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Title:
ROBOTIC ROOM SANITIZER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/039076
Kind Code:
A9
Abstract:
A robotic applicance for sanitizing or disinfecting a room area, having: an autonomous mobile platform that can travel over a floor surface; UV sanitizing or disinfecting lamps, or a spray system, carried by the platform; and an electrical power source carried by the platform.

Inventors:
FREUE GUILLERMO J COHEN (US)
MISHKIN GARY JOEL (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2013/000205
Publication Date:
May 01, 2014
Filing Date:
September 06, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
ANGELINI PHARMA INC (US)
International Classes:
A61L9/20; A61L9/16
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
FINKELSTEIN, Jay et al. (PLLC1625 K Street, N.W.,Suite 110, Washington District of Columbia, US)
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Claims:
CLAIMS

What is claimed is :

1. A robotic appliance for use in sanitizing and/or disinfecting a room area, comprising:

an autonomous mobile platform equipped to travel over a floor surface in a mariner to cover the room area; a plurality of UV lamps carried by said platform and oriented vertically; and

an electrical power source carried by said platform and connected to supply operating power to said lamps.

2. A robotic appliance for use in sanitizing and/or disinfecting a room area, comprising:

an autonomous mobile platform equipped to travel over a floor surface in a manner to cover the room area; a spray system carried by said platform to spray a disinfecting or cleaning solution in the room area;

an electrical power source carried by said platform and connected to supply operating power to said platform and said spray system; and

a control system coupled to said spray system to cause solution to be sprayed at selected locations in the room area .

Description:
TITLE OF THE INVENTION

ROBOTIC ROOM SANITIZER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the use of UV light and/or disinfectant or cleaning sprays to sanitize, or disinfect, rooms.

The use of UV light for room and surface disinfection is already known in the art. Contamination level reductions will vary with the type of · UV light utilized and exposure times. Several room sanitizing units have already appeared on the market. Examples of such devices are the Tru-D, Surfacide™, and Artz (Automatically Reliably Targeting Zero) by American Ultraviolet Co., Inc. of Lebanon, IN. Each of these devices uses UV-C lamps to accomplish the sanitization task. Timers and sensors to prevent human- exposure to UV and to determine that the right dose of UV has been applied are also

incorporated into these types of devices.

All existing UV room sanitization systems on the market have one important shortcoming. If the UV light does not reach any surface to be disinfected in the room because of shadowing effects caused by, for example, furniture, that surface won't be treated and consequently won't be sanitized as needed.

3RIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves this problem by providing a system that utilizes a robotic platform, which may be based on an appliance such as the iRobot Create®, marketed by the iRobot company of Bedford, MA, to move through the room while avoiding obstacles. The platform may also be based on similar systems that are currently available. Examples of these systems include the iRobot Roomba®, iRobot Ava® and the

Bilibot . The Roomba® is a commercially available automated vacuum cleaner, the Ava® is a commercially available mobile robot platform and the Bilibot is an open source robotic platform for hobbyists that combines the iRobot Create® platform, Microsoft® Kinect® and a robotic arm. At least certain of these systems, such as the Ava®, are capable of holding up to .150 lbs, without affecting mobility.

According to the invention, UV lamps, for example UV-C lamps, are mounted on top of the . platform, on a tower. The lamps preferably extend vertically above the platform. Light coming from the lamps is able to reach surfaces that would be masked by objects if the UV lamps were stationary, or were moved, e.g., manually, only to a few arbitrarily selected locations .

Navigation in the room to avoid obstacles can be achieved with different types of sensors such as, but not limited to, ultrasonic distance sensors, color tracking devices that will follow pre-determined. paths on the floor of the room, infrared beams, and/or sensors provided on multi-sensor platforms, such as the Microsoft® Kinect®. Alternatively, a wire or guide can be laid on the floor and used to direct the device along a particular track and/or to prevent the device from running "out of bounds" into furniture or other fixtures in the room.

The appliance according to the present invention may include: i) a number of high output UV lamps that are mounted on a tower and that can be elevated while navigating through the room, 2) a DC to AC converter to power the lamps from a battery source, 3) a system to automatically shut off the lamps, and possibly deactivate the appliance, when the prescribed dose of UV has been delivered, 4) optionally, a spraying system to deliver certain disinfectants or cleaners to enhance the room sanitization, 5) a wireless connection to a centralized remote location to emit a signal indicating that a certain room has been treated, and 6) a robotic platform that will carry the above components and allow the tower to be moved freely through the room.

The appliance may be associated with motion or door sensors located to monitor the entrance to the room and that may communicate wirelessly with the appliance to shut the appliance down whenever somebody enters the room.

Such a system will reduce the energy needed by the lamps because the distance between the lamps and the surfaces to be sanitized will be reduced. The number of lamps needed will also be reduced. Thus the cost of the unit and the cost of ownership will be lower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial perspective view showing the structure of an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The appliance according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a computer or microprocessor 2 containing, in a conventional manner, memories storing firmware and software for controlling movement of the appliance and operation of high output UV lamp assemblies 6. Computer 2 can be programmed to automatically shut off the lamps, and possibly deactivate the appliance, when the prescribed dose of UV has been deli ered .

The appliance further includes a battery 4 that supplies power to computer 2 and to the UV lamps, as well as other components to be described below. Operating power is supplied from battery 4 to the lamps of assemblies 6 via a DC/AC converter 8.

The appliance further includes two drive motors 10, each coupled to rotate a. respective drive wheel 12. Drive motors 10 are powered from battery 4 and controlled by signals from computer 2. The appliance will typically be provided with at least one further wheel, which need not be driven or

steerable, but which can be supported in order to pivot freely about a vertical axis. Steering is accomplished by separately controlling the rotation of each of wheels 12.

The appliance also includes a wireless transceiver 16, connected to computer 2, for wireless communication with a centralized remote location to emit signals that can identify the location of the appliance and indicate that a certain room has been treated. .

Optionally, the appliance is provided with a spraying system 14 to deliver certain disinfectants or cleaners to enhance room sanitization .

The appliance further includes sensors 18 connected to computer 2 for guiding and controlling movement of the appliance according to known techniques. These sensors may be of the types described earlier herein.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view showing the structure of an exemplary robotic appliance according to the invention. This appliance is supported on at least three wheels, two of which are wheels 12 of FIG. I, and carries all of the other

components shown in FIG. 1. The appliance includes a robotic platform that will carry the above components and allow the tower to be moved freely throughout a room.

Each of the UV lamp assemblies includes two elongated UV lamps mounted on the platform and extending vertically upwardly therefrom. Each assembly may be provided with two lamps, a lower one of which has its lower end fastened to the platform and is electrically connected to converter 8, and an upper one of which is electrically connected either to the first lamp or directly to converter 8. The upper lamp of each assembly is coupled to a drive motor that can raise and lower the upper .lamp while it is being guided by a rack and pinion arrangement.

At the center of the appliance is a cylindrical aluminum reflector that helps to direct light from the lamps outwardly into the areas to be disinfected.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the UV equipment can be eliminated and the platform may be provided with only computer 2, spraying system 14 and auxiliary components needed to guide the appliance to

locations where a disinfecting or cleaning solution is to be sprayed. For example, a room to be treated could be provided with visually or electromagnetically detectable markers that can be detected by sensors on the platform to direct the platform, ' under control of the computer, to each location to be sprayed.

By spraying only at selected locations in a room, this arrangement minimizes the amount of solution that must be sprayed in order to effectively perform .the desired treatment.