Patent Application
20220023468
The invention relates to sanitizing predetermined surfaces, such as control and/or action surfaces, high touch surfaces or the like, with sanitizing systems for use with such predetermined surfaces and methods for sanitizing such predetermined surfaces. For example, a surface designed to be touched may be a control surface, being a surface on an item or structure which is designed to be touched, or an action surface being a surface on an item or structure which is touched to directly or indirectly cause an action.
The spread of disease by contact with surfaces that are often touched by others, has been an issue for some time, and has become more prevalent with increased presence of new dangerous pathogens being encountered in the environment, and transmitted between people. There are generally two methods of infectious disease propagation which are of primary concern, being airborne transmission of pathogen bearing droplets from an infected individual to healthy individuals, and the physical transmission of pathogens, such as viral microbes or bacteria, arising from contact with contaminated surfaces touched by infected individuals. In the public or other environments, there are many surfaces designed to be touched, such as control surfaces and/or action surfaces that require touching by an individual, such as to carry out some function. Such control surfaces may be mechanical in nature, such as latches, handles, valves, knobs or the like. The control and/or action surfaces may also be electronic or electro-mechanical in nature such as buttons, switches, keypads, touch control surfaces, slides or a myriad of other devices.
The traditional method for surface disinfection involves physically cleaning surfaces with a combination of surfactants and disinfectants, by spraying or rubbing for example. A problem relating to the disinfection using aerosol or aqueous cleaning and disinfection products is that such products can damage control surfaces, particularly electronic control surfaces. Further, the surface may need to remain moistened for a period of time for the disinfectant to adequately deactivate a suitable percentage of the population of pathogens present on the surface, to satisfactorily prevent the pathogens from infecting other people who touch the control surface. Such a process requires the close attention of the person cleaning the surfaces to ensure that the surfaces remain wet with the disinfectant for at least the minimum length of time mandated by the specific product being used. Another method involves the large-scale exposure of surfaces to UV radiation in the germicidal wavelength range (200-280 nm). Either of these disinfection methods; however, are limited in effectiveness with regard to control surfaces which have a high probability of direct and recurring contact, ensuing contamination, and resulting disease transmission.
These common disinfection methods are inadequate to keep a surface disinfected in between each touch or use, and do not adequately focus on surfaces designed to be touched. As a result, these surfaces may not receive adequate disinfection during regular cleaning cycles. In addition, control surfaces may be complex in shape, or of a recessed or hidden design, which makes them difficult to clean and disinfect. For example, such complex shapes make it difficult to wet all of the various contours, joints, or other features of the control surface, and other hard-to-reach places with a chemical disinfectant. Such complex shapes and configurations also may inhibit irradiation using a broad beam UVC source. Also, as such UVC radiation is damaging to human tissue and cells, the use of UVC radiation and disinfection of an area while occupied is potentially dangerous.
In different environments, there are surfaces designed to be touched, which may include control and/or action surfaces and also high touch surfaces, which present ideal surfaces for transmission of pathogens, as it has not been possible to disinfect such surfaces between touches when the chance of multiple people touching such surfaces in a short amount of time is likely. Such environments include commercial transportation vehicles, hospitals, commercial or retail environments and many other like public or private environments. In commercial transportation vehicles for example, high touch surfaces may include tray tables and latches; premium aircraft seat pocket latches; lavatory door latches, lavatory faucet and toilet controls; aircraft cabin overhead PSU controls, overhead storage bin latches, arm rests and the like. In a hospital or healthcare environment for example, such high touch surfaces may include bed rails, bed frames, lights, tray or bedside table, handles, IV poles or other medical equipment and many more. In a commercial or retail type of environment for example, such high touch surfaces may include door handles, shopping carts, payment systems, seating and/or tables or furniture, elevator controls or a wide variety of other similar surfaces. It would be desirable to be able to disinfect such surfaces more effectively.
It would thus be highly desirable to prevent subsequent spread of pathogens transferred to such predetermined surfaces, such as control surfaces, action surfaces, high touch surfaces or the like, by properly cleaning and disinfecting between each touching of the predetermined surface. There is a continued need for effective systems and methods to disinfect surfaces and inhibit the transmission of pathogens between people.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a predetermined surface, being a surface designed to be touched such as a control surface, action surface or high touch surface, with at least one sanitizing assembly including at least one irradiation system positioned in predetermined relationship to at least a portion of the predetermined surface. The at least one irradiation system includes at least one UVGI emitter in at least one array configured to irradiate at least a portion of the predetermined surface with UV radiation of a predetermined wavelength or range of wavelengths, and at a predetermined energy level. A control system is provided to operate the at least array for an amount of exposure time.
The invention is also directed to a sanitizing system for a predetermined surface, being a surface designed to be touched such as a control surface, action surface, high touch surface or the like, configured for sanitizing a predetermined surface. The sanitizing system includes at least one irradiation system configured to be positioned in predetermined relationship to at least a portion of the predetermined surface, such as by a mounting system. The at least one irradiation system includes at least one UVGI emitter in at least one array configured to irradiate at least a portion of the predetermined control surface with UV radiation of a predetermined wavelength or range of wavelengths, and at a predetermined energy level, when positioned in the predetermined relationship with the predetermined control surface. The sanitizing system includes a control system provided to operate the at least array for an amount of exposure time.
The invention also relates to a method of sanitizing a predetermined surface, being a surface designed to be touched such as control surfaces, action surfaces, high touch surfaces or the like, by providing at least one irradiation system including at least one UVGI emitter in at least one array positioned in predetermined relationship with the predetermined surface. The touching or use of the predetermined surface is detected, and operation of the at least one irradiation system controlled to irradiate at least a portion of the predetermined surface with UV radiation of a predetermined wavelength or range of wavelengths, and at a predetermined energy level and for an exposure time after touching or use of the predetermined surface.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent based upon the following description of examples of the invention in conjunction with the figures.
The present invention provides disinfecting systems and methods for predetermined surfaces designed to be touched, such as control surfaces, action surfaces, high touch surfaces or the like. The systems and methods enable more effective decontamination of such surfaces from pathogens including viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. As an example, the present invention may be used to provide disinfection of any predetermined surface immediately after touching or use of the surface by a person, to ensure proper disinfection between touches or uses of the surface. A surface designed to be touched for example may be a control surface, which is a surface which must be touched for a purpose, such as an action surface to either directly or indirectly cause an action. The touching of the surface may be by a person or may be indirectly touched by another article. It should be recognized that such surfaces designed to be touched can be of a wide variety of shapes and configurations, and may include mechanical objects such as latches, handles, knobs, valves or the like. The surfaces may also be control or action surfaces of an electronic or electro-mechanical nature, such as buttons, switches, keypads, touch control surfaces, slides or a myriad of other devices. Such control and/or action surfaces must be touched to cause an action, and are found in numerous products, objects and environments. Surfaces designed to be touched such as latches, handles, knobs, levers and the like are found in association with doors, hatches, bins, dispensers or a myriad of other objects used in commercial products, public environments, commercial environments, passenger vehicles and the like, as well as a multitude of possible other public and private environments and applications. Control and/or action surfaces such as buttons, switches, keypads, touch control surfaces and the like are used ubiquitously in numerous products, objects and environments, such as association with commercial passenger vehicles, door locks or access panels, ATM's, gas pumps, grocery store checkouts many others. All such surfaces may be contaminated by a person's touch or by the touch of another article that has pathogens on it, and the systems and methods of the invention are directed at sanitizing the predetermined surface immediately after being touched/used, to prevent the transmission of contaminants or disease by pathogens left on the control surface after touching or use. The present systems and methods are thus configured to kill bacteria or inactivate the viral or other pathogen particles on the surface between touching or uses of the surface as an example.
In a first example of the invention as shown in
In this example, the predetermined surface designed to be touched is a control surface 10 that includes a sanitizing system with at least one irradiation system 12 including at least one array 14 of one or more radiation sources 16. The at least one array 14 is provided in predetermined relationship to the configuration of the control surface 10, and action surfaces thereof for example. In this example, the integration of the irradiation system 12 into the control surface 10 configuration allows the irradiation system 12 to match the configuration of the control surface 10 to provide proper irradiation and sanitation of the control surface 10 including at least the action surfaces. In this example, the control surface includes a low-profile, U-shaped housing assembly 11 with a UVGI LED array 14 pointing across the keypad 18 surfaces from the sides and top. The at least one array 14 is positioned in predetermined proximity to the at least the action surfaces such as keypad 14 and keys 16 of control surface 10. The radiation sources 16 may be UV LED's, or possibly a fluorescent bulb, excimer lamp or other suitable source, that emits ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) such as UVC and/or far-UVC radiation onto the surfaces of the control surface 10. The sources 16 may produce radiation in the germicidal wavelengths of between 200-280 nm for example, which is effective at deactivating pathogens by direct exposure to the UVGI of a predetermined energy level for a predetermined time. The sources 16 may produce radiation in the far-UVC germicidal wavelength of approximately 222 nm for example, which also appears to have less adverse effects on people. The location of the radiation sources 16 are selected to ensure direct exposure of all action or other surfaces associated with the control surface 10, including the tops and sides of keys 20, and the surfaces 22 around the keys 20. As seen in the FIGS., the control surface 10 is somewhat planar and the radiation sources 16 are positioned adjacent at least the top and sides of the control surface 10 to irradiate each of the keys 20 and surfaces 22 over the entire control surface 10. This placement of the arrays 14 effectively treats the entire control surface 10 as well as each of the keys 20. The internal surface of the housing or bezel assembly 28 may be lined or painted with a UVC reflective material which optimizes the UVC radiation cast on the control surface 10. The geometry of the bezel housing can also be adjusted to optimize the UVC radiation pattern for any predetermined control surface.
This placement of the at least one irradiation array also provides the ability to effectively irradiate the control surface with UVGI in the dosage required, which is based on the distance, intensity, and duration of exposure, to effectively inactivate or kill pathogens on at least a portion of the control surface 10. Generally, the UVGI dosage amounts decrease significantly by approximately the square of the distance from the radiation source, so the placement directly adjacent the control surface 10 avoids significant attenuation of the UV irradiation. The intensity or energy output of the UVGI radiation sources 16 and position and distance from the surfaces of control surface 10 are chosen to provide the desired efficacy in inactivating or killing any pathogens in association with a predetermined control surface, in a predetermined amount of time. In many applications and environments, the arrays 14 may position the UV radiation sources 16 within approximately 5 cm of the surfaces of control surface 10 to be irradiated, to reduce the energy required from the UVGI radiation sources 16 for example. But, depending on the control surface, the sources 16 and exposure time of irradiation may be chosen based on the need to be further from the control surface, to provide the desired predetermined dosage to the control surface. The UVGI intensity amount required to kill most bacteria and inactivate viruses is between 2,000-8,000 μW·s/cm2, and the arrays 14 may provide the desired dosage to every portion of the control surface 10. To accurately provide the desired UV dose, the UV intensity, adjusted for distance, coating, and end of lamp life, will be multiplied by the exposure time. Depending on the nature of the control surface 10, it may be expected to be touched/used often, or more intermittently, and the UVGI dose can be selected in accordance with the particular type of control surface and environment in which it is used to provide the effective UV dose to be reached in a predetermined amount of time. The ability to tailor the irradiation system to the control surface enables effective sanitizing in various environments and applications. In addition, depending the type and environment in which a control surface 10 is used, the irradiation system 12 may be configured to account for the possibility that the microorganisms are protected by mechanical particles, such as dust and dirt, or have formed a biofilm, which may require a higher UV fluence for an effective UV dose to be introduced to the microbes.
For people, it is known that skin exposure to at least certain UVGI wavelengths of UVC light can produce rapid sunburn and even result in skin cancer. It is also known that exposure of the eyes to this UVC radiation can damage the cornea or retina. Such UVC radiation can also cause the production of ozone, which can be harmful to people. The irradiation system 12 thus can be desirably configured to minimize any exposure of the skin or eyes to the UVGI radiation produced by the arrays 14, and to minimize the production of ozone if desired. In this example, the face of the control surface 10 remains open and accessible at all times. This means that when the UVGI array 14 is actuated, there may be some minor amount of UVC radiation that is reflected away from the control surface 10 into potentially inhabited space. However, due to the fact that a low-power UVC LED array may be employed and the active time of the LED array is brief as described below, this minor amount of open air UVC radiation poses no health risk to nearby individuals. In addition, the primary radiation of the UVGI LED array is focused on the control surface, not randomly into space, for the purpose of achieving the highest sanitizing efficiency. The proximity of the sources 16 to the control surface 10 allows lower energy sources 16 to be used, and the dose of UVGI that can result in the vicinity of the control surface 10 is small because of attenuation. But, if desired, the control surface 10 may include shielding positioned between the sources 16 and a user, to minimize any radiation exposure in the vicinity of the control surface 10. But, the system may even allow for additional application as the actuation of the irradiation system is brief, and some UVGI wavelengths may be safer for people to be exposed to. For example, the control surface 10 could allow for sanitation of a user's hands or fingers, such as by allowing the user to select this operation and maintain their hands or fingers in the zone of irradiation for the control surface 10 during an exposure period.
In this example, the sources 16 are mounted in conjunction with a printed circuit board (PCB) 26, and may be positioned in a housing 28, with sides 30 extending above and toward the control surface 10 to provide a barrier between the sources 16 and the user. The internal surface of the housing 28 may be lined or painted with a UVC reflective material which optimizes the UVC radiation cast on the keypad 18 of control surface 10. Reflectance of the UVGI radiation by the housing 28 onto the control surface 10 may also enhance disinfection performance by ensuring all surfaces are exposed to direct UVGI radiation. The geometry of the bezel housing 28 can also be adjusted to optimize the UVC radiation pattern. In this example, it is presumed that the keypad control surface 10 is mounted below line-of-sight, in other words, below the height of most people's heads. The housing 28 is configured without an array assembly 14 mounted on the bottom side of the keypad 18. In this way, inadvertent direct viewing of an array assembly 14 is avoided while it is activated. In other applications, the at least one housing 28 could take a variety of shapes in order to best irradiate the control surface and to also prevent direct viewing of the UVGI array when active if needed. The housing 28 may be constructed to prevent degradation of the material from which it may be constructed by exposure to the UVGI radiation.
As seen in
The UVGI array assembly 14 may be powered from available power where the control surface is used, or the control surface 10 may include a battery or other suitable power source. The UVGI array assembly 14 electronics may also incorporate at least one sensor 32, such as a proximity or motion sensor for example, to turn on the array assembly 14 after use of the control surface 10, for a predetermined exposure time. An aspect of the invention is that the control surface 10 is only irradiated long enough to ensure that the surface is fully disinfected or sanitized, which for many types of control surfaces 10 may only amount to a period of a few seconds. The use of a proximity, motion or other suitable sensor 32 with the array system 14 reduces the possible exposure to UVGI radiation and minimizes power requirements for operation of the system 14. The at least one sensor 32 may be for example, visible light or IR beam interruption sensor system, positioned on opposing upper and lower sides of the keypad 18, to sense the approach of fingers or other object. When a hand or other object comes into close proximity to the control surface 10, this presence is sensed by sensor(s) 32. When the hand or other object leaves the control surface area, the UVGI array 14 is actuated for a brief interval or exposure period sufficient to sanitize the control surface 10. Any suitable sensor 32 arrangement may be used, to detect movement/presence of objects without physical contact, and relay that information captured into an electrical signal. Such sensors may include a beam interruption system, motion detector, IR, ultrasonic, microwave or other proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, passive IR (PIR), or any other suitable method or device. In the case of visible light beam or IR beam interruption sensors, the projected beam will be modulated in a particular manner so that it can be discriminated from background ambient light or environmental IR radiation upon reception, to prevent unwanted actuation or deactivation of the array assembly 14.
As seen in
An example of the operation of the array system 14 is seen in
The array 14 is thus activated for a predetermined amount of time after use of the control surface as detected by an object coming into proximity with the control surface 10. If another object comes into proximity during the exposure period, the array 14 may be turned off to prevent exposure of another user to the radiation, or because the exposure level may still be minimal, other control of the system may be performed to ensure complete sanitization of the control surface 10. If the system is prematurely turned off before the full exposure period is reached, a warning or the like may be issued to alert the next user to this situation if desired. Alternatively, a barrier may be provided and moved to prevent use of the control surface 10 for the exposure period, and then removed to allow use of the control surface 10. The control surface 10 may further include an indicator or other suitable system to let any persons in the area of the control surface 10, that the irradiation system 12 is in operation. Other suitable arrangement to facilitate avoiding use of the control surface 10 before the desired exposure time is complete after a use are contemplated.
The low-power irradiation array system 14 provides a simple, low-profile assembly, and is integrated directly into the design of the control surface 10 itself. This allows the system 14 to be specifically configured for a particular control surface, and as noted, such control surfaces can vary significantly. In the example of
Turning to
The invention as described can be applied to any control surface, either by integration of a sanitizing system including a UVGI irradiation system tailored for the particular control surface, or as a retrofit irradiation system designed for existing surfaces designed to be touched, such as control surfaces that are in use. Various control surfaces are configured in a manner that also generally result in interaction with only a portion of the control surface. For example, with respect to keyboards, the keys are pushed or touched and the other surfaces of the control surface are not required to be pushed or touched, and the irradiation system of the invention may be configured to irradiate the portions of a control surface that are primarily susceptible to contamination and/or action surfaces. For example, a control surface such as a door handle may generally include portions designed to be grasped by a person, while other portions are generally not touched. The irradiation system could be configured to disinfect the portions designed to be grasped or touched by a person if desired.
Turning to
In another example as seen in
At this time, types of UVGI sources, such as UVC LED devices, are still an emerging technology, and as such, the cost of these devices is still quite high. Although, this is a rapidly growing sector within the LED industry and the price of these devices will possibly continue to improve, it is unlikely that sources such as UVC LED devices will ever reach a comparably low price point to visible light LED devices. This is due to the fact that UVC germicidal LED devices require costlier materials in their construction. As an example, plastic materials used in visible light LEDs would degrade rapidly under UVC radiation. As a result, UVC LED devices require either quartz glass, or special silicone lens to be used in their construction. Thus, it is currently an expensive proposition to use high-power UVC LED arrays to blanket an area with a sufficient power density of UVC radiation to ensure surface disinfection. But, the systems and methods of the invention instead allow selectively radiating only those surfaces that are likely to be touched in a public venue for example, and by placing the UVC LED array close to this surface, low-cost, low-power LED emitters can be utilized, making the systems cost-effective, and able to be used to disinfect many different control surfaces in many different environments and applications. The systems and methods further allow for the use of lower-cost UVC LED emitters even though they may suffer from limited lifespan in comparison to higher quality UVC LED devices. By only activating the low-power UVC LED array in the systems and methods when necessary and only for a brief time, the usable lifespan of the UVC LED emitters and thus, the sanitizing apparatus is vastly extended. As UVC LED emitters or other UVGI sources are also more dangerous to people, minimizing any exposure is desirable, and achieved by properly disinfecting high touch areas in between each usage, while minimizing operation of the UVGI array. Thus, even if the cost of UVGI emitters becomes is reduced over time, the attributes of the systems and methods of the invention continue to provide advantages. For example, because a low-power UVC LED array is being employed, in an intermittent fashion, the power consumption of the device is quite low. This eases installation by making it easier to power the device. For the same reasons, heat dissipation from the low-power LED array will be quite low, making it possible to maintain a low junction operating temperature for the UVC LED or other devices without any substantial heat sinking being required. This translates directly to a compact form factor for the systems.
Further, as UVC radiation, particularly at high power levels, has a destructive effect not only on organisms and viral particles, it also has an impact on any organic compound. As a result, materials such as plastics, adhesives, cellulose based materials, organic fibers, and pigments, are rapidly degraded by UVC irradiation. This is currently an issue of concern in commercial aircraft passenger cabins where UVC blanket irradiation methods are being attempted to disinfect cabin interiors in the wake of outbreaks of disease caused by pathogens that may linger on surfaces. Attempts at large-scale UVC cabin disinfection may use UVC disinfecting carts which are brought aboard between flights, when passengers are not present. They may employ high-intensity mercury tube UVC sources held on articulating arms which are moved around the cabin. Repeated usage of these UVC disinfecting carts will undoubtedly lead to accelerated wear or fading of materials on all surfaces. This systems and methods of the invention mostly avoid such problems, by only irradiating surfaces that people are likely to touch and only with intermittent and just enough UVC radiation to ensure proper disinfection, limiting potential wear of bulk surfaces. This invention also makes it possible to limit the frequency of large-scale disinfection cycles that may be used in the cabin, extending the life of the surface materials and saving substantial labor and cost.
Likewise, regular cleaning with surfactants and disinfectants can have a damaging effect on surfaces. Control surfaces such as membrane or pushbutton keypads, touch screens, and switches are particularly susceptible to damage or degradation from chemical cleaning and disinfection. As an example, cleaning solutions may cause buttons to stick, control keypad nomenclature/marking to fade or become unreadable, render LCD or LED displays unreadable or other problems. Cleaning with aqueous or aerosol cleaning agents may also result in moisture ingression within components with which an electronic control surface is used, leading to malfunction. The systems and methods of the invention again avoid such problems and deficiencies of other disinfection approaches. The systems and methods of the invention also overcome the deficiency of regular cleaning using chemicals or general UVC blanket irradiation methods that do not account for usage of and possible contamination of control surfaces between cleaning cycles.
Though the low power and/or intermittent operation of the irradiation system as part of the system of the invention limits any adverse exposure of people in the vicinity, appropriate safeguards may be taken to shield the UVGI radiation if desired. In the systems of the invention, the UVGI array is positioned in close proximity to the surfaces of the control surface to be treated for maximum effectiveness, and results in the radiation generally not extending any significant distance from the array. This allows the lowest feasible amount of UVGI radiation to be employed to lower the power consumption of the unit for a cost effective system 10, and also minimizes any potential for damage to skin or eyes as the UVC exposure falls off radically with just a few feet of physical separation from the array, and momentary exposure poses no health risk. Further, the UVGI emitters used in an array may be configured to emit far-UV in the range of 200 to 222 nanometers, which effectively eliminates pathogens, but does not adversely affect people or materials that may be exposed to the radiation. The UVGI emitters may include an optical bandpass filter to emit the desired wavelength of UV radiation, or could be monochromatic or quasimonochromatic to emit UV of a desired wavelength or small range of wavelengths. It should be noted that the above are only examples of the systems and methods of the invention, and the configurations of the control surfaces and associated irradiation system can be modified to correspond to any desired control surface. A control surface that incorporates the UVGI array(s) directly into the design of the control surface provides the advantage in allowing a drop-in replacement for an existing control surface configuration in an originally manufactured product. Alternatively, a retrofit design allows flexibility to use a system in conjunction with a control surface already in use. The form factor of the control surface with integrated UVGI irradiation system or retrofit UVGI irradiation system may be of any suitable configuration to provide disinfecting irradiation where it is desired. The provision of discrete systems to enable effective disinfection of control surfaces provides distinct advantage in controlling the possible spread of disease.
Although certain examples of the invention have been described, the examples are not limiting and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/055,557, filed Jul. 23, 2020, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63055557 | Jul 2020 | US |
