Up and down conversion systems for production of emitted light from various energy sources including radio frequency, microwave energy and magnetic induction sources for upconversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317307-A1
Application number	US-201816012901-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2009
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing a change in a medium. A first method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium at least one upconverter including a gas for plasma ignition, with the upconverter being configured, upon exposure to initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, and (2) apply the initiation energy from an energy source including the first wavelength λ1 to the medium, wherein the emitted light directly or indirectly produces the change in the medium. A second method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium an agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation, and (2) apply as an initiation energy the microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation by which the agent directly or indirectly generates emitted light in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet range to produce at least one of physical and biological changes in the medium.

First claim

1 : A method for producing a change in a medium in an artificial container, comprising:
(1) placing in a vicinity of the medium at least one upconverter including a gas for plasma ignition, said upconverter configured, upon exposure to initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, wherein said upconverter is provided (i) in a fluidized bed, (ii) in re-entrant structures extending into the artificial container holding said medium; or (iii) on interior walls of the artificial container holding said medium; and (2) applying the initiation energy from an energy source including said first wavelength λ 1 to the medium, wherein the emitted light directly or indirectly produces the change in the medium.

2 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises:
applying the initiation energy throughout at least a part of the artificial container including the medium.

3 : The method of claim 2 , wherein applying comprises:
transmitting the initiation energy through the artificial container comprising at least one of a quartz container, a glass container, a plastic container or a combination thereof.

4 : The method of claim 1 , wherein said upconverter is provided in a fluidized bed.

5 : The method of claim 1 , wherein said upconverter is provided in re-entrant structures extending into the artificial container holding said medium.

6 : The method of claim 1 , wherein said upconverter is provided on interior walls of an artificial container holding said medium.

7 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying the initiation energy to waste water to reduce contaminants in the waste water.

8 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying the initiation energy to fluids to sterilize the fluids.

9 : The method of claim 8 , wherein applying comprises sterilizing blood products.

10 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying the initiation energy to alter a surface structure of an article in the medium.

11 : The method of claim 10 , wherein applying comprises photo-grafting a molecular species onto a surface of the article.

12 : 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 an artificial container holding the medium.

13 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying said initiation energy from a source emitting at least one of x-rays, high energy particles, microwaves, radio waves, or magnetic induction.

14 : The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the initiation energy from an energy source comprises applying at least one of rf energy, microwave energy, or magnetic induction energy to generate light in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength range for said light for emission into the medium.

15 : The method of claim 1 , wherein providing comprises providing a gas container in said vicinity of the medium, said gas container having transparent walls and comprising an ionizable gas which upon receipt of the first wavelength λ 1 of microwave or if energy emits light in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength range.

16 : The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container filled with at least one of hydrogen, argon, nitrogen, xenon, ammonia, iodine vapor; mercury vapor; an organic gas, and hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures, and mixtures thereof.

17 : The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container filled with at least partially with ammonia.

18 : The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container including at least one of a carbon structure, a carbon nanotube, a single wall carbon nanotube, a double wall carbon nanotube, graphene, and metal materials made of aluminum or copper.

19 : The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container having a containment wall comprising at least one of a silicate glass, an alkali glass, a sodium glass, and a phosphate glass.

20 : The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a gas container comprises providing a gas container comprising at least one of a silica gel, a precipitate silicate, a cenosphere, a conductosphere, or a hollow sphere.

21 : A system for producing a change in a medium in an artificial container, comprising:
a mechanism configured to provide to the medium 1) an activatable agent and 2) at least one upconverter including a gas for ignition and configured, upon exposure to the initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, wherein said upconverter is provided (i) in a fluidized bed, (ii) in re-entrant structures extending into the artificial container holding said medium; or (iii) on interior walls of the artificial container holding said medium, wherein an initiation energy source configured to apply the initiation energy to the medium.

22 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the artificial container comprises at least one of a quartz container, a glass container, a plastic container or a combination thereof.

23 : The system of claim 21 , wherein said upconverter is provided in a fluidized bed.

24 : The system of claim 21 , wherein said upconverter is provided in re-entrant structures extending into the artificial container holding said medium.

25 : The system of claim 21 , wherein said upconverter is provided on interior walls of an artificial container holding said medium.

26 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the medium comprises waste water.

27 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the medium comprises fluids to be sterilized.

28 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the medium comprises blood products.

29 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the medium comprises a surface structure of an article in the medium to be photoactivated.

30 : The system of claim 29 , wherein the medium comprises a surface to be photo-grafted.

31 : The system of claim 21 , wherein the initiation source comprises:
an external energy source; or a source that is at least partially included in the artificial container holding the medium.

32 : The system of claim 21 , wherein said initiation energy source comprises a source emitting at least one of x-rays, high energy particles, microwaves, radio waves, and magnetic induction.

33 : The system of claim 21 , wherein said upconverter comprises a gas container having transparent walls for emission of light in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength range.

34 : The system of claim 33 , wherein the gas container is filled with at least one of hydrogen, argon, nitrogen, xenon, ammonia, iodine vapor; mercury vapor; an organic gas, and hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures, and mixtures thereof.

35 : The system of claim 33 , wherein the gas container comprises at least partially ammonia.

36 : The system of claim 33 , wherein the gas container comprises at least one of a carbon structure, a carbon nanotube, a single wall carbon nanotube, a double wall carbon nanotube, grapheme, and metal materials made of aluminum or copper.

37 : The system of claim 33 , wherein the gas containe

Assignees

• Immunolight Llc
• Univ Duke

Inventors

• Bourke Jr Frederic A
• Fathi Zakaryae
• Stanton Ian Nicholas
• Therien Michael J
• Stauffer Paul Rath
• Maccarini Paolo
• Hansen Katherine Sarah
• Fels Diane Renee
• Wyatt Cory Robert

Classifications

• A61N1/44

  Applying ionised fluids {(ion generators H01J37/00)} · CPC title

• A61N2/00

  Magnetotherapy · CPC title

• H01J65/042

  by an external electromagnetic field · CPC title

• H05B41/2806 Primary

  with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps without electrodes in the vessel, e.g. surface discharge lamps, electrodeless discharge lamps · CPC title

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title