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Method for the treatment of substrates
| Details |
Inventors: Graves, Clinton G.; Graves, II, Clinton G.;
Assignee: Graves'Trust Group (Danville, CA)
Primary Examiner: Bowers; Charles
Assistant Examiner: Berry; Renee R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Townsend and Townsend and Crew
The invention provides methods and apparatus for treating substrates and hazardous biological wastes. According to one exemplary method, at least one substrate is placed into a chamber and a vacuum is applied to the chamber. After the pressure within the chamber is sufficiently reduced, water vapor is introduced into the chamber and electromagnetic radiation energy is applied to produce a plasma. In one particularly preferable aspect, the chamber is allowed to reach a static condition before the water vapor is introduced. In this way, the water vapor is able to equally distribute itself throughout the volume of the chamber so that an equally distributed plasma can be produced upon application of the electromagnetic radiation energy. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention provides methods and apparatus for sterilizing articles, for sterilizing hazardous biological waste, and for treating various substrates using a gas plasma.
According to one particular sterilization method, an article or biological waste is placed into a sterilization chamber and a vacuum is applied to the chamber to reduce the pressure within the chamber.
With the pressure reduced, water vapor is introduced into the chamber.
The water vapor can be introduced alone or can optionally be introduced with a carrier gas.
With the water vapor in the chamber, an electromagnetic radiation energy is applied to the chamber to produce a plasma.
The electromagnetic radiation energy excites the water molecules and causes them to disassociate thereby creating reactive radicals.
The reactive radicals vaporize and combine with the by-products of the spores and other microorganisms and to effectively destroy and remove the spores and other microorganisms from the articles or waste, thereby sterilizing the articles or waste.
In an exemplary aspect, the carrier gas comprises air.
Alternatively, the carrier gas can be a gas selected from the group consisting of argon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, helium, nitrogen tri-fluoride, and nitrous oxide.
The electromagnetic radiation energy applied to the chamber is preferably in the range from about 5 KHz to 10 GHz, and more preferably at about 2.
45 GHz.
Such a wavelength is preferable because of its effectiveness in disassociating the hydrogen and oxygen atoms of the water vapor.
When the water vapor is introduced into the chamber, the pressure within the chamber is preferably within the range from about 100 mTorr to 10 Torr.
In another aspect, the temperature within the chamber is preferably in the range from about 25.
degree.
C.
to 100.
degree.
C.
In an alternative method for sterilizing articles, at least one article is placed into a sterilization chamber and a vacuum is applied to the chamber until a predetermined pressure is reached within the chamber
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