SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDS-FREE OBJECT STERILIZATION

Abstract

A hands-free object sanitization system is provided where multiple UV-C LEDs are provided around a work area (e.g., a surface) in order to sterilize contaminants located on objects placed in that work area (e.g., virus and/or bacteria). Objects may travel through the work area without direct human intervention so that a hands-free sanitization system is provided. For example, objects may be dropped through a working area so that gravity provides a transport force through that working area.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63/140,237, titled “LARGE-SCALE UV-C INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SIMULATIONS OF THE SAME,” filed Jan. 21, 2021 (Attorney Docket No. D/188PROV), 63/109,333, titled “INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF UV-C INACTIVATION DEVICES,” filed Nov. 3, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/187PROV), 63/085,140, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/186PROV-2), 63/085,134, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATION DEVICES AND SUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/186PROV-1), 63/056,534, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UV-C INACTIVATED VIRUS VACCINES AND UV-C SANITIZATION,” filed Jul. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/185PROV), 63/042,494, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENT AIR STERILIZATION WITHOUT CIRCULATION UNSANITIZED AIR,” filed Jun. 22, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/184PROV), 63/023,845, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDS-FREE OBJECT STERILIZATION,” filed May 12, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/183PROV), 63/018,699, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UV-C SURFACE STERILIZATION,” filed May 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/182PROV), 63/015,469, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INCREASING WORK AREA AND PERFORMANCE OF UV-C GENERATORS,” filed Apr. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/181PROV), 63/009,301, titled “UV-C AMPLIFIERS AND CONTROL OF THE SAME,” filed Apr. 13, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/180PROV), 63/006,710, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Apr. 7, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-3), 63/003,882, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Apr. 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-2), 63/001,461, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Mar. 29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-1), each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterilization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A UV-C generation device is provided that includes multiple UV-C light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) positioned around a work area. For example, the multiple UV-C LEDs may be positioned around a cylinder. The cylinder may be, for example, comprised of a UV-C transparent material (e.g., a material with UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%) such as, for example, quartz or UV-C transparent polymer. The LEDs may be located on a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board may be fabricated, for example, from a polyimide or FR4 and may be, for example between 2 thousandths of an inch and seven thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between 2 and 4 thousandths of an inch thick such as between 2 and 2.5 thousandths of an inchd thick). A working substance (e.g., a gas, a liquid, an air and liquid) may flow through the cylinder and the UV-C LEDs may interact with the working substance to, for example, sterilize the working substance. The UV-C LEDs may, for example, have a wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 220 and 280 nanometers or between 250 and 265 nanometers or between 255 and 260 nanometers such as 255, 260, or 265 nanometers).

Each UV-C LED may be independently controlled and regulated through control and regulation circuitry on the flexible printed circuit board or another device. Accordingly, the intensity of each UV-C LED as well as the turn-ON time and turn-OF time of each UV-C LED may be independently controlled. A processor may be provided on the flexible circuit board or on another communicatively coupled device to control the operation of the UV-C LEDs.

The flexible printed circuit board may be, for example, wrapped around all of, or a portion of, the cylinder so that the UV-C LEDs may provide UV-C light into the cylinder through the cylinder wall. UVC-LEDs may be arranged in rows and columns. A UV-C flexible circuit when wrapped around a cylinder may, for example, have rows of three (3) UV-C LEDs in multiple columns (e.g., three columns, six columns, nine columns, twelve columns, more than twelve columns, or any number of columns). Accordingly, six columns of three UV-C LEDs would provide eighteen UV-C LEDs. The UV-C LEDs may be aligned in rows or staggered in rows around the cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the workspace may not be provide din a cylinder but in any shape that provides a workspace (e.g., inside a cube, rectangular, triangular, or any other type of housing).

UV-C reflective material may be provided on the flexible printed circuit board around the UVC-LEDs or selectively provided, around the UV-C LEDs placement so as to not generally impede UV-C emanating from the UV-C LEDs, on the interior surface or exterior surface of the cylindrical housing. Such a UV-C reflective material may include, for example, aluminum.

One or more heat sinks may be provided around the UV-C LEDs in order to capture and expel heat from UV-C LEDs away from those UV-C LEDs. A battery and/or wall plug and/or battery and wall-plug may be utilized to charge, for example, one or more rechargeable batteries located inside a housing that includes the working space.

Manual inputs may be operable to receive manual input from outside of a housing that may include the working area (e.g., a UV-C transparent cylinder) or be placed within the proximity of a working area. Temperature, humidity, and flow rate may be added and utilized to, for example, control the intensity of one or more of the UV-C LEDs so that, for example, the intensity may be changed for different temperatures, flows, and/or humidity.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of Ultraviolet LEDs, or other light sources, may be provided on an LED array such as UV-B and UV-A LEDs. Similarly, additional wavelengths of light may be provided in LEDs, or other types of light sources. A spectrometer, or other device, may be included to determine the type of material in the working space and may activate different LEDs or different types of LEDs (e.g., based on the detected material(s)). Similarly, different UV-C LEDs, or non-LED UV-C sources, may provide different wavelengths and different modes may be provided to control the UV-C LEDs so a subset of the UV-C LEDs may provide a particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 255 to 265 nanometers) and other UV-C LEDs may provide another particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 270 to 280 nanometers).

A flexible circuit board does not have to be rolled, for example, for the flexible circuit board to sterilize a working surface. A device may have a generally flat flexible circuit board at a perimeter separated from a surface that has contaminant (e.g., virus and/or bacteria) that requires sterilization). The housing may have a handle (e.g., a removable handle) so that the UV-C sterilization device can be provided as want for moving over, and sterilizing, a surface.

The housing may include multiple mateable ports for handles such that, for example, one handle may be inserted into one mateable port to provide a sanitizing and a larger handle may be inserted into a different mateable port to provide a sanitizing moop/broom. Such a UV-C sanitizing device may be wall mounted such that, for example, someone can place their hands in a working space and have the it hands sterilized. The device may operate on two modes—human mode and non-human mode. The device can prompt this to the user for the mode, wait for the user to activate the mode, or autonomously activate the mode.

The flexible circuit board with multiple UV-C LEDs may be articulated via motors and/or other controls so that different areas that, for example, include UV-C LEDs may be moved away from each other or to each other or moved closer to, or further away from, the other LED's.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciated that a fixed distance surface cleaner may be utilized. A fixed distance surface cleaner may be, for example, permanently attached (e.g., bolted and/or screwed) to a surface (e.g., a counter-top) so that objects may be passed in front of UV-C generating portion(s) to sterilize the objects. For example, a UV-C surface sanitizer may be provided on a countertop next to a point-of-sale register. A customer may pass a credit card and or a currency bill and/or a coil under a UV-C sanitization device to sanitize a device. A UV-C generating device may be embedded in the countertop or placed in the countertop and may face upwards so an object provided over it may be sanitized on the surface(s) facing the UV-C generation. UV-C generation units may provide a particular amount of UV-C light at a particular point and may be controlled, over time, to provide that amount of UV-C light at that particular point. Accordingly, for example, UV-C light may be provided at an amount that sterilizes at a particular distance (e.g., under 5 millimeters from the surface of a counter) but not at a further point (e.g., beyond 5 millimeters) from the surface of a counter. UV-C generators may be provided over and/or under a conveyer (e.g., a gapped and/or conveyer with UV-C transparent material).

UV-C generators may be pointed towards one another with a space between them so that objects may be passed between the UV-C generators to sterilize multiple sides of the object.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C sanitizers may be provided about the floor to sanitize, for example, the bottom of a foot (e.g., a shoe) so people do not bring in virus/bacterial through the bottoms (e.g., soles and/or heels) of their shoes. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C sanitizers may be provided with a hand-sanitation portion where one or more hands play be placed near a UV-C generation unit for a particular period of time (or at a particular wavelength and/or intensity and/or duty cycle). Both a foot and hand sanitizer may be, for example, in the same housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and advantages of the present invention can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same structural elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of UV-C device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows device 100 that may include any number of ultraviolet C (UV-C) light sources such as UV-C light emitting diodes 102 and 103. UV-C sources may have a wavelength between approximately 200 nanometers and 280 nanometers. Processor 106 and additional circuitry 107 may be included on circuit board 101 in additional to input/output ports 104 and 105.

Printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, a non-flexible or a flexible printed circuit board. Input/output ports 104 and 105 may be, for example, contacts to couple to another circuit board or an external device. Processor 106 may, for example, control UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 using firmware that is downloaded into processor 106 or provided in a memory of processor 106 before or after placement on circuit board 101. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that printed circuit board 101 may be multiple printed circuit boards that are communicatively coupled together to form a multiple circuit board device. Different circuit boards of a multiple circuit board device may be provided in a single housing or in different housings.

Firmware updates may be downloaded through input/output ports 104 and 105. Any number of input/output ports may be provided and different protocols may be utilized for different ports. Additionally, blue-tooth (e.g., BLE), contactless (e.g., RFID), telecommunications (e.g., cellular such as 4G or 5G cellular), infrared, or other wireless communication structures may be provided such as wireless communication chips, circuitry, protocols, and ports may be provided. Wireless power generation may be provided and may be utilized by power circuitry to change a battery coupled to printed circuit board 101 (e.g., through battery contact pads on circuit board 101).

Printed circuit board 101 may be a flexible polyimide or flexible Fr$. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such a flexible printed circuit board may be, for example between two thousandths of an inch and seven (7) thousands of an inch in thickness (e.g., between two thousandths of an inch and three thousands of an inch in thickness). Silicon chips may be grinded and polished before placement on printed circuit board 101 to between, for example, five thousandths and ten thousandths of an inch in thickness). Such chips may be mounted on printed circuit board 1010 via a flip-on-flex structure or via a wire-bonded structure. A wire-bonded structure may be for example a low-provide wire-bonded structure with wire-bonds that are placed with less than a five thousandths of an inch profile above the silicon chip and encapsulant that is less than three thousandths of an inch above each wire-bond The entire thickness from the bottom of flexible circuit board to the top of an encapsulant of a chip may be, for example under fourteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., under twelve thousandths of an inch thick). For example, the thickness from the bottom of circuit board 101 to the top of the encapsulant may be between ten and sixteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between twelve and fourteen thousandths of an inch thick). Wire-bonds may be for example, gold wire-bonds or aluminum wire-bonds. A low-profile encapsulant may be provided that utilizes at least two separate encapsulate provisioning steps in order to provide the low-profile encapsulant.

Processor 106 may be one or more processors and may be provided between, for example, twenty megahertz and five gigahertz. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that faster processors may provide faster control of UV-C LEDs 102 and 103. Faster control of UV-C LEDs may provided shorter ON times which may provide the ability to damage and sterilize certain elements (e.g., virus) without damaging and sterilizing other elements (e.g., living tissue and cells). Processor 106 may, for example, provide ON times for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 less than, for example, 100 nanoseconds, less than 10 nanoseconds, less than 1 nanosecond. For example, Processor 106 may turn ON UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 between approximately 1 and 100 nanoseconds (e.g., between 20 and 60 nanoseconds or between 30 and 50 nanoseconds). High speed control circuitry may also be provided in order to control UV-C LEDS 102 and 103 between 1 and 100 femptosecond (e.g., between 1 and 50 femptoseconds or between 1 and 20 femptoseconds).

Circuitry 107 and 108 may include, for example, regulation and control circuitry for UV-C, or other, sources of light on circuit board 101 as well as sources of light and other circuitry on other boards or external devices. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs on circuit board 101 may be, fore example, individually regulated and controlled or controlled as a group or in subsets. For example, circuit board 101 may include over ten (10) or over one hundred (100) UV-C LEDs. UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled in groups of two or more (e.g., three or more). A portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled independently while another portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated as a group or in sub-groups.

UV-C LEDs on printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, UV-C LEDs having the same wavelength of may have different wavelengths and they may be independently controlled at different times using different control profiles that provide different turn ON an turn OFF pulses (e.g., the duration of an OFF state for one or more UV-C LEDs may be the same duration or a different duration such as a longer or shorter duration than the ON duration for the respective one or more UV-C LEDs). The UV-C LEDs may all be between approximately 200 and 280 nanometers (e.g., provided at or between 250 and 270 nanometers such as provided at or between 255 and 265 nanometers). Some UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, at or between 250 and 260 nanometers while others are provided, for example, at or between 260 and 270 nanometers. One or more additional light sources may be provided on board 101 such as, for example, UV-B, UV-A, VUV, and visible spectrum light sources.

Visible spectrum light sources may be provided, for example, to provide a visual indicator when board 101 is ON or OFF as well as different operating modes. For example, a visible spectrum LED may be a single-color LED (e.g., white, green, blue, Or red) or a multiple color LED and may provide indication of when a battery (e.g., a rechargeable battery) is low and/or critically low on power. Manual inputs may be included on circuit board 101 to receive, for example, manual input to turn circuit board 101 ON, Off, and/or change between different modes of operation (e.g., different intensities for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103).

Circuit board 101 may be a single layer or multiple layer circuit board. For example, circuit board 101 may have two, three, four, or more layers. Printed circuit board 101 may be flexible. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board may be at least partially or fully wrapped around or contorted around one or more objects (e.g., one or more working spaces for sterilization by the UV-C LEDs of board 101). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that flexible circuit board 101 may utilized for multiple sterilization devices as flexible circuit board 101 may be able to flex around one or more objects (e.g., one or more hollow cylinders in which working material may be sterilized by UV-C LEDs) or may not be flexed and may lie flat next to an object (e.g., a surface of an object desired to be sterilized). Flexible circuit board 101 may be actuated so it can be flexed around different objects or placed next to an object so one device may be used in different configurations to change the location of elements of circuit board 101 to sterilize different objects and/or surfaces.

Circuit board 101 may include multiple rows and columns of UV-C LEDs and each UV-C LED, row of UV-C LEDs, and/or column of UV-C LEDs may be, for example, independently controlled (e.g., by processor 106 via additional circuitry such as additional circuitry 107). Circuit board 101 may include, for example, rows of three (or more) UV-C LEDs and columns of five (or more) UV-C LEDs). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that rows may include the same number of UV-C LEDs or a different number of UV-C LEDs than other rows. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that columns of UV-C LEDs may include the same or different number of UV-C LEDs than other columns. A row of UV-C LEDs may have, for example, six UV-C LEDs so that if circuit board 101 is rolled around a tube in a particular manner that the UV-C LED row provides a hexagonal disc around that tube. Each column may then, for example, provide another hexagonal disc of UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may be folded to provided UV-C LEDs facing in two (or more directions), left unfolded so the UV-C LEDs face in a single direction, wrapped around an object so the UV-C LEDs face into the object, folded inside of an object (e.g., a tube) so the UV-C LEDs face outside of the object, wrapped around an object (e.g., a brontoscopy or proble) with the UV-C LEDs facing away from that object, or in any form to provide UV-C LED light to any object or objects. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may have UV-C LEDs on a single side of board 101 or multiple sides of board 101.

Cross section 110 shows a cross-section of flexible circuit board 113 including UV-C LEDs 114 and 115 inside of a tube having an interior surface 112 and an exterior surface 111. Such a tube may be cylindrical in shape or may have a non-cylindrical shape. Any UV-C material utilized with a sterilization device may be UV-C transparent and may have UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%), greater than seventy percent (e.g., 70%), greater than eighty percent (80%), or greater than ninety percent (e.g., 90%). Such a UV-C transparent material may be, for example, quartz. Cross section 110 may, for example, include a cross section that includes two or more UV-C LEDs such as three or more UV-C LEDS or six or more UV-C LEDs. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that cross-section 110 may be provided such that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs is inserted into a rigid or flexible tube that is UV-C transparent to be placed in a cavity of a living organism (e.g., a nasal, throat, or lung cavity) or wrapped around or a part of a structure (e.g., a bronchoscope, nasapharangeascope, or another type of scope) in order to sterilize material placed about the tube having outer surface 111 and inner surface 112 from contaminants (e.g., viruses). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a thinner thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 of any tube used in connection with a sterilization device may provide more UV-C light to penetrate through inner wall 11 and 112 to interact with a working material. Accordingly, the thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 may be, for example, at or between half a millimeter and four millimeters (e.g., at or between half a millimeter and two and a half millimeters such as at or between a millimeter and two millimeters). For example, the thickness of a UV-C transparent material may be approximately two millimeters in thickness.

Side view 140 shows a side view of a cylinder with a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs wrapped around the cylinder. More particularly, side view 140 includes flexible circuit board 141 wrapped around a cylinder that has multiple UV-C LEDs such as UV-C LEDS 142, 143, 144, and 145. UV-C LEDs and 143 may be part of a UV-C disc that includes three or more UV-C LEDs. For example, the far side (not shown) of side view 140 may include a single UV-C LED aligned with UV-C LED 142 and 143 to provide a three UV-C LED disc around a hallow cylinder when placed around a hollow cylinder. UV-C LEDs may be facing into the hollow cylinder to provide UV-C light into a working area inside of the hollow cylinder in order to interact (e.g., sterilize) material (e.g., virus) in and/or moving through that working area. UV-C LED 142 may be aligned with UV-C LED 144 and UV-C LED 143 (and other UV-C LEDs) may be aligned with 145 (and other UV-C LEDs), respectively, so that the UV-C LEDs of multiple discs and/or rows are aligned with each other when wrapped around an object.

Cross-sectional view 120 shows circuit board 123 that may include one more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 124) located around a UV-C transparent hollow cylinder provided by interior wall 121 and exterior wall 122.\

Cross-sectional view 130 shows circuit board 131 located around a hollow cylinder that included an interior wall 132 and an exterior wall 133. Circuit board 131 may have one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LEDs 134 and 135).

Side view 150 shows flexible circuit board 152 wrapped around a hollow cylinder such that LED discs are formed that are staggered from one another. For example, UV-C LED 153 may be associated with two ore more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder while UV-C LEDs 152 and 154 may be associated with one or more UV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder. Each UV-C LED disc may have the same (or different) number of UV-C LEDs but, for example, these UV-C LED discs may be staggered such that material flowing through the cylinder at different locations may have staggered UV-C LEDs that may be closer to the material than if the UV-C LEDs were not staggered with respect to one another. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C discus, rows, or columns may be staggered in two or more configurations 9 e.g., three or more configurations) and multiple groups of UV-C LEDs may be staggered differently than different groups of UV-C LEDS.

Device 160 shows a stepped hollow cylinder 162 that has three circuit boards, each having multiple UV-C LEDs wrapped around different portions of the stepped hollow cylinder. For example, circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be placed (e.g., wrapped around) portions 162, 163, and 164. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be independently controlled via the same of different firmware on each board. Multiple circuit boards may be coupled to a processor and/or circuit board located outside of the boards with UV-C LEDs. A circuit board with UV-C LEDs may act as a master control circuit board to another circuit board with UV-C LEDs that acts as a slave circuit board such that the master control circuit board controls the slave circuit board.

Cross-sectional view 170 includes circuit board 173 around a hollow cylinder including interior wall 171 and exterior wall 172. The cylinder, as in any structure that is provided to include a working space in that structure, may be UV-C transparent. Circuit board 173 may include one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 176) that faces into the walls 171 and 172 such that UV-C light from UV-C LED 176 passes through walls 172 and 172 to impact the working space provided by wall 171. A material, e.g. air, may be flowed through the working space provided by wall 171 so that UV-C LEDs may impact (e.g., sterilize) that material from contaminants (e.g., virus and/or bacteria). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs may be laminated into the hollow cylinder itself (e.g., between walls 171 and 172. Such a configuration may, for example, provide UV-C LEDs closer to the working space. A fan, or other material movement system, may be provided to impact the speed that material is moving through the working space.

Post 175 may be UV-C transparent and may include UV-C LED 174. Configuration 181 may be provided in place of UV-C 174 and may include multiple UV-C LEDs. Any UV-C LED may be tilted at an angle on any axis in order to provide UV-C LED light in any direction. UV-C LEDs 182, 183, 184 may be provided on structure 185 and may be tilted differently on one or more axis from each other).

UV-C LEDs 174 or any UV-C LED located outside of a circuit board (e.g. circuit board 173) may be communicatively coupled (e.g., coupled by a physical conductor) to circuit board 173 so that circuit board 173 may control one or more UV-C LEDs located outside of circuit board 173.

A working space may be any working space in any device such as a ventilator device. In providing UV-C sterilization in a ventilator device any air flowing through that ventilator device (e.g., air entering, flowing through, or exiting) the device may be sterilized.

FIG. 2 shows device 200 that may include housing 213. A hollow cylinder may be fluidically coupled to mateable portion 217 and mateable portion 218 so that a working substance (e.g., air in a ventilator) may pass through mateable portion 217, through the cylinder, and through mateable portion 218. Mateable portion 217 may be a male mateable part that fits into female mateable part (e.g., mateable part 218 may be a female mateable part). In doing so, tubing used in, for example, medical devices such as ventilators may be coupled to mateable portion 217 and 218 such that a working substance flowing through the ventilator is temporarily redirected through device 210. Circuit board 219 may include UV-C LEDs (e.g. UV-C LEDs 220, 221, and 222) around a cylinder that circuit board 2019 is wrapped around). One or more heat sinks (e.g., heat sinks 216 and 223) may be wrapped around a portion or all of circuit board 219 to draw heat generated from circuitry and UV-C LEDs away from the working space (e.g., the space inside of the cylinder). The cylinder may be a UV-C transparent material (e.g., quartz) and may include a thickness between an inner wall and an outer wall between approximately 1.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters (e.g., approximately 2 millimeters). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that heat sink 210 and 223 may be a single heat sink wrapped around circuit board 219 wrapped around a hollow cylinder (or other structure providing a working space). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder or other structure may not be provided and circuit board 219 may define the working space itself. For example, circuit board 2019 may be wrapped into a cylinder and a working material may be followed through that cylinder. A protective layer may be placed (e.g., sprayed or placed) on one or more portions of one or more surfaces of the circuit board to provide protection for the circuit board from any working material.

Device 210 may include one or more batteries 215 and 224. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that batteries 215 and 224 may be separate batteries or a single battery wrapped around housing 213. Batteries may be rechargeable or permanent and removable and replaceable. Charging circuitry may be provided. External power may recharge the power or, for example, may power circuitry of device 210 directly. Switching and regulation circuitry may control, for example, when external power (e.g., wall power) is utilized to charge a rechargeable battery and/or power circuitry of device 210 directly. Manual interfaces 211 may be included such as, for example, to turn device 210 ON/OFF and or change modes or enter other input data into device 210 (e.g., configure device settings and or device modes). Visual indicators 212 may be a bi-stable or non bi-stable display and/or single-color light source(s) and/or multiple color light source(s). A visual indicator may be a two-color display (e.g., black and white or two tone display) or a several color display (e.g., a color display) and may include an interface for the consumer. Visual indicators 212 may include the status of device 210 Status may include, for example, status information such as, for example, whether device 210 is operating properly or incorrectly as well as data associated with the device. For example, device 210 may provide a visual indication of a low battery, broken part (e.g., broken UV-C LED). Audio indicators may also be provided such as speakers. Audio and/or visual information may be provided such as, for example, when a battery is less than a particular amount of charge (e.g., less than twenty percent or less than ten percent of charge) or when a software update is available. External ports 214 may be provided anywhere on housing 213 such as on mateable port 217 and 218 such that external power and/or control and/or data input/output may be provided. By including external ports 214 on mateable portions multiple devices can be physically coupled together and the coupled devices may communicate to each other (e.g., control and power each other). Any number of devices 210 may be coupled to one another to, for example, provide a multiple or several device array or, for example, to increase the sterilization impact on a working substance. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to a ventilator. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to different parts of a ventilator or may be coupled adjacently to a single part of a ventilator.

Devices 230 are provided that include device 232 having mateable portions 231 and 233, device 235 having mateable portions 234 and 236 and device 328 having mateable portions 237 and 239. A working substance can be flowed (e.g., pushed and/or pulled) through an opening in mateable portion 231 and through devices 232, 235, and 238 to be expelled through an opening in mateable portion 239.

Devices 240 may be provided and may include devices 241, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, and 250. Adaptors 242 and 225 may be included to create a joined working space between any number of devices. Adaptor 242 may, for example, fluidically couple device 241 to device 243 and 244. Adaptor 245 may, for example, fluidically coupled devices 243 and 244 to devices 246, 247, 249, and 250.

FIG. 3 shows ventilator 310 that may include housing 311 tubing 312 and device 313 that may include device 313 for providing UV-C light to the working substance provided by tubing 312. Deice 313 may be, for example, any UV-C generating device included herein such as, for example, device 100 of FIG. 1.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generating device may have liquid and/or gas flowed through it from any structure. Accordingly, for example, a UV-C sterilization device may be placed about an input and/or output and/or filter port to any device such as a face mask. Accordingly, for example, a face mask wearer (e.g., a military, police, firefighter, caregiver) may enjoy improved protection against contaminants (e.g., bacteria and/or virus). Configuration 320 may be provided that may include UV-C sterilization device 322 fluidically coupled to an air channel of mask 321. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple UV-C sterilization devices may be coupled to one or more air channels of mask 321.

Configuration 330 of FIG. 3 shows device 331 coupled to UV-C generating device 332. Device 331 may be, for example, an substance cooler, substance heater, substance fan, and may be fluidically coupled to provide the substance worked on, expelled, or input into device 331 through device 332 to provide, for example, sterilization capability.

Configuration 340 may be provided any may include device 341 fluidically coupled to device 343 through UV-C generation device 342 such that a substance moved between device 341 and 343 may be sterilized by, for example, device 342.

Configuration 350 may include device 353 communicatively coupled to UV-C generating device 351 via physical or wireless communications 353 such that information and controls may be provided between device 353 and device 351.

Configuration 360 may be included that includes device 353 fluidically coupled to device 261 and communicatively coupled to device 264. Device 264 may also be communicatively coupled or fluidically coupled to device 261. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 362 may be communicatively coupled to multiple or several other devices as well as fluidically coupled to multiple or several other devices.

FIG. 4 includes device 400 that may include housing 401. An substance or object flow channel may be provided such as cylinder 404 that may have one or more UV-C LEDs played around it with UV-C light being provided into the working area defined by the channel. The cylinder may be UV-C transparent or be UV-C transparent about UV-C LEDs so that light form UV-C LEDs is provided from the UV C LEDs into the working area provided by the interior of the cylinder. The cylinder may be UV-C reflective such as UV-C reflective around the areas that are not providing light from the UV-C LEDs so that light entering the cylinder from the UV-C LEDs is reflected by the UV-C reflected parts of the cylinder back into the working area provided by the cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder may be a spherical cylinder, elliptical cylinder, rectangular cylinder/prism, square cylinder/prism, triangular cylinder/prism, or any other shape channel including channels that may change shape as the channels progress in a direction. UV-C LEDs, such as UV-C LEDS 408, 409, and 410 may be provided on a flexible printed circuit board that is flexed around a cylinder (e.g., a quartz cylinder) and mounted to the cylinder and/hour housing (e.g. through screw apertures located on the printed circuit board). Any number of rows and columns of UV-C LEDs may be provided and these rows and/or columns may be aligned and/or staggered for entire columns and/or rows or portions of columns and/or rows.

One or more heat sinks such as heat sinks 403 and 453 may be provided, for example, on the back of a flexible circuit board so that heat from a UV-C LED may travel from the UV-C LED through the circuit board to one or more heat sinks. A heat sink may be for example, aluminum and/or copper (e.g., copper inside of the aluminum to improve flow of heat through the aluminum). Thermal paste or another thermal substance may be utilized to improve thermal coupling of a portion of a device (e.g., back of circuit board under a UV-C LED) with a heat sink. One, two, or several Heat dissipation fins, such as fins 402 and 419, may be provided and may be provided as part of or coupled to one or more heat sinks.

A substance and/or object may flow through channel 407 in mateable portion 406 into channel 404. Channel 404 may flow through channel 414 in mateable portion 459. Accordingly, a substance and/or object may flow into channel 407, through channel 404, and out of channel 414.

Tail housing portion 458 may be provided and may extend over a portion, all of, or past (as shown) mateable portion 459. In provided an extended housing portion, electronics, interfaces, and other devices may be placed away from, for example, heat-generating devices (e.g., UV-C LEDs) as well as away from areas desired to minimize thermal impact (e.g., channel 404). Additionally, for example, providing housing extensions may increase the area of heat sinks and heat dissipation fins/extensions about various heat generating elements (e.g., UV-C LEDs). Tail housing 458 may include manual interfaces 412 (e.g., on/off manual interfaces, setting manual interfaces, volume control interfaces, mode control interfaces). Ports 413 may be included such as contact and/or contactless communication ports that input and/or output information from physically coupled or wirelessly coupled local and/or remote devices. Tail housing 415 may be an extension of housing 401. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that tail housing 458 and tail housing 415 may be the same tail housing or different tail housings (as shown) or any number of different housings. Tail housing 415 may include any number of batteries such as permanent and/or rechargeable batteries. Tail housing 415 may include battery 416, 417, 418. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that batteries may be provided in individual housings or cells within the same housing (e.g. pack).

Device 440 may be provided in which an object may be passed through a working area. Device 440 may be, for example, the cross section of a device, and may include UV-C generators 455 and 458 and UV-C transparent materials 456 and 457 so that UV-C light generating devices 455 and 458 may provide UV-C light into the channel between UV-C transparent materials 456 and 457. UV-C transparent layers 456 and 457 may be coated with UV-C reflective layers outside of one or more areas where UV-C light is introduced in order to increase the amount of UV-C light in the UV-C working area. UV-C reflective materials may be used, for example, in place of UV-C transparent materials 456 and 457 with apertures provided to permit UV-C light to enter the UV-C working area from UV light sources (e.g., UV-C LEDS). Different types of UV light sources (e.g., tube lamps) and different types of UV light (e.g., UV-A and/or UV-B devices) may be provided to provide various types of UV light into a UV working area. Housing 552 and 454 may be utilized to provide UV-C generating devices at a height above a standing surface and stand 444 may be provided with support structures 441 and 443. Working object directing device 442 may be provided so that an object (e.g., object 451) may fall through a UV-C working area and be directed by working object directing device 442 to an area that does not have any UV-C (e.g., so the object can be picked up by a user).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generation device may have any number of UV LEDs of any number of types and wavelengths and be provided in any configuration and density. Multiple devices 440 may be stacked on top of one another so that the sterilization capability may be increased by creating additional UV-C working areas that are stacked on top of one another.

Configuration 460 may be provided in which working area defining material 461 (e.g., a UV-C transparent material) may be provided at a slant with respect to a base. Configuration 460 may be provided in which UV-C generation device 458 may be provided at a slant with respect to a base. Material 461 and device 458 may have different angles of slant and material 461 may not be slanted while device 462 is slanted. In providing a slant, UV light (e.g., UV-C light) may be directed away from an opening (e.g., the opening object 451 may travel via fall direction 453 and, as a result, UV light may be directed away from a person placing object 451 into an opening so that UV-C light does not pass through the opening (e.g., the entrance).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 440 may be positioned so that gravity is used to move object 451 through device 440. In doing so, for example, the speeds of object 451 may be configured so that UV-C generating devices provides enough UV-C to sterilize object 451 beyond a pre-determined threshold for a pre-determined type of object (e.g., silver coin) and the speed of object 451 does not travel too quickly through a working area.

Device 440 may be provided at any angle (e.g., a slant) so that an object slides through a UV-C working area. Device 440 may be provided horizontally to a surface so that a user can push an object through. A conveyer or moveable tray or pushing object may be utilized to move an object through a working channel.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that structures may be provided in a UV working area to slow down an object and or direct an object in a certain direction in order to, for example, increase the time of an object in a working channel. Device 440 may be utilized, for example, to provide UV-C sterilization of objects such as coins, currency, payment cards (e.g., credit cards, debit cards, gift cards), receipts, pens, pencils, drivers licenses, purchased objects, forms, materials with printed or written indicia, etc.).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the entrance and/or of a UV working area may take any dimension and shape, may take the same dimension and/or shapes, and/or may take different dimensions and/or shapes. Furthermore, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV working area may have multiple entrances and multiple exits (and may be bi-directional do objects can enter from any exit and enter through any exit). For example, a coin entrance may be provided that has a particular length and width and another entrance that has another length and width (e.g., a larger length and width). The working area channel may have the same dimensions as an opening. Multiple or several connected and/or independent UV working areas may be provided in a device (e.g., device 440).

An opening to a UV-C working area may, for example, have any length and/or width. For example, the width of an opening may be less than, greater to, or equal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc. For example, the length of an opening may be less than, greater to, or equal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc. For example, the width of an opening may be less than 6 inches and the length of an opening may be less than 24 inches. Devices may be able to mate to lengthen a UV-C working area in any direction.

Configuration 470 may be provided with UV-generation device protective layer 472 (e.g., UV-C transparent layer) and UV-C generation device 473). UV-C control structure 471 may be utilized, for example, to stop UV-C from being provided in a certain direction as well as reflect UV-C light to a certain direction (e.g., towards a UV-C working area. For example, structure 471 may be UV-C reflective so that UV-C light from UV-C generation device 473 may not move past structure 471 and may be reflected back into a UV-C working area to increase the amount of UV-C light in that working area.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that later 472 and UV-C generation device 473 may be curved so that UV-C light may be provided from additional curved points. For example, a UV-C generation device and working area definition layer may be provided in a concave or convex curve or in any shape (e.g., cylinder).

Device 480 may be provided and may include object directional structure 482 and 483 to direct the direction of an object (e.g., object 481) to a particular destination structure (e.g., structure 484). Structure 484 may be a bowl-shaped structure. One or more UV-C working areas may have one or more directional structures and one or more destination structures. For example, a coin opening may include a coin directional structure to direct a coin to a coin destination structure and a payment card opening may include a payment card directional structure to direct a payment card to a payment card destination structure.

Directional structures and/or destination structures may be fully or partially UV-C transparent and/or UV-C reflective.

FIG. 5 shows topology 500 that may include UV-C generating devices 205 that may include one or more UV-C arrays of LEDs coupled through communications 501 to one or more internets and/or networks 502, one or more remote databases and/or servers 503, one or more third party data services 504 (e.g., medical data services for a patient utilizing a UV-C generating device), one or more other devices 507 (e.g., one or more other medical devices for a patient using a UV-C generating device), one or more other services 510 (e.g., a service that provides data regarding other UV-C generating devices), one or more third party services 509 (e.g., timing/clock services for the timing/clock of a UV-C generating devices), and/or one or more pheripherals 508 (e.g., external displays, external batteries).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C generation devices may be utilized for surface sanitization such as sanitization of organic or inorganic material.

Process 560 may be included in which a scanning speed may be received or determined by a system. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more UV generating devices may be located on one or more moveable structures (e.g., a system, such as a track system, with movement in the X direction, Y direction, and/or X direction as well as rotation around each of those axis). Similarly, for example, one or more UV-C generating units may be provided about one or more moveable mirrors that may be able to move along an X axis, Y axis, Z axis, and/or rotation about each of those axis).

In this manner, for example, a scanning speed and/or profile may be received and/or determined in step 561. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a scanning speed may be based on, for example, a manually input setting or as a result of signals from one or more sensors. For example, one or more sensors may determine the dimension of an object for UV-C sterilization and a scanning speed may be determined based on, for example, the distance the object, or a part of an object, is from one or more UV-C generating devices. Accordingly, for example, a scanning speed may be increased where portions of an object are closer to a UV-C generation element and slowed when portions of that object are further away from a UV-C generation element. The UV-C generation devices may be moved to provide a scan and/or the light from the UV-C generation devices may be directed to provide a scan.

A manual or automated request to initialize a UV sterilization may be provided in step 562 and sterilization nay occur based on a provided scanning speed and/or scanning profile in step 563. Persons skilling the art will appreciate that a system may update scanning speeds and profiles as parts of an object are sensed which may be, for example, while the object is being scanned with UV (e.g., UV-A, UV-B, and/or UV-C) as well as any other provided asset (e.g., soap, water, mechanical scrubber, visible spectrum light, infrared light, forced airflow onto the object, etc.). A request to stop UV scanning may be provided, for example, in step 564.

Process 570 may be included and may include step 571 in which one or more UV generating devices (e.g., one or more UV-C LED arrays) may receive a movement profile in step 571. A request to initialize sterilization may occur in step 572 and sterilization may occur according to the received movement profile in step 579. Sterilization may be stopped in step 574, for example, after sterilization is complete, at the direction of manual input or automated input, or if a system faults (e.g., an error is detected such as movement is not occurring).

Process 580 may be included and may include step 581 in which a heat profile may be retrieved from a first heat sensing device. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C generation devices and/or systems may generate heat in one or more areas and that each of these areas may be sensed and the operation of the devices and/or systems changed based on the heat in one and/or more than one area.

A first heat management scheme may be adjusted in step 582. Such a heat management scheme may be, for example, reducing the current to one or more LEDs in an LED array and/or lowering the intensity or operational mode of one or more LED arrays. For example, the duty cycle and pulse frequency may be changed. A heat profile from a second heat sensing device may be obtained in step 583 and a second heat management scheme may be deployed in step 584 which may change the operation of the same or different LED(s), array(s) of LEDs, or UV generation devise/and or systems than those changed associated with the other heat sensing device. Any number of heat sensing devices and/or heat management schemes may be deployed. Heat management schemes may include turning ON and/or OFF one or more fans and/or liquid cooling devices as well as changing the intensity of one or more fans and/or liquid cooling devices. One or more UV scanning speed may be changed, for example, to mitigate heat.

FIG. 6 includes device 600 that may include one or more processors 601, one or more manual inputs 602, one or more displays and/or visual indicators 603, one or more humidity detectors 605, one or more flow detectors 605, one or more contact and/or contactless input and/or output ports 606, one or more speakers and/or microphones, one or more temperature sensors 6oi (e.g., to sense temperature in a working space), one or more pressure sensors 610 (e.g., pressure sensing for sensing pressure in a working space) and/or other sensors (e.g., metal sensors UV-C transparency sensors), one or more image and/or data capture devices 610 (e.g., a visible and/or infrared or other spectrum camera or data capture device), one or more light-emitting diodes and or other light emitting sources 612 (e.g. UV-C LEDs and/or UV-C light emitting sources), one or more sources of energy 613 (e.g., rechargeable and/or removable batteries), one or more internet or intranet connectivity devices 614, one or more slave and/or master devices 615, one or more auxiliary data storage devices 616 (e.g., a remote server), and one or more peripherals 618 (e.g., an external display to display information from a UV-C generating device). Peripherals 618 may include, for example, one or more moveable mirrors to reflect light from one or more UV generation devices and/or one or more transportation devices to provide transportation of a UV generation device.

FIG. 7 includes process 710 in which an object is sensed for sterilization. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an object may be dropped through a UV working area of a device so that gravity provide the force against the object so the object falls in a generally known manner. All or less than all UV-C LEDs in such a device may be OFF until a device is determined to enter an opening for sterilization. A movement detection and/or object detection device may be utilized to determine an object has, for example, entered a detection area to turn on one or more UV-C generation devices to provide UV-C for a UV-C working area. A UV-C sterilization may be provided in step 712, for example, by turning one or more UV-C generation devices ON or, for example, increasing the intensity of one or more UV-C generation devices. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that as an object falls through a working area, UV-C generation devices may be structured to turn ON as the object falls in an area with UV-C light from those devices. As a result, for example, UV-C LEDs may be conserved and heat generation may be decreased. Time delays may be provided from when objects are sensed to when, for example, UV-C generation devices are turned ON or controlled in a manner to provide a desired sanitization based on the detection. The size of an object may be determined by determining, for example, when an object has fully passed a sensor such that, for example, one or more UV-C generation devices may be turned OFF or operated in a manner based on an object completing entry into a working area or a detection area before a working area. UV-C light generation may be turned OFF after a fixed time delay or after a period of time based on one or more sensors (e.g., a departure sensor indicating that an object has fully departed from a working area). A new object may be detected in step 714 and a sterilization profile may be provided based on the detected object in step 715 and a sterilization profile may be determined and initiative in step 716 based on signals from object detection and/or sterilization profile determination. A device may await a new object for sterilization in step 717. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a device may determine a type of object based, for example, on size and/or shape and provide different sanitization profiles such as for example if a coin was determined to have entered or if a pen. Inductive sensors may be utilized, for example, to determine if an object is conductive (e.g., metallic). A system may determine, for example, a type of coin based on shape and may profile different sanitization profiles based on the detected type of coin.

Process 730 may be included and may include step 731 in which an objected is detected. An object trajectory may be determined in step 732. A sanitization regime may be determined in step 733 based, for example, on the determined trajectory. As an object follows a determined trajectory, the trajectory may be validated in step 734 and a determination may be provided as to whether or not a sanitation regime is validated based on an updated trajectory and a sanitization regime may be changed in step 736 and a detection of a new object may be waited for in step 737.

Process 760 may be included in which step 761 includes detecting multiple objects in step 761 entering a UV-C working area. A UV treatment regime may be determined in step 762 and a detection may occur that one or more of the detected objects did not leave the system in step 763. After, for example, a fixed time delay, the system may be automatically shut down in step 764 if one or more of the objects was determined not to have exited the system. An indicator light may be initiated in step 765 representative of, for example, a potential fault that an object is still in the system. A determination may be made that no object is in the system in step 766 (e.g., via manual input or a re-initialization of a system) and one or more new objects may be detected in step 767.

FIG. 8 shows device 800 that may include spacing structures 806 and 809, heat sinks 804 and 810, heat dissipation fins 801 and 802, UV-C transparent material 808, UV-C LED 807, and flexible printed circuit board 805. Material 808 may be coated in UV-C reflective material in areas where UV-C light is not being introduce through UV-C transparent material 808. UV-C transparent material 808 may be, for example, transparent where UV-C light is being transferred and reflective (e.g., from the perspective of the UV-C working area) where UV-C light is not being transferred.

Device 840 may be provided that may be include base 845, support portion 844, housing 844 and LED array 841. Device 840 may include one ore more additional housings 842 attached to base 845 such as a housing opposite 842 such that an object may be dropped between that housing and housing 842. The opposing housing may have an LED array aligned with LED array 841 or one or more LED arrays offset vertically and/or horizontally such as vertically offset LED array 843.

Device 850 may include housing 851 and may include one or more UV-C LED arrays such as UV-C LED array 852. UV-C LED array 852 may be positioned diagonally and another housing may be opposed to 851 with a UV-C array aligned with UV-C array 852 or not aligned (e.g., array 853).

Device 860 may be included and may include UV-C array 862 and 863 which may be vertically staggered from one another. One or more additional housings may be provided opposing housing 861 (e.g., and to each side of 861 such that a rectangular cylinder/prism is provided) and each housing may have UV-C arrays that align or do not align with housing 861.

Device 870 may be provided and may include, for example UV-C LED array 872 on housing 871. One or more additional housing may be utilized to create a working area with housing 871 and all housings may be attached to the same base and/or support structure(s) and UV-C LEDs in each housing may be the same, different, aligned, and/or not aligned.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that heat may be removed from the front of a UV-C LED in addition to behind a UV-C LED. For example, device 880 may be provided and UV-C transparent materials 883 and 881 may be provided and air, or another substance, may be flowed through a channel provided by UV transparent materials 883 and 881. A cylinder/prism, such as cylinder 890 of FIG. 8, may also be provided that has a working area defined by interior of interior wall 891. Air flow may be pushed/pulled through a cavity formed between exterior 982 of an inner wall and interior 893 of an exterior wall having exterior 894.

FIG. 9 shows elliptical cylinder 910 that may be utilized in configuration where an object may be dropped through a working channel defined by inner wall 914. Air may be flowed between inner wall 914 and wall 913 and flexible printed circuit board 911 may be provided and wrapped around wall 913 and may include UV-C LEDs 912 and 913.

Device 920 may include stand 921 and 924 and support structures 922, 925, 926, and 927. One or more UV-C generation devices 931, 932, 933 may be provided and one or more UV-C generation device 940 may be provided. Device 950 may be, for example, a cross-sectional view of a device (e.g., device 920 of FIG. 9) and may include housing 951 and 956, UV-C generation devices 953 and 955, and UV-C transparent material 953 and 9534. A working area may be provided between materials 953 and 954 in which UV-C light may be provided by UV-C generation devices 952 and 955.

A UV-C generation device may be provided on one or more tracks and/or elevators and/or actuators to provide movement along an X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and rotation about each of such axis. For example, device 960 may be provided with housing 961 that may include one or more UV-C generation devices that may move to location 963 via track 962.

Device 970 may include, for example, multiple housings (e.g., housing 972 and 962) that may move along one, two, or three axis and rotate about each axis. Housing 972 may move across track 973 to location 971 and may be provided on a moveable table that can move to location, for example, 974. Housing 982 may be provided and may move to location 981 along track 983. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that different scanning speeds may be utilized, for example, to provide sterilization for different types of objects (e.g., objects with different surface shapes and/or materials).

FIG. 10 shows device 1000 that may include object 1010 that is provided with UV-C light through UV-C transparent material 1007 by moveable mirror 1003 that is movable by device 1002 in one, two, and/or three axis and rotatable in any direction. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a mirror may be a UV-C reflective material (e.g., a UV-C reflective material having at least 50 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, or 90 percent UV-C reflectivity). UV-C generation devices 1006 and 1009 may be provided about moving device 1005 and 1008, respectively. Moving device may be able to provide rotation around one, two, or three axis and/or movement along on one, two, or three axis. Housing 1001 may be provided and may include an aperture in which UV-C transparent material 1007 is provided. UV-C light may be generated by generators and reflected by UV-C mirror 1006 (which may rotate, for example, in direction 1004) so that UV-C light is provided through UV-C transparent layer 1007 to provide a UV-C treatment to object 1010.

Drop sterilization device 1110 may be provided in which object 1001 may be dropped via trajectory 1102 through a working area that is treated with UV-C light from UV-C generation device 1106 and 1113 through UV-C transparent material 1112 and 1107 that may have a UV-C reflective coating (e.g., on the interior side facing the working area). Alternatively, UV-C transparent material 1107 may be a UV-C reflective material with apertures aligned with UV-C LEDs from UV-C generation devices and may include UV-C transparent materials in those apertures. Support structures 1115 and 1116 may be provided on stand 117, 1118, and 1119 and directional device 1114 may direct an object to destination area provided by stand 1119. UV-C blocking structures 1103 and 1110 may block UV-C that may try and escape the entrance and directional structure 1121 may assist in more easily providing object 1102 to enter the entrance. Device 1104 may include, for example, a motion sensor that may be utilize to detect a motion such as a hand motion to turn the device ON for UV-C sanitization. Device 1105 may be provided to detect the entrance of object 1102 as well as, for example, the size of object 1102 and when object 1102 has fully passed device 1105.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C transparent materials may have at least 80 percent, 90 percent, 92 percent, or more than 92 percent UV-C transparency. UV-C LEDs may provide, for example, light between 220 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 255 and 275 nanometers). A device may have, for example, at least 10, at least 20, and at least 30 UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements of any device herein may be utilized in any device herein. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments described. Instead, the present invention more generally involves UV-C focus, amplification, and control. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the apparatus of the present invention may be implemented in other ways then those described herein. All such modifications are within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A structure comprising:

a gravity assisted transport channel operable to sanitize utilizing UV-C an object that is gravity assisted through said gravity assisted transport channel.

2. The structure of claim 2, wherein said UV-C is between 220 and 280 nanometers.