Saban Ventures Pty Limited

Gary Erickson

Vladimir Berentsveig

Ron Weinberger

A nebulant suitable for sterilization comprising finely divided liquid droplets suspended in a gas, said droplets including a solute, which is advantageously hydrogen peroxide and a solvent, for example water, wherein the droplets have a concentration of greater than 60 wt % of solute and an average diameter of less than 1.0 micron, preferably less than 0.8 microns. Sterilization using the nebulant may be carried out in suitably adapted apparatus by nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles; removing the solvent vaporized from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, cooling the nebulant to below 70&#xb0; C.; and exposing a surface to be sterilized to the nebulant of concentrated sterilizing agent for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface.

Aerosol

A method for disinfecting a volume or surfaces bounding a volume comprising nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent, for example ultrasonic nebulization of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, to form a nebulant. The nebulant is subjected to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, eg heating element means, infra red, laser, microwave, RF or other radiation generating means; induction heating means; heat exchanger means; conduction means; convection means; or mechanical energy transfer means to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles. Vaporized solvent is removed from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, the nebulant is cooled to below 70&#xb0; C. The volume or surfaces are exposed to the nebulant for a time sufficient to sterilize said volume or surfaces. Also, apparatus for carrying out the method.

Space Disinfection

A method for disinfecting a volume or surfaces bounding a volume comprising nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent to form a nebulant. The nebulant is subjected to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles. Vaporized solvent is removed from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, the nebulant is cooled to below 70&#xb0; C. The volume or surfaces are exposed to the nebulant for a time sufficient to sterilize said volume or surfaces. Also, apparatus for carrying out the method.

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Alexandria, Australia

Gary Erickson