Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Utilizing electrical or wave energy directly applied to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2002-10-22
Hoey, Betsey Morrison (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Utilizing electrical or wave energy directly applied to...
C205S432000, C205S435000, C422S004000, C422S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06468433
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel method for disinfecting liquids and gases and to devices using this method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a methods for disinfecting liquids and gasses by light which is radiated into the liquids and gasses by optical fibers. The light may be ultra violet light (UVA, UVB, UVC) which is especially useful for killing bacteria or microscopic noxious microorganism (such as those passing through filtration units). The light may be also in the visible region of the spectrum, which is especially useful for disturbing the breeding cycle of cockroaches (such as those living in sewage networks or other close spaces). Alternatively, the light may be in any other spectral range suitable for killing noxious microorganisms.
(Example: Optical fibers terminated into a modular crystal interface, such as a KTP and/or an LBO, and/or PPKTP and/or other appropriately phase matched or coupled crystals for harmonic generation or frequency doubling for the purpose of disinfecting liquids and gasses) the light is primarily in the IR, NIR, or VISIBLE regions of the spectrum while in delivery and converted to Ultra violet or 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th harmonic generation (UVA, UVB, and UVC).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Radiation is known to effect many species population factors in natural, industrial, and domestic ecological systems. The term “radiation” in the context of the present invention includes all the spectral ranges including the visible spectrum i.e. illumination. Radiation of one frequency may effect an increase in the population of one species while simultaneously causing the inactivation or elimination of other species (disinfecting).
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “disinfecting” relates to reducing the population of any noxious species. (e.g. selective inactivation and/or destruction of disease-causing organisms). The noxious (unwanted) species may be microscopic (e.g. bacteria, viruses, amoebic cysts, protozoan cysts) or macroscopic (e.g. cockroaches, termites, mosquitoes or bats).
For example, it is known that exposure (irradiating) to ultra violet light (at sufficient flux density and appropriate wave length) will kill bacteria and inactivate many organisms or life forms by inactivation or destruction (disinfecting) of essential deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and/or ribonucleic acid (RNA) replication sequence/s. Exact details of such groups of noxious species can be easily found in publications released up to date (on the subject of waste water disinfecting) by the Water Environment Federations Research Foundation (WEFRF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An example for such microscopic life forms may include spore-forming or non-spore-forming or viruses or bacteriophage or cysts. Some examples are as follows:
Non-spore-forming
Escherichia coli
Enterobacter cloacae
Direct Total Microbial Count groups
Fecal Coliform group
Aeromonas hydrophilae/suberia
Citrobacter freundii
Campylobacter jejuni
Thermotolerant coliform
(groups)
Fecal streptococcus group
Heterotrophic (plate Count group)
Klebisiella pneumoniae
Legionella dumofii
Legionella pneumophila
Mycobacterium avium
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus faecalis
Salmonella typhi
Fecal streptococci/enterococci
Salmonella spp. group
Mycobacterium chelonae
Mycobacterium fortutuitum
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Shigella sonnei
Total Coliform group
Yersinia enterocolitica
Spore-forming
Bacillus subtilis
clostridia group
Viruses/bacteriophage
Coxsackievirus B-1 to B-5
Coxsackievirus A-9
Echoviruss 1
Echoviruss 11
H-1 parvoviruss
Hepatitis A virus
Human retrovirus type II
Simian rotavirus
B 40-8 bacteriophage/bacteriodes fragilis
F-specific bacteriophage
Somatic coliphage group
V1 bacteriophage
Polio-1
Polio-2
Polio-3
Reoviruss-1
Reoviruss-3
Cysts
Cercosporidium parvum
oocysts
Entamoeba histolytica
Acanthamoeba culbertsoni
Giardia lamblia
Giadia muris
Naegleria fowleri
Naegleria gruberi
Macroscopic Species
Cockroaches
Termites
Mosquitoes
Bats
Known methods and means for disinfecting liquids or gasses using lamps or laser light sources are limited in their optical distribution efficiency, as well as in their respective design geometry—due to limitations imposed by their respective optical distribution architectures. The known methods and means are not using any optical fibers and crystals, or reflective end—cup interfaces, or semi holographic, partially dielectric rings. Therefore, the known methods are ineffective in delivering simultaneously optical energy to a plurality of points arranged distantly. These limitations impose restriction on the geometry of the known devices so that adequate splitting, distributing, delivery and projection means are not available for these devices. These limitations also prohibit the previous methods from creating, or taking advantage of optical distribution networks for disinfecting liquids or gasses by using at least one central or remote light source. The present invention overcomes these limitations, firstly, by using optical fibers for delivery and distribution and/or diffusing of laser radiation. Furthermore, the present invention delivers optical energy via optical fibers in a primary wavelength for substantial distances before being converted at the end-cup crystal interface. By delivering radiation of the primary wavelength and converting it at the end of the fibers, the present invention provide the following important advantages.
Reducing the damage threshold at the point of entering the fibers by using longer wavelengths e.g. such as a 1064nm wavelength in the IR Spectrum. Such wave lengths are known to be especially suitable for large distance transmission applications in IT and telecommunication optical distribution networks.
Enhancing the delivery capability of optical fibers, eliminating the need to use expensive UV capable fibers such as HGFS (e.g. High Grade Fused Silica) which have only limited UV transmission capabilities.
Making it possible to split the output of a single light source across tens, or hundreds, or thousands of points simultaneously (e.g. in remote locations, or remotely positioned projection, and/or diffusion points) substantially widening design ranges for disinfecting reactors according to the present invention.
The present invention could be used in a wide range of disinfecting application including advanced integrated networks wherein the disinfecting processes occurs at a plurality of points of use, (e.g. such as taps) or at a central reactor (e.g. a conduit or a chamber) of end user points of use. Furthermore, the ability of the method of the present invention to split the laser beam and deliver to a plurality of substantially distanced points, facilitates transmission of wavelengths (e.g. sufficiently short wavelengths) and frequencies of light adequate for production of Ozone (e.g. O
3
) wherein both designers and end users could benefit from safer geometry with the ability to create a combined multi-processing network platform for disinfecting liquids and gasses.
Known methods and means for disinfecting liquids or gasses using lasers and lamps will be described in order to emphasize and point out the novelty and inventive progress of the present invention.
References to previous patents, methods and means are included to highlight the inventive steps and evolutionary progress of the present invention.
The present invention is embedded in a novel methodology wherein, unlike previous methods and means, the present invention uses an interactive modular network of optical infrastructure for disinfecting liquids and gasses. Furthermore, the present invention facilitates interconnectivity and interoperability between producers and end users by utilizing the principle of single and/or bi-direction light transmission, harmonic conversion and/or frequency doubling. The ability of the present invention to split and guide light across a local, and/or large area network, is limited only by the efficiencies and/or tolerances such as damage threshold
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