SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENT AIR STERILIZATION WITHOUT CIRCULATION UNSANITIZED AIR

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterilization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A UV-C generation device is provided that includes multiple UV-C light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) positioned around a work area. For example, the multiple UV-C LEDs may be positioned around a cylinder. The cylinder may be, for example, comprised of a UV-C transparent material (e.g., a material with UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%) such as, for example, quartz or UV-C transparent polymer. The LEDs may be located on a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board may be fabricated, for example, from a polyimide or FR4 and may be, for example between 2 thousandths of an inch and seven thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between 2 and 4 thousandths of an inch thick such as between 2 and 2.5 thousandths of an inchd thick). A working substance (e.g., a gas, a liquid, an air and liguid) may flow through the cylinder and the UV-C LEDs may interact with the working substance to, for example, sterilize the working substance. The UV-C LEDs may, for example, have a wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 220 and 280 nanometers or between 250 and 265 nanometers or between 255 and 260 nanometers such as 255, 260, or 265 nanometers).

Each UV-C LED may be independently controlled and regulated through control and regulation circuitry on the flexible printed circuit board or another device. Accordingly, the intensity of each UV-C LED as well as the turn-ON time and turn-OF time of each UV-C LED may be independently controlled. A processor may be provided on the flexible circuit board or on another communicatively coupled device to control the operation of the UV-C LEDs.

The flexible printed circuit board may be, for example, wrapped around all of, or a portion of, the cylinder so that the UV-C LEDs may provide UV-C light into the cylinder through the cylinder wall. UVC-LEDs may be arranged in rows and columns. A UV-C flexible circuit when wrapped around a cylinder may, for example, have rows of three (3) UV-C LEDs in multiple columns (e.g., three columns, six columns, nine columns, twelve columns, more than twelve columns, or any number of columns). Accordingly, six columns of three UV-C LEDs would provide eighteen UV-C LEDs. The UV-C LEDs may be aligned in rows or staggered in rows around the cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the workspace may not be provide din a cylinder but in any shape that provides a workspace (e.g., inside a cube, rectangular, triangular, or any other type of housing).

UV-C reflective material may be provided on the flexible printed circuit board around the UVC-LEDs or selectively provided, around the UV-C LEDs placement so as to not generally impede UV-C emanating from the UV-C LEDs, on the interior surface or exterior surface of the cylindrical housing. Such a UV-C reflective material may include, for example, aluminum.

One or more heat sinks may be provided around the UV-C LEDs in order to capture and expel heat from UV-C LEDs away from those UV-C LEDs. A battery and/or wall plug and/or battery and wall-plug may be utilized to charge, for example, one or more rechargeable batteries located inside a housing that includes the working space.

Manual inputs may be operable to receive manual input from outside of a housing that may include the working area (e.g., a UV-C transparent cylinder) or be placed within the proximity of a working area. Temperature, humidity, and flow rate may be added and utilized to, for example, control the intensity of one or more of the UV-C LEDs so that, for example, the intensity may be changed for different temperatures, flows, and/or humidity.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of Ultraviolet LEDs, or other light sources, may be provided on an LED array such as UV-B and UV-A LEDs. Similarly, additional wavelengths of light may be provided in LEDs, or other types of light sources. A spectrometer, or other device, may be included to determine the type of material in the working space and may activate different LEDs or different types of LEDs (e.g., based on the detected material(s)). Similarly, different UV-C LEDs, or non-LED UV-C sources, may provide different wavelengths and different modes may be provided to control the UV-C LEDs so a subset of the UV-C LEDs may provide a particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 255 to 265 nanometers) and other UV-C LEDs may provide another particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 270 to 280 nanometers).

A flexible circuit board does not have to be rolled, for example, for the flexible circuit board to sterilize a working surface. A device may have a generally flat flexible circuit board at a perimeter separated from a surface that has contaminant (e.g., virus and/or bacteria) that requires sterilization). The housing may have a handle (e.g., a removable handle) so that the UV-C sterilization device can be provided as want for moving over, and sterilizing, a surface.

The housing may include multiple mateable ports for handles such that, for example, one handle may be inserted into one mateable port to provide a sanitizing and a larger handle may be inserted into a different mateable port to provide a sanitizing moop/broom. Such a UV-C sanitizing device may be wall mounted such that, for example, someone can place their hands in a working space and have theit hands sterilized. The device may operate on two modes—human mode and non-human mode. The device can prompt this to the user for the mode, wait for the user to activate the mode, or autonomously activate the mode.

The flexible circuit board with multiple UV-C LEDs may be articulated via motors and/or other controls so that different areas that, for example, include UV-C LEDs may be moved away from each other or to each other or moved closer to, or further away from, the other LED's.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciated that a fixed distance surface cleaner may be utilized. A fixed distance surface cleaner may be, for example, permanently attached (e.g., bolted and/or screwed) to a surface (e.g., a counter-top) so that objects may be passed in front of UV-C generating portion(s) to sterilize the objects. For example, a UV-C surface sanitizer may be provided on a countertop next to a point-of-sale register. A customer may pass a credit card and or a currency bill and/or a coil under a UV-C sanitization device to sanitize a device. A UV-C generating device may be embedded in the countertop or placed in the countertop and may face upwards so an object provided over it may be sanitized on the surface(s) facing the UV-C generation. UV-C generation units may provide a particular amount of UV-C light at a particular point and may be controlled, over time, to provide that amount of UV-C light at that particular point. Accordingly, for example, UV-C light may be provided at an amount that sterilizes at a particular distance (e.g., under 5 millimeters from the surface of a counter) but not at a further point (e.g., beyond 5 millimeters) from the surface of a counter. UV-C generators may be provided over and/or under a conveyer (e.g., a gapped and/or conveyer with UV-C transparent material).

A UV-C air sterilization device is provided in which a fan (e.g., axial fan and/or centrifugal fan) pushes and/or pulls air through a working area into which UV-C is applied. The air may then be directed over the UV-C sources of light so that the sterilized air is also used to remove heat from the UV-C sources. The circulated air that has been sanitized and utilized to remove heat from the sanitization device may then be, for example, expelled from the device. In doing so, the device may move sanitized air from the device without moving non-sanitized air from the device.

An air sanitization device may also apply other types of light such as UV-A and/or UV-B light in addition to, or in place of, UV-C light. A fan may have several speeds such that different efficacies of sterlization may be provided and/or different air speeds may be provided.

One or more fixed and/or removable mechanical particulate filters may be provided (e.g., before the working area of the UV-C sanitization device). In doing so, particulates may be kept away from A UV-C working area of the device.

One or more (e.g., several) speed settings may be provided to circulate air through a UV-C working area. Such various speeds may, for example, provide different impact rates (e.g., inactivation rates) of various air-born contaminants (e.g., virus) and may provide different speeds at sanitizing air.

An autonomous cleaning operation may be provided by a UV-C sanitization device that may clean a UV-C generating device. For example. an air sterilization device may utilize one or more fans to move air through a UV-C working area at a maximum speed during operation. However, during cleaning, the one or more fans may move the air through the UV-C working area at a faster rate and such a faster rate may be constant for a period of time or may include several pulses of air. A cleaning substance may also be released to be moved through the working area during an autonomous leaning operation. A portion of a UV-C air sterilization device may be accessible to a user so that the user may, for example, access a UV-C working area of a UV-C air sanitization device for cleaning. Cleaning objects (e.g., a brush that can fit into the working area of a UV-C sanitization device, cloth, and/or other object may be provided in a sealed box with the UV-C air sanitization device for consumer sale). A UV-C sanitization device may have an indicator (e.g., verbal and/or audible) to provide a notification to a user that a user-driven and/or user-assisted cleaning process is desired. A housing of a UV-C sanitization device may include, for example, a mating structure such that a cleaning object may be mated to the UV-C sanitization device.

One or more light sources (e.g., visible light sources) may be placed in one or more working areas of a UV (e.g., UV-A, UV-B, and/or UV-C) air sanitization device and one or more sensors that can detect the light provided from those light sources may be placed in the working channel or areas where light from the light sources may reach. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that different intensities of light sensed may, for example, be indicative of different amounts of residue (e.g., dirt and/or dust) that may have gathered on the surfaces of a UV-C working area as different amounts of residue may decrease, for example, the reflectivity of the surfaces with the reside. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that materials that are transparent to particular wavelengths may be utilized in a uV-C working area. Light (e.g., visible and/or non-visible light) may be provided through these transparent materials and sensors may be utilized to determine any residue on such transparent materials. Accordingly, light sources (e.g., visible light and/or non-visible light sources) may be utilized with sensors to determine the state of cleanliness of UV-C working surfaces by detecting different amounts of residue. Additionally, for example, UV-C sensors may be utilized to determine the amount of UV-C light in particular areas to determine, for example, how much reflectivity and/or transparency has been degraded from residue over reflective and/or transparent materials in and/or around a UV-C working area, respectively. Residue may be, for example, determined by direct sensing means such as for example a camera that takes a picture and analyzes the picture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and advantages of the present invention can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same structural elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of UV-C device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 11 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows device 100 that may include any number of ultraviolet C (UV-C) light sources such as UV-C light emitting diodes 102 and 103. UV-C sources may have a wavelength between approximately 200 nanometers and 280 nanometers. Processor 106 and additional circuitry 107 may be included on circuit board 101 in additional to input/output ports 104 and 105.

Printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, a non-flexible or a flexible printed circuit board. Input/output ports 104 and 105 may be, for example, contacts to couple to another circuit board or an external device. Processor 106 may, for example, control UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 using firmware that is downloaded into processor 106 or provided in a memory of processor 106 before or after placement on circuit board 101. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that printed circuit board 101 may be multiple printed circuit boards that are communicatively coupled together to form a multiple circuit board device. Different circuit boards of a multiple circuit board device may be provided in a single housing or in different housings.

Firmware updates may be downloaded through input/output ports 104 and 105. Any number of input/output ports may be provided and different protocols may be utilized for different ports. Additionally, blue-tooth (e.g., BLE), contactless (e.g., RFID), telecommunications (e.g., cellular such as 4G or 5G cellular), infrared, or other wireless communication structures may be provided such as wireless communication chips, circuitry, protocols, and ports may be provided. Wireless power generation may be provided and may be utilized by power circuitry to change a battery coupled to printed circuit board 101 (e.g., through battery contact pads on circuit board 101).

Printed circuit board 101 may be a flexible polyimide or flexible Fr$. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such a flexible printed circuit board may be, for example between two thousandths of an inch and seven (7) thousands of an inch in thickness (e.g., between two thousandths of an inch and three thousands of an inch in thickness). Silicon chips may be grinded and polished before placement on printed circuit board 101 to between, for example, five thousandths and ten thousandths of an inch in thickness). Such chips may be mounted on printed circuit board 1010 via a flip-on-flex structure or via a wire-bonded structure. A wire-bonded structure may be for example a low-provide wire-bonded structure with wire-bonds that are placed with less than a five thousandths of an inch profile above the silicon chip and encapsulant that is less than three thousandths of an inch above each wire-bond The entire thickness from the bottom of flexible circuit board to the top of an encapsulant of a chip may be, for example under fourteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., under twelve thousandths of an inch thick). For example, the thickness from the bottom of circuit board 101 to the top of the encapsulant may be between ten and sixteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between twelve and fourteen thousandths of an inch thick). Wire-bonds may be for example, gold wire-bonds or aluminum wire-bonds. A low-profile encapsulant may be provided that utilizes at least two separate encapsulate provisioning steps in order to provide the low-profile encapsulant.

Processor 106 may be one or more processors and may be provided between, for example, twenty megahertz and five gigahertz. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that faster processors may provide faster control of UV-C LEDs 102 and 103. Faster control of UV-C LEDs may provided shorter ON times which may provide the ability to damage and sterilize certain elements (e.g., virus) without damaging and sterilizing other elements (e.g., living tissue and cells). Processor 106 may, for example, provide ON times for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 less than, for example, 100 nanoseconds, less than 10 nanoseconds, less than 1 nanosecond. For example, Processor 106 may turn ON UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 between approximately 1 and 100 nanoseconds (e.g., between 20 and 60 nanoseconds or between 30 and 50 nanoseconds). High speed control circuitry may also be provided in order to control UV-C LEDS 102 and 103 between 1 and 100 femptosecond (e.g., between 1 and 50 femptoseconds or between 1 and 20 femptoseconds).

Circuitry 107 and 108 may include, for example, regulation and control circuitry for UV-C, or other, sources of light on circuit board 101 as well as sources of light and other circuitry on other boards or external devices. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs on circuit board 101 may be, fore example, individually regulated and controlled or controlled as a group or in subsets. For example, circuit board 101 may include over ten (10) or over one hundred (100) UV-C LEDs. UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled in groups of two or more (e.g., three or more). A portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled independently while another portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated as a group or in sub-groups.

UV-C LEDs on printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, UV-C LEDs having the same wavelength of may have different wavelengths and they may be independently controlled at different times using different control profiles that provide different turn ON an turn OFF pulses (e.g., the duration of an OFF state for one or more UV-C LEDs may be the same duration or a different duration such as a longer or shorter duration than the ON duration for the respective one or more UV-C LEDs). The UV-C LEDs may all be between approximately 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., provided at or between 250 and 270 nanometers such as provided at or between 255 and 265 nanometers). Some UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, at or between 250 and 260 nanometers while others are provided, for example, at or between 260 and 270 nanometers. One or more additional light sources may be provided on board 101 such as, for example, UV-B, UV-A, VUV, and visible spectrum light sources.

Visible spectrum light sources may be provided, for example, to provide a visual indicator when board 101 is ON or OFF as well as different operating modes. For example, a visible spectrum LED may be a single-color LED (e.g., white, green, blue, Or red) or a multiple color LED and may provide indication of when a battery (e.g., a rechargeable battery) is low and/or critically low on power. Manual inputs may be included on circuit board 101 to receive, for example, manual input to turn circuit board 101 ON, Off, and/or change between different modes of operation (e.g., different intensities for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103).

Circuit board 101 may be a single layer or multiple layer circuit board. For example, circuit board 101 may have two, three, four, or more layers. Printed circuit board 101 may be flexible. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board may be at least partially or fully wrapped around or contorted around one or more objects (e.g., one or more working spaces for sterilization by the UV-C LEDs of board 101). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that flexible circuit board 101 may utilized for multiple sterilization devices as flexible circuit board 101 may be able to flex around one or more objects (e.g., one or more hollow cylinders in which working material may be sterilized by UV-C LEDs) or may not be flexed and may lie flat next to an object (e.g., a surface of an object desired to be sterilized). Flexible circuit board 101 may be actuated so it can be flexed around different objects or placed next to an object so one device may be used in different configurations to change the location of elements of circuit board 101 to sterilize different objects and/or surfaces.

Circuit board 101 may include multiple rows and columns of UV-C LEDs and each UV-C LED, row of UV-C LEDs, and/or column of UV-C LEDs may be, for example, independently controlled (e.g., by processor 106 via additional circuitry such as additional circuitry 107). Circuit board 101 may include, for example, rows of three (or more) UV-C LEDs and columns of five (or more) UV-C LEDs). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that rows may include the same number of UV-C LEDs or a different number of UV-C LEDs than other rows. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that columns of UV-C LEDs may include the same or different number of UV-C LEDs than other columns. A row of UV-C LEDs may have, for example, six UV-C LEDs so that if circuit board 101 is rolled around a tube in a particular manner that the UV-C LED row provides a hexagonal disc around that tube. Each column may then, for example, provide another hexagonal disc of UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may be folded to provided UV-C LEDs facing in two (or more directions), left unfolded so the UV-C LEDs face in a single direction, wrapped around an object so the UV-C LEDs face into the object, folded inside of an object (e.g., a tube) so the UV-C LEDs face outside of the object, wrapped around an object (e.g., a brontoscopy or proble) with the UV-C LEDs facing away from that object, or in any form to provide UV-C LED light to any object or objects. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may have UV-C LEDs on a single side of board 101 or multiple sides of board 101.

Cross section 110 shows a cross-section of flexible circuit board 113 including UV-C LEDs 114 and 115 inside of a tube having an interior surface 112 and an exterior surface 111. Such a tube may be cylindrical in shape or may have a non-cylindrical shape. Any UV-C material utilized with a sterilization device may be UV-C transparent and may have UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%), greater than seventy percent (e.g., 70%), greater than eighty percent (80%), or greater than ninety percent (e.g., 90%). Such a UV-C transparent material may be, for example, quartz. Cross section 110 may, for example, include a cross section that includes two or more UV-C LEDs such as three or more UV-C LEDS or six or more UV-C LEDs. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that cross-section 110 may be provided such that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs is inserted into a rigid or flexible tube that is UV-C transparent to be placed in a cavity of a living organism (e.g., a nasal, throat, or lung cavity) or wrapped around or a part of a structure (e.g., a bronchoscope, nasapharangeascope, or another type of scope) in order to sterilize material placed about the tube having outer surface 111 and inner surface 112 from contaminants (e.g., viruses). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a thinner thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 of any tube used in connection with a sterilization device may provide more UV-C light to penetrate through inner wall 11 and 112 to interact with a working material. Accordingly, the thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 may be, for example, at or between half a millimeter and four millimeters (e.g., at or between half a millimeter and two and a half millimeters such as at or between a millimeter and two millimeters). For example, the thickness of a UV-C transparent material may be approximately two millimeters in thickness.

Side view 140 shows a side view of a cylinder with a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs wrapped around the cylinder. More particularly, side view 140 includes flexible circuit board 141 wrapped around a cylinder that has multiple UV-C LEDs such as UV-C LEDS 142, 143, 144, and 145. UV-C LEDs and 143 may be part of a UV-C disc that includes three or more UV-C LEDs. For example, the far side (not shown) of side view 140 may include a single UV-C LED aligned with UV-C LED 142 and 143 to provide a three UV-C LED disc around a hallow cylinder when placed around a hollow cylinder. UV-C LEDs may be facing into the hollow cylinder to provide UV-C light into a working area inside of the hollow cylinder in order to interact (e.g., sterilize) material (e.g., virus) in and/or moving through that working area. UV-C LED 142 may be aligned with UV-C LED 144 and UV-C LED 143 (and other UV-C LEDs) may be aligned with 145 (and other UV-C LEDs), respectively, so that the UV-C LEDs of multiple discs and/or rows are aligned with each other when wrapped around an object.

Cross-sectional view 120 shows circuit board 123 that may include one more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 124) located around a UV-C transparent hollow cylinder provided by interior wall 121 and exterior wall 122.\

Cross-sectional view 130 shows circuit board 131 located around a hollow cylinder that included an interior wall 132 and an exterior wall 133. Circuit board 131 may have one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LEDs 134 and 135).

Side view 150 shows flexible circuit board 152 wrapped around a hollow cylinder such that LED discs are formed that are staggered from one another. For example, UV-C LED 153 may be associated with two ore more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder while UV-C LEDs 152 and 154 may be associated with one or more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder. Each UV-C LED disc may have the same (or different) number of UV-C LEDs but, for example, these UV-C LED discs may be staggered such that material flowing through the cylinder at different locations may have staggered UV-C LEDs that may be closer to the material than if the UV-C LEDs were not staggered with respect to one another. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C discus, rows, or columns may be staggered in two or more configurations 9 e.g., three or more configurations) and multiple groups of UV-C LEDs may be staggered differently than different groups of UV-C LEDS.

Device 160 shows a stepped hollow cylinder 162 that has three circuit boards, each having multiple UV-C LEDs wrapped around different portions of the stepped hollow cylinder. For example, circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be placed (e.g., wrapped around) portions 162, 163, and 164. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be independently controlled via the same of different firmware on each board. Multiple circuit boards may be coupled to a processor and/or circuit board located outside of the boards with UV-C LEDs. A circuit board with UV-C LEDs may act as a master control circuit board to another circuit board with UV-C LEDs that acts as a slave circuit board such that the master control circuit board controls the slave circuit board.

Cross-sectional view 170 includes circuit board 173 around a hollow cylinder including interior wall 171 and exterior wall 172. The cylinder, as in any structure that is provided to include a working space in that structure, may be UV-C transparent. Circuit board 173 may include one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 176) that faces into the walls 171 and 172 such that UV-C light from UV-C LED 176 passes through walls 172 and 172 to impact the working space provided by wall 171. A material, e.g. air, may be flowed through the working space provided by wall 171 so that UV-C LEDs may impact (e.g., sterilize) that material from contaminants (e.g., virus and/or bacteria). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs may be laminated into the hollow cylinder itself (e.g., between walls 171 and 172. Such a configuration may, for example, provide UV-C LEDs closer to the working space. A fan, or other material movement system, may be provided to impact the speed that material is moving through the working space.

Post 175 may be UV-C transparent and may include UV-C LED 174. Configuration 181 may be provided in place of UV-C 174 and may include multiple UV-C LEDs. Any UV-C LED may be tilted at an angle on any axis in order to provide UV-C LED light in any direction. UV-C LEDs 182, 183, 184 may be provided on structure 185 and may be tilted differently on one or more axis from each other).

UV-C LEDs 174 or any UV-C LED located outside of a circuit board (e.g. circuit board 173) may be communicatively coupled (e.g., coupled by a physical conductor) to circuit board 173 so that circuit board 173 may control one or more UV-C LEDs located outside of circuit board 173.

A working space may be any working space in any device such as a ventilator device. In providing UV-C sterilization in a ventilator device any air flowing through that ventilator device (e.g., air entering, flowing through, or exiting) the device may be sterilized.

FIG. 2 shows device 200 that may include housing 213. A hollow cylinder may be fluidically coupled to mateable portion 217 and mateable portion 218 so that a working substance (e.g., air in a ventilator) may pass through mateable portion 217, through the cylinder, and through mateable portion 218. Mateable portion 217 may be a male mateable part that fits into female mateable part (e.g., mateable part 218 may be a female mateable part). In doing so, tubing used in, for example, medical devices such as ventiators may be coupled to mateable portion 217 and 218 such that a working substance flowing through the ventilator is temporarily redirected through device 210. Circuit board 219 may include UV-C LEDs (e.g. UV-C LEDs 220, 221, and 222) around a cylinder that circuit board 2019 is wrapped around). One or more heat sinks (e.g., heat sinks 216 and 223) may be wrapped around a portion or all of circuit board 219 to draw heat generated from circuitry and UV-C LEDs away from the working space (e.g., the space inside of the cylinder). The cylinder may be a UV-C transparent material (e.g., quartz) and may include a thickness between an inner wall and an outer wall between approximately 1.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters (e.g., approximately 2 millimeters). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that heat sink 210 and 223 may be a single heat sink wrapped around circuit board 219 wrapped around a hollow cylinder (or other structure providing a working space). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder or other structure may not be provided and circuit board 219 may define the working space itself. For example, circuit board 2019 may be wrapped into a cylinder and a working material may be followed through that cylinder. A protective layer may be placed (e.g., sprayed or placed) on one or more portions of one or more surfaces of the circuit board to provide protection for the circuit board from any working material.

Device 210 may include one or more batteries 215 and 224. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that batteries 215 and 224 may be separate batteries or a single battery wrapped around housing 213. Batteries may be rechargeable or permanent and removable and replaceable. Charging circuitry may be provided. External power may recharge the power or, for example, may power circuitry of device 210 directly. Switching and regulation circuitry may control, for example, when external power (e.g., wall power) is utilized to charge a rechargeable battery and/or power circuitry of device 210 directly. Manual interfaces 211 may be included such as, for example, to turn device 210 ON/OFF and or change modes or enter other input data into device 210 (e.g., configure device settings and or device modes). Visual indicators 212 may be a bi-stable or non bi-stable display and/or single-color light source(s) and/or multiple color light source(s). A visual indicator may be a two-color display (e.g., black and white or two tone display) or a several color display (e.g., a color display) and may include an interface for the consumer. Visual indicators 212 may include the status of device 210 Status may include, for example, status information such as, for example, whether device 210 is operating properly or incorrectly as well as data associated with the device. For example, device 210 may provide a visual indication of a low battery, broken part (e.g., broken UV-C LED). Audio indicators may also be provided such as speakers. Audio and/or visual information may be provided such as, for example, when a battery is less than a particular amount of charge (e.g., less than twenty percent or less than ten percent of charge) or when a software update is available. External ports 214 may be provided anywhere on housing 213 such as on mateable port 217 and 218 such that external power and/or control and/or data input/output may be provided. By including external ports 214 on mateable portions multiple devices can be physically coupled together and the coupled devices may communicate to each other (e.g., control and power each other). Any number of devices 210 may be coupled to one another to, for example, provide a multiple or several device array or, for example, to increase the sterilization impact on a working substance. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to a ventilator. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to different parts of a ventilator or may be coupled adjacently to a single part of a ventilator.

Devices 230 are provided that include device 232 having mateable portions 231 and 233, device 235 having mateable portions 234 and 236 and device 328 having mateable portions 237 and 239. A working substance can be flowed (e.g., pushed and/or pulled) through an opening in mateable portion 231 and through devices 232, 235, and 238 to be expelled through an opening in mateable portion 239.

Devices 240 may be provided and may include devices 241, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, and 250. Adaptors 242 and 225 may be included to create a joined working space between any number of devices. Adaptor 242 may, for example, fluidically couple device 241 to device 243 and 244. Adaptor 245 may, for example, fluidically coupled devices 243 and 244 to devices 246, 247, 249, and 250.

FIG. 3 shows ventilator 310 that may include housing 311 tubing 312 and device 313 that may include device 313 for providing UV-C light to the working substance provided by tubing 312. Deice 313 may be, for example, any UV-C generating device included herein such as, for example, device 100 of FIG. 1.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generating device may have liquid and/or gas flowed through it from any structure. Accordingly, for example, a UV-C sterilization device may be placed about an input and/or output and/or filter port to any device such as a face mask. Accordingly, for example, a face mask wearer (e.g., a military, police, firefighter, caregiver) may enjoy improved protection against contaminants (e.g., bacteria and/or virus). Configuration 320 may be provided that may include UV-C sterilization device 322 fluidically coupled to an air channel of mask 321. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C sterilization devices may be coupled to one or more air channels of mask 321.

Configuration 330 of FIG. 3 shows device 331 coupled to UV-C generating device 332. Device 331 may be, for example, an substance cooler, substance heater, substance fan, and may be fluidically coupled to provide the substance worked on, expelled, or input into device 331 through device 332 to provide, for example, sterilization capability.

Configuration 340 may be provided any may include device 341 fluidically coupled to device 343 through UV-C generation device 342 such that a substance moved between device 341 and 343 may be sterilized by, for example, device 342.

Configuration 350 may include device 353 communicatively coupled to UV-C generating device 351 via physical or wireless communications 353 such that information and controls may be provided between device 353 and device 351.

Configuration 360 may be included that includes device 353 fluidically coupled to device 261 and communicatively coupled to device 264. Device 264 may also be communicatively coupled or fluidically coupled to device 261. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 362 may be communicatively coupled to multiple or several other devices as well as fluidically coupled to multiple or several other devices.

FIG. 4 shows air sanitization device 410 which may have fan portion 412 and control portion 411 that may include several state switch 414, button 413, and power connection 415. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate will appreciate that several state switch 414 may, for example, a switch that has more than two states. Switch 414 may be, however, a switch that has two states. Button 413 may be a two state switch but may also have more than two states. Air sanitization device 410 may, for example, be utilized to sterilize materials other than air. For example, air sanitization device may be utilized to sterilize a liquid (e.g., water, blood, bodily fluid, or a non-bodily fluid. Device 410 may be, for example, a side view of device 410 and may include control portion 421, fan portion 424, UV-C working area portion 422, mechanical grill 425, and extension portion 422. Air, or another substance, may, for example, be brought into fan portion 424 by one or more fans provided in fan portion 424. Mechanical grill 425 may, for example, include mechanical structures to permit air to flow past the mechanical structures, but that may prohibit structures beyond a particular size from entering fan portion 424 so the fan(s) are not damaged. Similarly, mechanical grill 425 may protect a person from putting their hand into fan portion 424 so that the person does not get accidently harmed while operating the UV-C air sanitization device.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C working area portion 422 may include an area where UV-C is introduced to the substance flowing through device 422 for sterilization. Such an area may be provided, for example, by a structure such as a tube made of UV-C reflective material (e.g., a PTFE material with at least 90% reflectivity or 95% reflectivity). Apertures may be cut into the structure and one or more UV-C light emitting diodes may be provided in the apertures. UV-C transparent material may be provided in the apertures, for example, such that the UV-C light emitting diodes provide light through the UV-C transparent material and into the working area and the UV-C light may reflect off the UV-C reflective material and be retained, at least partially, in the working area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C transparent material may be, for example, a quartz with at least 85% UV-C transparency or at least 90% UV-C transparency. UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, with UV-C between 100 nm and 280 nm (e.g., between, and including, 200 and 280 nm or between, and including, 260 nm and 270 nm).

UV-C working area portion 422 may include heat sink and heat sink fins that are thermally coupled to one or more UV-C light source(s) (e.g., LED(s)) and permit air to flow past the heat sink and heat sink fins and remove heat from the heat from the device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a substance (e.g., air) may be brought through fan portion 424 through a structure such as a cylinder and UV-C may be applied into this cylinder and then the treated air may be stopped from exiting the device by interface portion 421 and then air may flow back outside the cylinder past heat sinks and/or heat sink fins and then may exit the device, for example, about extension portion 423. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C treated air may be heated by heat sinks and heat sink fins and this heat may perform additional sanitization of certain types of contaminants that are reactant to heat (e.g., virus such as SARS-CoV-2).

Device 430 may be, for example, a view facing a fan portion of a device (e.g., fan portion of device 420) and may include fan portion 432 with grill structures 433 and 431.

Device 440 may be, for example, a perspective view of an air sanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, for example, a perspective view of device 420. Device 440 may include curved interface portion 441 and non-curved interface portion 442. Device 440 may include screw attachment access portion 444 and fan 443 protected by grill 445.

Device 450 may be, for example, a perspective view of an air sanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, for example, a perspective view of device 420. An interface portion may be provided with manual interfaces and other power and/or input and/or output connections. Interface portion may include an extension portion 451 and a recessed portion 452. A recessed portion and an extension portion may, for example, protect against objects accidently hitting manual user interfaces. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that ports may be used to deliver information and/or power to and/or from device 450. Portable and/or stationary devices may be coupled to device 450 for power and/or information. Any number of ports and/or manual interfaces may be provided. For example, a port may be provided to couple an external energy source (e.g., a wall outlet) to device 450. A second port may be provided, for example, to provide power from device 450 as well as, for example, control signals from device 450 to an oscillator that mechanically moves device 450 (e.g., an oscillator on a tripod or another type of stand).

Device 460 may be, for example, a perspective view of a portion of air sanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, for example, a perspective view of device 420. Multiple state switch 464 may be provided, push button 462 may be provided, and power input 463 may be provided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple state switch 464 may have mor than two states. A several state switch structure may be utilized (e.g., a several state sliding switch). Additional components 461 may be provided and may include, for example, visual and/or audible indicators to provide notifications to a user regarding the operating mode of device 460.

Device 480 may be provided and may be a fan of a air sanitization device. Device 480 may be, for example, a centrifugal fan that may have one, two, or more than two centrifugal blades 481. Device 485 may be a perspective view of device 480 and may include centrifugal one or more centrifugal blades 486.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C working area may be provided by a cylinder or other hollow structure such as a spherical cylinder, elliptical cylinder, rectangular cylinder/prism, square cylinder/prism, triangular cylinder/prism, or any other shape channel including channels that may change shape as the channels progress in a direction. UV-C LEDs may be provided on a flexible printed circuit board that is flexed around a cylinder (e.g., a quartz cylinder) and mounted to the cylinder and/hour housing (e.g. through screw apertures located on the printed circuit board). Any number of rows and columns of UV-C LEDs may be provided and these rows and/or columns may be aligned and/or staggered for entire columns and/or rows or portions of columns and/or rows.

One or more heat sinks may be provided, for example, on the back of a flexible circuit board so that heat from a UV-C LED may travel from the UV-C LED through the circuit board to one or more heat sinks. A heat sink may be for example, aluminum and/or copper (e.g., copper inside of the aluminum to improve flow of heat through the aluminum). Thermal paste or another thermal substance may be utilized to improve thermal coupling of a portion of a device (e.g., back of circuit board under a UV-C LED) with a heat sink. One, two, or several Heat dissipation fins, such as fins 402 and 419, may be provided and may be provided as part of or coupled to one or more heat sinks. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that batteries may be provided in air sanitization houses.

An air sanitization device may be provided in which an object may be passed through one or more UV-C working area(s). Different types of UV light sources (e.g., tube lamps) and different types of UV light (e.g., UV-A and/or UV-B devices) may be provided to provide various types of UV light into a UV working area.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generation device may have any number of UV LEDs of any number of types and wavelengths and be provided in any configuration and density. Multiple devices may be fluidically coupled together o so that the sterilization capability may be increased by creating additional UV-C working areas that are fluidically coupled together (e.g., the output of an air sanitization device is coupled to the input of an air sanitization device.

A UV-C working area defining structure (e.g., tube) may be provided at a slant with respect to a base. In providing a slant, UV light (e.g., UV-C light) may be directed away from an opening so that UV-C light does not pass through the opening (e.g., the entrance). Different mating structures may be provided about input and/or output outlets of an air sanitization device so that the air sanitization device may be, for example, coupled to an external device such as a ventilator for air sterilization.

A conveyer or moveable tray or pushing object may be utilized to move an object through a working channel. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that structures may be provided in a UV working area to slow down an object and or direct an object in a certain direction in order to, for example, increase the time of an object in a working channel. For example, a working channel may include multiple turns in order to, for example, potentially decrease the speed of objects flowing through a working channel.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the entrance and/or of a UV working area may take any dimension and shape, may take the same dimension and/or shapes, and/or may take different dimensions and/or shapes. Furthermore, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV working area may have multiple entrances and multiple exits (and may be bi-directional do objects can enter from any exit and enter through any exit). The working area channel may have the same dimensions or different dimensions as an opening. Multiple or several connected and/or independent UV working areas may be provided in a device.

An opening to a UV-C working area may, for example, have any length and/or width. For example, the width of an opening may be less than, greater to, or equal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc. For example, the length of an opening may be less than, greater to, or equal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc. For example, the width of an opening may be less than 6 inches and the length of an opening may be less than 24 inches.

FIG. 5 shows topology 500 that may include UV-C generating devices 205 that may include one or more UV-C arrays of LEDs coupled through communications 501 to one or more internets and/or networks 502, one or more remote databases and/or servers 503, one or more third party data services 504 (e.g., medical data services for a patient utilizing a UV-C generating device), one or more other devices 507 (e.g., one or more other medical devices for a patient using a UV-C generating device), one or more other services 510 (e.g., a service that provides data regarding other UV-C generating devices), one or more third party services 509 (e.g., timing/clock services for the timing/clock of a UV-C generating devices), and/or one or more peripherals 508 (e.g., external displays, external batteries).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C generation devices may be utilized for surface sanitization such as sanitization of organic or inorganic material.

Process 560 may be included in which power is turned ON for an air sanitization device or an operating mode to turn the device ON is selected by a user. A setup process may be initiated if, for example, the device is being utilized for the first time or if the device is about to be utilized in a particular way (e.g., for sanitization) or if a particular period of time has lapsed since the last time the device was in setup mode or for sensors that are utilized to determine the execution of a setup process is beneficial.

A UV-C air sanitization device setup process may be initiated in step 562. A setup process may, for example, increase air flow in the device from the maximum airflow that a customer can manually select in order to clean the working area of the device. A setup process may also include, for example, taking measurements of the amount of UV-C estimated to be in one or more working areas. Temperature sensors may be utilized, for example, to determine temperatures being generated by any UV-C LEDs. A setup process may, for example, step through multiple or several fan speeds and/or UV-C LED intensities and/or UV-C duty cycles to determine the performance of a device in a particular operating environment. After a setup mode is complete, the fan may operate in the selected manner and the user may be notified in step 563 that the fan is in a selected operational mode. The air sanitization device may wait for an operating mode to be changed autonomously or via manual input in step 564. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an air sanitization device may have, for example, a manual interface (e.g., a multiple or several state knob) that may control when a device is ON, OFF, at a first fan speed setting, at a second fan speed setting, at a third fan speed setting, in a cleaning mode, or a diagnostic mode, etc. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that a switch am turn a device ON and another manual interface may change the operation of the device (e.g., select speeds and other operational modes). Alternatively, an air sanitization device may autonomously determine different modes and/or may be directed to change modes by an external device. Any type of interface may be utilized such as, for example, one or more keypads (e.g., a numerical and/or alphanumeric and/or multiple state or more keypad) and/or one or more displays (e.g., bi-stable displays and or non bi-stable displays).

Process 570 may include step 571 in which power is turned OFF or an operating mode is turned to an OFF operating mode (e.g., autonomously or via direction from manual input or external device input). A shutdown process may then occur, for example, in step 572. A cleaning process may be performed as well as a sensor reading process prior to shut down. After the fan shutdown process of step 572, a user may be notified the fan is in a shut down step 573 until the fan is operated, or determines to be operate din a different manner in step 574. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a shut down process may also slowly ramp down speed to a fan in order to, for example, gradually transition from an operating mode to a shut down mode. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that power may still be operating a device in shut-down mode and a visual indicator (e.g., light and/or display) may indicate that a device is shut down. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc) may be provided both inside a UV-C working area as well as on one or more external surfaces to measure, for example, external environment conditions.

Process 580 may be included and may include a fan in sleep mode instep 581 that may exit sleep mode in step 582 and goes into another mode (e.g., an operational mode or a maintenance mode). A maintenance mode may, for example, obtain sensor readings and performing one or more cleaning operations. If, for example, an air sanitization device determines that more UV-C light is needed, then the current provided to one or more UV-C LED(s) may be increased and/or additional UV-C LED(s) may be turned ON. Alternatively, the duty cycle may be changes to one or more UV-C LED(s) so the UV-C LED9(S) are ON more time than the UV-C LED9(S) are OFF during the duty cycle. Such actions may be determined in step 583 and performed in step 584 before the UV-C air sterilization device returns to sleep mode. Persons skilled in the art may appreciate that a device may be in sleep mode until put into an operating mode by a consumer for air sterilization. Additionally, sensors may be utilized to determine external conditions to put the device into a sterilization mode. For example, camera(s) or other device(s) to determine if people are in the vicinity of the air sterilization device and the device may start sterilization air as a result of detecting people. As per another example, an air sterilization device may be communicatively coupled to a light switch so that the device sanitizes when the light switch is ON and then the fan is in sleep mode with pre-determined interfaces to awaken and sanitize for per-determined amounts of time (and/or time based on sensor readings).

FIG. 6 includes device 600 that may include one or more processors 601, one or more manual inputs 602, one or more displays and/or visual indicators 603, one or more humidity detectors 605, one or more flow detectors 605, one or more contact and/or contactless input and/or output ports 606, one or more speakers and/or microphones, one or more temperature sensors 6oi (e.g., to sense temperature in a working space), one or more pressure sensors 610 (e.g., pressure sensing for sensing pressure in a working space) and/or other sensors (e.g., metal sensors UV-C transparency sensors), one or more image and/or data capture devices 610 (e.g., a visible and/or infrared or other spectrum camera or data capture device), one or more light-emitting diodes and or other light emitting sources 612 (e.g. UV-C LEDs and/or UV-C light emitting sources), one or more sources of energy 613 (e.g., rechargeable and/or removable batteries), one or more internet or intranet connectivity devices 614, one or more slave and/or master devices 615, one or more auxiliary data storage devices 616 (e.g., a remote server), and one or more peripherals 618 (e.g., external fans that may oscillate or not oscillate in order to push air toward the sanitization device as part of a larger air movement system).

FIG. 7 includes process 710 that may include step 711 in which a device determines to enter cleaning mode, step 712 in which air flow is increased through a working area to clean the working area, step 713 in which the impact of cleaning is determined, step 714 if the operating modes (e.g., sanitization modes) are to be updated (e.g., lower air flow and/or higher intensity UV-C light). Step 715 may be provided in which the device determines if timing of cleaning mode(s) and/or sensor reading checks are to be updated based on the received information, step 716 in which device notifies user of status of device and/or operating modes, and the exiting of cleaning mode(s) in step 717.

Process 730 may include 731 in which sterilization is determined to be increased (e.g., as a result of a user request and/or sensor reading(s)). Step 732 may be provided, in which a determination may be made if fan(s) in the device (or external to the device) are to be slowed down in order to slow down the air flor in the device). Step 733 may be included in which the intensity or operation mode(s) of one or more light sources (e.g, UV-C LED(s)) are to be increased. Step 734 may be included to determine if, for example, additional light source(s) (e.g., UV C LED(s) are to be activated. Step 735 may be included, for example, to determine if light source(s) are to be turned OFF and/or intensity decreased. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that, over time, UV-C LEDs may become less efficient. As UV-Cs become less efficient they may be turned down and/or OFF and new, or UV-C LEDs that have not decayed as much in efficiency, may be increased (e.g., or used more with respect to the more decayed UV C LEDs). Step 736 may be included in which an air sterilization device may determine if cleaning mode(s) are to be implemented. Step 737 may be included to determine if, for example, a user is to be provided with any notifications (e.g., a message sent to an email or mobile number including the status of the air sanitization device). Multiple air sanitization devices may be communicatively coupled together and one device may act as a master to another device to control the other device in a manner that, in conjunction with the master device, has a more effective sanitization impact.

Process 760 may be included and may include step 761 in which an air sterilization device determines if the speed of one or more fans and/or operating modes is desired to be changed in step 761. Step 762 may be provided in which the intensity and/or operating mode of the light sources are determined if they should be changed or remain the same in step 762. Step 763 may be utilized to determine if heat is to be changed in the device. Heat may be changed, for example, by turning down the intensity or changing the duty cycle of one or more UV-C LEDs. Additionally, additional fans may be activated and/or additional air inlets may be opened (e.g., via one or more motors). The speed of one or more fans may also be increased. Step 763 may be utilized to determine if humidity is needed to be changed in a device (e.g., to increase humidity by adding a humidifier process or decrease humidity by adding a dehumidification process). The performance of one or more particle filters may be determined in step 765 and a user may be notified that a particle filter is ready to be changed in step 765. Sensors may determine, for example, the effectiveness of a particle filter. For example, light may be provide through a particle filter and different amount of lights may be representative of the amount of residue in the particulate filter. Step 766 may be provided to release a cleaning material (e.g., droplets of a cleaning material) into a device and the UV-C working area of an air sanitization device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more osciallators may move an air sanitization device across one, two, three or more axis in order to more effectively sanitize air in a room.

FIG. 8 shows device 810 that may include fan portion 813 and central portion 812. Central portion 812 may include, for example, a structure that provides a working area for air, or another substance, to flow through, one or more circuit boards provided about the structure that includes one or more UV-C light sources (e.g., LEDs) as well as additional electronics (e.g., microprocessors, input/output ports, additional circuitry), heat sinks and heat sink attachment structure(s) (e.g., thermal paste), heat sink fins and heat sink fins attachment structures (e.g., if the heat sink is separate from the heat sink fins such as a copper heat sink and aluminum heat sink fins), and/or a primary housing that provides a mechanical structure as a foundation for the placement of structures in central portion 812.

Device 820 of FIG. 8 shows a cross section of an air sanitation device, which may be, for example, a cross section of device 810 of FIG. 8. Device 820 may include heat sink fins 822 (e.g., aluminum fins) coupled to heat sinks 823 (e.g., copper and/or aluminum heat sinks such as an aluminum heat sink with copper heat transportation structures such as rods within the aluminum). Heat sink 823 may be a heat sink structure that couples to, for example, a flexible circuit board coupled to tube 825. Tube 825 may have a different shape on its external surface (e.g., a six sided shape) than the shape on its internal surface (e.g., a spherical cylinder). Tube 825 may be fabricated, for example from a UV-C reflective material (e.g., PTFE) and may have apertures for placing UV-C transparent materials (e.g., quarts) so UV-C light from UV-C LEDs on a flexible circuit board placed on the exterior of tube 825 may flow through the UV-C transparent materials and enter working area 825 provided by tube 825. Person skilled in the art will appreciate that the number of sides on the external surface tube 825) may match the number of UV-C LED locations that are provided about the perimeter of tube 825. For example, if there are six possible UV-C LED locations about an external surface perimeter of tube 825 then tube 825 may have six sides on the external surface. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the external surface of tube 825 may be any shape (e.g., spherical) and may match the shape of the internal surface of tube 825. Tube 826 may be fabricated from multiple materials such as, for example, a tube of UV-C transparent material (e.g., quarts) that is coated (e.g., either on its interior or external surface) with a UV-C reflective material (e.g., aluminum) with spaces in the UV-C reflective material aligning with UV-C locations. Structure 821 may be provided and may be utilized to provide a mechanical support structure for attaching pieces. Structure 821 may also be, for example, a heat sink. Portion 824 may be provided with or without heat sink fins. Additional heat sink (e.g., heat sinks 823) may be provided and may attach to portion 824. A heat sink (e.g., heat sink 824) may thermally couple to one or more sides of a flexible circuit board, or other structure as a non-flexible circuit board, that provides UV light sources (e.g., UV-C LEDs). For example, heat sink 823 may be thermally coupled to UV sources located on two sides of the exterior of tube 825. Any number of screw and/or mounting holes and/or structures may be provided on any structure of a substance sanitization device such as an air or liquid sanitization device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that different wavelengths of light (e.g., different wavelengths of UV-C, UV-B, and/or UV-C, and/or sub 100 nm and or wavelengths greater than UV-A) may be provided about tube 825 to insert light of that wavelength into working area 825. Different wavelengths of light may, for example, provide improved different treatments for different types of contaminants. For example, one type of UV treatment may be utilized to optimize inactivation of virus using a photonic effect targeting the uracil of a virus while another type of UV treatment may be utilized to optimize impact of contaminants using a photonic effect targeting the thymine of a contaminant.

Device 830 may be provided that may include fan blade 835 operated by a motor that provides a working substance through the inlet (e.g., inlet 834) of a working area so the substance can receive one or more types of treatments (e.g., a heat treatment and a UV-C treatment). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple types of treatments may be utilized. For example, heat may be introduced into a working area (e.g., by active heat generators or by heat sinks providing heat into a working channel) in order to impact a contaminant (e.g. inactivate a contaminant or render a contaminant inoperable). Tube 832 may be provided to provide a treatment working area. A working area may be fabricated from one part or from multiple parts mechanically removably attached or permanently fixed (e.g., welded and/or adhered) together. Outlet 833 may be provided so that air may flow out of a treatment working area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that materials forming an inlet and/or outlet may fabricated from different materials from a portion of a working area structure between an inlet and outlet. For example, the inlet and outlet portions may be non UV-C reflective on their surfaces facing a treatment working area such that UV-C does not reflect off those surfaces and out of the treatment working area. Furthermore, for example, any number of inlets and or outlets may be provided into a working area. For example, a working area may have one inlet and two or three or more outlets. As per another example, a working area may have one outlet and two or three or more inlets. As per another example, a working area may have two or three or more inlets and outlets and the number of inlets and outlets may be the same or may be different. Inlets and/or outlets may have different sizes and shapes and interior and exterior surface shapes and may be fabricated as one part or multiple parts form one or more of the same or different materials using one or more of the same or different processes. A substance may flow out through outlet 833 and may, for example exit a device and enter the environment of the device (e.g., in a ventilator setting may exit a UV-C sanitization device and enter a ventilator tube) or may enter a room (e.g., an elevator, hotel room, cruise ship room) with sanitized air. As per another example, treated air may be flow out of outlet 833 through space 837 and may leave the device or chamber through one or more apertures in structure providing space 837 such as one or more apertures in portion 836. After treated air leaves portion 836 the air may exit the device or may be flowed into another chamber. persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs may be mounted to the exterior of tube 832 as well as one or more heat sinks and air may be flowed across the exterior of tube 832 (e.g., over surfaces of the heat sinks across tube 832) and out through portion 836. In doing so, for example, treated air may be utilized to also remove heat from the device. In doing so, for example, air is not circulated from device 830 that is not treated. In circulating untreated air, a device may introduce more contaminants into a portion of an environment by more quickly spreading contaminated air. Additionally, certain contaminants may be impacted by heat. Accordingly, the removal of heat may provide, for example, a second type of treatment in order to increase the inactivation of contaminants and/or render more contaminants inoperable.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an access door may be provided on structure 839 and may be, for example, aligned with outlet 833 so that the access door may be opened and a cleaning brush may be utilized to clean the interior of the working channel. A lock may be provided on the access door and a keyhole may be provided on the lock so a key may be utilized to open the lock. Other security mechanisms can be provided such as, for example, a keypad entry that utilizes an entry code or a biometric access lock (e.g., fingerprint and/or retinal). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 830 may be able to detect the status of an access door (e.g., whether the access door is opened or closed) and the device may restrict the UV-C light sources from turning on until circuitry confirms the access door is closed. Any number of access doors may be provided such as, for example, an access door about inlet 834 to receive a particulate filter which could also, for example, be utilized to receive a cleaning utensil (e.g., brush) and the cleaning utensil may be able to attach to and be removed from a structure located on device 830. A chain or rope or other flexible structure may be utilized to keep the cleaning utensil secured to device 830 even when the cleaning utensil is removed from an attachment structure to device 830 and is being utilized by a user. Additionally, for example, a movable (e.g., pivotable) air direction fin (or fins) may be provided at inlet 834 so that, for example, air may be pointed to different areas of a working area. Doing so may, for example, increasing the impact of a cleaning protocol such that a cleaning protocol that increases airflow into a working are to clean the working area may be moved to provide air at different locations in order to improve the impact of the cleaning process.

FIG. 9 shows device 910 that may include fan portion 911, working substance inlet 916 that flows through tube 917 (e.g., to provide UV-C treatment in the working area provided by all or one or more parts of tub 917) and leaves tube 917 and flows through the chamber provided by structure 914 and leaves the chamber provided by tube 917 trough aperture 913. Extension 912 may be provided to direct the working substance over the exterior of structure 914 (e.g., in generally the same direction that air is being brought into the device by a fan. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that treated air may leave the device in one or more different directions than air is brought into a device by a fan (e.g., perpendicular to the airflow into and past one or more fans).

Device 930 may be provided and may include fan portion 931 that provides air through aperture 936 and through a UV-C treatment area past UV-C treatment area outlet 935 and then through one or more chambers and exit one or more chambers through aperture 932 and be provided about an exterior surface of a chamber through extension 933 and exit at outlet 934. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that moving air through the inside of a chamber and the outside of a chamber may increase the amount of heat picked up by a substance in order to remove additional heat from device 930.

Device 960 may be provided, in which one or more fans may be provided in fan portion 961 and may provide air through apertures 932-935 to bring air through different chambers. Air may be UV-C sterilized in the chamber with inlet 963 and outlet 965 and air may remove heat through inlets 962 and 964. Treated and heat collected air may be removed through one or more apertures (e.g., aperture 966. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that air not treated by UV-C may be brought out of device in a direction away from where treated air is moved in order to, for example, reduce untreated contaminants by being spread by device 960. Any types of fans may be provided such as centrifugal and/or axial fans. Device 980 may include one or more axial fan blades 981 and grill 982. Fan blades and grills may be produced by any type of material such as a polymer and/or a metal. The surfaces facing the inlet of a UV-C treatment area may be coated with UV-C reflective materials (e.g., or may be fabricated from UV-C reflective materials such that UV-C leaving an inlet is reflected off those surfaces back into the device. Device 990 may be, for example, a perspective view of device 980 of FIG. 9 and may include one or more axial or other types of fan blades 991 and motor and motor housing 993. A fan may include different or the same types of blades and multiple rows of blades of the same and/or different blades from each other in the row or the same and/or different from blades in other row or rows of blades.

FIG. 10 shows UV-C treatment working area definition device 1020 that may have access portion 1021 and access portion 1029. Access portions 1021 and 1029 may be mateable so that device 1020 may be utilized in multiple different devices (e.g., a fan sterilization device, a ventilator sterilization device, and a personal protective equipment device coupled to a full or partial face mask). Access portions may be the same or different. For example one portion may be in a female mateable configuration and another access portion may be in a male mateable configuration. Recessed areas 1023-1028 may be provided to receive light transparent materials (e.g., quartz) and may include apertures with a smaller dimension than a recessed portion to receive light from a light source (e.g., a UV-C LED). Device 1010 may include portion 1011 that may be, for example, a perspective view facing the external opening to access portion 1021 of device 1020. Device 1030 may include portion 1031 that may be, for example, a perspective view facing the external opening to access portion 1029. Device 1040 may be, for example, a cross section of a device (e.g., device 1060 about a recessed portion (e.g., recessed portion 164 of device) in the perspective looking down device 1060.

Device 1060 may include, for example, six sides and may include recessed portions 1064, 1063, and 1066, each with an aperture. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that different recessed portions may have the same size and/or shape aperture or may have different size and/or shape apertures. Central portion 1062 may be formed in a single structure as portion 1061 or the portions may be formed as different structures and then removably attached or permanently fixed together.

FIG. 11 shows device 1110 that may include structure 111 with one or more recessed portions 1112 and aperture 113. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a side of structure 111 may have recessed regions that are aligned with one another and/or staggered. All, none, some, or ever other recessed portions on other sides may align or not align with recessed portions 1112. The sides of structure 1111 may rotate between two or three recessed portion locations with respect to other sides. Access portions of device 1110 may have the same structure (or may be of different structure. Device 1120 may include inner surface 1122 and may be, for example, a cross section of device 1010 where no recessed portions are provided at an angle facing toward the end of a device.

Device 1050 may include access portion 1151 and portion 1153 and one or more recessed portions 114 and apertures 1155. Rings of three UV-C LEDs may be aligned with one another on three different sides of a six-sided structure 1153. Twelve, fifteen, eighteen, and 21 UV-C (or more or less or a different number) may be provided by providing one or more flexible circuit boards around structure 1153 with UV-C LEDs that align to apertures 1155. A diameter of an aperture 1155 may be greater than, equal to, or less than a diameter of a UV-C LED (e.g., an active region or overall structure of a UV-C LED facing aperture 1155) Accordingly, six rings of three UV-C LEDs may be provided and may be staggered every other ring with different sides of the six sided structure 1153. Structure 1153 may have any number of sides or no sides at all. Any side may be flat and/or non-flat. Alignment holes 1152 may be utilized to align device 1050 in a sanitization device. Access portion 1156 may be provided on device 1150. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that air may be moved through a sanitization device at any speed and different speeds may have different inactivation rates of different types of contaminants.

FIG. 11 shows device 1170 that may include UV-C LEDs 1171-1172, UV-C LED connectors 1175-1178, UV-C fiber optics 1179-1182, UV-C combiners 1183 and 1184, UV-C fiber optics 1185 UV-C combiner 1187 and UV-C fiber optic 1188 with a UV-C dispersion device 1189 (e.g., a UV-C lens and/or a UV-C prism). Person skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C fiber optics may degrade the amount of UV-C transported through them, but may keep heat away from the working area. Accordingly, UV-C fiber optics may be beneficial such as, for example, bringing UV-C into the human body (e.g., into the nasopharynx, nasal passage, trachea, and/or lung). Multiple UV-C light sources (e.g., UV-C LEDs) may be combined together to provide any level of energy to a working surface without, for example, providing heat to that working surface outside any heat, for example, generated by photonic effects of the UV-C light on a working substance (e.g., human mucus, tissue, and/or cells) and the surroundings of the working surface (e.g., surrounding air and/or substances. Fiber optics may be coupled to any UV-C receiving region (e.g., an UV-C receiving aperture of a structure defining a UV-C working area). Two, three, four, five, or more than five UV-C sources may be combined. For example, more than ten or twenty UV-C sources may be combined into a single output. As per another example, more than fifty or a hundred or two hundred UV-C sources may be combined into a single output. Electronics to provide UV-C light through UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, on one or more fixed, portable (e.g., wheeled) device as well as the UV-C LED(s) themselves may be provided on such one or more devices. Fiber optic output may be, for example, brought into a working area (e.g., located at each access point end facing into the working area) such that additional UV-C may be introduced into a UV-C working area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs may, for example be between 250 and 290 nm or, more particularly, between 260 and 280 nm or, more particularly, between 260 and 270 nm, or more particularly, between 260 and 265 nm, or more particularly be approximately 262 nm. Person skilled in the art will appreciate that each UV-C LED may, for example, provide UV-C light at an energy of at least 20 milliwatts or more or, more particularly, at an energy of at least 50 milliwatts or more or, more particularly, at an energy of at least 70 milliwatts or more.

FIG. 12 shows device 1210 that may include manual interface portion 1121, UV-C treatment portion 1212, fan portion 1214, extension portion 1213, and grate portion 1215. Cross section 1216 may be, for example, the perspective shown of device 1230 of FIG. 12. Device 1230 may include structure 1231 that may point a part (e.g., an end) of flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs away from a tube so that additional electronics may be added to a flexible circuit board without, for example, impacting UV-C LED placement along a working area tube and to, for example, introduce heat from such electronic components away from a UV-C working surface defining tube. The portion of the circuit board (e.g., an end) mounted to structure 1231 may be mounted so that the portion is positioned at an ninety degree angle away from a tube (e.g., give or take 10 degrees, give or take 20 degrees, give or take 30 degrees) or may be at an angle not ninety degrees.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an air sterilization fan may have multiple speeds such as, for example, 200 LPM and 400 LPM which may circulate treated air in, for example, approximately 7 and 14 minutes, respectively. A fan (e.g., centrifugal fan) may be able to push air through a working area (e.g., a tube with a 15 millimeter inner diameter) at faster speeds (e.g., more than 400 LPM such as 2000 LPM and 4000 LPM or faster). Such faster speeds may be utilized to move sterilized air around faster but at, for example, at lower efficacies for some contaminants, but also may be utilized to, for example, assist with cleaning a working area be moving air faster through the working area. Increasing a fan speed may also, for example, increase the rate at which heat is removed from a sanitization device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that any sized working area of any shape may be utilized and workings with larger diameters may, for example, be able to push more working substance (e.g., air) through the working area.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C transparent materials may have at least 80 percent, 90 percent, 92 percent, or more than 92 percent UV-C transparency. UV-C LEDs may provide, for example, light between 220 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 255 and 275 nanometers). A device may have, for example, at least 10, at least 20, and at least 30 UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C LED may produce visible spectrum light and that one or more visible light sensors may be utilized to detect this light in order to, for example, detect the amount of UV-C in a working area to determine, for example, if a cleaning process should be initiated. Each UV-C LED may be operated independently and the amount of visible spectrum light compared to stored information associated with a clean state (e.g., a state when the device was manufactured or initially tested). In doing so, for example, the cleanliness of UV-C transparent material for a particular UV-C LED may be determined. Accordingly, a tube that provides a working area may have recessed portions and apertures associated to visible light sensors (and/or other sensor) and such sensors may be located at, for example, about each inlet/outlet of a device. Such sensors may be tilted to face into a working channel such that more light is received. In addition, or instead of, testing each light source independently (e.g., each UV-C light source independently) the UV-C LEDs may be tested in groups and may be tested multiple times. All the UV-C LEDs may also be turned on and light sensed to determine a cleanliness profile for the device. In sensing multiple different UV-C LEDs operating at different times, a cleanliness profile may be determined for each UV-C transparent material that is associated with each LED as well as the cleanliness of different areas of UV-C reflective materials (or other materials) that may be provided on an inner surface of a working area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that visual indicators (e.g., light sources and/or displays) may be utilized to provide feedback on cleanliness and the cleanliness of different portions of a device as well as estimated sterilization impact at different operating modes. Furthermore, manual inputs may be provided so a user can perform a cleaning profile diagnostic so that after a cleaning a user can confirm the level of cleanliness that exist sin the device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cleanliness profile diagnostic may also, for example, be utilized to indicate if a UV light source is estimated to not be operational or operational at a particular diminished capacity. The operation of a device may be changed (e.g., autonomously) based on sensed data such as, for example, additional UV light sources may be activated and/or the intensity of particular UV-C sources may be increased.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements of any device herein may be utilized in any device herein. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments described. Instead, the present invention more generally involves UV-C focus, amplification, and control. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the apparatus of the present invention may be implemented in other ways then those described herein. All such modifications are within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.

Number	Date	Country
63140237	Jan 2021	US
63109333	Nov 2020	US
63085140	Sep 2020	US
63085134	Sep 2020	US
63056534	Jul 2020	US
63042494	Jun 2020	US
63023845	May 2020	US
63018699	May 2020	US
63015469	Apr 2020	US
63009301	Apr 2020	US
63006710	Apr 2020	US
63003882	Apr 2020	US
63001461	Mar 2020	US

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENT AIR STERILIZATION WITHOUT CIRCULATION UNSANITIZED AIR

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