A water-based curable composition, for production of coatings having an antimicrobial property, contains at least one film-forming polymer, optionally at least one additive and/or at least one curing agent, and at least one up-conversion phosphor of the general formula (I): A.sub.1-x-y-zB*.sub.yB.sub.2SiO.sub.4:Ln.sup.1.sub.x,Ln.sup.2.sub.z. In the general formula (I), x=0.0001-0.0500; z=0.0000 or z=0.0001 to 0.3000 with the proviso that: y=x+z; A is selected from Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba; B is selected from Li, Na, K. Rb and Cs; B* is selected from Li, Na and K; and preferably B and B* are not the same. Additionally, Ln.sup.1 is selected from praseodymium (Pr), erbium (Er), and neodymium (Nd); and Ln.sup.2 is gadolinium (Gd). The phosphor, as a result of an aftertreatment, includes at least one material which has a band gap of greater than 6.0 electronvolts (eV) and is hydrolysis-stable.

A system and method for conveying a sterilizing fluid to a filling machine includes a refilling tank for containing the sterilizing fluid and from which the sterilizing fluid is drawn, a spray tank fluidly connected to the refilling tank for receiving the sterilizing fluid from the refilling tank and conveying the sterilizing fluid to the filling machine, and a fluid line connecting the refilling tank to the spray tank. A vacuum generator is fluidly connected to the spray tank via a vacuum line and configured to generate a vacuum in the spray tank, such that the vacuum causes sterilizing fluid to be drawn from the refilling tank and into the spray tank.

Disclosed herein are rapid and residual disinfectant compositions that include a metal-associated cerium oxide nanoparticles. Also disclosed are methods of making disinfectant compositions. Films comprising the disclosed compositions are also disclosed as well as methods of disinfecting a surface.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for the application of vaporized chemicals in sterilization procedures, and systems and methods for controlling (e.g., distributing, moving, or exhausting) such chemicals. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to systems and methods for effecting terminal sterilization of medical products using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP), and/or for the distribution of VHP to, or removal of VHP from, a sterilization system or parts thereof.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for producing one or more of trioxygen, hydrogen and its ions, oxygen and its ions, hydrons, hydroperoxyls, and electronically modified oxygen derivatives from oxidizing agents that are exposed to photon emissions at a wavelength in a range of 0.01 nm to 845 nm, wherein wavelengths that photo-dissociate trioxygen may be excluded. The methods, systems and apparatuses enhance the effectiveness of photo-oxidation, photocatalytic, and/or photochemical combined with photocatalytic reactions.

A process for providing a sterilized dental article, at least a portion of the surface of which exhibiting a contact angle of less than 45°. The process includes the subsequent steps of a) providing a dental article and b) subjecting the initial dental article to a hydrogen peroxide plasma treatment. It is characterized in that the hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization treatment of step b) is carried out in the presence of a carbon-containing compound, which during treatment is converted to form a carboxylic group attached to the surface of the dental article.

A device for production and use of a disinfectant. The device may be used to disinfect materials or objects exposed to viruses and/or bacteria. In particular, the device is capable of converting at least one first reagent such as an alcohol and at least one second reagent including an oxidant into an active disinfectant agent. A catalytic system is incorporated into the reaction vessel to produce the active disinfectant as needed for the disinfection process.

A packaging machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages is provided. The packaging machine includes a disinfection/sterilization station configured to treat ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through said disinfection station. The disinfection/sterilization station includes a supply section configured to provide gaseous sterilizing agent into open ends of the ready-to-fill packaging containers passing the supply section, and a holding section arranged downstream the supply section. The packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the supply section such that the sterilizing agent will condense on areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature below the dew point of the sterilizing agent, and the packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the holding section such that the gaseous sterilizing agent will treat areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature above the dew point of the sterilizing agent.

A device for obtaining and applying a disinfectant agent and method of use are provided. The device includes a pre-processing cascade unit that activates (ionizes) air, with the activated air being supplied by an air pump to an inlet of a sprayer, where the activated air mixes with an initial working fluid (distilled water) to form an activated air-working fluid aerosol mixture that is sprayed by the sprayer into a reactor of cone-shaped volumetric cold plasma that includes divergent discharge electrodes. The device further includes a unit for generating high-voltage pulses of a nanosecond duration that is connected to the discharge electrodes and that causes the electrodes to generate electrical discharges. Upon the mixture coming into contact with the electrical discharges, potent disinfectant agents (such as peroxynitrite and one or more peroxynitrite's precursors or derivatives) are synthesized and expelled from the device.

Described is a device (1) for reducing pollutants in a gaseous mixture comprising: •a containment body (2) having an inlet portion (3) for the gaseous mixture and an outlet portion (4) for the gaseous mixture, the containment body (2) imposing on the gaseous mixture a fixed direction of flow (D), •at least one filtering unit (10) comprising a photocatalytic filter (7) interposed, along the fixed direction of flow (D), between a first light source (6a) and a second light source (6b), both having a wavelength in the visible spectrum (400-700 nm), the photocatalytic filter (7) comprising a photocatalytic nanoparticle coating and the nanoparticle coating comprising titanium dioxide doped with a nitrogen doping agent. •a unit (5) for straightening the flow before the filtering unit (10).