US3966407A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air sterilizing compressor system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-08-02
•
Granted: 1976-06-29
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Expires: 1994-08-02
Abstract
Abstract A system for providing a large volume flow of sterilized air through a serviced medical service facility for significantly reducing sources of airborne contamination in the facility comprises a closed circulation loop connected between an output plenum of the medical service facility and an input plenum of the medical service facility. A compressor in the closed collection loop imparts flow energy to the air circulating in the closed circulation loop and simultaneously raises the temperature of that air. The compressed, heated air is maintained at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time to achieve substantially complete sterilization and then flowed to the medical service facility.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry Zuckerberg
- 👤 William Kukers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 06:14
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F8/00; F24F8/20; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A50/00; Y02A50/20; Y10; Y10S; Y10S422/00; Y10S422/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
304 words
An air processing system for use with a medical service facility that has an inlet passage for flow of air into the facility and an outlet pressure for flow of air out of the facility, said air processing system having a flow capacity sufficient to provide at least two hundred changes of air per hour in the serviced medical service facility and comprising closed path structure having an inlet port for connection to the outlet passage of the serviced medical service facility and an outlet port for connection to the inlet passage of the serviced medical facility, said closed path structure defining a closed air flow path between said inlet port and said outlet port, a compressor in said closed path, said compressor imparting flow energy to the air in said closed path and simultaneously raising the temperature of the air in said closed path at least 300°F, said compressor having an inlet connected to said inlet port and an outlet through which heated air flows from said compressor, an air temperature retaining unit in said closed path, said air temperature retaining unit having an inlet connected directly to the outlet of said compressor, an air passageway arrangement for maintaining the heated air from said compressor at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, and an outlet through which sterilized air flows from said air temperature retaining unit, and an expansion device in said closed path, said expansion device having an inlet through which the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit is passed and an outlet connected to said outlet port, said expansion device reducing the temperature of the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit prior to flow of that air through said closed path outlet port for flow into the serviced medical service facility.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
304 words
An air processing system for use with a medical service facility that has an inlet passage for flow of air into the facility and an outlet pressure for flow of air out of the facility, said air processing system having a flow capacity sufficient to provide at least two hundred changes of air per hour in the serviced medical service facility and comprising closed path structure having an inlet port for connection to the outlet passage of the serviced medical service facility and an outlet port for connection to the inlet passage of the serviced medical facility, said closed path structure defining a closed air flow path between said inlet port and said outlet port, a compressor in said closed path, said compressor imparting flow energy to the air in said closed path and simultaneously raising the temperature of the air in said closed path at least 300°F, said compressor having an inlet connected to said inlet port and an outlet through which heated air flows from said compressor, an air temperature retaining unit in said closed path, said air temperature retaining unit having an inlet connected directly to the outlet of said compressor, an air passageway arrangement for maintaining the heated air from said compressor at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, and an outlet through which sterilized air flows from said air temperature retaining unit, and an expansion device in said closed path, said expansion device having an inlet through which the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit is passed and an outlet connected to said outlet port, said expansion device reducing the temperature of the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit prior to flow of that air through said closed path outlet port for flow into the serviced medical service facility.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compressor is an axial flow device that is capable of producing an air flow of at least ten thousand cubic feet per minute along said closed path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compressor is driven by a gas turbine and said air temperature retaining unit includes supplemental heat input from said turbine to raise the temperature of the air to sterilizing temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closed circulation loop path further includes a pretreatment system connected between said inlet port and said compressor, and a post-treatment system connected between said expansion device and said outlet port for conditioning said sterilized air.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pretreatment system includes dehumidifier means to reduce the humidity of the air reaching said compressor stage to less than approximately twenty percent relative; heat exchanger means for stabilizing the temperature of the air independent of the external environment temperature; and a filter bank for removing particulate matter from the airstream.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said posttreatment system includes humidifier means for entraining moisture in the airstream, and a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for removing particulate matter of submicron dimension from the airstream immediately prior to flow through the serviced medical service facility.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system as claimed in claim 4 and further including a filter system disposed in said closed path between said service facility and said pretreatment system and a control valve for adjusting the air flow through said closed path system.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
253 words
A system for providing a large volume flow of sterilized air through a serviced medical service facility for significantly reducing sources of airborne contamination in the facility comprising in combination, a medical service facility having an input plenum and an output plenum, a closed circulation loop connected between said output plenum and said input plenum, a compressor in said closed circulation loop and having an inlet connected to receive air from said output plenum of said medical service facility for imparting flow energy to the air circulating in said closed circulation loop and simultaneously compressing the air to raise the temperature of the air at least 300°F, said compressor having an inlet connected to receive air from said output plenum of said medical service facility and an outlet through which heated air flows from the compressor, an air temperature retaining unit in said closed circulation loop connected directly to said compressor outlet, said air temperature retaining unit incorporating an air passageway arrangement for maintaining the heated air from said compressor at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, and having an outlet through which sterilized air flows from said air temperature retaining unit, and an expansion device in said closed circulation loop connected to said air temperature retaining unit outlet, said expansion device reducing the temperature of the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit and having an outlet through which the sterilized air of reduced temperature flows into said input plenum of said medical service facility.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
253 words
A system for providing a large volume flow of sterilized air through a serviced medical service facility for significantly reducing sources of airborne contamination in the facility comprising in combination, a medical service facility having an input plenum and an output plenum, a closed circulation loop connected between said output plenum and said input plenum, a compressor in said closed circulation loop and having an inlet connected to receive air from said output plenum of said medical service facility for imparting flow energy to the air circulating in said closed circulation loop and simultaneously compressing the air to raise the temperature of the air at least 300°F, said compressor having an inlet connected to receive air from said output plenum of said medical service facility and an outlet through which heated air flows from the compressor, an air temperature retaining unit in said closed circulation loop connected directly to said compressor outlet, said air temperature retaining unit incorporating an air passageway arrangement for maintaining the heated air from said compressor at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, and having an outlet through which sterilized air flows from said air temperature retaining unit, and an expansion device in said closed circulation loop connected to said air temperature retaining unit outlet, said expansion device reducing the temperature of the sterilized air from said air temperature retaining unit and having an outlet through which the sterilized air of reduced temperature flows into said input plenum of said medical service facility.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said input plenum is in the ceiling of said facility and air is discharged downwardly at a velocity in the range of fifty to three hundred feet per minute for flow through said medical service facility.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said input plenum is the the ceiling of said medical service facility and includes flow control means for discharging air downwardly in a curtain along the entire peripheral wall of the facility at a velocity at least about twice the velocity of air discharged downwardly from an interior point of said input plenum, and said output plenum extends around the periphery of said facility adjacent its floor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said compressor is capable of producing an air flow of at least ten thousand cubic feet per minute along said closed circulation loop.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said compressor is an axial flow device and said expansion device is a rotary driven device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said compressor is driven by a gas turbine and said air temperature retaining unit includes supplemental heat input from said turbine to raise the temperature of the air to sterilizing temperature.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said circulation loop further includes a pretreatment system that receives air exhausted from the output plenum of said medical service facility and also makeup air from an external environment, and a post-treatment system between said expansion device and the input plenum of said medical service facility for conditioning the sterilized air.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
100 words
The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said pretreatment system includes dehumidifier means to reduce the humidity of the air reaching said compressor stage to less than approximately twenty percent relative; heat exchanger means for stabilizing the temperature of the air independent of the external environment temperature; and a filter bank for removing particulate matter from the airstream; and said post-treatment system includes humidifier means for entraining moisture in the airstream, and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means for removing particulate matter of submicron dimension from the airstream immediately prior to flow through the serviced medical service facility.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for providing a large volume flow of sterilized air through a serviced medical service facility for significantly reducing sources of airborne contamination in the facility comprising the steps of providing a closed circulation loop connected between an output plenum of the medical service facility and an input plenum of the medical service facility, circulating air through said closed circulation loop and said medical service facility at a rate sufficient to provide at least two hundred changes per hour of air in said medical service facility, compressing all the air circulating in said closed circulation loop to impart flow energy to the air, said compressing action simultaneously raising the temperature of that air at least 300°F, maintaining the compressed heated air at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, expanding the sterilized compressed air to reduce its temperature prior to flow into said medical service facility, and applying air flowing from the output plenum of the medical service facility to said closed circulation loop for recompression and resterilization.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for providing a large volume flow of sterilized air through a serviced medical service facility for significantly reducing sources of airborne contamination in the facility comprising the steps of providing a closed circulation loop connected between an output plenum of the medical service facility and an input plenum of the medical service facility, circulating air through said closed circulation loop and said medical service facility at a rate sufficient to provide at least two hundred changes per hour of air in said medical service facility, compressing all the air circulating in said closed circulation loop to impart flow energy to the air, said compressing action simultaneously raising the temperature of that air at least 300°F, maintaining the compressed heated air at sterilizing temperature for a sufficient time interval for achieving substantially complete sterilization, expanding the sterilized compressed air to reduce its temperature prior to flow into said medical service facility, and applying air flowing from the output plenum of the medical service facility to said closed circulation loop for recompression and resterilization.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-06-29 | 1979-12-29 | 1980-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-06-29 | 1983-12-29 | 1984-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-06-29 | 1987-12-29 | 1988-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |