Plasmonic assisted systems and methods for interior energy-activation from an exterior source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016005503-A1
Application number	US-201514851196-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2007
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium disposed in an artificial container. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy through the artificial container to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a change in a fluid medium contained in an artificial container, comprising:
(1) placing in a vicinity of the fluid medium at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent, said energy modulation agent is configured to emit light into the fluid medium upon interaction with an initiation energy; and (2) applying the initiation energy from an energy source to the medium, wherein the applied initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to treat the fluid medium.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein placing further comprises providing a photocatalyst in a vicinity of a waste water medium.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising inducing photocatalysis in the waste water medium from said light emitted from the energy modulation agent to treat the waste water medium.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the photocatalyst comprise at least one of CdS, Fe 2 O 3 , ZnO, WO 3 , ZnS, TiO 2 P 25 , TiO 2 , CdSe, SnO 2 , SrTiO 3 , and Ta 2 O 5 particles

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonics agent 1) enhances or modifies said light from the energy modulation agent or 2) enhances or modifies the initiation energy.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises: applying the initiation energy from an external energy source; or applying the initiation energy from a source that is at least partially in the artificial container holding the fluid medium or that is exposed through an opening in the artificial container.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy modulation agent comprises at least one of a sulfide, a telluride, a selenide and an oxide semiconductor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the fluid medium comprises a changing an organism activity in the fluid medium.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising magnetically introducing or collecting the energy modulation agent into or from the fluid medium.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises: transmitting the initiation energy through the artificial container comprising at least one of an aluminum container, a quartz container, a glass container, a plastic container or a combination thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy modulation agent is provided within the medium at a density where said light generated in the medium from the energy modulation agent is not occluded throughout the fluid medium.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing encapsulations of the energy modulation in the fluid medium

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein providing encapsulations comprises: providing said encapsulations in a fluidized bed; providing said encapsulations in re-entrant structures extending into the artificial container holding said medium; or providing said encapsulations on interior walls of the artificial container holding said medium.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing encapsulations of the plasmonics agent in the fluid medium.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiation energy comprises x-ray energy and UV/VIS energy treats the fluid medium.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiation energy comprises infrared energy and UV/VIS energy treats the fluid medium.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiation energy comprises radiowave or microwave energy and UV/VIS energy treats in the fluid medium.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying the initiation energy to fluid medium and reducing contaminants in the fluid medium.

19 . A system for producing a change in a fluid medium, comprising:
a mechanism configured to provide to the fluid medium 1) an activatable agent and 2) at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent, said energy modulation agent is configured to emit light into the medium upon interaction with an initiation energy, and said plasmonics agent is configured to enhance or modify an energy being transmitted in a vicinity of the plasmonics agent; and an initiation energy source configured to apply the initiation energy to the fluid medium, wherein the initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to process the fluid medium.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a fluidized bed; or re-entrant structures extending into a container holding said medium.

Assignees

• Immunolight Llc
• Univ Duke
• Immunolight Llc

Inventors

• Bourke Jr Frederic A
• Vo-Dinh Tuan

Classifications

• A61P31/18

  for HIV · CPC title

• A61P31/04

  Antibacterial agents · CPC title

• A61P7/08

  Plasma substitutes; Perfusion solutions; Dialytics or haemodialytics; Drugs for electrolytic or acid-base disorders, e.g. hypovolemic shock (artificial tears A61P27/04) · CPC title

• A61P35/00

  Antineoplastic agents · CPC title

• A61L2/088

  using photocatalysts or photosensitisers · CPC title