio indicator, a haptic indicator and/or the like.
  • the controller determines an optimal distance or a range of optimal distances for positioning disinfection device 10 and UV radiation emitters 16.
  • the optimal distance D may consider factors such as user safety, maximizing an area of surface 2 which is disinfected, and a required amount of time for disinfecting, for example.
  • UV disinfection device 10 may provide an indication for indicating to a user to either move disinfection device 10 closer to the surface or to move disinfection device 10 away from the surface based on the detected distance D and the optimal distance(s) so as to achieve a position of UV radiation emitters 16 which is closer to the optimal distance(s).
  • the controller estimates an amount of UV dose delivered to surface 2 while UV radiation emitters 16 are active. In such embodiments, where a user moves disinfection device 10 towards or away from surface 2, the controller may recalculate an updated time for which the user should maintain the new distance D for achieving the desired dose, taking into account the already delivered UV dose.
  • UV radiation is not visible to the human eye. Accordingly, some embodiments of the present invention comprise creating visible light patterns for visualizing an area which receives UV radiation.
  • Figure 4 shows how UV disinfection device 10 may comprise a number of visible light emitter(s) 42 located on a surface of radiation member 15. Each visible light emitter comprises a visible light source and optionally associated optics. In some embodiments, the visible light source comprises one or more LEDs emitting light in the visible spectrum.
  • the visible light emitters 42 emit visible light 44 in the same general direction as UV emitters 16 such that an area of surface 2 is illuminated by the visible light 44.
  • the region of surface 2 illuminated by visible light 44 corresponds approximately to the region of surface 2 irradiated by UV radiation 5 emitted from UV radiation emitters 16.
  • the region of surface 2 which is considered to be irradiated by UV radiation 5 from UV radiation emitters 16, and is thus illuminated by visible light 44 from visible light emitters 42 is determined based on an area which receives at least a threshold irradiance of UV radiation 5.
  • the threshold used may be related to energy, dose, flux, or number of photons and/or the like of UV radiation 5.
  • This matching between the visible light 44 and UV radiation 5 may be achieved by one or more of the location(s) of visible light emitters 42 and UV emitters 16 and the optics (including apertures) associated with visible light emitters 42 and UV emitters.
  • visible light emitters 42 there are a different number of visible light emitters 42 than UV radiation emitters 16 (two visible light emitters 42 versus three UV radiation emitters 16).
  • visible light emitters 42 may have a wider beam angle than UV radiation 5.
  • this wider beam angle for visible light emitters 42 may be achieved, for example, by suitable optics (including apertures) for visible light emitters 42 and/or UV emitters 16.
  • visible light emitters 42 may comprise dynamically adjustable apertures (not shown), wherein the size of the aperture is dynamically adjusted (e.g. by a suitably configured controller) based on the distance between UV radiation emitters 16 and surface 2 (e.g. as detected by proximity sensor 32).
  • the number of visible light emitters 42 may be the same as the number of UV radiation emitters 16. In some such embodiments, each visible light emitter 42 may be located as close as possible to a corresponding UV emitter 16 and emitters 16 and 42 may have approximately the same beam angles.
  • UV disinfection device 10 comprises a plurality (e.g. two) of inputs 52, 54 which can be used in conjunction (e.g. simultaneously or in sequence) to activate disinfection device 10.
  • the plurality of inputs 52, 53 comprises a sliding switch 52 and an activation button 54.
  • changing the UV radiation emitters 16 from an OFF state (where radiation 5 is not emitted from emitters 16) to an ON state (where radiation 5 is emitted by emitters 16) may involve actuation of both inputs 52, 54 (e.g. switch 52 and button 54) in sequence of simultaneously.
  • a user may activate radiation emitters 16 from an OFF state to an ON state by first slide sliding switch 52 and then, subsequently, pressing down on activation button 54.
  • actuation of button 54 comprises a double-click actuation.
  • actuation of button 54 comprises a delayed actuation, where button 54 is held for at least a few seconds.
  • actuation of button 54 requires button 54 to be continuously depressed to maintain UV emitters in an ON state (i.e. letting go of button 54 causes the state of UV radiation emitters 16 to switch to OFF).
  • disinfection device 10 may comprise one or more indicator lights (not expressly enumerated), with each indicator light corresponding to one of inputs 52, 54.
  • disinfection device 10 may comprise an indicator light corresponding to sliding switch 52 and/or an indicator light corresponding to activation button 54.
  • the indicator lights may be selectively illuminated to indicate to a user the state of that input and/or to indicate that a particular input is next in the sequence for activating UV radiation emitters 16.
  • the indicator light corresponding to sliding switch 52 is illuminated and the indicator light corresponding to button 54 is not illuminated, indicating that sliding switch 52 should first be actuated.
  • UV disinfection devices described herein may be foldable, such as by way of pivoting grip 12 relative to radiation member 15 about pivot joint 18 (see Figure 1 A).
  • some embodiments of the present invention prevent the activation of UV emitters 16 when disinfection device 10 is in certain angular configurations (e.g. gating UV emitters 16 at certain relative angular configurations of pivot joint 16 (i.e. angle 0 between longitudinal direction 100 and pivot direction 102)) which may be likely to expose users to UV radiation.
  • Figures 6A-6C illustrate a number of possible angular configurations of the UV disinfection device 10 - i.e. a number of relative angular configurations of pivot joint 16 and the corresponding angle 0 between longitudinal direction 100 and pivot direction 102.
  • Figure 6A shows an angular configuration where the angle 0 between longitudinal direction 100 and pivot direction 102 is less than a threshold angle (e.g. 0 ⁇ 180° or 0 ⁇ 170°) and the radiation 5 from UV emitters 16 may come relatively close to grip 12 and to the hand of a user holding grip 12. This is a circumstance which may desirably be avoided by not permitting activation of UV emitters 16.
  • the threshold angle for restricting the activation of UV emitters 16 is based on an angle at which UV detectors located in the proximity of grip 12 detect a threshold irradiance.
  • some threshold e.g. 0 > 270° or 0 > 280°
  • UV disinfection device 10 comprises an angle sensor (not expressly enumerated) to detect the angular configuration (the angle 0) of pivot joint 18.
  • UV disinfection device 10 may further comprise a controller which is connected to receive and angle signal from the angle sensor.
  • the angle sensor comprises a hall-effect sensor.
  • the controller may be configured to prevent UV radiation emitters 16 from emitting radiation when the detected angle 0 of pivot joint 18 (i.e. the angle between pivot direction 102 and longitudinal direction 100) is less than a threshold angle (e.g 0 ⁇ 180° or 0 ⁇ 170°) and/or when the detected angle is greater than a threshold angle (e.g.
  • UV radiation emitters 16 of a UV disinfection device 10 in the angular configuration of Figure 6A would be prevented from activation or otherwise be turned off.
  • the angle sensor described above comprises one or more a binary switches (e.g. contact switches) that have one state pivot direction 102 is on one side of the switch and another state when pivot direction 102 is on the opposite side of the switch.
  • the angle sensor may comprise a suitably configured encoder and/or the like which may output a relatively more precise angular signal corresponding to the current angular configuration 0 of pivot joint 18.
  • UV disinfection devices having sensors for mapping a surface to be sterilized and for monitoring the movement of UV disinfection devices.
  • Figure 7 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of radiation member 15 of UV disinfection device 10.
  • UV disinfection device 10 comprises a number of UV radiation emitters 16 as well as a radiation sensor 72.
  • radiation sensor 72 is operable to illuminate a surface (e.g. surface 2) and then detects radiation which is reflected from the surface.
  • radiation sensor 72 is a LIDAR sensor.
  • UV disinfection device 10 may comprise an electronic controller (not shown) which is connected to radiation sensor 72 to receive sensed signals therefrom.
  • the controller is configured to create a mapping of the surface based on the signals received from radiation sensor 72.
  • the controller may determine a level of UV dose which is delivered to various parts of the surface based on the mapping of the surface and a time for which the part of the surface receives UV radiation emitted from the UV radiation emitters 16.
  • the controller is configured to adjust an irradiance of the UV radiation emitters 16, to provide an indication to a user about how long (temporally) to irradiate a surface or to provide an indication to a user about how close (distance-wise) disinfection device 10 should be to the surface being irradiated and/or the like to ensure a uniform and adequate delivery of UV radiation to the target surface.
  • UV disinfection device 10 comprises an image sensor 74 for obtaining image data to visualize an area irradiated by UV radiation.
  • image sensor 74 comprises a digital camera having a lens and image sensor.
  • UV disinfection device 10 further comprises an image processor (not shown) which is connected to receive and analyze the image data from image sensor 74.
  • the image processor continuously monitors and analyzes images received from image sensor 74 while UV radiation emitters 16 are activated. Upon determining that one or more UV sensitive objects are present in the images, the image processor is configured to perform a remedial action.
  • Example remedial actions include, but are not limited to, decreasing an irradiance of radiation emitted from emitters 16, causing emitters 16 to discontinue radiation emission, and issuing a warning to the user of the apparatus.
  • Example UV sensitive objects in the sensed images include the presence of a human face, hand and skin.
  • machine learning (artificial intelligence) algorithms may be utilized to detect the UV sensitive objects.
  • the described automatic object detection features of UV disinfection device 10 may be advantageous for providing a high level of automation and safety in preventing accidental unwanted exposure (e.g. human exposure) to UV radiation.
  • Some embodiments of the present invention comprise thermal management systems on-board the UV disinfection devices described herein.
  • Figure 8 shows UV disinfection device 10 comprising a thermal management component 82.
  • the use of thermal management systems may be advantageous for maintaining and controlling the temperature of the UV radiation emitters 16 (e.g. UV-LEDs) as well as the outer surface of grip 12 which may be in contact with a user’s hand.
  • Thermal regulation of UV sources is important because the operating temperatures of UV sources affect the output spectrum and the radiant power of the UV sources. Even where the temperature of the UV source does not affect its output specifications, operating a UV radiation source at high temperatures may be detrimental to the radiation source, wherein the radiation source may either suddenly burn out or the effective lifetime may gradually be reduced. Accordingly, it is preferable that adequate thermal regulation mechanisms are provided.
  • thermal management component 82 comprises any combination of thermal management devices including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, a heatsink, thermal paste, a thermo-electric cooler (TEC), and fans.
  • the particular UV source that is used for UV radiation emitters 16 determines what thermal management component 82 may appropriately comprise. For example, the use of fans for low output power UV-LEDs or the use of a TEC in cases where the solder temperature may be affected may not be desirable.
  • Controllers described herein may be implemented using specifically designed hardware, configurable hardware, programmable data processors configured by the provision of software (which may optionally comprise “firmware”) capable of executing on the data processors, special purpose computers or data processors that are specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more steps in a method as explained in detail herein and/or combinations of two or more of these.
  • specifically designed hardware are: logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), large scale integrated circuits (“LSIs”), very large scale integrated circuits (“VLSIs”), programmed microprocessors and/or the like.
  • programmable hardware examples include one or more programmable logic devices such as programmable array logic (“PALs”), programmable logic arrays (“PLAs”), and field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”)).
  • PALs programmable array logic
  • PLAs programmable logic arrays
  • FPGAs field programmable gate arrays
  • programmable data processors are: microprocessors, digital signal processors (“DSPs”), embedded processors, graphics processors, math coprocessors, general purpose computers, and the like.
  • DSPs digital signal processors
  • one or more data processors in a control circuit for a device may implement methods as described (e.g. automatically controlling valves with a controller) herein by executing software instructions in a program memory accessible to the processors. It may be convenient to use a commercially available PLC for controllers described herein.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)

Abstract

Certains modes de réalisation de la technologie décrite cités à titre d'exemple fournissent un appareil pour stériliser une surface à l'aide d'un rayonnement UV. L'appareil peut comprendre un élément de poignée, l'élément de poignée comprenant une poignée s'étendant dans une direction longitudinale et une partie de pivot comprenant un premier connecteur s'étendant à partir d'une extrémité de la poignée. L'appareil peut également comprendre un élément de rayonnement, l'élément de rayonnement comprenant un ou plusieurs émetteurs UV pour émettre un rayonnement UV et un second connecteur situé à une extrémité de l'élément de rayonnement et couplé de façon pivotante au premier connecteur.
PCT/CA2021/051471 2020-10-20 2021-10-19 Dispositif portatif de rayonnement ultraviolet pour la désinfection de surfaces WO2022082304A1 (fr)

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US202063094272P 2020-10-20 2020-10-20
US63/094,272 2020-10-20

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Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6592816B1 (en) * 1999-03-01 2003-07-15 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Sterilization system
US7834335B2 (en) * 2008-10-27 2010-11-16 Verilux, Inc. Hand held sterilization devices
US20180117191A1 (en) * 2014-01-31 2018-05-03 Robert Edward Shell Systems, Devices, and/or Methods for Sterilizing Surfaces
US20180193502A1 (en) * 2017-01-12 2018-07-12 UD Innovations, LLC Portable uv-c disinfection apparatus, method, and system
US20180343847A1 (en) * 2017-05-31 2018-12-06 Keith Ervin Devices and methods for disinfection and extermination using uvc light

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6592816B1 (en) * 1999-03-01 2003-07-15 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Sterilization system
US7834335B2 (en) * 2008-10-27 2010-11-16 Verilux, Inc. Hand held sterilization devices
US20180117191A1 (en) * 2014-01-31 2018-05-03 Robert Edward Shell Systems, Devices, and/or Methods for Sterilizing Surfaces
US20180193502A1 (en) * 2017-01-12 2018-07-12 UD Innovations, LLC Portable uv-c disinfection apparatus, method, and system
US20180343847A1 (en) * 2017-05-31 2018-12-06 Keith Ervin Devices and methods for disinfection and extermination using uvc light

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