Reducing microbial growth on food preparation, storage, or processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11583597-B2
Application number	US-202016818138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A lighting array including one or more antimicrobial light segments configured to emit light sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms at a target surface may be installed within identified contamination zones of food or beverage preparation, processing, storing or packaging equipment or machinery. In an ice machine, for example, an array controller is configured for communication with an ice machine controller to receive ice machine status information signals. The status information signals are usable by the array controller to determine cycle, state, and/or usage information associated with the ice machine. The array controller may individually control activation of the one or more antimicrobial light segments based on the status information signals received from the machine controller to achieve inactivation of one or more microorganisms on target surfaces within the machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a lighting array including one or more antimicrobial lighting segments, each antimicrobial lighting segment including one or more elements, wherein each element of the one or more elements emits light at a wavelength and irradiance sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms on a target surface associated with a food machine; and
a lighting array controller comprising:
one or more processors; and
a data storage device comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from a food machine, usage information indicative of a number of food machine cycles completed by the food machine in a specified period of time;
determine the food machine is in one of a first, high usage state or a second, reduced usage state based on the number of food machine cycles completed by the food machine in the specified period of time; and
individually control each of the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments based on determining the food machine is in one of the first, high usage state or the second, reduced usage state.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the food machine is an ice machine, and wherein the usage information is indicative of a number of ice making cycles completed by the ice machine in the specified period of time.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the ice making cycles include at least one of an ice making cycle, an ice harvesting cycle, or a standby cycle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device further comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
receive food machine cycle information from a controller of the food machine indicative of a current cycle of the food machine,
wherein the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments include a first antimicrobial lighting segment and a second antimicrobial lighting segment, and the one or more processors individually control each of the first and second antimicrobial lighting segments based on the food machine cycle information such that when the food machine is in a first food machine cycle at least the first antimicrobial lighting segments is activated to inactivate one or more microorganisms on a first target surface associated with the food machine, and when the food machine is in a second food machine cycle at least the second antimicrobial lighting segment is activated to inactivate one or more microorganisms on a second, different target surface associated with the food machine.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device further comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
receive food machine cycle information from a controller of the food machine indicative of a current cycle of the food machine,
wherein the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments include a first set of the antimicrobial lighting segments and a second set of the antimicrobial lighting segments and the one or more processors individually control each of the first and second sets of the antimicrobial light segments based on the food machine cycle information by activating the first set of the antimicrobial lighting segments and deactivating the second set of the antimicrobial lighting segments.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device further comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
receive status information indicative of one of a door open state or a door closed state; and
deactivate at least some of the antimicrobial lighting segments when the status information is indicative of the door open state.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more antimicrobial lightning segments includes a plurality of antimicrobial lighting segments, and each antimicrobial lighting segment of the plurality of antimicrobial lighting segments is individually controllable such that each of the antimicrobial lighting segments may be activated at a first, high setting, a second, modified setting, or a third, deactivated setting independently of the other one or more antimicrobial lighting segments.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device further comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
activate at least one of the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments at a high setting upon determining that the food machine is in the second, reduced usage state.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device further comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
activate all of the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments at a high setting upon determining that the food machine is in the first, high usage state.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments are disposed within the food machine to direct light at the wavelength and irradiance sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms toward one or more target surfaces associated with the food machine.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the food machine includes a plurality of target surfaces, and wherein the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments are individually controllable to direct light at the wavelength and irradiance sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms at different target surfaces of the plurality of target surfaces based on the usage information.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each antimicrobial lighting segment of the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments includes a substrate, wherein the one or more elements include a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) elements, and wherein each LED element of the plurality of LED elements emits light including wavelengths in a range of about 405±10 nanometers.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each antimicrobial lighting segment of the one or more antimicrobial lighting segments includes a flexible substrate, wherein the one or more elements include a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) elements, wherein each LED element of the plurality of LED elements emits light including wavelengths in a range of about 405±10 nanometers, and wherein a length of each antimicrobial lighting segment of the one or more antimicrobial lighting elements is customizable to fit within a target space within the food machine.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting array and the lighting array controller are connected to receive power from the food machine.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting array controller and the lighting array are connected to receive power from an external AC power source.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting array further includes one or more lighting elements that emit light having a wavelength range in the visible spectrum.

17. A method comprising:
disposing a lighting array including one or more antimicrobial lighting segments, each antimicrobial lighting segment including one or more elements, wherein each element of the one or more elements emits light at a wavelength and irradiance sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms on at least one target surface associated with a food machine;
receiving, by one or more processors, usage information indicative of a number of food machine cycles completed by the food machine in a specified period of time;
determining the food machine is in one of a first, high usage

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Christian Paul Dominic
• Kraus Paul R
• Mcdowell Gina
• Babekir Amani
• Starobin Anna

Classifications

• A23B2/00

  Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general · CPC title

• A23B70/50

  by irradiation or electric treatment, without heating · CPC title

• A47J31/60

  Cleaning devices · CPC title

• A23G9/305

  Sterilisation of the edible materials · CPC title

• A61L2202/11

  Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps · CPC title