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EP4456931A1 - Dispositif, système et procédé pour désinfecter une pièce - Google Patents

Dispositif, système et procédé pour désinfecter une pièce

Info

Publication number
EP4456931A1
EP4456931A1 EP22844157.2A EP22844157A EP4456931A1 EP 4456931 A1 EP4456931 A1 EP 4456931A1 EP 22844157 A EP22844157 A EP 22844157A EP 4456931 A1 EP4456931 A1 EP 4456931A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hydrogen peroxide
reservoir
room
peroxide mixture
fogging device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP22844157.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jos ROEBBEN
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Roam Technology NV
Original Assignee
Roam Technology NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Roam Technology NV filed Critical Roam Technology NV
Publication of EP4456931A1 publication Critical patent/EP4456931A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2/00—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/16—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor using chemical substances
    • A61L2/22—Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2/00—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/24—Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L9/14—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/11—Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/13—Biocide decomposition means, e.g. catalysts, sorbents
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/14—Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2202/15—Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2202/00—Aspects relating to methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects
    • A61L2202/20—Targets to be treated
    • A61L2202/25—Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2209/11—Apparatus for controlling air treatment
    • A61L2209/111—Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2209/13—Dispensing or storing means for active compounds
    • A61L2209/134—Distributing means, e.g. baffles, valves, manifolds, nozzles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2209/13—Dispensing or storing means for active compounds
    • A61L2209/135—Vaporisers for active components
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/20—Method-related aspects
    • A61L2209/21—Use of chemical compounds for treating air or the like
    • A61L2209/211—Use of hydrogen peroxide, liquid and vaporous
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/20—Method-related aspects
    • A61L2209/22—Treatment by sorption, e.g. absorption, adsorption, chemisorption, scrubbing, wet cleaning

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the field of devices and systems for sanitizing or disinfecting rooms or spaces or the like, and more specifically to a fogging device for fogging a hydrogen peroxide mixture, and a system comprising such a device, and a method performed by such a device.
  • Methods and devices for disinfecting or sterilizing rooms by circulating a gas stream comprising hydrogen peroxide to kill microorganisms such as e.g. viruses, bacteria, fungi, spores and yeasts are known in the art.
  • EP0774263(Al) and EP2952475(A1) describe such methods and devices.
  • the present invention provides a fogging device for fogging a hydrogen peroxide mixture for disinfecting a room
  • the fogging device comprising: a first fluid circuit with a first pump, and with a first inlet for receiving a first gas stream from the room, and with means for adding droplets (e.g., having an average diameter of 20-30 microns) of a hydrogen peroxide mixture to said first gas stream, and having a first outlet for supplying said first gas stream with said droplets to said room; a control unit for controlling the first pump; wherein the fogging device has at least one connection for connecting at least one replaceable reservoir with a hydrogen peroxide mixture to the first circuit; and wherein the at least one reservoir carries an RFID tag storing data comprising at least an amount of the hydrogen peroxide mixture; and wherein the fogging device further comprises at least one RFID reader/writer communicatively connected to the control unit and arranged to read data from the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir; and wherein the control unit is further configured to repeatedly write to
  • the replaceable reservoir comprises an RFID tag
  • the fogging device comprises an RFID reader/writer, as this way information about the hydrogen peroxide mixture can be passed to the device without human intervention, thus with a reduced risk of errors.
  • the RFID tag makes it possible, among other things, to check whether the reservoir comprises the correct contents, or in other words, to detect whether a reservoir with a wrong mixture has been connected.
  • the RFID tag comprises the initial amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture (e.g. 1000 ml, or 3000 ml), and the control unit is adapted to repeatedly update this amount, or keep it up-to-date, so that the RFID tag indicates the remaining amount of the hydrogen peroxide mixture in the reservoir at any time.
  • the fogging device can check whether there is sufficient hydrogen peroxide mixture present before starting a new disinfection cycle.
  • the RFID tag can therefore help to successfully complete a disinfection cycle and waste as little hydrogen peroxide mixture as possible.
  • the control unit is adapted to update the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture, as stored on the RFID tag, by taking a variable flow rate of the liquid mixture into account. This flow rate is furthermore dependent on the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture that is still present in the at least one reservoir.
  • an RFID tag also ensures that a user cannot use a product that the device is not familiar with, or with which the device cannot perform proper disinfection, e.g. a hydrogen peroxide mixture of too low a concentration (e.g. with only 3 wt% H2O2 concentration).
  • the first pump preferably has a constant, predetermined flow rate.
  • control unit is further adapted for: c) determining or receiving a volume of the room to be disinfected; d) determining the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide mixture in the at least one reservoir; e) estimating an amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture required to introduce a predetermined gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration into the room (e.g. during a first phasel of a disinfection cycle), and to maintain it for a predetermined contact time (e.g. during a second phase2); f) determining how much hydrogen peroxide mixture is available in the at least one reservoir; g) giving an error message if the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture present is less than the required amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • the RFID tag therefore helps to guarantee the reliability of a "successful disinfection cycle" by giving an error message before a cycle is started.
  • the fogging device comprises at least one reservoir of a silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • the hydrogen peroxide mixture consists of hydrogen peroxide and demineralized water and silver ions. This mixture therefore does not comprise any other substances such as chlorine or peracetic acid.
  • the ratio of the weight percent hydrogen peroxide to the weight percent silver ions in the silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture is a value in the range from 1500 to 2000, preferably in the range from 1600 to 1900.
  • the data on the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir further comprises a value of a concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide mixture; and the control unit of the fogging device is further provided to read this concentration value stored on the RFID tag.
  • This value can e.g. be used to calculate the required amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture to be fogged in the first and second phase to disinfect a certain room. This value can also be used during the disinfection cycle itself, e.g. to determine the duration T1 of the first phase, and/or to determine the duty cycle of the second phase.
  • the fogging device can optimally take into account the hydrogen peroxide mixture. This greatly increases the flexibility of the device, as it can work with different hydrogen peroxide mixtures.
  • the data on the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir further comprises an expiration date
  • the fogging device is adapted to determine the current date (e.g. by retrieving it from an external device such as a smartphone or a laptop, or by reading a local clock), and compare the current date with the expiration date, and give an error message if the expiration date has passed.
  • the data on the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir further comprises a date of manufacture or an expiration date
  • the fogging device is adapted to determine the current date (e.g., by retrieving it from an external device such as a smartphone or a laptop, or by reading a local clock), and is adapted to adjust the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide mixture read from the RFID tag according to the date of manufacture or expiration date on the one hand, and the current date on the other hand.
  • the fogging device further comprises a first valve for selectively connecting a first replaceable reservoir to the first fluid circuit, and further comprises a second valve for selectively connecting a second replaceable reservoir with a second hydrogen peroxide mixture to the first fluid circuit; and the second reservoir has a second RFID tag storing data comprising at least an amount of the second hydrogen peroxide mixture; and the control unit is further adapted to repeatedly update the RFID tag of the reservoir from which hydrogen peroxide mixture is drawn.
  • control unit can switch from the first to the second reservoir at a convenient time, in order to lose as little hydrogen peroxide mixture as possible (leave it unused).
  • the two reservoirs are not used simultaneously to fog hydrogen peroxide mixture, but either the first reservoir or the second reservoir.
  • the first and second valves allow choosing which of the two reservoirs is connected to the nozzle (or nozzles). These valves are controlled by the control unit.
  • the RFID tag of the reservoir that is fluidly connected is updated repeatedly.
  • the fogging device comprises a first RFID reader/writer arranged to communicate only with the RFID tag of the first reservoir; and the fogging device comprises a second RFID reader/writer arranged to communicate only with the RFID tag of the second reservoir.
  • the fogging device further comprises electromagnetic shielding to prevent the first RFID reader/writer from communicating with the RFID tag of the second reservoir, and vice versa, or to reduce interference.
  • the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag operating at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.
  • the communication between the RFID tag and the RFID reader/writer is encrypted.
  • the invention would still work if one or more of the values selected from the group consisting of the product name, concentration, and expiration date were unencrypted on the RFID chip. For example, this would allow an employee with a smartphone (or other device that supports NFC communication) to read the RFID of a reservoir before inserting it into the fogging device.
  • At least one of: the product name, the concentration, and the expiration date are stored both encrypted and unencrypted on the RFID tag.
  • the RFID tag of each replaceable hydrogen peroxide mixture reservoir has a memory of at least 512 bytes, or at least 1024 bytes.
  • an RFID tag is very suitable for the current application.
  • an RFID tag with an EEPROM memory is used because it allows to overwrite the "amount of mixture," although this is not strictly necessary, and it is also possible to work with an RFID tag of which not every byte can be individually overwritten without erasing an entire sector. The latter would be considerably more complex in terms of software.
  • control unit is further provided to update the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture of the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir at least once per minute when liquid is drawn from the respective reservoir, preferably at least 2x or at least 3x or at least 5x per minute that the first pump is active and the first or second valve is open.
  • the amount is not updated if the first pump is OFF, or if the third reservoir is used (for rinsing).
  • the first pump has a fixed (predetermined) speed
  • the control unit is arranged to switch the first pump either ON or OFF; and the first fluid circuit is provided to add the droplets of hydrogen peroxide mixture to the first air stream based on the Venturi principle.
  • the fogging device can still determine very precisely the actual fluid flow rate.
  • the velocity of the first gas stream is a velocity of 50 to 70 m/s (e.g. about 60 m/s), and the suction channel of the liquid mixture has an internal diameter of 5 to 7 mm (e.g. 6 mm ).
  • control unit is provided to update the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture, taking into account a variable flow rate of the liquid mixture, the flow rate being dependent on the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture still present in the at least one reservoir.
  • the flow rate of the liquid drawn from the reservoir varies by a factor of at least 1.5 (150%) between a substantially full reservoir and a substantially empty reservoir, or by a factor of at least 160%, or by a factor of at least 170%, or by a factor of at least 180%, or by a factor of at least 190%.
  • the remaining amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in the at least one reservoir is calculated iteratively, taking into account the initial contents and assuming that the instantaneous rate of flow changes linearly as a function of the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in the at least one reservoir between a first value associated with a substantially full reservoir and a second value associated with a substantially empty reservoir.
  • FIG. 6 shows a measurement of the flow rate of a prototype fogging device.
  • the first value (corresponding to a full reservoir) is about 62 ml/min
  • the second value (corresponding to a substantially empty reservoir) is about 30 ml/min.
  • FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, derived from FIG. 6, show that the flow rate and the volume of liquid mixture remaining in the reservoir change non-linearly as a function of the time that liquid mixture is drawn from the reservoir.
  • FIG. 8 also shows that the time required to withdraw 500 ml of liquid mixture from a substantially full reservoir (in the example 500 sec) differs very strongly from the time required to withdraw the same amount of liquid mixture from a substantially empty reservoir (in the example: 790 sec).
  • this can be implemented by using a lookup table with at least two columns, where one column comprises the cumulative time that liquid mixture is drawn from the reservoir (or in other words: that the first pump is active, and the relevant valve is open), and a second column comprising the remaining amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • the table can comprise values for discrete time intervals of multiples of 10 seconds, or multiples of 20 seconds, or multiples of 30 seconds, or multiples of 1 minute, but of course a table with other intervals can also be used.
  • values from the table can be interpolated.
  • the fogging device has a second fluid circuit with a second pump, and with a second inlet for receiving a second gas stream from the room, and with means for removing hydrogen peroxide from the second gas stream, and with a second outlet for supplying this second gas stream with reduced hydrogen peroxide concentration to the room.
  • the means for removing hydrogen peroxide from the second gas stream comprise a catalyst.
  • the catalyst may be a metal catalyst, e.g., a platinum/alumina catalyst, or a ruthenium/alumina catalyst, but the invention is not limited thereto, and another catalyst may also be used.
  • a metal catalyst e.g., a platinum/alumina catalyst, or a ruthenium/alumina catalyst, but the invention is not limited thereto, and another catalyst may also be used.
  • the means for removing hydrogen peroxide from the second gas stream comprise a scrubber.
  • the scrubber may, for example, comprise an activated carbon filter.
  • the present invention also provides a fogging system comprising: a fogging device according to the first aspect; and one or more external devices selected from: a hydrogen peroxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, a remote control unit, a fan or a ventilator, an air heater, an air dehumidifier, an external scrubber, a laptop or a tablet or a smartphone, the external device being communicatively connected to the control unit of the fogging device.
  • a fogging device selected from: a hydrogen peroxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, a remote control unit, a fan or a ventilator, an air heater, an air dehumidifier, an external scrubber, a laptop or a tablet or a smartphone, the external device being communicatively connected to the control unit of the fogging device.
  • the communicative connection can be a cable connection (e.g. USB, Ethernet, RS232, etc.) or can be a wireless connection, e.g. an RF connection (e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), or an optical connection (infrared).
  • a cable connection e.g. USB, Ethernet, RS232, etc.
  • a wireless connection e.g. an RF connection (e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), or an optical connection (infrared).
  • control unit may be arranged to receive data from the sensor and use this value to perform the disinfection process.
  • control unit may be arranged to receive and execute commands from the remote control unit, e.g. starting or stopping a disinfection cycle, after all persons have left the room.
  • control unit can be arranged to selectively activate and/or deactivate these devices.
  • control unit may be provided to transmit data (e.g., one or more of: settings such as a character string containing the name of the room, date and time, sensor data, contents of the reservoir(s), etc.) to this device, which may then display this data on a screen, or store (logging) this data on a local storage medium (e.g., hard drive or USB stick or the like).
  • data e.g., one or more of: settings such as a character string containing the name of the room, date and time, sensor data, contents of the reservoir(s), etc.
  • FIG. 1A shows a first example of a fogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention, also referred to herein as a "small fogger", in perspective view.
  • a reservoir with a hydrogen peroxide mixture is connected to the fogging device.
  • the reservoir comprises an RFID tag with therein a field that displays the amount of hydrogen peroxide in the reservoir.
  • the fogging device has an RFID reader/writer provided to keep this amount up to date.
  • FIG. IB shows the reservoir of FIG. 1A with an RFID tag.
  • the RFID tag is also shown magnified with increased contrast.
  • FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a possible embodiment of the fogging device of FIG. 1A.
  • FIG. 3A shows a second example of a fogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention, also referred to herein as a "large fogger", in perspective view.
  • Space is provided in the device for at least two reservoirs with hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • Each reservoir has an RFID tag containing a field that represents the amount of hydrogen peroxide in the respective reservoir.
  • the fogging device comprises two RFID reader/writers, each adapted to communicate with one RFID tag. The device is provided to keep the amounts indicated in the RFID tags up to date.
  • FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C show an example of a reservoir that may be used in conjunction with the fogging device of FIG. 3A.
  • the RFID tag is also shown magnified with increased contrast.
  • FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a possible embodiment of the fogging device of FIG. 3A.
  • FIG. 5 shows a fogging system comprising a fogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and one or more external devices selected from: a hydrogen peroxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, a remote control unit, at least one fan or ventilator, an air heater, a dehumidifier, an external scrubber, a laptop or a tablet or a smartphone, the external device being operationally and/or communicatively connected to the control unit of the fogging device.
  • FIG. 6 shows an illustrative curve representing the flow rate of the liquid hydrogen peroxide mixture from the reservoir as a function of the fill factor of the reservoir, as applicable in fogging devices according to the present invention that utilize the Venturi effect.
  • FIG. 7 shows another representation of the curve of FIG. 6, showing the fluid flow rate as a function of the cumulative time of the emptying of a reservoir.
  • FIG. 8 shows a curve representing the contents of a 3000 ml reservoir, as a function of the cumulative time, corresponding to the fluid flow rate of FIG. 6, illustrating, for example, that it takes much less time to withdraw 500 ml of liquid mixture from a full reservoir than from one that is substantially empty.
  • This curve shows that, in order to obtain a good estimate of the flow rate of the liquid mixture, a good knowledge of the contents of the reservoir is necessary. In other words, this curve shows that a good knowledge of the contents of the reservoir is necessary to make a good estimate of the time it takes to withdraw a certain amount of mixture from the reservoir.
  • FIG. 9A shows three curves representing the maximum gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration that can be achieved by so-called "cold fogging” (i.e., fogging without heating the liquid mixture), as a function of ambient temperature and relative humidity in a room.
  • cold fogging i.e., fogging without heating the liquid mixture
  • FIG. 9B shows a curve illustrating minimum room temperature as a function of relative humidity to achieve a gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration of 100 ppm in the room by "cold fogging" of a hydrogen peroxide mixture comprising substantially 87.5 wt% water and substantially 12.5 wt% hydrogen peroxide.
  • FIG. 10 to FIG. 13 illustrate a method that can be performed by a fogging device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 14A is an illustrative representation of an ideal course of the concentration of gaseous H2O2 in the room during a disinfection process.
  • FIG. 14B is an illustrative representation of a possible course in practice of the concentration of gaseous H2O2 in the room during a disinfection process performed by a fogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention in "open loop" (i.e., without measurement of the gaseous H2O2 concentration in the room).
  • FIG. 14C is an illustrative representation of a possible course in practice of the concentration of gaseous H2O2 in the room during a disinfection process performed by a fogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention in "closed loop" (i.e., with measurement of the gaseous H2O2 concentration in the room).
  • FIG. 15A shows an example of "intermittent fogging" with a fixed interval time and a fixed duty cycle.
  • FIG. 15B shows an example of "intermittent fogging" with a fixed interval time and a variable duty cycle.
  • fluorescence device is also referred to as “fogger,” “disinfection device” and “sterilization device.”
  • room is used for an enclosed space.
  • this term can refer to a hospital room, a meeting room in a company, etc.
  • liquid mixture and "hydrogen peroxide mixture” are used synonymously.
  • hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room in this document, it means the hydrogen peroxide concentration in gaseous form, unless explicitly stated otherwise, or unless clear from the context that something else was intended.
  • the present invention relates to devices and systems for sanitizing or disinfecting rooms or spaces or the like, and more specifically to a device for fogging a hydrogen peroxide mixture, e.g. a silver- stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture and a system comprising such device.
  • a hydrogen peroxide mixture e.g. a silver- stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture
  • a system comprising such device.
  • H2O2 hydrogen peroxide
  • H2O2 chemical formula: H2O2
  • H2O2 hydrogen peroxide
  • H2O2 demineralized water
  • the fogging device must ensure that "appropriate amounts” of this mixture are introduced into the room.
  • Much less known is how much that "appropriate amount” must be to achieve a certain kill rate (e.g. LOG5).
  • the concentration of hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2) varies from about 5 wt% to about 35 wt% relative to the mixture.
  • Some manufacturers fog the mixture without heating it (“cold fogging”), other manufacturers heat or vaporize the mixture. However, the latter can be dangerous. It is also known that the relative humidity and temperature of the room to be disinfected play an important role in the disinfection process. In general, the higher the temperature and the lower the relative humidity, the more water and hydrogen peroxide can be added to the air in the room. For this reason, some manufacturers of fogging devices build a heating component and/or an air dehumidifier into their device to condition the room before starting fogging. This allows a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide to be introduced into the room, but the disinfection process will take much longer.
  • the inventors of the present invention had several objectives in mind, including: above all they wanted to offer a reliable solution, a solution that kills sufficiently (e.g. at least L0G5 as specified in the EN 17272 standard), preferably with hardware that is as simple as possible, preferably with as little waste of hydrogen peroxide mixture as possible, and preferably by performing a process that is safe for the user that takes as little time as possible (the total time, counting from the start of the disinfection, up to and including the release of the room), and preferably two or more of these objectives.
  • a solution that kills sufficiently e.g. at least L0G5 as specified in the EN 17272 standard
  • the present invention provides a fogging device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 for fogging a hydrogen peroxide solution for disinfecting a room.
  • the fogging device comprises a first fluid circuit with a first inlet "INI” for receiving a first gas stream from the room, and with means for adding droplets (e.g., having an average diameter of 20-30 microns) of a hydrogen peroxide mixture to this first gas stream, and with a first outlet "OUT1" for supplying this first gas stream with these droplets to the room.
  • the first fluid circuit comprises a first pump 205, 405 to circulate air through the first circuit.
  • the fogging device further comprises a control unit 215, 415 (e.g., a programmable microprocessor) for controlling the first pump 205, 405, e.g., to turn this pump on and off.
  • the fogging device is further adapted to connect to the first circuit of at least one replaceable reservoir 202, 402a, 402b with a hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • the at least one reservoir carries an RFID tag 103, 303, which stores data comprising at least an amount of the hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • the fogging device further comprises at least one RFID reader/writer, which is communicatively connected to the control unit.
  • the control unit is arranged to read data from the RFID tag of the at least one reservoir, and to repeatedly update (the field with) the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture on the RFID tag 103, 303 of the at least one reservoir, e.g. when the first pump 205, 405 is active.
  • the replaceable reservoir comprises an RFID tag
  • the fogging device comprises an RFID reader/writer, as this way information about the hydrogen peroxide mixture can be passed to the device without human intervention, thus with a reduced risk of errors.
  • the RFID tag makes it possible, among other things, to check whether the reservoir comprises the correct contents, or in other words, to detect whether an incorrect reservoir has been connected.
  • the RFID tag comprises the initial amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture (e.g. 1000 ml, or 3000 ml), and that the control unit is equipped to repeatedly update this amount, or keep it up-to-date, so that the RFID tag indicates the remaining amount of the hydrogen peroxide mixture in the reservoir at any time.
  • the fogging device can check whether there is sufficient hydrogen peroxide mixture before starting a new disinfection cycle, e.g. in another room, and after interruption of the power supply.
  • the RFID tag can therefore help to successfully complete a disinfection cycle and waste as little hydrogen peroxide mixture as possible.
  • an RFID tag also ensures that a user cannot use a product that the device is not familiar with, or with which the device cannot perform proper disinfection, e.g. a hydrogen peroxide mixture of too low a concentration (e.g. with only 3 wt% H2O2 concentration).
  • the RFID tag also allows a device with at least two reservoirs to start a disinfection cycle with a reservoir that is not completely filled.
  • the user does not have to throw away hydrogen peroxide mixture (economical, or efficient use), or decant it (safety), and yet the device is able to introduce the correct amount of hydrogen peroxide into the room (reliability).
  • This is particularly non-trivial for a device without a liquid pump, but where the liquid is drawn from the reservoir by the Venturi principle.
  • FIG. 1A shows a first example of a fogging device 100, also referred to herein as a small fogger , in perspective view.
  • a reservoir 102 with a hydrogen peroxide mixture is connected to the fogging device 100.
  • the reservoir 102 is located on the outside of the "small fogger".
  • the reservoir 102 comprises an RFID tag (see FIG. IB) with a non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory or EEPROM), containing a field (e.g., one byte or two bytes in size) comprising a value corresponding to the amount of hydrogen peroxide that is (still) present in the reservoir 102.
  • a non-volatile memory e.g., flash memory or EEPROM
  • the fogging device 100 has a control unit 215 (also referred to herein as "controller"), e.g., a programmable processor, and an RFID reader/writer 204 connected to this processor, (not visible in FIG. 1A, but see FIG. 2), so that the control unit can read data stored in the RFID tag, e.g. the initial amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture, but optionally also other data such as e.g. one or more values selected from the group consisting of: the date of manufacture of the hydrogen peroxide mixture, an expiration date, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the (liquid) hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • control unit 215 also referred to herein as "controller”
  • the control unit can read data stored in the RFID tag, e.g. the initial amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture, but optionally also other data such as e.g. one or more values selected from the group consisting of: the date of manufacture of the hydrogen peroxide mixture, an expiration date, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the (liquid
  • the fogging device 100 is provided to keep the value of this field in the RFID tag (corresponding to the amount of liquid mixture) up-to-date, e.g. by updating the value of this field repeatedly, e.g. periodically when the first pump 205 is active, i.e. when liquid is being drawn from the reservoir 202.
  • this field is updated at least once every 20 seconds that the first pump 205 is active, e.g. at least once every 10 seconds that the first pump is active, or at least once every 8 seconds, or at least once every 6 seconds, or at least once every 5 seconds, or at least once every 4 seconds.
  • This value is updated, the more closely the content of the field corresponds to the actual amount of fluid in the reservoir.
  • FIG. IB shows the reservoir with the hydrogen peroxide mixture 102 of FIG. 1A, and with an RFID tag 103.
  • the RFID tag is also shown magnified with increased contrast.
  • FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a possible embodiment of the fogging device of FIG. 1A.
  • the fogging device 200 comprises a first fluid circuit with a first inlet "INI” for receiving a first gas stream from the room to be disinfected in which the device is located, and has means for adding small droplets (e.g., having an average diameter of 10 to 50 microns, e.g. from 20 to 40 microns) of a hydrogen peroxide mixture to this first gas stream, and with a first outlet "OUT1" for supplying this first gas stream with these droplets to the room, and with a first pump 205 for circulating air through the first fluid circuit.
  • small droplets e.g., having an average diameter of 10 to 50 microns, e.g. from 20 to 40 microns
  • the fogging device 200 preferably does not comprise a liquid pump, but fluid is added from the reservoir through a tube or hose 206 that is introduced into the reservoir 202, along which liquid is drawn by means of the Venturi principle, caused by the velocity of the first gas stream.
  • the first pump 205 has a predetermined (non-adjustable) speed.
  • the first pump 205 and the diameter of the pipes of the first fluid circuit can be dimensioned such that the velocity of this air stream is, for example, 40 m/s to 80 m/s, or a value in the range from 50 m/s to 70 m/s, e.g. approximately equal to 60 m/s. This allows the liquid mixture to be sucked out of the reservoir at a flow rate of about 30 to 60 ml/min, as will be further explained in FIG. 6.
  • the fogging device 200 further comprises a control unit 215, also referred to as controller, e.g. a programmable microprocessor, as well as working memory (RAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g. flash memory or EEPROM or the like), which can be located internally or externally of the processor.
  • controller e.g. a programmable microprocessor
  • non-volatile memory e.g. flash memory or EEPROM or the like
  • the nonvolatile memory preferably comprises a computer program comprising instructions that can be executed by the controller 215.
  • this computer program performs a method 1000 as described in FIG. 10 to FIG. 13.
  • This computer program is provided, inter alia, for controlling the first pump 205, e.g. to switch the pump ON or OFF, e.g. by means of a relay.
  • Such circuits are well known and therefore need not be described in detail.
  • the fogging device 200 further comprises facilities for connecting to a replaceable reservoir 202 with a hydrogen peroxide mixture, e.g. via a screw cap connection and hose 206.
  • the reservoir 202 carries an RFID tag 103 with a non-volatile memory in which data is stored. This data comprises at least the amount of the hydrogen peroxide mixture, e.g. in the case of the reservoir 102 for the "small fogger” the initial amount is approximately equal to 1000 ml, in the case of the reservoir 302 for the "large fogger” the initial amount is approximately equal to 3000 ml.
  • the fogging device 200 further comprises an RFID reader/writer 204, which is set up in the vicinity of the RFID tag of the reservoir when the reservoir is connected to the fogging device.
  • the RFID reader/writer 204 has an antenna (not explicitly shown in FIG. 2) that allows it to communicate wirelessly with the reservoir's RFID tag.
  • the RFID reader/writer is communicatively connected to the control unit 215 so that the control unit 215 can read and/or write data from the RFID tag.
  • the RFID tag of the reservoir is repeatedly written to when the first pump 205 is active, in order to keep the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture up-to-date.
  • the memory field comprising the initial amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture is repeatedly overwritten, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to provide multiple fields to be written or overwritten sequentially.
  • the fogging device 200 further comprises a user interface, e.g., a display, (e.g., an LCD screen) and buttons, or a touch screen 212, or the like, communicatively connected to the control unit 215.
  • a user interface e.g., a display, (e.g., an LCD screen) and buttons, or a touch screen 212, or the like, communicatively connected to the control unit 215.
  • the control unit can exchange information with the user, e.g. retrieve data, and/or display data.
  • the fogging device 200 further comprises a timing circuit 217, e.g. a timer and/or a real-time clock.
  • a timing circuit 217 e.g. a timer and/or a real-time clock.
  • Real-time clock refers to a chip or module, optionally with a battery, which keeps track of not only the time, but also the date. However, the latter is not strictly necessary, and it is sufficient that the control unit 215 can measure the time.
  • the fogging device 200 also comprises a buzzer 213, or a loudspeaker or the like, capable of generating an acoustic signal.
  • the control unit can, for example, indicate that an operator must leave the room and/or may not enter the room yet. In this way the safety of the operator can be increased.
  • the fogging device 200 also comprises an RF communication module 211, e.g., a Bluetooth module or a Wi-Fi module, to communicate with one or more external devices, e.g., with a remote control unit.
  • an RF communication module 211 e.g., a Bluetooth module or a Wi-Fi module
  • the main hardware components of the fogging device 100 of FIG. 1A have been described, which can be seen as a "minimum embodiment", but of course the present invention is not limited thereto, and one or more components can be added, e.g. internal to the fogging device, or external to the fogging device, or both, as will be described further (e.g., in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5).
  • FIG. 10 to FIG. 13 a method will be described which can be performed by the fogging device 200 to disinfect a room, in "open loop” (without hydrogen peroxide sensor), or in “closed loop” (with hydrogen peroxide sensor), but before such a method is explained, a second embodiment of a fogging device will first be described with reference to FIG. 3A to 5. For now, it suffices to know that an operator can enter certain parameters (e.g.
  • a disinfection cycle can be started, after which the controller 215 will generally generate an acoustic signal to indicate that the operator should leave the room, after which the controller 215 will actuate the first pump 205 to run a disinfection cycle, e.g. based solely on time information. If a hydrogen peroxide sensor is present, this can be used, and a "closed-loop" disinfection cycle can be completed. This will be further explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 15B.
  • FIG. 3A shows a second example of a fogging device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, also referred to herein as a "large fogger", in perspective view.
  • This device can be viewed as a variant of the fogging device of FIG. 1A, and aside from the differences, what was described above for the "small fogger” also applies here, mutatis mutandis.
  • the fogging device 300 (the “large fogger") is larger and heavier than the fogging device 100 (the “small fogger”) of FIG. 1A, and the chassis therefore preferably includes four wheels 331, 332 and a handle 334 for moving the device.
  • the device comprises two non-swiveling wheels 331 located on the side of the handle, and two swiveling wheels 332 with wheel brake 333 on the opposite side, but this is of course not essential to the invention.
  • the non-swivel wheels 331 have a larger diameter than the swivel wheels 332, but again this is not essential, and the invention would work even if the device had four similar wheels, swivel or nonswivel, with or without wheel brake.
  • the fogging device 300 further comprises a user interface 312, in the example in the form of an LCD touchscreen, where information can be displayed to the operator, and where the operator can enter certain values (e.g. room temperature, relative humidity of the room, volume of the room), and/or can select or set certain parameters, and/or can start the disinfection process, etc.
  • a user interface 312 in the example in the form of an LCD touchscreen, where information can be displayed to the operator, and where the operator can enter certain values (e.g. room temperature, relative humidity of the room, volume of the room), and/or can select or set certain parameters, and/or can start the disinfection process, etc.
  • a touch screen 312 an ordinary display can of course also be used (e.g. LCD screen without input option) and one or more push-buttons and/or rotary knobs or the like.
  • the fogging device 300 preferably has a communication module 411, e.g., an RF communication module (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi). This is not visible in FIG. 3A, but is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, which means that the presence of a user interface 312, 412 on the fogging device 300 itself is not strictly necessary, since communication with the operator could also take place via an external device, e.g. a remote control unit or a laptop or a smartphone. But the presence of a user interface on the device itself is convenient, and allows the fogging device to work stand-alone (by itself), without external devices.
  • a communication module 411 e.g., an RF communication module (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi).
  • RF communication module e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
  • the fogging device 300 space is provided for two reservoirs 402a, 402b, each containing 3 liters of hydrogen peroxide mixture.
  • an operator has to open the top lid 336 by means of a handle or hand grip 337.
  • Alternative embodiments can accommodate more than two reservoirs with hydrogen peroxide mixture, e.g. three or four reservoirs, or two reservoirs with a capacity greater or less than 3 liters.
  • Each reservoir has an RFID tag 303 with data, including a field that represents the amount of hydrogen peroxide in the respective reservoir.
  • the fogging device 300 of FIG. 3A comprises two RFID reader/writers 404a, 404b, each adapted to communicate with one RFID tag.
  • the antennas of the RFID reader/writers are dimensioned in such a way (relatively small) that they can only communicate with the reservoir over a relatively short distance, and in such a way that communication with another reservoirthat does not belong to the RFID reader/writer in question is avoided. It is of course also possible to provide electromagnetic shielding, but this is not strictly necessary.
  • the fogging device 300 comprises a controller 415, e.g., a programmable microcontroller, provided with a software program comprising routines to keep the value of the amount of liquid mixture in each reservoir, on each RFID tag, up to date, and to repeatedly update it when liquid is drawn from a reservoir.
  • a controller 415 e.g., a programmable microcontroller
  • FIG. 3A Visible in FIG. 3A are also two nozzles 301, which form the outlet OUT1 of the first fluid channel, along which the air with droplets of hydrogen peroxide mixture are blown into the room. Also visible in FIG. 3A are two openings IN2 of the second fluid channel.
  • the large fogger" of FIG. 3A actually has an active filter for removing hydrogen peroxide from the room during a third phase of the fogging process.
  • This active filter may comprise an activated carbon filter, or may comprise a metal catalyst, or both.
  • the output OUT2 of the second fluid channel is not visible in FIG. 3A, but is located at the bottom of the device.
  • FIG. 3B shows an example of a reservoir 302 that may be used in conjunction with the fogging device 300 of FIG. 3A.
  • the reservoir of FIG. 3B can comprise 3000 ml of hydrogen peroxide mixture, but of course the invention will also work with larger or smaller reservoirs.
  • NH KV * A
  • NH is the required amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture (expressed in ml)
  • KV is the volume of the room (expressed in cubic meters)
  • A is a predetermined value (expressed in ml/m 3 ).
  • the value of A is a number in the range from 7 to 10 ml/m 3 , but the invention is not limited thereto, and values of A in the range from 5 to 25 ml/m 3 , or in the range from 5 to 20 ml/m 3 , or in the range from 5 to 15 ml/m 3 , or in the range from 8 to 25 ml/m 3 , or in the range from 8 to 20 ml/m 3 , or in the range from 8 to 15 ml/m 3 , are also possible.
  • this value is adjustable by the operator.
  • the RFID tag comprises not only the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in the reservoir, but also the value of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the liquid mixture, and the fogging device is provided to retrieve (read) this value from the RFID tag, and to take this into account when determining the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture to be introduced into the room.
  • the device will first check whether there is sufficient hydrogen peroxide mixture in the two reservoirs together and will give an error message if there is insufficient hydrogen peroxide mixture. This will be discussed further at the method of FIG. 10 to FIG. 13.
  • the device will also request the temperature and relative humidity of the room from the operator or measure it itself (if it comprises the necessary sensors, or if it has contact with external sensors), and the device will also check whether the target hydrogen peroxide concentration is achievable based on the given room conditions and will generate an error message if the target concentration is not achievable. This will be further discussed in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B.
  • a fogging device with a full reservoir of 1 liter (1000 ml) silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture having a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 12.5 wt%, can disinfect a room or space of about 100 m 3 by introducing approximately 450 ml of the mixture into the room during a first phase (see FIG. 14B) of about 8 or 9 minutes, thereby raising the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room to around 100 to 120 ppm and then, during a second phase lasting for about 60 minutes, introducing the remaining 550 ml of the mixture into the room by "intermittent fogging" with an appropriate duty cycle, so as to achieve a total contact time of around 60 minutes.
  • the total time of phasel and phase2 is therefore approximately 68 to 69 minutes in this example.
  • a fogging device with one full reservoir of 3 liters (1000 ml) of silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture having a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 12.5 wt%, can disinfect a room or space of about 300 m 3 by introducing approximately 1350 ml mixture into the room during a first phase Fl (see FIG. 14B) of about 24 to 27 minutes, thereby raising the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room to about 100 to 120 ppm, and then, during a second phase F2 of approximately 60 minutes, introducing an additional 1650 ml of said mixture (e.g.
  • phasel and phase2 are therefore approximately 84 to 87 minutes in this example.
  • the large fogger has two reservoirs of 3 liters each, it can also be used to disinfect a room larger than 300 m 3 .
  • FIG. 3C shows one side (designated by the letter "X") of the reservoir of FIG. 3B on which an RFID tag 303 is applied.
  • the RFID tag is also shown magnified with increased contrast.
  • FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a possible embodiment of the fogging device 300 of FIG. 3A.
  • This block diagram (of the "large fogger") is a variant of the block diagram of FIG. 2 (of the "small fogger”).
  • the basic function of the "large fogger” 300 is the same as that of the "small fogger” 100, which is to disinfect a room, but there are a number of differences, including:
  • this fogging device accommodates two reservoirs 402a, 402b with hydrogen peroxide mixture, and optionally also a third reservoir 420 of sterilized water, for an optional rinse of the device after phase 1 and phase 2, for cleaning the conduits;
  • each reservoir can be individually and selectively connected to or disconnected from the nozzle by means of an associated valve VI, V2, V3. These valves are controlled (e.g., opened or closed) by the controller 415;
  • valves VI, V2, V3 are connected to a common pipe or conduit leading to the nozzle 401, in the example via a manifold 422;
  • this fogger apparatus comprises two RFID reader/writers 404a, 404b, one for each reservoir with an RFID tag, and with a hydrogen peroxide mixture;
  • this fogging device further has means for actively removing hydrogen peroxide from the ambient air, in the example a scrubber 421 with an activated carbon filter.
  • the scrubber 421 is part of a second fluid circuit having a second inlet IN2 and a second outlet OUT2 and has a second pump "PUMP2" for circulating a stream of air through the second fluid circuit.
  • This second pump can be selectively turned ON or OFF by the controller 415, e.g. during a third phase F3 of the disinfection process (see FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C).
  • the activated carbon filter is replaced with a catalyst to remove hydrogen peroxide H2O2 from the room. It is also possible to use both an activated carbon filter and a catalyst.
  • the fogging device 300 (“the large fogger") to disinfect a larger room, and the third phase F3 will take less time, so that the room can be released more quickly. It also offers the advantage that (for rooms smaller than about 300 m 3 ) it can use the hydrogen peroxide mixture more economically, because it can first empty one reservoir before starting a new reservoir. With this device it is therefore not necessary to always start a new cycle with new reservoirs, and it can also be avoided that liquid has to be decanted, which benefits the safety of the operator.
  • the fogging device 300 preferably comprises an RF communication module, e.g. with Bluetooth and/or with Wi-Fi, and the fogging device is arranged to communicate with a "remote control unit" 540 (see FIG. 5).
  • This remote control unit can be an existing tablet or a smartphone, with an appropriate application (app), and can optionally have a touchscreen.
  • the remote control unit application may be provided to start the fogging device remotely, e.g. after an operator has entered the necessary data via the touchscreen 412 on the fogging device itself; or to remotely stop the device, and the controller 415 will start or stop the device accordingly as if the user had given this command via the touchscreen 412.
  • the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to implement a more extensive application on the remote control unit, which is provided to display the same information as appears on the display 412 of the fogging device 400, and to send input data (e.g. temperature of the room, volume of the room, relative humidity of the room), entered on the remote control unit, to the controller 415.
  • the controller 415 in this case will be configured to process both commands or data entered through the local user interface 412, or through the remote control unit 540.
  • the great advantage of using a remote control unit is that it allows an operator to operate the fogging device remotely, and/or monitor the status, e.g. while they are located outside the room.
  • the "first fluid channel” may be implemented e.g. as two physical channels in parallel, each with its own input, its own pump, and its own nozzle, but this is not essential, and such details therefore need not be explained further.
  • FIG. 5 shows a fogging system 590 that comprises a fogging device 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention (e.g., a "small fogger” as shown in FIG. 1A or a “large fogger” as shown in FIG. 3A), and one or more external devices selected from:
  • these hydrogen peroxide sensors can be used, e.g., in steps 1021 to 1023 of the method of FIG. 13, corresponding to phase 3 of FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C, in particular to perform a "closed-loop" process;
  • one or more temperature sensors 532 for measuring an ambient temperature at one or more locations in the room. If present, they can be used e.g. in step 1011 or 1012 of the method of FIG. 11;
  • one or more relative humidity sensors 533 for measuring a relative humidity at one or more locations in the room. If present, they can be used e.g. in step 1011 or 1012 of the method of FIG. 11;
  • fans or ventilators 551 for distributing the air with droplets in the room, and thus to make the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room more uniform. If present, these fans can be used e.g. in steps 1021 to 1023 of the method of FIG. 13,
  • one or more air heaters 552 for heating the air in the room to condition the room. If present, these air heaters can be used e.g. in step 1011 of the method of FIG. 11;
  • air dehumidifiers 553 to lower the relative humidity of the air in the room by extracting water vapor from the air to condition the room. If present, these air dehumidifiers can be used e.g. in step 1011 of the method of FIG. 11;
  • one or more external scrubbers 554 to reduce the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration present in the air of the room.
  • these scrubbers can be used e.g. in step 1023 of the method of FIG. 13, corresponding to phase 3 of FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C, to further reduce the duration of the third phase, thus further accelerating the overall decontamination process, so that the room can be released more quickly, but without sacrificing the reliability of killing;
  • - a remote control unit 540 This has already been discussed above; - a laptop 541 or a tablet or a smartphone or the like. It can perform the function of the remote control unit 540 and possibly more, such as e.g. logging data (e.g. of measured values of Temperature and/or Relative Humidity and/or gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration. These can also be used, for example, to adjust parameters or settings, or even the entire software program of the fogging device.
  • logging data e.g. of measured values of Temperature and/or Relative Humidity and/or gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration.
  • any of these external devices may be communicatively connected to the control unit 415 of the fogging device, e.g. via the RF communication module, or optionally via a cable connection (not shown), e.g. RS232, USB, etc.
  • the hydrogen peroxide sensor 531, and the temperature sensor 532 and the relative humidity sensor 533 may be integrated into one sensor device 530.
  • This sensor device 530 may further comprise a controller 539 for controlling and/or reading the sensors and may comprise a port (not shown) for connecting a cable (e.g., RS232, USB, etc.), and/or may comprise an RF communication module 538 to transmit data wirelessly.
  • a controller 539 for controlling and/or reading the sensors and may comprise a port (not shown) for connecting a cable (e.g., RS232, USB, etc.), and/or may comprise an RF communication module 538 to transmit data wirelessly.
  • the fogging system 590 comprises the fogging device 500 with two hydrogen peroxide reservoirs 402a, 402b and with a third reservoir 420 of sterilized water (to rinse the conduits), and a laptop 541 with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, and an external sensor device 530 which comprises at least a hydrogen peroxide sensor 531, an RF communication module 538 with Bluetooth, and a controller 539.
  • the controller 515 of the fogging device may communicate with the controller 539 of the sensor device 530 via the laptop, which acts as a gateway.
  • the laptop can also be used to log data to a local storage medium 542 (e.g., hard disk), or to a network drive (not shown), or to the cloud 543 or the like.
  • the fogging system 590 comprises the air heater 552 and the air dehumidifier 553, which are preferably automatically controlled by the controller 515 of the fogging device 500, e.g. via a cable (not shown), or via a wireless connection (e.g. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi).
  • These devices 552, 553 allow the room to be conditioned if the temperature and/or the humidity do not meet the necessary conditions to fog the intended amount of hydrogen peroxide (e.g. about 100 to 120 ppm) in the room.
  • the fogging system 590 comprises at least two hydrogen peroxide sensors 531, preferably arranged at different locations in the room; and the fogging device 500 is arranged to receive a value from each of these at least two hydrogen peroxide sensors, and to consider during the first phase (phasel, Fl) and the second phase (phase2, F2) of the disinfection cycle (see FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C) a minimum of this plurality of values as the relevant gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room (by ensuring, e.g., that the minimum value is at least 100 ppm), and to consider during the third phase (phase3, F3) of the disinfection cycle (see FIG. 14A to FIG.
  • the probability is increased that the hydrogen peroxide concentration everywhere in the room comprises at least the predetermined value (e.g. about 100 ppm), in order to achieve sufficient killing everywhere in the room (e.g. according to standard EN17272), and on the other hand to reduce the risk that the hydrogen peroxide concentration anywhere in the room is higher than the predetermined safe value (e.g. 1.0 ppm) before releasing the room again.
  • the predetermined value e.g. about 100 ppm
  • FIG. 6 shows an illustrative curve representing the flow rate of the liquid hydrogen peroxide mixture from the reservoir as a function of the fill factor of the reservoir, as applicable in fogging devices according to the present invention that utilize the Venturi effect. This curve is mainly determined by the speed of the air stream in the first fluid channel, as well as by the shape and size of the nozzle.
  • the relationship between the fluid flow rate (of the hydrogen peroxide mixture) and the amount of liquid in the reservoir is substantially linear.
  • This graph was measured for a 3000 ml reservoir with a height of approximately 25 cm, measured in a prototype "large fogger" of FIG. 3A.
  • the fluid flow rate can be calculated or approximated based on the following formula:
  • VD [ml/min] 30.8 [ml/min] + 0.31*VG [in %] [1] where VD is the fluid flow rate (expressed in ml/min), and
  • VG is the fill factor of the reservoir (expressed in %), but of course this can be different for a different fogging device.
  • FIG. 7 shows another representation of the curve of FIG. 6, showing the fluid flow rate as a function of the cumulative time, starting from a full 3000 ml reservoir.
  • This graph can be derived from the graph of FIG. 6, or based on formula [1], using the following formulas:
  • AVfluid [in ml] VD [in ml/min] * AT [in min] [2]
  • AVfluid is the liquid volume that is drawn from the reservoir for a short time AT
  • VD is the aforementioned fluid flow rate (expressed in ml/min)
  • AT is the time span (expressed in minutes). It should be noted that this graph is not linear.
  • FIG. 8 shows a curve 891 representing the contents of a 3000 ml reservoir as a function of the cumulative time fluid is drawn from the reservoir (i.e., the cumulative time the first pump is ON), corresponding to the fluid flow rate of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.
  • the curve 891 is clearly non-linear (it lies below the dotted line).
  • the area under the curve 891 also illustrates that it takes, for example, much less time (in the example 500 seconds versus 790 seconds) to withdraw 500 ml of liquid mixture from a full reservoir (e.g. from a contents of 3000 ml to 2500 ml) compared to a reservoir that is substantially empty (e.g. from a contents of 1000 ml to 500 ml).
  • the inventors also found that the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room cannot be increased indefinitely, but that it is limited to a ceiling value. They also found that this ceiling value mainly depends on temperature and relative humidity in the room.
  • FIG. 9A shows three curves representing the maximum gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration achievable by so-called "cold fogging” (i.e. fogging without heating of the liquid mixture), as a function of the ambient temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) in a room. These curves apply to a hydrogen peroxide mixture with a liquid phase hydrogen peroxide concentration of approximately 12.5 wt% in demineralized water. In general, it can be said that the higher the temperature and the lower the relative humidity of the room to be disinfected, the higher the maximum hydrogen peroxide concentration achievable with this mixture.
  • the target gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration is about 100 ppm. As shown in FIG. 9A, this value is achievable in:
  • the temperature and relative humidity of the room meet one of these conditions, then it does not need to be "conditioned,” i.e. the temperature does not have to be raised, and/or the relative humidity lowered before a disinfection cycle can be started (this means e.g. that step 1011 of FIG. 11 can be skipped).
  • the specific curves of FIG. 9A were measured in the 81 m 3 test room mentioned above.
  • FIG. 9B shows a curve derived from FIG. 9A, and which represents the minimum room temperature as a function of the relative humidity, or vice versa, which indicates the maximum relative humidity for a given temperature, in order to achieve a gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration of 100 ppm in the room by "cold fogging" of a hydrogen peroxide mixture comprising substantially 87.5 wt% demineralized water and substantially 12.5 wt% hydrogen peroxide, and preferably also 0.006 to 0.008 wt% silver ions.
  • a hydrogen peroxide mixture is commercially available from Roam Technologies under the product name: "Huwa-San TR-12,5".
  • the fogging device can determine that a target gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration of, e.g., 100 ppm by fogging of "Huwa-San TR-12,5" is not achievable if the relative humidity is 80%, and the temperature in the room is below 23.5°C. Such a test can be performed, e.g., in step 1020 of FIG. 10 or FIG. 12.
  • FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a method 1000 that can be performed by a fogging device as illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, and/or by a fogging system 590 as illustrated in FIG. 5, with one or more external devices.
  • a fogging device as illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4
  • a fogging system 590 as illustrated in FIG. 5, with one or more external devices.
  • Different variants of the method are possible, depending on which facilities are available, e.g.: 1
  • the fogging device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 comprises a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor or has communicative access to an external temperature sensor 532 and/or an external humidity sensor 533, then the device can measure the temperature and relative humidity of the room to be disinfected itself. Alternatively, the operator can measure the temperature and/or relative humidity and enter the values via the display 412 of the device or via the remote control unit 540 (if present), before starting a disinfection cycle.
  • the fogging device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 has an air heater and/or an air dehumidifier or has communicative access to an external air heater 552 and/or an external air dehumidifier 553, then the fogging device can optionally increase the temperature in the room, and/or lower the relative humidity in the room.
  • an external air heater 552 and/or an air dehumidifier 553 are present in the room, but not communicatively connected to the fogging device, an operator can optionally operate these devices manually before starting a disinfection cycle. But as explained above (see FIG. 9A and FIG.
  • the presence of an air heater and/or an air dehumidifier is not strictly necessary, and it is often possible to start a disinfection cycle without preconditioning the room, if the temperature and the relative humidity meet the conditions e.g. shown in FIG. 9B.
  • the fogging device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 comprises a hydrogen peroxide sensor internally, and/or has communicative access to an external hydrogen peroxide sensor 531
  • the fogging device can measure the gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room, and dynamically adjust the process parameters (e.g. the duration of phasel of FIG. 14C; starting and stopping the so-called “intermittent fogging” during phase2, and releasing the room after phase3), taking into account the measured values, in a so-called “closed-loop” control.
  • the fogging device does not have access to a hydrogen peroxide sensor, the fogging device can perform a fogging process with so-called "open-loop" control, based on time, taking into account the current fill factor of the reservoir(s).
  • the method 1000 of FIG. 10 as proposed by the present invention actually involves four major steps: i) collecting 1010 data for performing a fogging process in a particular room; ii) checking 1020 whether the collected data meets certain conditions in order to successfully carry out the intended fogging process, and if not all conditions are met, issuing 1030 an error message, and if all conditions are met, proceeding to step 1040; iii) performing 1040 the fogging process; iv) reporting 1050 whether or not the fogging process has been carried out successfully, e.g.
  • FIG. 11 shows a possible refinement of the first major step i) of FIG. 10, regarding the collection of data about the room, and may comprise one or more of the following steps: b) determining 1012 conditions of the room, including the temperature and relative humidity of ambient air in the room to be disinfected.
  • this step may comprise an automatic reading of relevant sensors, if these are built into the fogging device, or external to it, but communicatively connected to it.
  • this step may comprise, e.g., receiving data input on the user interface 212, 412 of the fogging device. If the room was conditioned by means of an air heater and/or an air dehumidifier, in step 1011, then step 1012 can be skipped; c) determining 1013 the volume of the room to be disinfected (e.g. the number of cubic meters).
  • This step may comprise, e.g., receiving the appropriate value via the user interface 212, 412 of the fogging device, or may comprise, e.g., receiving a length, a width, and a height of the room, after which the fogging device will calculate the volume of the room.
  • this volume can be stored in a nonvolatile memory of the device, e.g. together with a "name" (e.g. a character string) of the room in question, so that it can be retrieved later.
  • determining 1014 the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the liquid mixture in the reservoir e.g., receiving the appropriate value via the user interface 212, 412 of the fogging device, or may comprise, e.g., receiving a length, a width, and a height of the room, after which the fogging device will calculate the volume of the room.
  • this volume can be stored in a nonvolatile memory of the device, e.g. together with a "name" (e.g. a character string) of
  • this step may comprise receiving the appropriate value via the user interface 212, 412 of the fogging device, or may comprise automatic reading of the appropriate value from the RFID tag by the controller 215, 415 (if the RFID tag comprises this value); e) estimating 1015 the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture required to introduce a predetermined concentration (e.g. 100 ppm) of gas-phase hydrogen peroxide into the room during a first phase (phasel) and to maintain this concentration for a predetermined contact time (e.g. about 60 min) during a second phase (phase2).
  • a predetermined concentration e.g. 100 ppm
  • a predetermined contact time e.g. about 60 min
  • These predetermined values e.g. the concentration of 100 ppm, and the contact time of 60 minutes
  • the value A depends on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide mixture, and optionally also on the room conditions (e.g. temperature and relative humidity), and optionally also on the room volume. This can be represented mathematically by the following formulas:
  • A fl(H2O2 concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mixture), or:
  • Troom, RHroom and Vroom are the (initial) temperature, relative humidity and volume of the room before the start of the disinfection process, respectively.
  • A is preferably a value in the range from 7 to 10 ml/m 3 .
  • NH thus represents the total amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture to be fogged during the first and second phase.
  • the ratio of the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture to be fogged during the first phase and the second phase can be a value of about 45%, or a value in the range from 40% to 50%, or a value in the range from 35% to 55%, or a value in the range from 30% to 60%. In an embodiment, this ratio is a constant value, e.g.
  • this ratio may be a function of one or more of the following parameters: the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mixture, Troom, RHroom, Vroom, where Troom, RHroom and Vroom are the (initial) temperature, relative humidity and volume of the room before the start of the disinfection process, respectively.
  • FIG. 12 shows a possible refinement of the second major step ii) of FIG. 10, regarding verifying that the collected data meets certain conditions for the successful completion of the fogging process, and may comprise one or more of the following steps: h) calculating the required amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture, in particular to achieve a fogging process with a target gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room; and j) verifying that the temperature and relative humidity of the room meet a predetermined criterion (e.g., as shown in FIG. 9B) to achieve the target gas-phase concentration; and k) checking whether the available amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in the at least one reservoir is greater than the required amount of mixture.
  • a predetermined criterion e.g., as shown in FIG. 9B
  • the fogging device can continue to perform 1040 the fogging process, (possibly after a certain waiting time during which an audible signal is produced so that the operator can leave the room); and if not all conditions are met, giving 1030 an error message.
  • the RFID tag 103, 303 on the at least one reservoir also comprises an expiration date of the hydrogen peroxide mixture, and the control unit 215, 415 is further provided to determine a current date, (e.g. by reading a real-time clock 417 in the device, or by retrieving the current date from an external device, e.g.
  • step 1040 the control unit (as an additional test) also verifies whether the expiration date has expired (i.e., is beyond the current date). If the expiration date has passed, an error message may be given in step 1030. If the expiration date has not yet passed, the control unit may proceed to step 1040.
  • FIG. 13 shows a possible refinement of the third major step iii), which involves performing the fogging process, and may comprise one or more of the following steps: m) adding air with droplets of hydrogen peroxide mixture to the room (also referred to herein as "fogging"), to increase the gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room, and repeatedly updating the RFID tag 103, 303 to keep the value of the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in each reservoir up-to-date.
  • This step m) corresponds to a first phase "phasel", Fl of the fogging process (see FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C).
  • This increasing can also be done in "closed-loop control," e.g. if a hydrogen peroxide sensor is present, in which case the actual amount of gas-phase hydrogen peroxide in the room can be measured, and the time the first pump is active can be dynamically adjusted based on the measured value.
  • the first pump can be activated and remain activated until the measured value exceeds the target gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration (e.g. 100 ppm).
  • n) maintaining the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 60 min), and repeatedly updating the RFID tag(s) as to the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture in each of the reservoirs.
  • This step n) corresponds to a second phase "phase2", F2 of the fogging process (see FIG. 14A to FIG. 14C).
  • Maintenance of the hydrogen peroxide concentration can be carried out in open-loop, e.g. by activating the first pump 405 repeatedly with a certain duty cycle, e.g. every 5 minutes, switching the first pump ON for 1 minute, and OFF for 4 minutes, until the predetermined period (e.g., 60 min) is over, (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15A); or e.g., activate the first pump every 5 minutes for a variable time (e.g., "actl”) to periodically add a certain amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture to the room (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15B);
  • a certain duty cycle e.g. every 5 minutes, switching the first pump ON for 1 minute, and OFF for 4 minutes, until the predetermined period (e.g., 60 min) is over, (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15A); or e.g., activate the first pump every 5 minutes for a variable time (e.g., "actl") to periodically add a certain amount of
  • the first pump 405 e.g. can be switched ON whenever the measured value of the gas-phase H2O2 concentration is lower than the predetermined value (e.g. 100 ppm), and can be switched OFF whenever the measured value exceeds a certain threshold (e.g. 110 ppm or 120 ppm), until the predetermined contact period (e.g. 60 min) is over. o) actively reducing or passively decreasing the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room until a predetermined value has been reached (“closed loop"), (e.g. less than 1.0 ppm), or for a predetermined time ("open loop”);
  • this step comprises "passively waiting for a certain period”.
  • a hydrogen peroxide sensor If a hydrogen peroxide sensor is communicatively connected to the controller 415, it can be read repeatedly to determine when the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room has dropped sufficiently before releasing the room. If no hydrogen peroxide sensor is communicatively connected to the controller 415, then of course this is not possible, and then only a predetermined time can be passively waited.
  • the duration of the third phase can be estimated using the following formula:
  • T3 (in seconds) A3 + B3 * Vroom [3]
  • A3 is a predetermined time, e.g. 900 s
  • B3 is a value of 100 s/m 3
  • Vroom is the volume of the room (expressed in m 3 ).
  • the time T3 depends not only on the volume of the room, but also on one or more of the following parameters: the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mixture used, the initial temperature in the room, the initial relative humidity in the room. This can be written mathematically as:
  • T3 f4(H2C>2 concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mixture, Troom, RHroom, Vroom),
  • FIG. 14A is an illustrative representation of an ideal course of the concentration of gaseous hydrogen peroxide in the room during a disinfection process. It should be noted that these graphs are not drawn to scale. The course comprises three phases:
  • hydrogen peroxide mixture in fogged form is injected into the room via the nozzle, or via two nozzles 301a, 301b in the example of FIG. 3A. If the relative humidity of the air in the room is less than 100%, these droplets will evaporate, and the water (H2O) from these droplets and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from these droplets will be released in gaseous form. Tests have shown that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in gaseous form in particular is decisive for the killing of microorganisms. Tests have also very surprisingly shown that the kill rate is many times greater when a silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide mixture is used (e.g.
  • the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room is kept substantially constant for a predetermined period (typically 60 minutes), also called “contact time”; or rather, it is ensured that the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration remains at least 100 ppm during this period. In practice, however, the hydrogen peroxide concentration will slowly decrease unless new droplets are injected into the room (see FIG. 14B and FIG. 14C). At the end of the second phase, the intended killing of the microorganisms has been achieved.
  • the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration in the room must be reduced to a value of no more than 1.0 ppm before entering the room without a respirator.
  • a scrubber and/or a catalyst is preferably used during this third phase in order to accelerate the decrease of the gaseous hydrogen peroxide concentration.
  • a rinse with demineralized water can optionally be performed at the beginning of the third phase to clean the conduits and the nozzle, so that less corrosion occurs. This is not necessary for the fogging process or the killing process, but it will benefit the lifetime of the device.
  • the third reservoir 420 in the block diagram of FIG. 4, and the third valve V3 serve this purpose.
  • the amount of hydrogen peroxide mixture required for the first and second phase together has already been described above. As a rule of thumb, it can be said that typically 40% to 60% of this is introduced into the room during the first phase, and the remaining amount in the second phase.
  • the optimal ratio between the amount introduced in the first and second phases depends mainly on the volume of the room and the contact time, but also on the initial temperature and relative humidity of the room. This ratio can again be stored in tabular form in a non-volatile memory of the fogging device.
  • FIG. 14A shows the ideal or theoretical course, but in practice the increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration during the first phase is not linear, among other things, not only because of the decreasing liquid flow rate (see FIG.
  • FIG. 14B shows an example of a course that could occur in practice when using open-loop control.
  • the pump can be run intermittently, e.g. with a certain duty cycle, e.g. as shown in FIG. 15A or FIG. 15B, where the course of the hydrogen peroxide concentration (see FIG. 14B) is not perfectly flat in practice but will show a kind of sawtooth.
  • the predetermined duration e.g.
  • FIG. 14B illustrates an "open loop" control, i.e. without effective measurement of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in gaseous form, it is not known exactly when the hydrogen peroxide concentration has fallen below 1.0 ppm. Therefore, in this case it is best to build in a safety margin before releasing the room.
  • FIG. 14C shows an example of a course that could occur in practice when using closed-loop control.
  • the course will also show a sawtooth, but the first pump can be selectively activated and deactivated repeatedly based on the measured hydrogen peroxide concentration, in order to bring this value as close as possible to the target value (of e.g. 100 ppm), or to keep this value within a certain range (e.g. within the range of 100 ppm to 120 ppm). Thanks to the hydrogen peroxide sensor, it can also be determined exactly when the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the third phase F3 has dropped below 1.0 ppm, after which the room can be released.
  • FIG. 15A shows an example of an "intermittent fogging" method, which can be applied during the second phase phase2 of the "open-loop" control fogging process, performed by a fogging device that fogs a liquid mixture using the Venturi principle.
  • a residual volume of "Vrest" of the mixture still has to be fogged.
  • the fogging device can calculate how long the first pump needs to be activated to fog this amount.
  • the pump must be activated for 500 s to fog this amount of mixture.
  • this time schedule (with fixed duty cycle) the same amount of mixture will not be blown into the room in each period, but only approximately, because the flow rate in the first period is approximately 62 L/min, and for the twelfth period about 55 ml/sec.
  • FIG. 15B shows a second example of an "intermittent fogging" method which can be applied during the second phase phase2 of the "open-loop” fogging process.
  • the first pump will need to be switched ON for a little less time in the first period and switched ON a little longer in the twelfth period.
  • the amount of mixture to be fogged e.g.: 500 ml
  • the contact time e.g.: 60 min
  • the number of periods e.g.: 12
  • the first interval will be somewhat longer than that of FIG. 15A, and the last interval somewhat shorter, inversely proportional to the amount of liquid that will be fogged in the respective interval, in other words, proportional to the fluid flow rate.
  • the invention has mainly been described with some specific parameters, e.g. at least 100 ppm as the target gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration at the end of phasel and during phase2; 1.0 ppm or less as the target gas-phase hydrogen peroxide concentration at the end of phase3; 60 minutes as the duration of the second phase; etc., but of course the present invention is not limited thereto, and other values are also possible.

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

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un dispositif de brumisation (200) pour brumiser un mélange de peroxyde d'hydrogène, lequel dispositif de brumisation comprend : un premier circuit de fluide ayant une première pompe (205), et une première entrée (ENTREE 1) pour recevoir un premier flux de gaz à partir de la pièce, et ayant des moyens pour ajouter des gouttelettes d'un mélange de peroxyde d'hydrogène à ce premier flux de gaz, et ayant une première sortie (SORTIE 1) pour fournir ce premier flux de gaz avec ces gouttelettes à la pièce; une unité de commande (215) pour commander la première pompe; un réservoir remplaçable (202) ayant un mélange de peroxyde d'hydrogène; le réservoir portant une étiquette d'identification par radiofréquence (RFID) (203) contenant une valeur correspondant à la quantité de mélange de peroxyde d'hydrogène dans le réservoir; un dispositif de lecture/dispositif d'écriture RFID (204) pour lire des données à partir de l'étiquette RFID; et l'unité de commande étant conçue pour mettre à jour de manière répétée la quantité de mélange de peroxyde d'hydrogène sur l'étiquette RFID afin d'indiquer la quantité restante, en tenant compte d'un débit variable dépendant de la quantité restante.
EP22844157.2A 2021-12-27 2022-12-23 Dispositif, système et procédé pour désinfecter une pièce Pending EP4456931A1 (fr)

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BE20216074A BE1030127B1 (nl) 2021-12-27 2021-12-27 Apparaat, systeem en werkwijze voor het desinfecteren van een kamer
PCT/EP2022/087790 WO2023126362A1 (fr) 2021-12-27 2022-12-23 Dispositif, système et procédé pour désinfecter une pièce

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GB9523717D0 (en) 1995-11-20 1996-01-24 Mdh Ltd Method and apparatus for hydrogen peroxide vapour sterilization
US20110123394A1 (en) * 2008-05-13 2011-05-26 Paul Plantinga Method and Device for Disinfecting a Space
US20120275952A1 (en) * 2011-04-29 2012-11-01 Robert Lukasik Method for Reducing the Concentration of Disinfectant, Decontamination Apparatuses and Systems and Related Methods of Employing the Same
EP2952474A1 (fr) 2014-06-03 2015-12-09 Steris Europe, Inc. Suomen Sivuliike Procédé et dispositif pour générer de la vapeur et du peroxyde d'hydrogène gazeux
US10894107B2 (en) * 2015-02-13 2021-01-19 Gcmg Companies, Llc Fogging system providing atomized solution and ultraviolet light to treatment area
CN204655566U (zh) * 2015-04-14 2015-09-23 淄博康元医疗器械有限公司 定量过氧化氢气化注入装置
KR101910152B1 (ko) * 2017-07-27 2018-10-19 이승재 습도 반응형 분사 제어 장치를 부착한 과산화수소연무발생장치
AU2020381383A1 (en) * 2019-11-07 2022-05-12 Airex Co., Ltd. Decontamination system

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