AIR DISINFECTION DEVICE AND METHOD USING SAME

Abstract

An air disinfection device wherein air to be disinfected flows through a disinfection chamber (1) from an air inlet (11) to an air outlet (12), wherein one or more UVC lasers (21) are provided as UVC light source means (2), and a multiplicity of mirrors (17) are provided as a reflective surface in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1), arranged in such a way that one or more UVC laser beams (26) emitted by the UVC laser (21) pass through the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) so as to be reflected multiple times. Also, a method for disinfecting air using this device.

Claims

1. An air disinfection device with a disinfection chamber (1) with an air inlet (11), an interior (10) and an air outlet (12), wherein air to be disinfected flows through the disinfection chamber (1) from the air inlet (11) to the air outlet (12), wherein UVC light source means (2) are provided in the disinfection chamber (1) and the disinfection chamber (1) is equipped in the interior with reflective surface(s), wherein as UVC light source means (2) a UVC laser (21) is provided and as reflective surface in the in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) a number of mirrors (17) are provided, wherein the UVC laser (21) and mirrors (17) are arranged in such a way that UVC laser beam(s) (26) emitted by the UVC laser (21) are reflect multiple times in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1), wherein the disinfection chamber (1) is cuboid shaped, the UVC laser beam (26) is coupled in the disinfection chamber in a central plane (F), which is centered and perpendicular to the height extension of the cuboid disinfection chamber (1), the mirrors (17) are oriented perpendicular to this central plane (F), and wherein the disinfection chamber (1) has a height (H) corresponding to the diameter of a single UVC laser beam (26).

2. An air disinfection device with a disinfection chamber (1) with an air inlet (11), an interior (10) and an air outlet (12), wherein air to be disinfected flows through the disinfection chamber (1) from the air inlet (11) to the air outlet (12), wherein UVC light source means (2) are provided in the disinfection chamber (1) and the disinfection chamber (1) is equipped in the interior with reflective surface(s), wherein as UVC light source means (2) several UVC lasers (21) are provided and as a reflective surface in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) a number of mirrors (17) are provided, wherein the UVC lasers (21) and mirrors (17) are arranged in such a way that UVC laser beams (26) emitted by the UVC lasers (21) are reflect multiple times in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1), wherein the disinfection chamber (1) is cuboidal, wherein the UVC laser beams (26) are coupled in the disinfection chamber parallel to a central plane (F), which is centered and perpendicular to the height extension of the cuboid disinfection chamber (1), and wherein the disinfection chamber (1) has a height (H) corresponding to the height of the stacked laser beams (26).

3. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the UVC laser(s) (21) are arranged on the outside of the disinfection chamber (1), wherein the laser output, at which the laser beam (26) is decoupled, is directed into the disinfection chamber (1) through opening (18).

4. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the mirrors (17) are fixed in a fixed arrangement in the interior (10).

5. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the disinfection chamber (1) facing the interior (10) are mirrored.

6. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the UVC laser (21) is an LED laser that emits UVC radiation with wavelengths in the range of 200 nm to 280 nm.

7. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein at the air inlet (11) a particulate filter (3) and/or a controllable inlet valve are provided.

8. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a particulate filter (3) and a controllable inlet valve are provided at the air inlet (11).

9. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein at the air inlet (11) an inlet biosensor (41) and/or at the air outlet (12) an outlet biosensor (42) are provided.

10. An air disinfection method for disinfecting air in a disinfection chamber (1) with an air inlet (11), an interior (10) and an air outlet (12), wherein the air to be disinfected flows through the disinfection chamber (1) from the air inlet (11) to the air outlet (12) and is exposed to UVC irradiation from one or more UVC laser beam(s) (26), wherein the disinfection chamber (1) is a cuboid disinfection chamber (1) with a height (H) measured in a height extension claim 1, the method comprising: generating one or more UVC laser beams(s) (26) directed into the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) along a central plane (F) aligned perpendicular to the height extension of the cuboid disinfection chamber (1), wherein the height (H) of the disinfection chamber (1) corresponds to the sum of the diameter(s) of the one or more UVC laser beam(s) (26), reflecting the UVC laser beams (26) multiple times in the interior (10), whereby the UVC laser beams (26) essentially pass through the entire interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) parallel to the central plane.

11. An air disinfection method according to claim 10, wherein each UVC laser beam (26) is absorbed after passing through the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1).

12. An air disinfection according to claim 10, wherein each UVC laser beam (26) after passing through the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1) is coupled back to itself at the beginning of its path.

13. An air disinfection method according to claim 10, wherein multiple laser beams (26′, 26″, 26″′) are generated, wherein added onto a first laser beam (26) after a partial running path several times in succession at least one other laser beam (26′, 26″, 26″′) is coupled to the laser beam (26, 26′, 26″, 26″′).

14. An air disinfection method according to claim 12, wherein the UVC laser beam (26) is coupled in-phase after the run.

15. An air disinfection method according to claim 10, wherein the UVC laser beams (26) no not cross in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1).

15. An air disinfection method according to claim 10, wherein the UVC laser beams (26) intersect along their path in the interior (10) of the disinfection chamber (1).

17. An air disinfection method according to claim 10, wherein pulsed UVC laser beams (26) are used.

18. (canceled)

19. An air disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the UVC laser (21) is an LED laser that emits UVC radiation with wavelengths in the range of 250 nm to 270 nm.

Description

[0029] There is shown in:

[0030] FIG. 1 an air disinfection device according to a first embodiment in a schematic, partly cut top view,

[0031] FIG. 2 an air disinfection device in a second embodiment,

[0032] FIG. 3 an air disinfection device in a third embodiment and

[0033] FIG. 4 an air disinfection device in a fourth embodiment.

[0034] In FIG. 1, a first embodiment of an air disinfection device is shown in a schematic, partially sectional view. The air disinfection device has a disinfection chamber 1, wherein the disinfection chamber 1 has an interior 10, to which on one side of the disinfection chamber 1 an air inlet 11 and on the opposite side an air outlet 12 are arranged. Air can thus flow through this disinfection chamber 1 from air inlet 11 through interior 10 to air outlet 12.

[0035] In the embodiment shown here, the disinfection chamber 1 is essentially rectangular, wherein the largest longitudinal extension is aligned in the flow direction X of the air flowing through the disinfection chamber 1 and the width of the disinfection chamber 1 is aligned transversely to the flow direction X of the air. In FIG. 1, the side walls 13 of the disinfection chamber 1 are shown above and below in the drawing plane. Front sides 14 of the disinfection chamber 1 are shown in drawing level in FIG. 1 on the left and right. The front sides 14 are open for a free flow of the air to be disinfected. Around the disinfection chamber 1 a housing 100 may be arranged, which for the air inlet 11 and air outlet 12 is provided suitable transitions to hose connections etc. for the conduction of the air flowing to the air disinfection device for disinfection, or for the conduction of the disinfected air emitted by the air disinfection device.

[0036] In FIG. 1, the disinfection chamber 1 is shown in top view, i.e. omitting the top 15 to permit a view of the bottom 16. In the disinfection chamber 1, 13 mirrors 17 are arranged in the interior 10 along the two side walls. Furthermore, an opening 18 is provided at the corner of the disinfection chamber 1 shown at the bottom right in FIG. 1, at which a first UVC laser 21 is attached as UVC light source 2. The laser output, at which a UVC laser beam 26 is decoupled, is directed into the opening 18, so that the UVC laser beam 26 is directed into the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1. Preferably, the first UVC laser 21 with its laser output in the opening 18 is formed airtight.

[0037] The UVC laser beam 26, which is emitted by the first UVC laser 21, is shown as a dot-dash line. The UVC laser beam 26 is reflected several times over its path on the mirrors 17, so that a path of the UVC laser beam 26 (dashed representation) extends over the entire interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1. At the end of the disinfection chamber 1 shown on the left in FIG. 1 in the drawing plane, the UVC laser beam 26 is reflected back into a returning laser beam 27 (marked with double dot dash), so that a corresponding return of the laser beam results, which is appropriately coupled back to itself at the beginning of its path (see short-dashed coupling laser beam 28).

[0038] In the embodiment shown here, the travel of the UVC laser beam 26, returning laser beam 27 and coupling laser beam 28 is on a plane parallel to the top 15 or bottom 16 of the disinfection chamber 1, so that the paths of the UVC laser beam 26 intersect with the paths of the returning laser beams 27 and coupling laser beam 28. At these crossing points, a deliberate scattering or turbulence of the UVC radiation takes place, so that an increased distribution of UVC radiation in the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 is to be expected.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which the same or similar components to the embodiment according to FIG. 1 are designated with the same reference symbols. However, there is a significant difference in the path of the laser beams 26, 27, 28, since here a crossing-free design of the path of the laser beams 26, 27, 28 results from the fact that the returning laser beam 27 is directed into a plane below or above the plane in which the UVC laser beam 26 is oriented within the interior 10 via correspondingly oriented mirrors. This ensures that the returning laser beam 27 is coupled back to the beginning of its path (UVC laser beam 26) via appropriately aligned mirrors 17 by means of a coupling laser beam 28.

[0040] In FIG. 3, in a third embodiment, an air disinfection device with a disinfection chamber 1 is shown, in which the UVC laser beam 26 emitted by the first UVC laser 26 is guided along a plane parallel to the drawing plane through the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 to a laser beam absorber 29 at the left end of the disinfection chamber 1 in the drawing plane. Also in this design, the UVC laser beam 26 is crossing-free.

[0041] As in the other embodiments, the clear height of the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 should be designed in such a way that it corresponds as exactly as possible to the radiation diameter of the first UVC laser 21. This ensures that the entire free cross-section according to the open front sides 14 over the entire area of the interior 10 is passed through by the UVC laser beam 26 and, if necessary, by the returning laser beam 27 (according to embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2). This ensures that the air flowing through the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 interacts with the UVC radiation and, in particular, microorganisms carried in the air are killed by the UVC radiation.

[0042] In a fourth embodiment according to FIG. 4, a total of four UVC lasers 21, 22, 23, 24 are provided as UVC light source 2, respectively arranged at four corresponding, spaced openings 18 on the disinfection chamber 1. The first UVC laser 21 generates a UVC laser beam 26, which is absorbed into a newly introduced UVC laser beam 26′ after a partial run path, so that the intensity of the attenuated UVC laser beam of the first UVC laser 21 is amplified with the newly introduced UVC laser beam 26′. After a further partial route, a new UVC Laser beam 26″ is then coupled to this UVC laser beam 26′ from a third UVC laser 23. This in turn amplified UVC laser beam signal is now mirrored several times over a further partial path until the UVC laser beam merges again with a new UVC laser beam 26″′, generated from a fourth laser 24. This UVC laser beam 26″′ is then directed to a laser beam absorber 29 after a subsequent partial path.

[0043] Of course, this embodiment could also include a returning laser beam 27 with renewed coupling at the beginning of the path. Of course, further combinations of the aforementioned features from the four embodiments can be combined with each other in order to be able to specify further embodiments of the invention.

[0044] Furthermore, further features of the air disinfection device are now explained vicariously on the basis of the embodiment according to FIG. 1. These features can also further develop the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 4 and modified embodiments.

[0045] On the air disinfection device shown in FIG. 1, a particulate filter 3 is provided at the air inlet 11, which frees the air flowing in at the air inlet 11 from suspended particles and dirt particles, so that the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 remains as clean as possible, and with the UVC irradiation of the air flowing through the interior 10 the lowest possible radiation losses occur due to scattering and dissipation. Furthermore, an inlet valve may be provided at inlet 11. On the one hand, this inlet valve can be a simple mechanical check valve to prevent air flow against the desired inlet direction (flow direction X). Alternatively, the inlet valve can also be an electrically controllable valve. An exhaust valve is also provided at air outlet 12. That can also be designed as a check valve to avoid an undesirable return flow of air against the flow direction X or as a controllable exhaust valve.

[0046] In further embodiment, sensors 4 are provided, which can measure conditions at the air disinfection device. Preferably, a first biosensor 41 may be provided at the air inlet 11 and a second biosensor 42 at the air outlet 12. Furthermore, sensors 4 can be air flow meters, for measuring the ozone content of the air after UVC irradiation and pressure sensors.

[0047] The sensors 4 are connected to a control unit 5, which preferably has a rechargeable battery 51 as a power supply. The UVC lamps 2 are connected to the control unit 5. The UVC light sources can, for example, light up continuously during the use of the air purification device (plugged in battery). Alternatively, the UVC-LED laser can also be switched on only for the necessary disinfection process, for example for each breath (triggering via pressure sensors). Furthermore, in the case of corresponding controllable valves, namely the inlet valve and/or the exhaust valve may be connected to the control unit 5.

[0048] In the following, the air disinfection method is described on the basis of the embodiments proposed here according to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the air disinfection device.

[0049] For example, air to be disinfected is sucked in by a person to be protected from infection via a breathing mask arranged at the air outlet 12. During this process, the UVC light source agents 2 are switched on via control unit 5, so that in the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 UVC laser beams 26, 27, 28 essentially pass through the entire interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1. Now the ambient air sucked in by the person is directed via the air inlet 11 into the interior 10. If necessary, a particulate filter 3 at the air inlet 11 can free the air thus sucked in from suspended dust and dirt particles. There, the UVC radiation of the UVC laser beams 26, 27, 28 interacts with the particles in the air, in particular germs and microorganisms are killed. The air disinfected in this way now reaches the breathing mask of the person to be protected via the air outlet 12, which is not shown here.

[0050] Alternatively, with the appropriate formation of the air disinfection device, both inhalation and exhalation can be passed directly through the one disinfection chamber 1. It must be taken into account that the air volume in the interior 10 of the disinfection chamber 1 is small compared to the normal breathing volume of a person, so that always sufficient fresh ambient air leads to the person to be ventilated. In this case, both the inhaled air and the exhaled air can be disinfected advantageously with only one air disinfection device, ie with only one disinfection chamber 1, so that the exhaled air of an infectious person can also be disinfected.

[0051] In further process-appropriate formation, two air disinfection devices, ie two disinfection chambers 1 may also be arranged in parallel, one by means of suitable valves, in particular check valves only for inhalation and the other disinfection chamber 1 is only responsible for exhalation. In this version, larger volumes can also be used in the disinfection chamber 1, since the problems of an air column only moving back and forth without sufficient exchange with fresh air are not to be feared.

[0052] To control the efficiency and quality of disinfection, corresponding biosensors 41, 42 can also measure the quality of the supplied or discharged air. In addition, pressure sensors may also be provided, for example, to immediately detect a small negative pressure when inhaling through a breathing mask connected to the air outlet 12, in order to then be able to open appropriately controllable inlet and outlet valves. Furthermore, the amount of air can also be measured, for example, to increase the light intensity of the UVC light source agents 2 in a faster and/or stronger breathing or to reduce the radiation intensity in a calmer breathing. As a further quality check, an ozone sensor may be provided, which gives an alarm signal if an ozone limit value is exceeded or reduces the intensity of the UVC radiation. However, this should not be necessary for UVC radiation in the wavelength range of 250 to 270 nm, since ozone is more likely to form at wavelengths below 200 nm when UVC is irradiated by air.

[0053] Advantageously, the air disinfection device with its UVC-LED laser can reliably disinfect air for inhalation or exhalation, whereby due to the low energy requirement of the UVC-LED laser a mobile use with handy rechargeable batteries (for example, power pack for mobile phones) for a long period of several hours or days is possible. After changing the rechargeable battery or recharging the battery the air disinfection device can always be reused. This is a considerable advantage over disposable protective masks, which can only be used for a maximum period of use of a few hours and must subsequently be disposed of.

TABLE-US-00001 Reference list 1 Disinfection chamber 10 Interior 100 Casing 11 Air inlet 12 Air outlet 13 Sidewall 14 Face 15 Top 16 Subside 17 Mirrors 18 Opening 2 UVC Light source means 21 First UVC laser 22 Second UVC laser 23 Third UVC laser 24 Fourth UVC laser 26, 26′, 26″, 26″′ UVC laser beams 27 Returning laser beam 28 Launch laser beam 29 Laser beam absorber 3 Particle filter 4 Sensor 41 First biosensor 42 Second biosensor 5 Control unit 51 Rechargeable battery X Flow direction