Decontamination apparatus and method
View Patent ↗Provided is an apparatus for disinfecting an object by at least partially removing a biologically-active contaminant there from. A housing encloses a disinfection chamber in which a portion of the object is to be received to be disinfected, and includes an inlet aperture through which the object is introduced to the apparatus. An ultraviolet light source emits ultraviolet light to be imparted on the portion of the object introduced to the disinfection chamber for deactivating at least a portion of the biologically-active contaminant present on the object. A controller controls operation of at least one of a feeder and the ultraviolet light to achieve a level of disinfection of the object, rendering the object suitable for use in a substantially-sterile application.
1. An apparatus for disinfecting an object by at least partially deactivating a contaminant from the object, the apparatus comprising:
a housing enclosing a disinfection chamber in which a portion of the object is to be received to be disinfected;
an inlet aperture through which the object is introduced to the apparatus;
a feed path along which the object introduced to the inlet aperture is conveyed generally toward the disinfection chamber and is discharged subsequent to disinfection of the object, wherein the feed path comprises a plurality of rollers comprising a first roller, comprising a peripheral surface that abuts against a peripheral surface of an opposing roller to interfere with an emission of ultraviolet light from the housing to an ambient environment of the apparatus, wherein at least one of the first roller and the opposing roller is adjustably supported so the first roller and the opposing roller are separable from each other based at least in part on a dimension of the object passing between the first roller and the opposing roller; and
an ultraviolet light source that emits ultraviolet light to be imparted on the portion of the object introduced to the disinfection chamber for deactivating at least a portion of the biologically-active contaminant present on the object.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller that varies an angular velocity of at least one of the plurality of rollers to adjust a residence time of the object in the disinfection chamber where the object is exposed to the ultraviolet light based on an intensity of the ultraviolet light being emitted.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises a first ultraviolet light spaced apart from a second ultraviolet light and arranged on opposite sides of the feed path along which the object travels while being exposed to the ultraviolet light.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a position of the first ultraviolet light is adjustable relative to the position of the second ultraviolet light based on a height of the object transported between the first ultraviolet light and the second ultraviolet light.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first ultraviolet light is offset from a portion of the feed path to position the first ultraviolet light a distance that is less than or equal to about one (1 in.) from a surface of the object being exposed to the ultraviolet light.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inward-facing surface of the housing comprises a non-reflective finish that minimizes the ultraviolet light escaping the housing while the light source is illuminated.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an inward-facing surface of the disinfection chamber is provided with a reflective finish that reflects at least a portion of the UV light from the plurality of UV lights in a direction substantially toward at least one of the opposite planar faces of the object while the object is in the disinfection chamber.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rollers are arranged to transport the object along the feed path from the inlet aperture toward the disinfection chamber and return the object to the inlet aperture to be ejected from the apparatus following exposure of the object to the ultraviolet light.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rollers transport the object to be exposed to the ultraviolet light within a sleeve of material.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an outlet aperture through which the object is ejected from the apparatus after being exposed to the ultraviolet light, wherein the outlet aperture is separated from the inlet aperture by the disinfection chamber.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rollers that transport the object into the disinfection chamber are arranged such that the object is unsupported at a location where the object is nearest the light source.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller that controls operation of at least one of a motor that drives one or more of the plurality of rollers of the feeders and the ultraviolet light to achieve at least a 1 log 10 reduction of the contaminant on the object prior to exposure of the object to the ultraviolet light.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller controls operation of the at least one of the motor and the ultraviolet light to achieve at least a 6 log 10 reduction of the contaminant on the object prior to exposure of the object to the ultraviolet light.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of rollers and a portion of the light source are included as part of a modular cartridge that is removable as a unit from the housing.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the cartridge comprises a connector that is accessible externally of the cartridge and cooperates with a mating connector provided to the housing for establishing an electrical connection between a portion of the cartridge and an external device.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the external device is at least one of: a controller, and a power supply.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the cartridge comprises a sensor for sensing an intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted by the light source and transmitting a signal indicative of the intensity to be received by a controller for establishing a minimum exposure time that the object is to be exposed to the ultraviolet light to achieve the level of disinfection that renders the object suitable for use in the substantially-sterile application.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rollers are each driven by a common motor.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wireless antenna for transmitting a wireless signal to be received by a compatible antenna provided to the object.