The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 24, 2001
Edwin Johannus Gerardus De Winter, Culemborg, NL;
Hendrikus Cornelis Mastwijk, Bilthoven, NL;
Paul Vincent Bartels, Wageningen, NL;
Ato B.V., Wageningen, NL;
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for treating products, which may contain cellular material of eukaryotic and/or prokaryotic origin and in particular micro-organisms, by bringing the product in device comprising two electrodes connected to an electronic circuit such that in said device and in said product a pulsating electrical field is created, characterized by the rise time of each imposed voltage pulse which is less than the electronic relaxation time of the product. Preferably the rising edge of each cycle starts within the relaxation time of the product and even more preferably each electrical field pulse has a duration shorter than the relaxation time of the product. Dependent on the type of product and the types of micro-organisms contained in the product, the maximum fieldstrength of each pulse, the repetition frequency and the number of cycles in the treatment are selected such that the target micro-organisms and/or spores are functionally inactivated leading to a shelf stable, microbiologically safe product.