ES1283345U - ROBOTIZED STERILIZER BY REMOTE CONTROL, FOR THE DEIFECTION AND ELIMINATION OF BACTERIA, THROUGH ULTRAVIOLET IRRADIATION (UVGI) BY LED TECHNOLOGY - Google Patents

Abstract

Space sterilizing device for the elimination of pathogens by denaturing their DNA and RNA, comprising a support structure for ultraviolet emitters with a germicidal wavelength UVGI, monitored and controlled by means of software installed on an electronic board or circuit , in addition to different actuators arranged to capture information from the surrounding environment of the device.

Description

DESCRIPTION

ROBOTIZED STERILIZER BY REMOTE CONTROL, FOR THE DISINFECTION AND ELIMINATION OF BACTERIA, THROUGH ULTRAVIOLET IRRADIATION (UVGI) BY LED TECHNOLOGY

The object of the invention is a sterilization device using ultraviolet radiation for rooms and areas that are not very accessible, capable of eliminating common microorganisms in areas such as hospitals or health centers, food processing plants, hotels, bars and restaurants, schools, universities, etc. buses, and all those spaces where crowds of people occur, as well as other commercial uses in which it is important to eliminate biological contaminants and in general any environment that requires to be free of bacteria. In addition, it offers the possibility of automatically moving this system to sterilize places that are difficult to access, such as ventilation ducts, the bottom of tables and chairs or those of hospital beds. Another point to highlight about the invention is that by using LED technology, energy savings are guaranteed, it has a long life and practically no maintenance. Finally, it is about equipment that is easy to install, highly resistant to shocks and vibrations and free of mercury and other contaminants.

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The invention that is exposed deals with a structure capable of disinfecting and sterilizing, thanks to ultraviolet radiation, large rooms such as classrooms, dining rooms, waiting rooms or small spaces that are difficult to access thanks to its autonomous mobile model, allowing disinfecting almost anywhere silently and without harming people in the vicinity.

STATE OF THE ART

At present and as a reference to the state of the art, it is usual and known in space disinfection and sterilization systems that there are a series of requirements in space disinfection and sterilization such as health, labor or teaching, being especially important those related to activities closely connected with responsibility for health risks, which are generally marked by the programs and recommendations issued by the World Health Organization, as well as the regulations marked by governments in terms of safety and hygiene at work, health risks or food safety, among others.

In this sense, there is a specific cleaning and disinfection plan for each type of activity that must be followed effectively to fulfill this responsibility, as well as constantly reviewing and validating cleaning methods to verify their degree of effectiveness and compliance.

In some cases, correct disinfection and subsequent sterilization is necessary for the correct functioning of certain work spaces in which the microbial load must necessarily be kept very controlled, as could be the case of the food industry, health activity, laboratories or pharmaceutical and biochemical industry.

To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to train personnel for these tasks, who must know how to use each procedure and the use and handling of the different cleaning and disinfection agents available to them.

In addition, some of these procedures involve the use of toxic or harmful substances for both people and the environment, or procedures with harmful ionizing radiation that can cause great damage to the professionals who carry them out.

Some of the most used disinfection and sterilization methods are:

• Disinfection by heat: process to which liquid substances are subjected without reaching the boiling point. Normally the liquid is kept at a temperature of about 65° for a quarter of an hour to destroy pathogens.

• Disinfectant products: the vast majority only reduce or eliminate some pathogens, in addition to having little fungicidal power. Only some such as peracetic acid or formaldehyde are capable of killing all kinds of microorganisms, but they can become very irritating and toxic when handled, so they must be used with plenty of ventilation.

• Sterilization by moist heat: it is carried out in autoclaves that generate pressure and saturated steam. It is a completely reliable method due to its potential for penetrating the materials, as well as being a economic procedure, but it is not valid for some materials that do not admit much heat or humidity.

• Dry heat sterilization: it is carried out by means of ovens that generate air at high temperatures, and in the process exposure time and temperature are managed.

• Sterilization by gamma rays: it is carried out by means of ionizing radiation that penetrates deeply, and this type of process is obtained from cobalt sources that do not leave radioactive residues in the treated materials. This is a very technical disinfection and sterilization method that is only carried out in plants specialized in these procedures.

• Chemical sterilization: sterilization with chemical products can be carried out with elements and compounds in liquid or gaseous state. There is also another method within sterilization with chemical products through mechanical processes in which sterilization is carried out by filtration to trap certain types of microorganisms through different stages.

As mentioned above, conventional methods somehow imply a loss of security for the people who carry out the sterilization or disinfection process, they entail a high cost, they can only be used for very specific applications or on the contrary they do not kill microorganisms to a degree that is completely safe, so an effective, safe method is needed that is accessible almost anywhere deep sterilization is required.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNIQUE

This method provides an efficient and safe solution for all the problems mentioned above, since it uses LED technology to sterilize using UVGI ( Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation).

For the past hundred years, science has recognized the bactericidal effects of the ultraviolet area of the electromagnetic spectrum. The specific wavelengths responsible for this reaction are located between 240 and 280 nanometers, where the maximum wavelength used for this purpose is around 265nm. These waves are known as UV-C.

When a microorganism is exposed to UV-C radiation, the nucleus of the cells is modified due to photolytic processes. As a result, it they break the molecular bonds of the DNA of the microorganisms that contaminate the environment, which in the interior are almost entirely carbon-based compounds or constituted on an organic basis. Due to this fact, short waves of ultraviolet light can destroy living germs, their effectiveness being directly related to the intensity and time of exposure.

By using LED technology, energy savings, a long product life and almost zero maintenance are guaranteed. In addition, they are easy-to-install equipment, resistant to shocks and vibrations and free of mercury and other contaminants, so the health of people who are near these equipment is not endangered.

Thanks to germicidal light or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), it is possible to disinfect the air and the surfaces that are being illuminated by the equipment. On the other hand, it is also possible to disinfect ventilation ducts and areas of difficult access such as the lower areas of tables, chairs or furniture, thanks to the autonomous mobile model. For this reason, these equipments are an ideal option for hospitals or health centers, food processing plants, hotels, schools, universities, means of transport, and all those spaces where there is agglomeration of people, such as supermarkets or shopping centers.

The invention is designed to have maximum performance with the lowest consumption, all this offering maximum efficiency and being respectful of the environment, incorporating safety systems to prevent accidents with the personnel that use them.

The first of the models is a robotic sterilizing tower with remote control via Wi-Fi, which incorporates an infrared camera for remote driving and positioning in the room to be sterilized, thus avoiding staff having to manipulate the equipment. with their own hands, avoiding accidents. In addition, it incorporates four presence detectors, one for each of its faces, to prevent it from operating in the presence of people. It also incorporates software that allows you to program sterilization times based on the pathogen to be eliminated, using LEDs with an emission wavelength of 275nm. On the other hand, it is friendly to the environment since it does not have polluting elements once its useful life is over. Finally, it has a range of more than 2 hours thanks to its two 24Vdc lithium ion batteries, and a useful equipment life of more than 50,000 hours.

The second model would be similar to the first, with the difference that it is directly connected to the building's electrical supply. This model allows you to program the ignition and sterilization times through an APP installed on any smartphone.

The third model would be a miniaturized version of the first, making it possible to reach hard-to-reach places such as the lower areas of chairs, tables, furniture or beds. This model is mainly focused on its use in restaurants, classrooms, study centers, hospitals, nursing homes or any room that may have places that are difficult to access.

Finally, the latest model is a sterilizing luminaire for fixed installation on the ceiling. Like the previous models, it incorporates a remote control system for ignition via APP, a presence detection system to prevent it from operating in the presence of people, it has a minimum useful life of 50,000 hours and it is respectful of the environment as it does not It has polluting agents.

As mentioned above, an important point to highlight is its low maintenance cost. This is because the components most susceptible to damage, such as ultraviolet LEDs, are protected by a glass pane capable of offering a high degree of protection against shocks and external agents such as dust or water, all without compromising the level of effectiveness of the sterilization provided by the equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Next, a series of diagrams and drawings that help to better understand the invention and that are expressly related to a possible application of said invention, said application being a mere non-limiting example of it, are briefly described.

• FIG. 1 shows one of the designed models, in which a robotic structure in the form of a tower is presented, equipped with remote control of movement.

• FIG. 2 shows a model similar to the previous one, without autonomous mobility and powered directly from the current.

• FIG. 3 shows another of the models designed, miniaturized and robotized to access, by remote control, areas of difficult access.

The different parties indicated are identified as:

1. UVGI LEDs.

2. Wheel.

3. Camera.

4. Extractor.

5. Presence detector.

6. Switch.

Throughout the description and claims, the word "comprises" and its variants are not intended to exclude other technical characteristics, components or steps that could be applied to the object of the invention. For those skilled in the art, other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent in part from the description and in part from the practice of the invention.The following examples and drawings are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to be limiting of the present invention.Furthermore, the present invention covers all combinations of particular and preferred embodiments indicated herein.

EXPOSITION OF A DETAILED MODE OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is a sterilization system by means of ultraviolet radiation for rooms and areas that are not very accessible by using UVGI LEDs ( Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) (1). Thanks to this technology and the different models developed, it is possible to disinfect and sterilize practically any space in which people pass.

The first of these variants is a robotic sterilizing tower (FIG. 1). This model is made up of the UVGI LEDs (1), four wheels in the corners of the structure (2) to implement a fluid movement on the surface, a camera (3) that would allow a person to control the position of the tower thanks to its remote control via APP, a pair of extractors (4) in charge of regulating the temperature of the internal electronics of the structure, four presence sensors (5), one on each face, sensitive to movement in order to cause immediate shutdown to prevent its operation in the presence of people. Finally, it has a manual on/off switch (6). Thanks to the built-in battery, it can work continuously for more than two hours.

The second of the models presented (FIG. 2) is similar to the first, with the difference that this equipment has a connection to the 230V electrical network and does not have autonomous mobility, so it is designed to be positioned in the same place during periods of longer time. This model, like Like the previous one, it has four presence sensors (5) to avoid its operation in the presence of people.

The third variant developed (FIG. 3) is a miniaturized and robotic model that allows, through remote control, access to complex sterilization locations such as under tables, chairs, beds, etc... This model would be ideal for restaurants, medical centers, study centers, hotels, etc. Like the first model, it incorporates a camera for the correct remote positioning of the sterilizer and an autonomy of more than two hours.

Finally, the last variant (FIG. 4) is presented as a sterilizing luminaire for fixed ceiling installation. This luminaire would be directly connected to the building's electrical supply and also incorporates presence detection systems to prevent its operation in the presence of people. It comes in different sizes so that the distribution of ultraviolet radiation in the room is as efficient as possible.

All these models emit sterilizing UVGI through LEDs with an emission length of 275nm, which ensures complete disinfection and sterilization of spaces, provided that the exposure times are correct. Since the exposure time may be a priori data not known by the user, all models have software programmed to act for the necessary time depending on the pathogen to be eliminated. In addition, thanks to this same software, it is possible to program remote switching on and off via Wi-Fi thanks to an APP. These models have a minimum useful life of 50,000 hours and, thanks to the fact that they are not made up of polluting materials, once their useful life is over they are fully recyclable, so their use is friendly and respectful of the environment.

Claims (10)

1. Space sterilizing device for the elimination of pathogens by denaturing their DNA and RNA, comprising a support structure for ultraviolet emitters with a germicidal wavelength UVGI, monitored and controlled by means of software installed on a plate or electronic circuit, in addition to different actuators arranged to capture information from the surrounding environment of the device. 2. Space sterilizing device according to claim 1, which uses LEDs as UVGI emitter with an emission wavelength in the range between 240 nm and 280 nm. 3. Space sterilizing device according to the second claim, with a protective cover for glass LEDs, but which allows the passage of UVGI radiation. 4. Space sterilizing device according to claim 2, characterized by remote electronic control of the UVGI LEDs. 5. Space sterilizing device according to claim four, with a protection system for people and animals to turn it off in the event of operation in the presence of any of these. 6. Space sterilizing device according to claim five, with the possibility of manual movement for its positioning inside the room to be sterilized. 7. Space sterilizing device according to claim six, with the possibility of mobile control and displacement by remote control for its positioning in the room to be sterilized. 8. Space sterilizing device with respect to the seventh claim, with an infrared vision camera for moving and positioning the equipment both with light and in its absence. 9. Space sterilizing device with respect to claim eight, robotized and with vision in the absence of light for sterilizing spaces that are difficult to access, under beds, under furniture, under tables, under chairs, inside ventilation ducts, etc. 10. Space sterilizing device according to the ninth claim, with sufficient radiometric power to eliminate any pathogen at a distance of 3m.