AIR PURIFIER

Abstract

A method for sterilising an internal surface of an air purifier or a filter media in an air purifier according to any preceding claim by: (A) subjecting said internal surface or filter media to an air flow; (B) subjecting said internal surface or filter media to an ion cloud; and where steps (A) and (B) are in any order.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A method for sterilizing filter media in an air purifier comprising steps: (A) subjecting said filter media to an air flow; (B) subjecting said filter media to an ion cloud; where steps (A) and (B) are, in no particular order, and are carried out exclusively.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the air purifier comprises removable filter media and speed of the air flow during step (A) measured at the removable filter media is from 0.1 to 1.2 cms.sup.−1.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein step (A) has a duration from 1 minute to 10 hours.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein step (B) has a duration from 1 minute to 10 hours.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the air purifier comprises a removable particulate or gas filter, an air flow generator, a means for controlling said air flow generator, a first air flow setting with an air filtration air flow speed and a second air flow setting which correlates with sterilization of an internal surface of the air purifier and/or removable particulate or gas filter.

12. The method according to claim 7 wherein the air purifier comprises removable filter media and speed of the air flow during step (A) measured at the removable filter media is from 0.1 to 2.5 cms.sup.−1.

13. The method according to claim 7 wherein the air purifier comprises removable filter media and speed of the air flow during step (A) measured at the removable filter media is from 0.8 to 1.2 cms.sup.−1.

14. The method according to claim 7 wherein the air purifier comprises an alert by way of an electronic signal to a mobile device to alert a user that conditions are favorable to micro-organisms and permitting an option for the user to actuate a fan in the air purifier; and a warning where the user is warned that micro-organism growth is likely thus recommending to the user to actuate the fan or an impeller, or ionizer in the air purifier.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0054] The following experiment sets out to assess the impact of ionisation alone on micro-organism viability on a substrate, in this case a particulate filter. The ioniser was subjected to −5 kV in order to emit an ion stream.

[0055] The air flow applied to the substrate in this experiment was zero.

[0056] The micro-organisms used were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the incubation period to generate the biofilm was 5 days.

[0057] Results:

TABLE-US-00001 Exposure time (h) 1 h 2 h 4 h Log reduction microbes 0.48 0.78 1.16

TABLE-US-00002 Distance (cm) 5 10 15 Log reduction microbes 0.75 0.5 0.28

[0058] Conclusion:

[0059] The closer the ioniser emitter to the substrate the better the impact on micro-organism viability. Further, a burst of ionisation around 2 hours performs most optimally.

EXAMPLE 2

[0060] The following experiment sets out to assess the impact of a low air draft alone on micro-organism viability on a substrate, in this case a particulate filter. No ionisation of the substrate took place.

[0061] The micro-organisms used were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the incubation period to generate the biofilm was 5 days.

[0062] Results:

TABLE-US-00003 Airflow rate (ms.sup.−1) 0.018 0.4 1 Log reduction microbes −0.75 0.52 1.2

[0063] A low air draft of 0.018 ms.sup.−1 resulted in no reduction of micro-organism growth though this still resulted in some slowing down of growth.

EXAMPLE 3

[0064] An air purifier was set up such that a particulate filter was subjected to ionisation as well as a low air draft (1.0 cms.sup.−1). The air draft was for 10 hours and the ionisation for 2 hours with the ionisation step coming first.

[0065] Again, the ioniser was set at −5 kV and the test micro-organism (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was allowed to grow for 5 days prior to the test.

[0066] The control showed log micro-organism count of 6 while the test score was 2.5.

EXAMPLE 4

[0067] An air purifier was set up such that an interior surface of the purifier was subjected to ionisation as well as a low air draft (1.0 cms.sup.−1). The air draft was for 10 hours and the ionisation for 2 hours with the ionisation step coming first.

[0068] Again, the ioniser was set at −5 kV and the test micro-organism (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was allowed to grow for 5 days prior to the test.

[0069] The control showed 152 colonies of micro-organism while the test score showed 6.