Microbial control on high-touch surfaces in health care facilities
Inventors
Lee, James D. • Bosma, Douglas J. • STEPHENS, James Russell
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12474072-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
Improved methods for reducing and preventing nosocomial infections is provide comprising installing one or more dry hydrogen peroxide (DHP) generating devices into a healthcare treatment area, producing DHP, and maintaining the concentration between 1.0 parts-per-billion (ppb) and 200 ppb.
Core Innovation
The provided content describes methods for microbial reduction in healthcare treatment areas using multiple dry hydrogen peroxide (DHP) generating devices. These devices distribute DHP into the treatment area through an initial conditioning phase followed by a maintenance phase. The claims address microbial reduction, reduced nosocomial infections, reduced multidrug-resistant organisms on surfaces, and reduced infection spread during an acute infectious outbreak.
The provided content lacks the patent background section, so the initial problem description is not explicitly available. The description summary identifies continuous microbial control in occupied healthcare areas as the primary operational context and reports reductions in bioburden. In addition, the disclosure details device placement parameters in relation to treatment-area coverage and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
Claims Coverage
The claim coverage includes four inventive features directed to microbial control and infection mitigation in healthcare facilities.
Microbial reduction in a healthcare facility
Claim 1 covers use of multiple DHP-generating devices, including a device affixed to or incorporated within an HVAC system, to distribute DHP through an initial conditioning phase and a maintenance phase.
Reduction of nosocomial infections
Claim 7 covers operating multiple DHP-generating devices in a healthcare treatment area through conditioning and maintenance phases, with the stated outcome of reduced nosocomial infection rates.
Reduction of multidrug-resistant organisms on surfaces
Claim 19 covers use of multiple DHP-generating devices to reduce multidrug-resistant organisms on healthcare treatment-area surfaces and maintain the reduced level.
Reduction of infection spread during an acute outbreak
Claim 23 covers identifying a healthcare treatment area with an acute infectious outbreak, providing and operating multiple DHP-generating devices, and maintaining DHP in the area until the outbreak is controlled.
The independent claims concern DHP-based microbial control in healthcare treatment areas, with stated outcomes covering reduced microbial contamination, reduced nosocomial infections, and control of infection spread during an acute outbreak.
Stated Advantages
The claims state that the methods reduce nosocomial infection rates and reduce the spread of infection during an acute outbreak.
The claims state that multidrug-resistant organisms on healthcare treatment-area surfaces are reduced and maintained at a reduced level.
The description summary reports reductions in surface and air bioburden and a reduction in healthcare-associated infections.
Documented Applications
Microbial control in healthcare facility treatment areas, including areas served by HVAC systems.
Reduction of nosocomial infections in healthcare treatment areas, including wards, intensive care units, oncology wards, kidney dialysis units, neonatal intensive care units, and pediatric intensive care units.
Reduction of multidrug-resistant organisms on surfaces in healthcare treatment areas.
Reducing the spread of infection in a healthcare facility during an acute infectious outbreak.
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