Disinfecting method for disinfecting a room or surface, and disinfecting fluid composition suitable for transforming into an aerosol of fluid particles suspended in a gas

Abstract

Disinfecting method for disinfecting a room or a surface, comprising the steps of: a) providing a fluid comprising at least one organic compound obtainable from natural substances, wherein the organic compound is provided in an non-polar or polar medium, or in a mixture of non-polar and polar media; b) mixing the fluid with a gas such that fluid particles are suspended in the gas, and an aerosol of fluid particles is formed; c) directing a flow of the aerosol formed in step b) on said surface or into said room.

Claims

1. A disinfecting method for disinfecting a room or a surface, comprising the steps of: a) providing a fluid comprising at least one organic compound obtainable from natural substances, wherein the organic compound is provided in a non-polar or polar medium, or in a mixture of non-polar and polar media, wherein the at least one organic compound is chosen from the group consisting of: azulene, the essential oil of thyme, the essential oil of cloves, a resin from plants, d-limonene, orange oil, derivates of the above organic compounds, and mixtures of the above organic compounds, wherein the at least one organic compound is provided in lime water or in a mixture of a non-polar medium and lime water, wherein the organic compound is present in an amount of 5-50 wt. % of the fluid; b) mixing the fluid with a gas such that fluid particles are suspended in the gas, and an aerosol of fluid particles is formed; c) directing a flow of the aerosol formed in step b) on said surface or into said room.

2. The disinfecting method according to claim 1, wherein subsequent to step b) and prior to step c), the fluid particles of the aerosol of which the mean particle size is 1 micrometer or above, are separated from the aerosol.

3. The disinfecting method according to claim 2, wherein separated fluid particles of the aerosol are returned to the fluid that is used in step b).

4. The disinfecting method according to claim 1, wherein in step a): the at least one organic compound is provided in a mixture of a non-polar medium and lime water, wherein the non-polar medium is an oil.

5. The disinfecting method according to claim 4, wherein the non-polar medium is olive oil.

6. The disinfecting method according to claim 1, wherein in step a): the organic compound is present in an amount of 10-30 wt. % of the fluid.

7. The disinfecting method according to claim 1, wherein in step b): a mixture of the fluid and the gas is led under pressure through a nozzle, so that a spray of aerosol is discharged from the nozzle.

8. The disinfecting method according to claim 7, wherein subsequent to step b) and prior to step c), the fluid particles of the aerosol of which the mean particle size is 1 micrometer or above, are separated from the aerosol by directing the spray of aerosol into a mixing chamber in which the spray is deflected by deflecting surfaces, and from which mixing chamber the aerosol is discharged via an outlet in order to perform step c).

9. The disinfecting method according to claim 8, wherein the mixing chamber and the nozzle are assembled in the form of a cartridge which further comprises a reservoir for the fluid which is in fluid communication with the nozzle and the mixing chamber.

10. The disinfecting method according to claim 9, wherein the cartridge comprises an inlet for supplying fluid to the reservoir from a source outside of the cartridge.

11. The disinfecting method according to claim 1, wherein in step b): the gas is led under pressure through a nozzle and the fluid is admixed to the gas during passage through the nozzle, so that a spray of aerosol is discharged from the nozzle.

12. The disinfecting method according to claim 11, wherein subsequent to step b) and prior to step c), the fluid particles of the aerosol of which the mean particle size is 1 micrometer or above, are separated from the aerosol by directing the spray of aerosol into a mixing chamber in which the spray is deflected by deflecting surfaces, and from which mixing chamber the aerosol is discharged via an outlet in order to perform step c).

13. The disinfecting method according to claim 12, wherein the mixing chamber and the nozzle are assembled in the form of a cartridge which further comprises a reservoir for the fluid which is in fluid communication with the nozzle and the mixing chamber.

14. The disinfecting method according to claim 13, wherein the cartridge comprises an inlet for supplying fluid to the reservoir from a source outside of the cartridge.

15. A disinfecting fluid composition, comprising: at least one organic compound obtainable from natural substances, which organic compound is present in a non-polar or polar medium, or in a mixture of non-polar and polar media, and wherein the at least one organic compound is chosen from the group consisting of: azulene, the essential oil of thyme, the essential oil of cloves, a resin from plants, d-limonene, orange oil, derivates of the above organic compounds, and mixtures of the above organic compounds, wherein the at least one organic compound is provided in lime water or in a mixture of a non-polar medium and lime water, wherein the organic compound is present in an amount of 5-50 wt. % of the fluid composition.

16. The disinfecting fluid composition according to claim 15, wherein the at least one organic compound is provided in a mixture of a non-polar medium and lime water, wherein the non-polar medium is an oil.

17. The disinfecting fluid composition according to claim 16, wherein the non-polar medium is olive oil.

18. The disinfecting fluid composition according to claim 15, wherein the organic compound is present in an amount of 10-30 wt. % of the fluid composition.

19. A disinfecting method for disinfecting a room or a surface, comprising the steps of: a) providing a fluid comprising at least one organic compound obtainable from natural substances, wherein the at least one organic compound is provided in water or in a mixture of a non-polar medium and water, wherein the at least one organic compound is chosen from the group consisting of: citric acid, derivates of citric acid, and mixtures of the above organic compounds, wherein the organic compound is present in an amount of 5-50 wt. % of the fluid; b) mixing the fluid with a gas such that fluid particles are suspended in the gas, and an aerosol of fluid particles is formed; c) directing a flow of the aerosol formed in step b) on said surface or into said room; wherein subsequent to step b) and prior to step c), the fluid particles of the aerosol of which the mean particle size is 1 micrometer or above, are separated from the aerosol.

20. The disinfecting method according to claim 19, wherein in step b): the gas is led under pressure through a nozzle and the fluid is admixed to the gas during passage through the nozzle, so that a spray of aerosol is discharged from the nozzle, and wherein subsequent to step b) and prior to step c), the fluid particles of the aerosol of which the mean particle size is 1 micrometer or above, are separated from the aerosol by directing the spray or aerosol into a mixing chamber in which the spray is deflected by deflecting surfaces, and from which mixing chamber the aerosol is discharged via an outlet in order to perform step c).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view of one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIGS. 2A and 2B are enlarged top plan views of area 20 of FIG. 1.

EXAMPLE

(3) FIG. 1 shows a simplified view in cross-section of a cartridge to be used in the method of the invention.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a cartridge 1 for disinfecting fluid, which has outside walls 2, which are penetrated by: an inlet 3 for pressurized gas from an outside source (not depicted), an inlet 5 for disinfecting fluid from an outside source (not depicted), and outlets 7 for discharging aerosol formed inside the cartridge 1. The cartridge 1 is of a general cylindrical shape, with the dotted line X marking the respective cylindrical axis. The bold arrows A mark the direction of streams of gas and aerosol within the cartridge 1.

(5) Inside the cartridge 1, a conduit 10 for leading the introduced gas is provided, which narrows into a nozzle 12. The conduit 12 has internal channels 14 for leading fluid towards the nozzle 12. The channels 14 are in fluid communication with the narrow part of the nozzle passage 12, at which the gas passing through will exhibit a reduced pressure (i.e. the Venturi effect). Consequently, the fluid 25 kept in the lower part of the cartridge (i.e. the reservoir for fluid), will be drawn through channels 14 towards the nozzle 12 and mix with the gas, thus discharging a spray which is an aerosol of fluid particles in the gas. Opposite to the exit side of the nozzle 12, is a deflecting structure 20 positioned, in order to deflect the spray discharged from the nozzle 12. Grace to the deflection, a turbulent stream of aerosol is formed (depicted by the bent arrows A, which illustrate a circular flow), wherein larger fluid particles will return to the fluid 25, while smaller fluid particles (having a mean size below 1 micrometer) will remain suspended in the gas. At the same time, the aerosol spreads out over mixing chamber 27, and the smaller particles finally exit the cartridge through outlets 7. The aerosol discharged from the outlets 7 may be directly used for disinfecting a room or a surface by leading the flow of aerosol in an appropriate direction. The inlet 5 is used when an additional amount of disinfecting fluid is required inside the cartridge, so that the capacity for discharging aerosol from the cartridge is not restricted to the size of the reservoir inside.

(6) FIGS. 2A and 2B show respectively a top and bottom view of the cartridge depicted in FIG. 1. The same features as depicted in FIG. 1, are indicated by the same reference numbers.

(7) An example of a useful fluid composition for the disinfecting method of the invention, contains 40 wt. % thyme oil, 50 wt. % lime water, and 10 wt. % of a non-polar mixture, which includes oil of cloves, azulene and Frankincense.

(8) Another example of a particularly useful fluid composition for the disinfecting method of the invention contains 49 wt. % thyme oil, 50 wt. % lime water, and 1 wt. % of azulene (i.e. a distillate from camomile).