The use of plasma to clean or sterilize items can be particularly advantageous for items that cannot be readily washed or cleaned by standard methods. The toxicity and complications generating sufficient plasma makes it hard to use for such purposes. The subject invention addresses the problem by generating a minimal amount of highly reactive plasma to sterilize an item. This is achieved by reducing the amount of space and ambient air around and within the item. In this way, the plasma generated fills only the required volume of the item to be cleaned and the plasm is directed at the object, not directed at or released into non-target areas.

A system for ultraviolet irradiation of objects and a method of using this system is disclosed. The system includes: an illuminating device positioned in a center section of an octagon shaped a base area and including one or more elongated light sources, each emitting ultraviolet light given by shortwave ultraviolet light (UV-C light) and extending in parallel to a normal on the base area; a set of rotatable mesh grids arranged around the base area such that the mesh grids surround the illuminating device and configured to be equipped with the objects; and a set of reflectors including a set of movable side reflectors, wherein the reflectors are configured to be arranged such, that they form a resonator surrounding the mesh grids surrounding the illuminating device.

Disclosed herein are flexible plasma applicators based on fibrous layers that are capable of rapidly sanitizing a surface via either direct or indirect contact with said surface.

The present invention relates to a UVC technology-based system for disinfecting textiles comprising an ultraviolet light source comprising a power supply; a housing to contain the light source and to protect it from any impact; an electronic card responsible for controlling the switching on or off of the ultraviolet light source; a driving means that activates the movement of the drum and an electrical resistance that allows the generation of heat to start the drying cycle inside the household appliance. The system allows disinfecting textiles by up to 99.9%, saving energy and, at the same time, reducing the process time and damage to the textiles.

Provided are a mist generator and a washing machine. The mist generator can provide mist having small enough particles. The mist generator includes: a housing having a discharge part; a mist generation unit having a mist spraying nozzle for spraying a mist and causing the mist sprayed from the mist spraying nozzle to collide in the housing to generate a mist with particles smaller than those of the sprayed mist; and a discharging unit for generating an airflow toward the discharging opening in the housing, so that in case of nonuse of a blowing fan, the mist with smaller particles generated by the mist generation unit is discharged from the discharging opening along with the airflow.

A device for steam disinfecting products includes a treatment chamber. An evaporation pan is arranged in the chamber and heated. A liquid contained in the pan evaporates. A drying air flow is generated by a fan unit and directed onto the evaporation pan via a fan duct. A non-return element is arranged in the fan duct and prevents liquid vapor from getting from the evaporation pan to the fan unit. During an evaporation process, the fan unit is switched off and the fan duct is blocked by a non-return element. During a subsequent drying process, the fan unit is switched on and the non-return element of the fan duct is opened for the drying air flow. During operation of the fan unit, the evaporation pan is heated to a temperature above the specified minimum temperature using a heating device.

Methods of inactivating microbiological contamination described herein use a textile or membrane which can generate a contamination-inactivating amount of ozone or a reactive oxygen species. The textile or membrane includes first and second conductive layers and at least one ion conductive or porous intermediate layer positioned between the first and second conductive layers. The textile or membrane can form part of a protective face mask, for example a medical or surgical face mask. A voltage effective to generate a microbiological contamination-inactivating amount of the inactivating species is applied across the intermediate layer of the textile or membrane.

A method of demonstrating efficacy of a malodor counteractant product, the method comprising the steps of: a) treating one of two odorous fabric articles with a malodor counteractant product, wherein the two odorous fabric articles comprise a malodor compound and are treated with a color indicator wherein the color indicator is configured to change color upon interaction with a malodor compound; b) providing the treated one of the two odorous fabric articles in a first enclosed environment comprising one of two odorless fabric articles, wherein the two odorless fabric articles are treated with the color indicator; c) providing the other one of the two odorous fabric articles in a second enclosed environment comprising the other one of two odorless fabric articles; and d) allow the odorous and odorless fabric articles to remain in the first and second enclosed environments for a period of time sufficient to cause a difference of color between the one of two odorless fabric articles in the first enclosed environment and the other one of the two odorless fabric articles in the second enclosed environment.

Disclosed is, on the one hand, a method for killing insects and/or mold of portable heritage and/or artworks, wherein the objects to be treated are temporarily treated in a sealed housing. On the other hand, disclosed is a device for carrying out an insect and/or mould (fungus) killing treatment on portable heritage and/or artworks, including a housing for temporarily placing the heritage and/or artwork of The method and device according to this disclosure were developed in particular to protect artworks and/or portable heritage against damage (by deterioration) and thus to preserve them for a longer period.

Disclosed is a method for decontaminating and/or extracting toxic substances of portable heritage and/or artworks, where the objects to be treated are temporarily treated in a sealed housing.

An aircraft sanitization device is disclosed. The aircraft sanitization device includes a curved enclosure operatively coupled to a first surface of an enclosed area. At a first position the curved enclosure at least partially encloses a handle affixed to the first surface. A set of Ultraviolet (UV) Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) configured to sanitize the handle are affixed to an inner surface of the curved enclosure. At least one switch therein is activated in a closed state and deactivated in an open state of the enclosed area. At least one locking mechanism is configured to engage with the first surface in the closed state and disengage with the first surface in the open state. A controller is configured to activate the set of UV LEDs, when each of the at least one switch is activated and the locking mechanism engages the first surface in the closed state.