Medical air treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10702435-B2
Application number	US-201715813548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An air treatment device having a flexible air hose, duct or gooseneck member. The air hose, duct or gooseneck member permits an inlet end thereof to be positioned in proximity to a patient so that a negative pressure can be created around the patient so that air can sucked or vacuumed into the system whereupon it is treated as the air flows through the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air treatment system for use during a surgical procedure in a room, said air treatment system comprising:
a housing having an inlet and an outlet;
an air treatment device located in said housing for irradiating or treating an airflow before it exits said outlet;
wherein said air treatment device further comprises at least one filter or at least one of a chemical irradiator or a biocidal remover located in said housing for reducing or eliminating unwanted pathogens in said airflow, said air treatment device located in said housing filters and irradiates or treats said airflow after it enters said inlet and before it exits said outlet;
an air hose or duct adapted to be mounted to said housing in communication with said inlet, said air hose or duct having an inlet end for situating in proximity to a patient situated in said room and a nozzle associated with said inlet; and
an airflow generator for mounting in said housing for generating an air stream between said inlet and said outlet and for creating a negative pressure or vacuum in said air hose or duct so that when said nozzle is placed near said patient, the air near said patient is captured and treated by said air treatment device which filter, irradiates or treats the air to reduce or eliminate unwanted pathogens, germs, bacteria, virus and fungi;
wherein said nozzle has a nozzle filter associated therewith for filtering air passing into said inlet to provide an initial filtration of said air, said initial filtration treating said air before it is filtered or treated by said air treatment device and before it exits said outlet so that said air entering said inlet is filtered, irradiated and/or treated a plurality of times before exiting said outlet;
said airflow generator generating an airflow through said air hose or duct to create a negative pressure around said patient during said surgical procedure;
said nozzle filter filtering air that enters into said nozzle and said at least one filter or said at least one chemical irradiator or biocidal remover irradiating or treating, respectively, said airflow as it passes through said housing to reduce or eliminate bacteria and unwanted pathogens in said air stream in order to reduce said patient's risk of acquiring an infection and reduce airborne pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi in said air stream;
wherein said air treatment system comprises at least one airflow interrupter in a path of said airflow for reducing at least one of an air velocity of said air stream or a linearity of a flow of said air stream to increase a time which said air stream is subjected to said at least one of said chemical irradiator or said biocidal remover before said airflow leaves said housing.

2. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said inlet end comprises a removable nozzle that can be moved or adjusted to a predetermined position by a user.

3. The air treatment system as recited in claim 2 wherein said nozzle has a nozzle end having a nozzle inlet area that is greater than a cross sectional area of said air hose or duct where said nozzle is coupled to said air hose or duct.

4. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air hose or duct has at least a portion that is at least one of flexible, pivotable or rotatable.

5. The air treatment system as recited in claim 2 wherein said nozzle is removable or detachable from said air hose or duct and comprises a filter element.

6. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein air treatment device comprises a chemical or irradiator for inactivating airborne microbes within said air stream as said air stream flows between said inlet and said outlet.

7. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air treatment system is portable.

8. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air treatment system comprises a plurality of airflow interrupters, said plurality of airflow interrupters comprising a plurality of discrete, randomly oriented and radiation-transmitting objects.

9. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said outlet is at least one of adapted to be fitted to a duct in said room or to re-introduce treated air into a surrounding space in said room.

10. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air treatment system is adapted for use in a room that is not an operating room.

11. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said airflow generator comprises a centrifugal blower.

12. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air hose or duct is extendable.

13. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air hose or duct is elongated and semi-rigid with a plurality of areas for permitting a position of said inlet end to be situated in proximity to the patient.

14. The air treatment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said air hose or duct is an articulating and flexible gooseneck member.

15. A mobile air treatment device for use with a patient undergoing a procedure, said mobile air treatment device comprising:
a cabinet having an inlet and an outlet that comprises wheels and is portable;
a nozzle that is adapted to be positioned in proximity to the patient;
a vacuum generator for creating negative pressure at said nozzle; and
said mobile air treatment device being located in said cabinet for irradiating or treating an airflow before it exits said cabinet;
wherein when said nozzle is placed in proximity to said patient, the air near said patient is captured and treated by said mobile air treatment device which filters, irradiates or treats the air to reduce or eliminate unwanted pathogens, germs, bacteria, virus and fungi;
wherein said mobile air treatment device further comprises at least one filter at least one of a chemical irradiator or a biocidal remover located in said cabinet for reducing or eliminating unwanted pathogens in said airflow, said mobile air treatment device located in said cabinet filters and irradiates or treats said airflow after it enters said inlet and before it exits said outlet;
wherein said nozzle has a nozzle filter associated therewith for filtering air passing into said inlet to provide an initial filtration of said air, said initial filtration treating said air before it is filtered or treated by said mobile air treatment device and before it exits said outlet so that said air entering said inlet is filtered, irradiated and/or treated a plurality of times before exiting said outlet;
said nozzle filter filtering air that enters into said nozzle and said at least one filter or said at least one chemical irradiator or biocidal remover irradiating or treating, respectively, said airflow as it passes through said cabinet to reduce or eliminate bacteria and unwanted pathogens in an air stream in order to reduce said patient's risk of acquiring an infection and reduce airborne pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi in said air stream;
wherein said mobile air treatment device comprises at least one airflow interrupter in a path of said airflow for reducing at least one of an air velocity of said air stream or a linearity of a flow of said air stream to increase a time which said air stream is subjected to said at least one of said chemical irradiator or said biocidal remover.

16. The mobile air treatment device as recited in claim 15 wherein said cabinet comprises an adjustable duct arm having said nozzle removably mounted thereon and coupling said nozzle to said cabinet, said adjustable duct arm being moveable by a user when positioning said nozzle in p

Assignees

• Kirschman David Louis
• Thunderhill Invest Llc

Inventors

• Kirschman David Louis

Classifications

• A61L9/18

  Radiation (A61L9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F3/00

  Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems (room units F24F1/00) · CPC title

• B01D46/00

  Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours (filtering elements B01D24/00-B01D35/00; filtering material B01D39/00; their regeneration outside the filters B01D41/00) · CPC title

• A61C19/00

  Dental auxiliary appliances (dental chairs or accessories therefor, working stands whether or not combined with chairs A61G15/00) · CPC title

• A61M1/784

  by filtering, sterilising or disinfecting the exhaust air, e.g. swellable filter valves · CPC title