Patents by Inventor Thaddeus Mielnik

Thaddeus Mielnik has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7186374
    Abstract: A flash vapor generator (10) provides a constant flow of vaporized hydrogen peroxide for rapidly sterilizing a large decontamination tunnel (11) with a high container throughput. The vaporizer includes a heated block which defines an interior bore or bores. The conditions within the decontamination tunnel are carefully monitored to avoid condensation of the vapor while maintaining the vapor as close as possible to the saturation limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Steris Inc.
    Inventors: Francis J. Zelina, Gerald E. McDonnell, Aaron L. Hill, Thaddeus Mielnik, Iain F. McVey, Peter J. Buczynski
  • Publication number: 20070034095
    Abstract: A mobile deactivation apparatus for deactivating contaminants within a defined region that includes a source of a vaporous deactivating agent, a gas handling system, a support member, a drive means, a control system, and a power system is disclosed. The gas handling system dispenses the vaporous deactivating agent to the defined region. The support member is movable in the defined region and supports the source of the vaporous deactivating agent and the gas handling system. The support member can be propelled by the drive means. The control system is programmed to control the operation of the gas handling system and the drive means. A power system is provided to supply power to the mobile deactivation apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Gerald McDonnell, Thaddeus Mielnik, Francis Zelina, Michael Centanni
  • Patent number: 7157046
    Abstract: A flash vaporizer (34) provides a constant flow of vaporized hydrogen peroxide or other antimicrobial compounds for rapidly sterilizing large enclosures (10), such as rooms or buildings. The vaporizer includes a heated block (50) which defines an interior bore or bores (70, 72, 74). The flowpath created by the bore or bores increases in cross sectional area as the hydrogen peroxide passes through the block to accommodate the increase in volume during the conversion from liquid to gas. The vapor is injected into dry air in a duct that circulates it to the large enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Steris Inc.
    Inventors: Iain F. McVey, Francis J. Zelina, Aaron L. Hill, Gerald E. McDonnell, Kevin O. Williams, Thaddeus Mielnik
  • Publication number: 20060289490
    Abstract: An integrated duct system is utilized to admit an antimicrobial vapor into a vehicle to decontaminate the contents and surfaces of the vehicle and subsequently to remove the vapor. The ducts comprise an air conditioning and/or heating duct, a decontamination duct for admitting an antimicrobial vapor, an auxiliary circulation duct for diffusing the vapor throughout the vehicle, and an aeration duct for removing the vapor from the vehicle, as well as a catalytic converter for detoxifying the antimicrobial vapor before removal. The integrated decontamination system is suitable for the chemical or biological decontamination of vehicles, provides enhanced vapor delivery and distribution on a rapid basis and also provides for rapid aeration for removing the antimicrobial vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: STERIS Inc.
    Inventor: Thaddeus Mielnik
  • Publication number: 20060008379
    Abstract: A system for microbially and/or chemically decontaminating a room such as a hotel room includes a vapor generator which supplies a decontaminant vapor, such as hydrogen peroxide vapor to the room. The room is then aerated to a level at which it is safe for normal occupants to enter. By using a two step aeration, with a second step at lower humidity than the first, the concentration of residual hydrogen peroxide is reduced rapidly to safe levels of 1 ppm or less, typically about 0.5 ppm, in under four hours. The room is rendered substantially free of contaminants, such as those responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Norwalk virus, and unpleasant odors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Thaddeus Mielnik, Eric Krieger, Donald Eddington, George Koos
  • Publication number: 20050084415
    Abstract: A flash vaporizer (34) provides a constant flow of vaporized hydrogen peroxide or other antimicrobial compounds for rapidly sterilizing large enclosures (10), such as rooms or buildings. The vaporizer includes a heated block (50) which defines an interior bore or bores (70, 72, 74). The flowpath created by the bore or bores increases in cross sectional area as the hydrogen peroxide passes through the block to accommodate the increase in volume during the conversion from liquid to gas. The vapor is injected into dry air in a duct that circulates it to the large enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Iain McVey, Francis Zelina, Aaron Hill, Peter Burke, Thaddeus Mielnik, Matthew Lawes, Gerald McDonnell, Kevin Williams
  • Publication number: 20050074359
    Abstract: An integrated system for decontaminating an aircraft, its passengers, and items transported in the aircraft in the event of a known or suspected contamination of the aircraft by a pathogenic biological or chemical agent includes several mobile decontamination systems. A first decontamination vehicle (32) sprays a chemical decontaminant solution over an exterior of the aircraft. A mobile passenger recovery and treatment assembly (36) recovers passengers from the aircraft and decontaminates them with a human decontaminant solution. The assembly prevents escape of pathogenic agents into the surrounding environment. Luggage and other items are removed from the aircraft to a separate vehicle for decontamination or disposal. The aircraft interior (100) is then decontaminated with a gaseous decontaminant, such as hydrogen peroxide vapor delivered by a mobile generator (142).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Eric Krieger, Thaddeus Mielnik
  • Publication number: 20020159915
    Abstract: A flash vapor generator (10) provides a constant flow of vaporized hydrogen peroxide for rapidly sterilizing a large decontamination tunnel (11) with a high container throughput. The vaporizer includes a heated block which defines an interior bore or bores. The conditions within the decontamination tunnel are carefully monitored to avoid condensation of the vapor while maintaining the vapor as close as possible to the saturation limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: STERIS INC.
    Inventors: Francis J. Zelina, Gerald E. McDonnell, Aaron L. Hill, Thaddeus Mielnik, Iain F. McVey, Peter J. Buczynski
  • Patent number: 5535667
    Abstract: A method and system of decontaminating the surface of food products including seeds, grains, nuts, spices, fruits and dried and dehydrated food with hydrogen peroxide vapor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: American Sterilizer Company
    Inventors: Joseph Dalmasso, Thaddeus Mielnik
  • Patent number: 5534221
    Abstract: A system for sterilizing an object including a hollow cassette for containing the object, a sealable opening in the cassette for ingress and egress of the object, a seal for forming a fluid-tight seal around the opening, input and output ports in the cassette for receiving and exhausting a sterilizing fluid and a sealing check valve in the input and output ports for providing a fluid-tight seal when no connections are made to the input and output ports such that when the object is sterilized within the cassette, the cassette will maintain a sterilized atmosphere for the object until the cassette is opened to allow use of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: American Sterilizer Company
    Inventors: H. William Hillebrenner, Vipul B. Sheth, Joseph M. Stack, Charles T. Curtis, Kevin H. Butler, David E. Shoff, Robert S. Petko, William C. Little, Thaddeus Mielnik, Peter Zell
  • Patent number: 5460845
    Abstract: A method and system of decontaminating the surface of food products including seeds, grains, nuts, spices, fruits and dried and dehydrated food with hydrogen peroxide vapor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: American Sterilizer Company
    Inventors: Joseph Dalmasso, Thaddeus Mielnik