Biocidal purification device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475708-B2
Application number	US-201414889603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A biocidal fluid purification cap ( 2 ) for a fluid container ( 1 ), preferably one storing purified water for use in laboratory environments and especially purified water for cell culture and water for molecular biology. The purification cap ( 2 ) includes a cap body ( 3 ) including an engagement feature ( 20 ) for removably attaching the cap body ( 3 ) to a mating engagement feature on a spout of the fluid container ( 1 ) to hermetically close a spout opening, at least one LED ( 7 a ) adapted to emit light in the UV-C range, electronic circuitry ( 15 ) for driving the LED(s) ( 7 a ), and a power supply for the electronic circuitry ( 15 ). The LED(s) ( 7 a ) is/are arranged in said cap body ( 3 ) so as to be separated from the environment by an UV-transparent window ( 6 ) provided in the cap body ( 3 ) such that light emitted from said LED(s) ( 7 a ) enters the opening of the spout when the cap ( 2 ) is attached to the spout of the container ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A biocidal fluid purification cap for a fluid container, including:
a cap body including an engagement feature for removably attaching the cap body to a mating engagement feature on a spout of the fluid container to hermetically close a spout opening,
at least one LED adapted to emit light in the UV-C range,
electronic circuitry for driving said at least one LED, and
a power supply for the electronic circuitry,
wherein said at least one LED is arranged in said cap body so as to be separated from the environment by an UV-transparent window provided in the cap body such that light emitted from said at least one LED enters the opening of the spout when the cap is attached to the spout of the container, and wherein said cap body further includes a first fluid opening to the outside of the cap body and a second fluid opening to the spout opening of the container when the cap is attached to the spout, and a fluid channel extending between the first fluid opening and the second fluid opening and passing between the UV-transparent window and a further UV-transparent window facing the opening of the spout to allow, in operation, the light emitted from the at least one LED to pass through the fluid flowing in the channel before entering the spout opening of the container.

2. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said power supply comprises a battery received in the cap body and/or a connector and/or a contact-less transmitting means to an external power source.

3. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 2 , wherein said electronic circuitry includes a function for charging said battery by external power supplied through said connector and/or said contact-less transmitting means.

4. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuitry includes an interface and function for receiving a control signal from a remote device to program function settings of the circuitry.

5. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuitry includes a function for modulating the drive power supplied to the at least one LED to allow dimming and/or intermittent operation of the at least one LED according to a predefined time and/or intensity schedule.

6. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said can body includes a switch that is adapted to detect removal of the cap body from the spout of the container and to deactivate the operation of the at least one LED via the circuitry in response.

7. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuitry and said at least one LED are provided on a printed circuit board with a metal base, and said printed circuit board is arranged in the cap body to allow heat dissipation to the environment.

8. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one LED is/are adapted to emit light in the wavelength range of 220 nm-300 nm.

9. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said cap body is at least partially made from or covered with a material that reflects UV-rays.

10. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the cap body between the UV-transparent window and the spout opening is formed as a reflector for directing the light rays emitted from the at least one LED towards the spout opening.

11. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said engagement feature for removably attaching the cap body to the spout of the container includes a threaded/screw or a bayonet-type or elastic insertion engagement structure.

12. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said container is a bottle, flask or bag.

13. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 12 , wherein said bottle, flask or bag has a volume of less than 2 liters and is made of an UV-absorbent material.

14. The biocidal fluid purification cap of claim 13 , wherein said bottle, flask or bag is made of a material selected from the group consisting; of PET, glass and plastic.

15. The biocidal fluid purification cap of claim 14 , wherein said material further comprises a UV-resistant additive agent.

16. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said UV-transparent window is made from quartz glass or silica glass.

17. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one LED is adapted to emit light in the wavelength of 260 nm+/−5 nm.

18. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said cap body is at least partially made from or covered with a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, PTFE and stainless steel.

19. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 1 , wherein said cap body is covered with an oxidizing preventing layer of an UV-transparent material.

20. The biocidal fluid purification cap according to claim 19 , wherein said copy body is covered with an oxidizing preventing layer at portions exposed to the light irradiation from the at least one LED.

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Rajagopalan Pascal
• Gross Julien
• Kano Ichiro
• Gaignet Yves
• Bole Julien

Classifications

• C02F1/325 Primary

  Irradiation devices or lamp constructions · CPC title

• C02F2201/326

  Lamp control systems · CPC title

• C02F2201/3228

  Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors · CPC title

• C02F2201/3222

  Units using UV-light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• C02F2201/3221

  Lamps suspended above a water surface or pipe · CPC title