Abstract: Described herein are packages for orienting and cooling polyesters during a sterilization process, and containers for storing, transporting, and cooling the package. Also described herein are methods of sterilizing polyesters.

Abstract: Methods of reducing microbial attachment to a surface are provided, including methods comprising illuminating a surface comprising a substrate and a coating on the substrate with ultraviolet light, wherein the coating comprises anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles functionalized with silver nanoparticles and is optically transparent to visible light; and exposing the illuminated surface to microbes. The coating exhibits a reduction in microbial attachment as compared to the coating absent the illumination.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus that help reduce and prevent infection by controlling and/or reducing the level of contaminants, which include pathogens, allergens and/or odor-causing agents including VOCs. Photocatalytic oxidation is performed in a high humidity environment so that hydrogen peroxide molecules are readily produced.

Abstract: An essential oil diffuser including multiple diffuser channels. Each diffuser channel includes an air pump and a cartridge assembly. The cartridge assemblies are removable receivable within a chassis assembly of the diffuser.

Abstract: A handheld light assembly for eradicating pathogens includes a housing. A processor and a lamp are disposed inside the housing. The lamp irradiates surfaces with disinfecting ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength of 222 nm filtered to restrict illumination to between 200 nm and 230 nm within an irradiation zone. A distance measuring system includes a secondary light source generating secondary light and a photodetector for measuring distance of the secondary light to a surface being irradiated by the lamp light being reflected from the surface to the photodetector. The secondary light source is offset at an angle from the lamp thereby projecting the light beam to a central area of the irradiation zone generated by the lamp. The photodetector signals the processor to calculate a vertical distance between the lamp and the central area of the irradiation zone on the surface being irradiated from an angular projection of the secondary light.

Abstract: Visible light disinfection is a healthcare technology wherein violet light is used to inactivate pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The present invention overcomes the limitations of continuous irradiance in whole-room environments by pulse width modulation of the light sources and increasing the instantaneous irradiance while maintaining average irradiance and hence light power requirements. The invention further discloses the use of multispectral light sources wherein the pulse modulation frequencies are synchronized and the phase of the spectral components are offset in order to maximize synergistic or antagonistic responses to intracellular chromophore excitation.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high-temperature negative-pressure air exchange sterilizer and a sterilization method thereof. An air inlet is disposed at a bottom of a waterproof shell of the sterilizer, and an inlet filter is installed at the air inlet. Air entering from the air inlet is divided into two paths at a check valve. One path is connected with a negative-pressure fan through a pipeline B, and the other path is communicated with an air outlet through a pipeline A. A plurality of heating rods and temperature sensors are disposed in the pipeline A. The pipeline A is zigzag disposed at an upper part of the waterproof shell, and a thermal insulation material is disposed outside a zigzag part. A butterfly valve and an outlet filter screen are sequentially disposed at the air outlet in an air exhaust direction. The problem that viruses exhaled by breathing of an infected person are mixed in aerosol, so that a person in close contact with the infected person is likely to be infected is solved.

Abstract: An air purification system including a filter assembly including a substrate including a fibrous media, and a photocatalytic material disposed on the substrate, wherein the photocatalytic material includes a first quantity of crushed nanostructures; and a photon source arranged to illuminate the photocatalytic material with optical radiation.

Abstract: A bacteria treatment mechanism and a bacteria treatment method capable of reliably sterilizing an exterior of an article are provided. A bacteria treatment mechanism includes: a bacteria treatment unit that has a space for performing bacteria treatment; a radiation irradiation unit that irradiates the bacteria treatment unit with radiation for performing the bacteria treatment; an air supply duct that supplies air to the bacteria treatment unit; a decontamination treatment fluid supply unit that supplies a decontamination treatment fluid to the air supply duct during initial decontamination of the air supply duct; and an exhaust duct that exhausts molecules in the bacteria treatment unit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning a central venous catheter port are disclosed. An apparatus includes a body, a coupling configured to connect the body to the hub, a cleaning cap coupled to the body, and an actuator disposed within the body for rotating and translating the cap relative to the hub. The cleaning cap includes a cap body defining a cavity and a cleaning member disposed within the cavity, the cleaning member having threads that engage with the threads on the hub.

Abstract: Seal integrity indicators for sterilization containers are provided. For example, a seal indicator may indicate whether the container is sufficiently sealed to prevent an ingress of contaminants into the container. If the container is sufficiently sealed, the seal indicator is visible, but if not, the seal indicator is not visible. Thus, the seal indicator undergoes a change in state when the sterilization container transitions from unsealed to sealed, or vice versa, such that a user may ascertain whether the container is properly sealed to maintain the container's sterility. An exemplary seal indicator includes an invertible projection formed with the container gasket that is not visible from outside the container until inverted, due to force applied by the lid, to extend through an opening in the container body. Closure mechanisms for sterilization containers also are provided.

Abstract: Provided herein is a photocatalytic device that is easy to maintain. A photocatalytic device is provided that includes a cabinet, a photocatalytic unit disposed inside the cabinet and including a photocatalyst, a light configured to provide light to the photocatalyst, and a fan configured to send airflow to a surface of the photocatalyst. The photocatalytic unit is configured to be detachable from the cabinet.

Abstract: A device (1) and method for media filtration with a preparation container (2). A chamber (5) containing a dissolvable medium (29) is situated between the container inflow and outflow, and has a filter (22). A mixing arm (6, 7), connected to the inflow, protrudes into the medium in the chamber with at least one mixing nozzle (19, 20), disposed at the free end (17, 18) of the mixing arm for generating a directed jet of solvent. The preparation container has bottom (10) and top (8) parts bracketing the chamber. The filter is a sterile, has on the filtrate side facing the outflow, a circumferential outer edge (23) resting on a circumferential rest edge (37) of the bottom part of the preparation container and is connected fixedly thereto. A sterilised filtrate space (39) is formed between the filtrate side (38) of the filter and the outflow situated in the bottom part.

Abstract: A portable, heated scent, odor, and/or molecule dispense system is provided, as well as devices and methods for doing the same. The portable systems and methods to dispense molecules may contain a liquid, gel, solid, foam, or other material-based formulation so as to attract, repel, kill, mask, or otherwise use the molecules. The portable system and methods may include a housing; a molecule holding pad in the housing; a first chemical reaction heat source in the housing; and a second chemical reaction heat source in the housing, wherein the molecule holding pad is arranged between the first chemical reaction heat source and the second chemical reaction heat source, and wherein the first chemical reaction heat source and the second chemical reaction heat source are each reactive to oxygen.

Abstract: A scattering device includes a position detection unit which detects a position of a user passing through a doorway formed between a first space and a second space adjacent to the first space; a scattering direction determination unit which determines a scattering direction in which liquid, powder, or gas is scattered from proximity of the doorway based on the position of the user detected by the position detection unit; and a scattering unit arranged in the proximity of the doorway to scatter the liquid, the powder, or the gas toward the scattering direction determined by the scattering direction determination unit.

Abstract: An device is for electron-beam irradiation sterilization of flexible bags that may contain human plasma protein solutions for therapeutic use. The device has two electron accelerators, a first accelerator emitting an electron beam with energies between 400 and 500 keV and a second accelerator emitting an electron beam with an energy of at least 4 MeV. A sterilization method by electron-beam irradiation provides sterilization of such flexible bags. An in-line filling process for flexible bags can use the sterilization device and method.

Abstract: An air disinfection device includes: a housing that includes an inlet port for taking air therethrough and a disinfection chamber that has a shell in a shape of a truncated ellipsoid. The device also includes: a disinfection head that is disposed in the inlet port and includes a light source for generating disinfection light that disinfects the air in the disinfection chamber, where the light source is located substantially on a plane where a first focal point of the truncated ellipsoid is located. The disinfection head further includes a fan for taking the air through the inlet port to the disinfection chamber and a filter for filtering the air. The device further includes a power source electrically coupled to the disinfection head and configured to provide electrical power for the disinfection head.

Abstract: An ultraviolet emitting system for sanitizing a target volume can include a plurality of adjustably positionable light sources having a collapsed position and the expanded position. The light sources of the plurality of adjustably positionable light sources can be configured to emit ultraviolet light in a substantially homogenous irradiance within the target volume in any position between the collapsed position and the expanded position.

Abstract: A withdrawal system for withdrawing particulate matter from a high-temperature unit of a high-temperature industrial process is disclosed. The withdrawal system comprises a material storage silo that comprises a vent line containing a first vent valve, one or more temperature sensors to measure temperature of the particulate matter in the material transfer line, and a controller that receives output measurements from the one or more temperature sensors to monitor and control flow of the particulate matter. The system does not contain a receiving vessel located in the material transfer line between the high-temperature unit and the material storage silo.

Abstract: An air treatment apparatus, system and method for removal of health threatening airborne pollutants from an airflow is provided. The air treatment apparatus includes a ducting section having an inactivation zone created by either a plasma-generating flexible electrode alone, a UV light source alone, or a combination of a plasma-generating flexible electrode and a UV light source disposed within the interior of the ducting section, wherein the airflow and airborne pollutants are urged into the inactivation zone ensuring multiple exposures of airborne pollutant material into the inactivation zone resulting in purified air exiting from the apparatus.