Sterilization / viral-inactivation device, air conditioner equipped with same, and sterilization / viral-inactivation method

Abstract

This sterilization / viral inactivation device comprises a microorganism adhesion part identification unit that identifies a microorganism adhesion part which is a part to which a microorganism adheres in an object space where a person enters and exits, a substance generation unit that generates a specific substance for performing sterilization treatment or inactivation treatment of the microorganism, and a transportation unit that generates an air flow in the object space and transports the specific substance toward the object microorganism, and the sterilization / viral inactivation device performs a sterilization treatment or inactivation treatment in the object space.

Description

Disinfection and virus inactivation device, air conditioner equipped with the same, and disinfection and virus inactivation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sterilization / virus inactivation device, an air conditioner equipped with the same, and a sterilization / virus inactivation method.

[0002] Substances that can disinfect and inactivate bacteria, mold, and viruses include ions, ozone gas, hypochlorous acid water, and chlorine dioxide. Ions and ozone gas are generated by electrical discharge. Hypochlorous acid water and chlorine dioxide are produced by electrolysis or chemical compounding. These specific substances can be blown into a room by a fan to disinfect bacteria and inactivate viruses floating in the air.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a technology in which ions generated by discharge are released into a predetermined area in a room to disinfect that area. Patent Document 1 is configured to use a trajectory detection unit to detect the movement trajectory of fixtures placed in a space, which is the part that a person has touched, and to disinfect the movement trajectory when no one is in the room.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023 / 047508

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the movement trajectory is identified as a location with a high risk of infection, and sterilization and virus inactivation treatment are focused on that area, thereby efficiently sterilizing the room. However, the locations where the risk of infection occurs are locations in the room where microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, and viruses are present, and include locations where droplets are dispersed, not just areas where people have come into contact. For this reason, Patent Document 1 is unable to identify all locations where microorganisms that pose an infection risk are present and sufficiently sterilize and inactivate microorganisms attached to fixtures, etc.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sterilization / virus inactivation device capable of efficiently sterilizing or inactivating viruses within a target space, an air conditioner equipped with the same, and a sterilization / virus inactivation method.

[0007] The sterilization and virus inactivation device disclosed herein comprises a microorganism-attached portion identification unit that identifies microorganism-attached portions, which are locations within a target space where people enter and exit, where microorganisms are attached; a substance generation unit that generates a specific substance that performs sterilization or inactivation processing on the microorganisms; and a transport unit that generates an air flow within the target space and transports the specific substance toward the target microorganisms, and performs sterilization or inactivation processing within the target space.

[0008] In addition, the air conditioner according to the present disclosure comprises the above-mentioned sterilization / virus inactivation device and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air in the target space and the refrigerant flowing inside, and the air flow that has been temperature-controlled by passing through the heat exchanger and that contains the specific substance is transported to the microbial adhesion section by the transport section.

[0009] In addition, the sterilization and virus inactivation method disclosed herein comprises a microbial attachment portion identification process for identifying microbial attachment portions that are locations within a target space where people enter and exit and that have been touched by the person or where droplets have been scattered, and a sterilization and inactivation process for transporting a specific substance generated in a substance generation section that generates a specific substance to the microbial attachment portion using a transport section that generates an air flow, thereby performing sterilization or inactivation processing within the target space.

[0010] The sterilization and virus inactivation device, air conditioner equipped with the same, and sterilization and virus inactivation method according to the present disclosure include a microorganism-attached portion identifying unit that identifies microorganism-attached portions, and performs sterilization or inactivation treatment on the microorganism-attached portions, which are locations where microorganisms are attached. This allows for concentrated and efficient treatment of areas with a high risk of infection.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external view of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a grill body of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between ion concentration and sterilization and inactivation effect. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram explaining a microorganism-adherent portion specific operation of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram explaining a sterilization and inactivation operation of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a control flowchart of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to a modified example of embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is a control flowchart of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 2. Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 3. Fig. 2 is a control flowchart of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 4. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air conditioner equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 4. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of an air conditioner equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 4. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram explaining the sterilization and inactivation operation by an air conditioner equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 4. Fig. 6 is a control flowchart of an air conditioner equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus according to embodiment 4.

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to those in each embodiment; components described in one embodiment can be applied to another embodiment. The configurations shown in the drawings are merely examples of the configurations of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings. In the following description, directional terms (e.g., "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," "rear," etc.) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these are for explanatory purposes and do not limit the present disclosure. In each drawing, components designated with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification. The relative dimensional relationships or shapes of the components in each drawing may differ from those in actuality.

[0013] Embodiment 1 A sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 is used in a space such as an office or a commercial space.

[0014] First, we will explain the routes of bacterial or viral infection. In this disclosure, the targets of sterilization or inactivation are microorganisms, including pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses. Infection routes include droplet infection, contact infection, and airborne infection. Droplet infection occurs when bacteria or viruses contained in "droplets" such as saliva scattered during coughing or sneezing come into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth or nose, causing infection. Contact infection occurs when an infected person covers their nose or sneeze with their hand, and then another person touches something that has been touched by that hand, causing infection through the mucous membranes of the mouth or nose.

[0015] Airborne infection is infection through microparticles of bacteria or viruses that are even smaller than droplets present in the air, specifically microparticles produced by coughing or sneezing, or particles produced when the water in droplets evaporates. In other words, airborne infection is infection through bacteria or viruses that are made up of microparticles smaller than droplets. Microparticles of bacteria or viruses that are even smaller than droplets include particles that are originally produced as small microparticles when coughing or sneezing, and particles that are produced when the water in droplets dispersed into the air evaporates.

[0016] Additionally, because droplets are heavy, they quickly fall to the floor after coughing or sneezing. Wearing a mask can also prevent droplets from spreading. Bacteria and viruses present in the air are easily inactivated by falling to the floor, adhering to walls, or drying out (Shinohara Naohide, Introduction to Research Cases Related to Indoor Environments Useful for Preventing Infection of the Novel Coronavirus (First Edition), Indoor Environment Society (2020)).

[0017] On the other hand, it has been confirmed that bacteria or viruses that adhere to indoor fixtures 91 (see Figure 3) through human contact or droplets emitted by people remain active for at least twice as long as bacteria or viruses present in the air. For these reasons, in order to reduce the risk of infection from bacteria or viruses, it is considered important to have a technology to prevent contact infection, specifically, a technology to disinfect bacteria or inactivate viruses that adhere to indoor fixtures 91, and these technologies are currently in demand. Fixtures 91 refer to tools and fixtures present in a specified space, and in indoor spaces such as an ordinary home, this refers to tables and counters, while in indoor spaces such as an office, it refers to tools used in daily life that are present in the space.

[0018] Fig. 1 is an external view of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. In the following, directions such as up and down are based on the installation posture of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0019] The sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 is installed in an elevated position, such as the ceiling, within a target space S for bacterial sterilization or viral inactivation, and transports a specific substance for sterilization or inactivation treatment to the target space S. The target space S is a closed space through which people enter and exit, such as an office, separated by partitions and having an entry / exit door 90. Fixtures 91, such as work desks and chairs, are arranged within the target space S.

[0020] 1 to 3 , the housing 1a of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 has a first case 2, a second case 3 detachably attached above the first case 2, and a grill body 4 detachably attached below the first case 2. A base 7 connected to a fixing jig attached to a high location such as a ceiling is attached to the upper end of the housing 1a. By connecting the base 7 to the fixing jig, the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 is configured so that commercial power is supplied to the power supply via the base 7. A display unit 36 ​​that displays the operating status of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 is attached to the outer wall of the housing 1a, which is the outer wall of the grill body 4 in FIG. 1 .

[0021] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 further has a microorganism adhesion period input unit 82 that is communicatively connected to the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 in the first case 2. The microorganism adhesion period input unit 82 is disposed separately from the housing 1a.

[0022] The first case 2 has a cylindrical tubular portion 21 and an annular upper surface portion 23 that covers the upper end opening of the tubular portion 21. The upper surface portion 23 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced air intake ports 23a for drawing air from the outside. A filter (not shown) is detachably provided on the inner surface of the air intake port 23a. A cylindrical air passage forming member 27 that communicates with the air intake port 23a is fixed inside the first case 2, and the interior of the air passage forming member 27 forms an air passage 24. The upstream side of the air passage 24 communicates with the air intake port 23a. The downstream side of the air passage 24 is located within the grill body 4, and air flowing out from the outlet of the air passage 24 flows into the grill body 4 and is blown out through the grill 4a of the grill body 4 to the outside. The outer shape of the housing 1a is not limited to the above-mentioned shape, and the outer shape may be any shape, such as a cylindrical portion 21 of the first case 2 having a rectangular cross section.

[0023] A connector 25 for connecting the first case 2 to the second case 3 is provided on the top surface 23 of the first case 2. The connector 25 constitutes a part of the first case 2. The first case 2 is detachably attached to the second case 3 by engaging a hook portion 25a provided on the connector 25 with an engaging portion 26 provided on the lower end of the second case 3.

[0024] The second case 3 is a part for changing the direction of the airflow blown out from the grill body 4, and is made of a flexible bellows-like member. Figure 1 shows a state in which the direction of the airflow blown out from the grill body 4 has been changed from a vertically downward direction to an oblique direction.

[0025] The grill body 4 is disposed so as to cover the outlet opening of the ventilation passage 24 of the first case 2, and is located on the central axis of the ventilation passage 24. The grill body 4 is supported by the inner wall of the first case 2. The grill body 4 has a grill 4a at its bottom. The grill 4a is a part that constitutes a part of the transport section 33.

[0026] Arranged inside the housing 1a are a microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81, a microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83, a substance generating unit 32, a transporting unit 33, a substance measuring unit 34, and a main board 35. Each component of the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 will be described below.

[0027] [Microbial Adhesion Period Input Unit 82 and Microbial Adhesion Period Receiving Unit 81] The microbial adhesion period input unit 82 is a unit that transmits the time period during which microorganisms adhere and the time period for sterilization and virus inactivation processing to the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1. The time period during which microorganisms adhere is from the time when microbial adhesion begins to the time when microbial adhesion ends, and this period is the microbial adhesion period. The microbial adhesion period is assumed to be the time during which a person 50 is present in the target space S and the person 50 comes into contact with fixtures 91 or the like or droplets may be dispersed, i.e., the period during which the person 50 stays in the target space S.

[0028] The microbial adhesion period input unit 82 is configured, for example, with a timer controller board. The microbial adhesion start time, microbial adhesion end time, or processing time can be input into the microbial adhesion period input unit 82. The microbial adhesion period input unit 82 can communicate with a microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81 provided inside the housing 1a. The microbial adhesion start time, microbial adhesion end time, or processing time set in the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 can be transmitted to the microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81. Wireless communication such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or ZigBee (registered trademark) is used for communication between the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 and the microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81. The microbial adhesion period input unit 82 may be shaped like a remote control so that it can be carried around within the target space S, or may be installed in the target space S. Furthermore, the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 may be provided in the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1.

[0029] [Microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83] The microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 identifies microorganism-adhered portions M, which are locations where microorganisms adhere within the target space S. The microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 is disposed in the center of the lower end of the grill body 4. Details of the configuration and operation of the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 will be explained again below.

[0030] [Description of the Substance Generating Unit 32] The substance generating unit 32 generates specific substances, such as ions, ozone gas, chlorine dioxide, or hypochlorous acid water, that can sterilize or inactivate microorganisms, including pathogenic microorganisms, carried by the person 50. The substance generating unit 32 is attached to the inner wall of the air passage forming member 27. The substance generating unit 32 includes, for example, a discharge mechanism that generates ions. The discharge mechanism is arranged to face the air passage 24 inside the first case 2. The discharge mechanism has a unitized configuration in which a discharge unit and an electrode cover that covers the discharge unit are arranged inside the case. Furthermore, the discharge mechanism incorporates a control circuit board equipped with a high-voltage generating circuit and the like. The control circuit board is provided with a connector for supplying power from an external source.

[0031] The discharge unit has a discharge electrode and a ground electrode. The discharge electrode is composed of a wire electrode, and the installation electrode is composed of a plate electrode. The discharge unit has a configuration in which multiple wire electrodes and multiple plate electrodes are arranged alternately. A high voltage is supplied to the discharge unit from a high-voltage generation circuit. The high-voltage generation circuit has a power receiving unit that receives power from a commercial power source, converts the power received by the power receiving unit via a connector and an electric wire into a high voltage, and supplies it to the discharge unit. The discharge unit applies the high voltage supplied from the high-voltage generation circuit between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode, causing a discharge and generating ions in the air. Here, the discharge unit has been described as having a discharge electrode composed of a wire electrode and a installation electrode composed of a plate electrode, but this is merely an example, and both the discharge electrode and the ground electrode may be formed of any of a wire electrode, a needle electrode, a plate electrode, and a brush electrode.

[0032] [Transportation unit 33] The transport unit 33 generates an airflow with high linearity and directionality. The transport unit 33 includes a blower 37 that generates the airflow, a grill 4a that imparts linearity and directionality to the airflow, and a drive unit 39 that drives the first case 2. The drive unit 39 drives the first case 2 so that the airflow that has been imparted linearity and directionality by the grill 4a is transported toward the microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83.

[0033] (Blower Device 37) The blower device 37 includes a blower fan and a fan motor that drives the fan. The fan is located on the outlet side of the ventilation passage 24 and is supported on the inner wall of the first case 2 so as to be positioned on the central axis of the ventilation passage 24. An axial-flow propeller fan is used as the fan to generate a large volume of airflow. An AC capacitor motor is used as the fan motor. When the fan in the blower device 37 is driven, air around the first case 2 is drawn radially into the first case 2 through the air intake port and flows into the inlet of the ventilation passage 24. The air flow that flows into the inlet of the ventilation passage 24 changes direction from a radial flow to an axial flow. The air that flows axially through the ventilation passage 24 is then blown out of the housing 1a from the outlet of the ventilation passage 24 via the grill 4a.

[0034] The blower 37 is disposed in the ventilation passage 24 downstream of the substance generating unit 32. As a result, the specific substance generated in the substance generating unit 32 mixes with the air inside the fan of the blower 37, and the air is blown out of the housing 1a with the ion concentration in the air being made uniform.

[0035] (Grille 4a) Fig. 4 is a side view showing the grill body 4 of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the grill 4a is provided at the air outlet 5 of the grill body 4. The grill 4a has a plurality of spiral fins 6. The grill 4a has a structure in which inner ends 6a of the fins 6, which are close to the center O of the spirals, protrude in the airflow direction beyond the outer ends 6b of the fins 6 that are continuous with the air outlet 5. In other words, the inner ends 6a of the fins 6 of the grill 4a protrude in the airflow direction compared to the outer ends 6b of the fins 6. The inner ends 6a refer to the inner end side that is close to the center O of the spirals and includes the area near the inner end. The outer ends 6b refer to the outer end portion that is continuous with the air outlet 5.

[0036] With this configuration, the grill 4a can collect and converge the airflow that flows out from the outlet of the ventilation passage 24 and into the grill body 4, thereby improving the wind speed at the center of the airflow direction. The grill 4a can also extend the reach of the spiral airflow blown out from the air outlet 5. As a result, the grill 4a can impart straightness and directionality to the airflow generated by the air blower 37.

[0037] (Driver 39) Returning to the description of Figures 1 and 2, the driver 39 drives the first case 2 to change the orientation of the grill 4a and control the airflow direction so that the airflow blown out from the grill 4a is directed toward the microorganism-adhered portion M detected by the microorganism-adhered portion identification unit 83. When the driver 39 drives the first case 2, the bellows-shaped second case 3 deforms, changing the airflow direction. The driver 39 is equipped with a motor (not shown) that can drive two orthogonal axes. The motor is a general servo motor or a stepping motor. These motors control the angle of the shaft supporting the first case 2 and can stop the shaft supporting the first case 2 at a specific position. Therefore, the driver 39 can accurately stop the grill 4a provided in the air outlet 5 so that it faces the microorganism-adhered portion M.

[0038] With the above-described configuration, the transport section 33 can convert the airflow generated by the blower 37 into an airflow with improved straightness and directionality by the grill 4a, and transport the airflow by targeting the microorganism-attached portion M.

[0039] [Substance measuring unit 34] The substance measuring unit 34 includes an ion sensor that measures discharge products in the air. The ion sensor is disposed downstream of the substance generating unit 32 in the air flow direction in the ventilation duct 24. The ion sensor employs a coaxial double-cylinder sensor that measures positive ions or negative ions in the air. This allows the ion sensor to simultaneously measure positive ions and negative ions, and to measure ions at a concentration of 100,000 to 3,000,000 (ions / cm). ３) with high accuracy. The measurement results of the substance measuring unit 34 are output to the control device 40. When the specific substance generated by the substance generating unit 32 is ozone, the substance measuring unit 34 is configured with an ozone gas sensor that measures ozone in the air.

[0040] [Display Unit 36] The display unit 36 ​​is attached to the outer wall surface of the grill body 4 as an electronic component for transmitting information. The display unit 36 ​​is composed of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the like that display various types of information. The display unit 36 ​​displays the operating status of the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 by the lighting state of the LEDs. The display unit 36 ​​can change the lighting state by appropriately combining the light-emitting color of the LEDs with lighting formats such as flashing or lighting. By changing the lighting state of the LEDs, the display unit 36 ​​can indicate that an operation to identify the microbial adhesion portion M is in progress, that a sterilization and virus inactivation process is in progress, or that an abnormality is being reported.

[0041] [Main Board 35] The main board 35 is equipped with a control device 40 (see FIG. 5) that controls the entire sterilization and virus inactivation device 1, a power supply device that supplies power to each component, etc. The main board 35 is fixed to the side wall of the air passage forming member 27 of the first case 2. The control device 40 is composed of a microprocessor unit and the like, and includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and the ROM stores control programs, etc.

[0042] The control device 40 controls the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83, the substance generating unit 32, the blower 37, and the drive unit 39 based on the results of signals from the microorganism-adhered period input unit 82, including the time at which microbial adhesion begins, the time at which microbial adhesion ends, and the processing time. The control device 40 performs a microorganism-adhered portion identifying operation and a sterilization / inactivation operation. These operations will be described later. The control device 40 also controls the display unit 36 ​​based on the measurement results of the substance measuring unit 34. Specifically, when the control device 40 detects that the specific substance is at or below a predetermined concentration based on the measurement results of the substance measuring unit 34, it stops the operation of the substance measuring unit 34 and turns on the display unit 36. When an abnormality occurs in the substance measuring unit 34, the control device 40 controls the display unit 36 ​​to illuminate a light indicating an abnormality in the substance measuring unit 34. This allows the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 to notify the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0043] 5 is a functional block diagram of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83, the substance measuring unit 34, the air blower 37, the drive unit 39, the substance measuring unit 34, and the display unit 36 ​​are electrically connected to the control device 40 via lead wires. The control device 40 is also electrically connected to a microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 via lead wires. The microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 has a function of performing wireless communication via wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or the like, and performs wireless communication with the microorganism adhesion period input unit 82.

[0044] [Data acquisition from microbial adhesion period input unit 82] The sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 acquires the time when microbial adhesion begins, the time when microbial adhesion ends, and processing time data by wirelessly communicating with the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 via the microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81.

[0045] [Configuration and Identification Method of Microorganism Adherent Portion Identifying Unit 83] The microorganism adhering portion identifying unit 83 is a part that identifies microorganism adhering portions M, which are locations where microorganisms adhere within the target space S. A location where microorganisms adhere is a location that has been touched by the hand of a person 50 or where droplets have been scattered, and is a location where bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. adhere and where substances that may cause infection upon contact are present.

[0046] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 identifies bacteria or viruses by fluorescent observation. When irradiated with excitation light having a peak at around 280 nm, the amino acids that constitute bacteria or viruses emit fluorescence having a peak at around 320 nm. Utilizing this effect, the presence or absence of bacteria or viruses can be determined by causing the amino acids in the bacteria or viruses to emit fluorescence based on the combination of the wavelength of the excitation light and the wavelength of the fluorescence.

[0047] The microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 includes a light-emitting unit 831 , a light-receiving unit 832 , and an image processing unit 833 that identifies the microorganism-adhered portion M based on the data captured by the light-receiving unit 832 .

[0048] (Configuration of Light-Emitting Unit 831) The light-emitting unit 831 is for irradiating bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. with excitation light. The light-emitting unit 831 includes a solid-state light-emitting element such as a semiconductor laser or an LED (Light Emitting Diode), or a discharge lamp such as a halogen lamp. The light-emitting unit 831 is, in other words, a light source unit. The light-emitting unit 831 may have a spectroscopic element on the light-emitting side, and may emit light in a specific wavelength band as excitation light.

[0049] The wavelength of the excitation light is, for example, in the range of 220 nm to 550 nm, but is not limited thereto. As an example, the excitation light is ultraviolet light, and its wavelength is 250 nm to 350 nm. The excitation light is pulsed light, but may also be continuous light. The light-emitting unit 831 desirably uses, for example, a UV-LED that irradiates excitation light having a peak near 280 nm. By configuring the light-emitting unit 831 in this manner, the luminescence intensity of bacteria and viruses increases, thereby increasing sensitivity. The light-emitting unit 831 desirably uses, for example, an LED in the visible light range that irradiates excitation light having a peak near 400 nm. Visible light LEDs are inexpensive and have high output, making it possible to inexpensively increase sensitivity.

[0050] (Configuration of the Light-Receiving Unit 832) The light-receiving unit 832 receives fluorescence emitted from amino acids in bacteria or viruses when the excitation light emitted from the light-emitting unit 831 is irradiated onto the amino acids. The light-receiving unit 832 includes an imaging unit 832a that captures images of the target space S and a spectroscopic unit 832b provided in the imaging unit 832a. The imaging unit 832a includes a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor that can acquire image data. It is desirable to use a CCD for the imaging unit 832a. In this case, imaging can be performed with high sensitivity even with weak light emission.

[0051] The spectroscopic unit 832b splits incident light into specific wavelengths. By providing it on the light incident side of the imaging unit, the imaging unit 832a can receive only light of a specific wavelength, thereby increasing imaging sensitivity. The specific wavelength refers to the fluorescence emitted from amino acids in bacteria and viruses when irradiated with the amino acids. The fluorescence wavelength from amino acids in bacteria and viruses is longer than the wavelength of the excitation light, approximately in the range of 250 nm to 1000 nm, but is not limited to this. For example, when the light emitting unit 831 irradiates excitation light having a peak near 280 nm, the fluorescence from the bacteria and viruses will be light near 320 nm, so it is desirable to select the spectroscopic unit 832b that splits this light.

[0052] The spectroscopic unit 832b desirably includes, for example, a diffraction grating, a prism, or a bandpass filter. When a bandpass filter is used as the spectroscopic unit 832b, it is smaller and thinner than a diffraction grating or a prism, and therefore the light-receiving unit 832 can be made smaller. Note that the imaging unit 832a does not necessarily have to include the spectroscopic unit 832b.

[0053] (Configuration of Image Processing Unit 833) The image processing unit 833 includes an arithmetic and control unit 833a, a first memory unit 833b, and a second memory unit 833c. The arithmetic and control unit 833a performs arithmetic and processing on image data captured and generated by the photographing unit 832a. The arithmetic and control unit 833a is configured using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Instead of the DSP, the arithmetic and control unit 833a may be configured using a semiconductor element capable of high-speed digital image processing, such as an advanced image processor. The first memory unit 833b is a unit that stores background data and stores image data captured and generated by the photographing unit 832a when microbial adhesion begins. The second memory unit 833c stores image data captured and generated by the photographing unit 832a when microbial adhesion ends. It is desirable that the first storage unit 833b and the second storage unit 833c are configured with nonvolatile memory such as SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) so that image data can be transferred to the arithmetic control unit 833a at high speed.

[0054] [Operation Method] The calculation control unit 833a performs image difference processing using the image data stored in the second storage unit 833c and the image data stored in the first storage unit 833b. The image data stored in the second storage unit 833c is image data captured and generated by the photographing unit 832a when microbial adhesion ends. The image data stored in the first storage unit 833b is image data or background data captured and generated by the photographing unit 832a when microbial adhesion starts.

[0055] Image difference processing is a process in which image data before and after the microbial adhesion period are compared, background data is subtracted, and a difference image is generated by taking the difference for each pixel. The generated difference image is then binarized using a preset threshold to generate a binary image, and difference analysis is performed. For pixels that do not change between the image data at the end of microbial adhesion and the image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion, the difference brightness value of that pixel is below the preset threshold. On the other hand, for pixels that change between the image data at the end of microbial adhesion and the image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion, the difference brightness value of that pixel exceeds the preset threshold. Pixels that change before and after the microbial adhesion period are pixels in areas where cells, viruses, etc. have attached during the microbial adhesion period and where amino acids emit light. Therefore, the calculation control unit 833a binarizes the difference image between the image data at the end of microbial adhesion and the image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion using a threshold. As a result, the calculation control unit 833a extracts areas where amino acids emit light, i.e., areas where cells, viruses, etc. have attached during the microbial adhesion period.

[0056] [Rationale and effect of the above operation] When irradiated with excitation light having a peak near 280 nm, the amino acids that make up bacteria or viruses emit fluorescence having a peak near 320 nm. Bacteria or viruses emit fluorescence as long as amino acids are present. In other words, even dead bacteria or inactivated viruses will emit light. If bacteria or viruses adhere to the fixture 91, they will continue to emit fluorescence unless they are removed from the space, that is, unless they are wiped off if they are attached to the fixture 91.

[0057] The microbial adhesion portion identification unit 83 sets a microbial adhesion period and performs differential processing on image data at the start of microbial adhesion or background data from image data at the end of microbial adhesion. This allows image data of the microbial adhesion portion M to be acquired, targeting only microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that adhere during the microbial adhesion period, and sterilization and virus inactivation can be performed based on the image data, thereby enabling efficient sterilization and virus inactivation processing. The microbial adhesion period may be set such that the start of microbial adhesion is when cleaning of fixtures 91 and the like in the target space S is completed, and the end of microbial adhesion is when the person 50 finishes using the target space S. By setting the period in this manner, sterilization and virus inactivation can be performed by targeting only microorganisms that adhere due to use of the target space S after cleaning, allowing efficient sterilization and virus inactivation processing.

[0058] If the time when cleaning of fixtures 91 and the like in the target space S is completed is defined as the start of microbial adhesion, the image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion is an image in a state where microbial stains have been removed, and therefore will be the same image data no matter when it is acquired. Therefore, image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion may be acquired after cleaning and used repeatedly. In other words, the microbial adhesion portion identifying unit 83 only acquires image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period, and performs differential processing on the image data or background data after cleaning that was previously acquired and stored in the first storage unit 833b.

[0059] This allows sterilization and virus inactivation to be performed by targeting only microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that adhered during the microbial adhesion period, i.e., those that adhered after cleaning. Since image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion can be obtained in advance, there is no need to obtain image data at the start, which has the effect of reducing the occurrence of bugs during image processing. Furthermore, repeated erasure and writing of data in the first storage unit 833b can be suppressed.

[0060] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 is provided with a second storage unit 833c that stores image data when microbial adhesion is completed, but if the calculation and control unit 833a is configured to perform image difference processing immediately after receiving the data, there is no need to provide the second storage unit 833c. By not providing the second storage unit 833c, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 can be made more compact.

[0061] [Mechanism for improving sterilization / inactivation effect] Next, we will explain how the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 efficiently sterilizes bacteria or inactivates viruses on fixtures 91 in the target space S. Generally, a specific substance exerts an effect of sterilizing bacteria or inactivating viruses when its concentration reaches a certain threshold or higher. Hereinafter, the effect of sterilizing bacteria or inactivating viruses will be referred to as the sterilization / inactivation effect. As the concentration of a specific substance increases further, the sterilization effect improves rapidly.

[0062] 6 is a graph showing the relationship between ion concentration and sterilization / inactivation effect. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents ion concentration (ions / cm ３ ), and the vertical axis indicates the survival rate of microorganisms (-). ３ ) or more, the sterilization and inactivation effects appear, and as the ion concentration becomes higher, the sterilization and inactivation effects become even more improved. ３ ) or more ions are generated.

[0063] [Explanation of Operation] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 performs a microorganism-adhered portion identifying operation and a sterilization and inactivation operation. First, the microorganism-adhered portion identifying operation will be described below, followed by a description of the sterilization and inactivation operation.

[0064] (Microbial adhesion portion identification operation) The microbial adhesion portion identification operation is an operation that identifies the locations where microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses have attached and are present during the microbial adhesion period, based on the time when microbial adhesion begins and the time when microbial adhesion ends from the microbial adhesion period input unit 82.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the microorganism-attached portion identification operation of the sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 7 , the microorganism-attached portion M is a location where a person 50 has come into contact or where droplets have been scattered. In the microorganism-attached portion identification operation, first, signals indicating the start and end times of microbial adhesion are input to the microorganism-attachment period input unit 82. In response to these signals, the light-receiving unit 832 and the light-emitting unit 831 acquire image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion during the microbial adhesion period and image data at the end of microbial adhesion. The image processing unit 833 then performs differential processing on the image data at the end of microbial adhesion from the image data at the start of microbial adhesion, thereby identifying the microorganism-attached portion M, such as bacteria or viruses, that adhered during the microbial adhesion period. The sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 illuminates the display unit 36 ​​in a lighting mode indicating that the microorganism-attached portion identification operation is in progress. This allows the sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 to notify users of the operation.

[0066] (Sterilization / inactivation operation) The sterilization / inactivation operation is an operation for sterilizing bacteria or inactivating viruses in the target space S with the aim of reducing the risk of contact infection. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the sterilization / inactivation operation of the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 performs the sterilization / inactivation operation when a person 50 leaves the target space S, and transports the specific substance generated by the substance measurement unit 34 to the microorganism adhesion portion M. The sterilization / inactivation operation is performed until the processing time received from the microorganism adhesion period input unit 82 is completed.

[0067] When the microorganism-attached portion identifying unit 83 identifies the microorganism-attached portion M, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 promptly drives the substance measuring unit 34 and the transport unit 33 to start the sterilization and inactivation operation. Specifically, the control device 40 drives the substance measuring unit 34 to generate the specific substance and starts the operation of the blower 37 to start the sterilization and inactivation operation. The ions, which are the specific substance generated by the substance measuring unit 34, are carried toward the outlet of the ventilation channel 24 along with the airflow caused by the operation of the blower 37. At the same time, the control device 40 controls the drive device 39 to orient the grill 4a of the grill body 4 toward the microorganism-attached portion M identified by the microorganism-attached portion identifying unit 83.

[0068] As a result, the specific substance generated in the substance measuring unit 34 is transported toward the microorganism attachment area M in the target space S on the airflow whose linearity and directionality have been enhanced by the grill 4a. The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 can transport the specific substance by placing it on the highly linear and directional airflow, targeting the microorganism attachment area M, without diffusing the specific substance within the target space S. In other words, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 can send the specific substance targeting an area where a large number of bacteria or viruses are present. Therefore, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 can deliver the specific substance to the microorganism attachment area M in a high concentration state, and can efficiently sterilize bacteria or inactivate viruses present in the microorganism attachment area M.

[0069] Furthermore, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 is placed at a high position within the target space S, such as on the ceiling. Therefore, compared to when the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 is placed on the floor, the specific substance can be easily transported to the surface of the fixtures 91 that is likely to be touched by people 50 and where droplets are likely to scatter.

[0070] During the sterilization / inactivation operation, the substance measuring unit 34 measures the specific substance generated from the substance generating unit 32. The substance measuring unit 34 detects the presence or absence of the specific substance, and if the specific substance is present, measures its concentration. When the control device 40 detects that the concentration of the specific substance measured by the substance measuring unit 34 is equal to or lower than a preset concentration, it stops the operation of the substance generating unit 32 and causes the display unit 36 ​​to operate in a lit state, indicating that the specific substance is not being generated enough. This allows the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 to notify the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0071] 9 is a control flowchart of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 , the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 sterilizes bacteria or inactivates viruses in the target space S through a microorganism-adhered portion identification process and a sterilization and inactivation process. The control device 40 is started by, for example, operating a remote switch (not shown) installed in the target space S to turn on the power to the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1, and processing by the control device 40 is started. When processing is started, in step S01, the control device 40 receives a signal from the microorganism-adhered period input unit 82 via the microorganism-adhered period receiving unit 81, and proceeds to step S02.

[0072] In step S02, the control device 40 starts a microorganism adhesion portion identification operation to identify the microorganism adhesion portion M in accordance with the time at which microbial adhesion starts and the time at which microbial adhesion ends input in the microorganism adhesion period input unit 82, and then proceeds to step S03. In step S03, the control device 40 starts counting the time until image data at the start and end of microbial adhesion is acquired, and then proceeds to step S04. When the control device 40 receives a signal to acquire image data at the start of microbial adhesion in step S04, it proceeds to step S05. The image data at the start of microbial adhesion is captured and generated by the imaging unit 832a and stored in the first storage unit 833b of the image processing unit 833.

[0073] When the control device 40 receives a signal to acquire image data at the end of microbial adhesion in step S05, the control device 40 proceeds to step S06. Image data at the start of microbial adhesion is captured and generated by the imaging unit 832a and stored in the second storage unit 833c of the image processing unit 833.

[0074] In step S06, the control device 40 determines whether or not an acquisition signal for the microorganism adhesion portion specific image data has been acquired, and if it determines that the signal has not been acquired (NO in step S06), the control device 40 repeats the process. If it determines that the signal has been acquired in step S06 (YES in step S06), the control device 40 proceeds to step S07. The microorganism adhesion portion specific image data is image data of the microorganism adhesion portion M, and is data obtained by differentially processing image data at the start of microorganism adhesion or background data from image data at the end of microorganism adhesion.

[0075] In step S07, the control device 40 ends the microorganism-adhered portion identification operation, then in step S08, starts the sterilization / inactivation operation, and proceeds to step S09. That is, the control device 40 switches from the microorganism-adhered portion identification operation to the sterilization / inactivation operation. In the sterilization / inactivation operation, the control device 40 drives the substance measurement unit 34 to generate the specific substance as described above, and starts the operation of the air blower 37.

[0076] In step S09, the control device 40 starts counting the operation time, then proceeds to step S10 to determine whether a predetermined time has elapsed, and if it determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO in step S10), the process of step S10 is repeated. The sterilization / inactivation operation is performed in accordance with the processing time signal from the microorganism adhesion period input unit 82 until the operation time reaches a predetermined processing time.

[0077] If the control device 40 determines in step S10 that the operating time has elapsed for a predetermined period of time (YES in step S10), the control device 40 proceeds to step S11 and stops the sterilization / inactivation operation. The control device 40 stops the sterilization / inactivation operation when it determines that the processing time input from the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 has elapsed after the start of the sterilization / inactivation operation. That is, the control device 40 stops driving the substance measurement unit 34 to stop the generation of the specific substance and stops the operation of the air blower 37. Then, after the sterilization / inactivation operation has been stopped, the control device 40 turns off the power to the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1.

[0078] Through the above steps, the process of sterilizing bacteria or inactivating viruses in the target space S by the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 is completed.

[0079] In the above example, the control device 40 switches from the microorganism-adhered portion specific operation to the sterilization / inactivation operation by immediately starting the sterilization / inactivation operation after the microorganism-adhered portion specific operation has stopped. The control device 40 may also switch from the microorganism-adhered portion specific operation to the sterilization / inactivation operation after a certain period of time has elapsed. In this case, the microorganism-adhered period is assumed to be the time that the person 50 stays in the target space S. However, it is possible to more reliably prevent the microorganism-adhered portion specific operation from being switched to the sterilization / inactivation operation by acquiring image data indicating the end of microorganism-adhered portion and switching to the sterilization / inactivation operation before all the people 50 who entered the target space S have left.

[0080] [Effects] As described above, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 of the first embodiment includes the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83, the substance measuring unit 34 that generates a specific substance that performs a sterilization treatment or an inactivation treatment, and the transport unit 33 that generates an airflow and transports the specific substance. The microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 identifies a microorganism-adhered portion M in the target space S where microorganisms have adhered, for example, due to contact with a person 50 or scattering of droplets, and the specific substance generated by the substance measuring unit 34 is transported to the microorganism-adhered portion M identified by the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83. In this way, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 transports the specific substance to the microorganism-adhered portion M, which is a location in the target space S where microorganisms adhere, thereby enabling efficient sterilization or virus inactivation within the target space S.

[0081] The microorganism-adherent portion identifying unit 83 sets a microorganism-adherent period, performs differential processing on image data at the start of the microorganism-adherent period or background data from image data at the end of the microorganism-adherent period, and identifies locations where microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that have adhered during the microorganism-adherent period have adhered. This allows the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 to exclude microorganisms that are not targets for sterilization / virus inactivation, such as dead bacteria or inactivated viruses, and identify only target microorganisms that have adhered during the microorganism-adherent period. This allows sterilization or virus inactivation to be concentrated in areas with a high risk of infection.

[0082] The microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 identifies the microorganism-adhered portion M using the image data at the start of the microorganism-adhered period and the image data at the end of the microorganism-adhered period. In this way, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 identifies the microorganism-adhered portion M by differential processing of the two pieces of image data, and therefore can perform sterilization and virus inactivation with a compact, lightweight device configuration with a small memory capacity.

[0083] The transport unit 33 includes a blower 37 that generates an airflow, a grill 4a that is disposed downstream of the blower 37 and that imparts straightness and directionality to the airflow from the blower 37, and a drive unit 39 that changes the orientation of the grill 4a to control the blowing direction of the airflow. The transport unit 33 transports the airflow to the microorganism attachment area M by changing the orientation of the grill 4a using the drive unit 39. In this way, the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 transports the airflow that has been given straightness and directionality by the grill 4a to the microorganism attachment area M, and therefore can concentrate sterilization or virus inactivation in areas with a high risk of infection.

[0084] <Modification> Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 according to a modification of Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 10, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 may be configured to calculate brightness from the microorganism-adhered portion identification image data and prioritize sterilization and inactivation for areas with high brightness. For example, the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 identifies the first microorganism-adhered portion M1, which has the lowest brightness, the third microorganism-adhered portion M3, which has the highest brightness, and the second microorganism-adhered portion M2, which has a medium brightness, based on the microorganism-adhered portion identification image data.

[0085] As described above, areas where bacteria or viruses are attached can be identified by fluorescently coloring the amino acids in the bacteria or viruses and observing the fluorescence. Areas where the amount of light emitted from the amino acids is higher than in other areas indicate that bacteria or viruses are present in greater quantities than in other areas. Therefore, the higher the brightness of the differential image (i.e., the microorganism-attached area specific image data) between the image data acquired at the end of the microorganism-attached period and the image data acquired at the beginning of the microorganism-attached period, the more attached microorganisms are present in the target space S. In other words, the third microorganism-attached area M3, which has the highest brightness in the microorganism-attached area specific image data, may be a location with a high risk of infection. Therefore, the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 may prioritize sterilization / inactivation or operate with improved sterilization / inactivation effects in areas where the microorganism-attached area specific image data has a high brightness.

[0086] There are three types of operations that improve the sterilization / inactivation effect: increasing the airflow rate, increasing the amount of the specific substance generated, or lengthening the transport time of the specific substance. The sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 performs some or all of these three operations to improve the sterilization / inactivation effect. In other words, one or both of the substance generation unit 32 and the transport unit 33 perform some or all of the above three operations to improve the sterilization / inactivation effect. Specifically, the control device 40 controls one or both of the substance generation unit 32 and the transport unit 33 as follows to perform some or all of the above three operations.

[0087] To increase the amount of air blown, the control device 40 may increase the rotation speed of the air blower 37 of the transport section 33 .

[0088] In order to increase the amount of the specific substance generated, the control device 40 can increase the voltage applied to the electrodes when the substance generator 32 is an ion generator. Increasing the voltage applied to the electrodes increases the amount of ions generated from the substance generator 32, thereby increasing the amount of the specific substance transported to areas with high brightness in the microorganism-adhered image data.

[0089] In order to lengthen the transport time of the specific substance to the highly luminous portion of the microorganism-adhered image data, the control device 40 may, for example, perform the following control: The control device 40 drives the first case 2 to change the orientation of the grill 4a while transporting the specific substance to the microorganism-adhered portion M. Therefore, the control device 40 may slow down the speed at which the orientation of the grill 4a is changed for the highly luminous microorganism-adhered portion M compared to when transporting the specific substance to the less luminous microorganism-adhered portion M.

[0090] (Other Configuration Examples) The microorganism attachment portion identifying unit 83 may be configured to operate in conjunction with a lighting fixture in the target space S. The microorganism attachment portion identifying unit 83 identifies the location of bacteria or viruses by causing amino acids in the bacteria or viruses to emit fluorescent colors, but when the lighting is on, light other than that emitted from the microorganisms becomes disturbance noise, reducing measurement sensitivity. Therefore, by linking the unit with the lighting fixture and acquiring image data or background data at the start of microbial adhesion and image data at the end of microbial adhesion when the lighting fixture is off, the decrease in sensitivity due to disturbance noise can be suppressed, making it easier to identify the microorganism attachment portion M.

[0091] The microorganism-attached portion identifying unit 83 may be provided with a microorganism-luminescence enhancer, which may spray a microorganism-luminescence enhancer, such as glucose oxidase or a luminol chemiluminescence catalytic activity enhancing aptamer, that binds to bacteria or viruses to identify the location of the attached bacteria or virus. When amino acids in the bacteria or virus bind to the glucose oxidase or luminol chemiluminescence catalytic activity enhancing aptamer, the luminescence intensity of the bacteria or virus increases when they fluoresce. The microorganism-attached portion identifying unit 83 acquires image data or background data at the start of the microbial attachment period and image data at the end of the microbial attachment period, based on the luminescence status of the bacteria or virus obtained by spraying the microorganism-luminescence enhancer, and performs differential processing to identify the microorganism-attached portion M. This improves the sensitivity to luminescence from bacteria and viruses, making it easier to identify the microorganism-attached portion M.

[0092] The microbial adhesion period input unit 82 is configured to input the time when the person 50 enters the room as the time when microbial adhesion begins and the time when the person 50 leaves the room as the time when microbial adhesion ends. However, the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 may also be configured to input the start time and adhesion time of the microbial adhesion period as the time period during which microorganisms adhere. The microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81 may be configured to determine the time period during which microorganisms adhere according to the same schedule every week or every day, or may be configured to input a different time each day as the time period during which microorganisms adhere. In short, the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 only needs to be able to set the microbial adhesion period to fixtures 91, etc. within the target space S.

[0093] The microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83 does not have to be configured to be located at the center of the lower end of the grill body 4, and the location of the microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83 is not limited to inside the housing 1a, but may also be located on the outer wall of the housing 1a or at a location away from the housing 1a. In short, the microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83 may be located at a location that makes it easy to identify microorganisms adhering to the surface of the fixtures 91, depending on the location of the fixtures 91 in the target space S, etc.

[0094] The target space S may be a closed space, for example, separated by a partition, or it may be an unclosed space. An unclosed space is, for example, a space created by virtually separating a portion of a large space, such as a banquet hall. By setting the target space S as an unclosed space, the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 can perform sterilization and inactivation operations by treating a portion of a large space as the target space S, without physically separating the large space to form a closed space. In this way, when the target space S is an unclosed space, the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 is installed in a position where the specific substance generated in the substance generation unit 32 can be transported to the target space S using the transport unit 33.

[0095] A propeller fan or a sirocco fan may be used for the transport section 33. A sirocco fan can blow a large volume of air with static pressure, so that bacteria can be effectively removed or viruses can be inactivated.

[0096] Although the substance generating section 32 was arranged upstream of the air blower 37, it may be arranged downstream. This allows the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 to have a structure in which the specific substance generated in the substance generating section 32 does not pass through the air blower 37, thereby preventing deterioration of the air blower 37 due to the specific substance.

[0097] The first case 2 to which the grill body 4 is attached and the second case 3 equipped with a drive unit 39 that drives the first case 2 may be separate bodies or may be integrated. When the first case 2 and the second case 3 are separate bodies, the second case 3 is configured to deform so that the grill 4a of the grill body 4 faces the microorganism attachment portion M, but when they are integrated, the grill body 4 itself is configured to be driven. By making them an integrated body, the number of parts can be reduced, and the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 can be manufactured inexpensively.

[0098] The ion sensor constituting the substance measuring unit 34 may be a coaxial double cylinder type ion sensor or a parallel plate type ion sensor. The parallel plate type is a method in which ions flowing between parallel plate electrodes are measured from the amount of current between the plate electrodes. The parallel plate type ion sensor is compact and can measure the amount of ions easily.

[0099] Although the first storage unit 833b, which stores image data or background data at the start of the microbial adhesion period, and the second storage unit 833c, which stores image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period, are configured separately, they may be stored together in a single storage unit. This allows the number of components of the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 to be reduced, resulting in a simpler configuration.

[0100] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 may be configured to change the amount of substance generated or the airflow rate based on user input. As the processing time shortens, the operating time of the sterilization and inactivation operation shortens. In this case, the user changes the settings to increase the amount of substance generated or the airflow rate above the default normal setting. This allows the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 to sterilize bacteria or inactivate viruses more quickly than when controlled at the normal setting. The settings may be changed by the user or automatically by the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1. When the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 automatically changes the settings, it is sufficient to acquire data relating to the processing time and high-speed processing conditions and change the settings to change the amount of substance generated or the airflow rate according to the processing time. Furthermore, when the virus mutates and its impact on the human body becomes serious, as in the case of the spread of COVID-19, and more countermeasures than usual are felt to be necessary, the user may set the amount of substance generated or the airflow rate above the default normal setting. This enhances the sterilization and inactivation effect, thereby improving infection prevention effectiveness.

[0101] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 according to the first embodiment described above includes a microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 that identifies a microorganism-adhered portion, a substance generating unit 32, and a transporting unit 33, and performs sterilization or inactivation treatment in the target space S. The sterilization or inactivation treatment is performed on the microorganism-adhered portion, which is a location where microorganisms are attached, and dead bacteria or inactivated viruses that are not the target of treatment are excluded from the treatment. This allows treatment to be performed intensively and efficiently in places with a high risk of infection.

[0102] Furthermore, the microorganism-adhered portion identifying unit 83 identifies the microorganism-adhered portion M based on the results of differential analysis between the portion where microorganisms were detected at the start of the microorganism-adhered period and the portion where microorganisms were detected at the end of the microorganism-adhered period. Therefore, the sterilization and virus inactivation processes are performed targeting the microorganisms that adhered during the microorganism-adhered period, and therefore the sterilization and virus inactivation processes can be performed efficiently.

[0103] Furthermore, the microorganism attachment portion identifying unit 83 detects the fluorescence emitted by the substances that make up the microorganisms, and is therefore able to identify the locations within the space where microorganisms are attached, regardless of the movement of the person 50.

[0104] Furthermore, the microorganism-adhered portion specifying unit 83 is configured to detect the luminescence of the microorganisms using a light-emitting unit 831 that irradiates light with a wavelength of 250 nm to 450 nm and a light-receiving unit 832 that receives the fluorescent light. Therefore, based on the combination of the wavelength of the excitation light irradiated from the light-emitting unit 831 and the wavelength of the fluorescent light received by the light-receiving unit 832, the amino acids in the bacteria or virus can be made to emit fluorescent light, thereby making it possible to determine the presence or absence of bacteria or viruses.

[0105] Furthermore, by configuring the microorganism attachment portion identification unit 83 to detect the luminescence of microorganisms after the target space S is turned off, a decrease in sensitivity due to external noise is suppressed, making it easier to identify the microorganism attachment portion M.

[0106] Furthermore, the sterilization and virus inactivation method according to the first embodiment includes a microorganism-attached portion identifying step and a sterilization and inactivation step. In the microorganism-attached portion identifying step, a location where microorganisms are attached is identified as the microorganism-attached portion, and in the sterilization and inactivation step, a specified substance is transported to the microorganism-attached portion and sterilization or inactivation treatment is performed. This allows for concentrated and efficient treatment in areas with a high risk of infection.

[0107] The microorganism-adhered portion identifying process starts when a person 50 is detected entering the target space S and ends when the person 50 is detected leaving the target space S, and the sterilization / inactivation process starts when the person 50 is detected leaving the target space S. Therefore, sterilization or virus inactivation can be performed intensively while there are no people 50 in the target space S.

[0108] Embodiment 2. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing a usage form of a sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 according to embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that it includes a sensing unit 30, but other configurations are the same as or equivalent to embodiment 1. In embodiment 2, the configurations that differ from embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and configurations that are not described in embodiment 2 are the same as embodiment 1.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 11 , the sensing unit 30 is provided in the target space S and senses the entry of a person 50 into the target space S and the exit of a person 50 from the target space S (hereinafter referred to as entry / exit). The sensing unit 30 can acquire information regarding the presence or absence of the person 50. The sensing unit 30 has the same function as the microbial adhesion period input unit 82. The sensing unit 30 is configured, for example, with an infrared sensor. The sensing unit 30 is capable of communicating with a communication unit provided in the housing 1a and is capable of transmitting the detection result of the person 50 to the communication unit. This communication uses wireless communication such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or ZigBee (registered trademark). Note that the sensing unit 30 may be an existing unit installed in the target space S.

[0110] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 detects the entry / exit of person 50 by wirelessly communicating with the sensing unit 30 via the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81. Specifically, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 acquires, via the communication unit, a sensing signal indicating the entry / exit of person 50 transmitted from the sensing unit 30, and detects the entry / exit of person 50 based on the sensing signal. Based on the sensing signal transmitted from the sensing unit 30, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 detects that the first person has entered the target space S and that all people have left the target space S.

[0111] The infrared sensor constituting the sensing unit 30 has a transmitting unit 30a that transmits infrared rays and a receiving unit 30b that receives infrared rays. The transmitting unit 30a and the receiving unit 30b are installed near the door 90 of the target space S. Specifically, the transmitting unit 30a and the receiving unit 30b are arranged above and below the entrance at a distance from each other, and infrared rays are transmitted and received between the transmitting unit 30a and the receiving unit 30b.

[0112] When no person 50 passes between the transmitter 30a and the receiver 30b, the amount of infrared light received by the receiver 30b remains substantially constant, but when a person 50 passes, the amount of infrared light received decreases. The infrared sensor detects that the person 50 has moved when the amount of infrared light received by the receiver 30b falls below a specified value. Furthermore, a method of detecting the entry / exit of a person 50 using an infrared sensor is simpler and less expensive to configure than a method of detecting entry / exit using image data.

[0113] In this structure, the microbial adhesion period is a period during which microorganisms may adhere, i.e., corresponds to the period during which a person 50 is present. Therefore, the microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81 determines the start of the microbial adhesion period when the sensing unit 30 detects that the first person has entered the target space S, and determines the end of the microbial adhesion period when the sensing unit 30 detects that all people have left the target space S.

[0114] Figure 12 is a functional block diagram of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 12, the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 is configured to receive detection results from the sensing unit 30. The sensing unit 30 detects the entry / exit of a person 50 into the target space S, and the detection results are transmitted to and received by the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81. The microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 determines the entry / exit of the person 50 into the target space S based on the detection results of the sensing unit 30.

[0115] 13 is a control flowchart of the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 according to embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 13 , the control device 40 carries out a microorganism-adhered portion identifying step and a sterilization and inactivation step based on the detection result by the sensing unit 30.

[0116] When the process starts, the control device 40 drives the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 in step S101, then starts a microorganism adhesion portion identification operation in step S102, and proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the control device 40 determines whether the sensing unit 30 has detected the entry of the first person 50 into the target space S, and if not, repeats the process (NO in step S103), and if detected, proceeds to step S104 (YES in step S103). The determination of whether the sensing unit 30 has detected the entry of the first person 50 into the target space S is made based on the detection result of the sensing unit 30 received by the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81.

[0117] In step S104, the control device 40 acquires image data at the start of the microbial adhesion period, and then proceeds to step S105. The image data at the start of the microbial adhesion period is acquired by the microbial adhesion portion identification unit 83 when the sensing unit 30 detects the entry of the first person 50 into the target space S.

[0118] In step S105, the control device 40 determines whether the sensing unit 30 has detected that all people have left the target space S, and if not, repeats the process (NO in step S105), or if detected, proceeds to step S106 (YES in step S105). The determination of whether the sensing unit 30 has detected that all people have left the target space S is made based on the detection result of the sensing unit 30 received by the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81.

[0119] In step S106, the control device 40 acquires image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period, and proceeds to step S107. Acquisition of image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period is performed by the microbial adhesion portion identification unit 83 when the detection unit 30 detects that everyone has left the target space S. In step S107, the control device 40 acquires image data of the microbial adhesion portion M, and proceeds to step S108, ending the microbial adhesion portion identification operation. The image data of the microbial adhesion portion M is data acquired by differentially processing the image data at the start of the microbial adhesion period from the image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period.

[0120] The control device 40 then proceeds to step S109 to start the bacteria elimination / virus inactivation operation, and starts counting the operation time in step S110. The bacteria elimination / virus inactivation operation is performed for the time required for bacteria elimination / virus inactivation.

[0121] Next, in step S111, the control device 40 determines whether a person 50 has entered the target space S. If the control device 40 determines in step S111 that a person 50 has not entered the target space S (NO in step S111), the control device 40 proceeds to step S112, determines whether the operation time has elapsed for a predetermined time, and continues processing until the predetermined time has elapsed (NO in step S112).

[0122] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S111 that person 50 has entered the room (YES in step S111), the control device 40 proceeds to step S113 and stops the inactivation operation. Also, if the operation time has elapsed for a predetermined time in step S112 (YES in step S112), the control device 40 proceeds to step S113 and stops the inactivation operation. When the control device 40 stops the inactivation operation in step S113, the processing by the control device 40 ends.

[0123] That is, after the start of the sterilization / inactivation operation, the control device 40 stops the sterilization / inactivation operation when it determines that the time required for sterilization / virus inactivation has elapsed. That is, the control device 40 stops driving the substance measuring unit 34 to stop the generation of the specific substance, and stops the operation of the air blower 37. The control device 40 can also stop the sterilization / virus inactivation operation when the sensing unit 30 detects the entry of a person 50 into the target space S.

[0124] [Effect] In the second embodiment, the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 communicates with the sensing unit 30. The sensing unit 30 determines the start of the microorganism adhesion period when it detects that the first person has entered the target space S, and the end of the microorganism adhesion period when it detects that all people have left the target space S, and acquires information regarding the presence or absence of people 50 in the target space S. The microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83 determines the microorganism adhesion period from the information acquired by the sensing unit 30 before and after the presence of the person 50, and identifies the microorganism adhesion portion M from the results of differential analysis of the locations where microorganisms were detected. This allows for efficient sterilization and virus inactivation of the target space S, particularly the microorganism adhesion portion M.

[0125] Furthermore, in the sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, the period during which the person 50 is present corresponds to the microbial adhesion period. The microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81 determines the start of the microbial adhesion period when the sensing unit 30 detects that the first person has entered the target space S as the start of the microbial adhesion period, and determines the end of the microbial adhesion period when it detects that all people have left the target space S as the end of the microbial adhesion period. Therefore, when it detects that all people have left the target space S, the microbial adhesion portion identifying unit 83 acquires image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period and ends the microbial adhesion portion identifying operation, after which the sterilization / virus inactivation operation begins. In other words, the sterilization / virus inactivation operation is performed when no person 50 is present in the target space S, i.e., when the sterilization / virus inactivation apparatus 1 detects that the person 50 has left the target space S, by driving the substance generating unit 32 and the transporting unit 33 to transport the specific substance to the microbial adhesion portion M, i.e., to begin the sterilization / inactivation operation. Therefore, intensive sterilization or virus inactivation can be performed while there are no people 50 in the target space S.

[0126] Furthermore, the sensing unit 30 senses the entry of a person 50 into the target space S. Therefore, if the sensing unit 30 senses the entry of a person 50 into the target space S during sterilization and virus inactivation operation, the sterilization and virus inactivation operation can be immediately stopped. In this way, the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 does not perform the sterilization and inactivation operation while a person 50 is present in the target space S, and therefore can effectively perform the sterilization and inactivation operation while maintaining the comfort of the person 50 in the target space S.

[0127] The microbial adhesion period receiving unit 81 may be configured to communicate not only with the sensing unit 30, but also with both the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 and the sensing unit 30. Specifically, the microbial adhesion period input unit 82 may be provided with an automatic determination button, and when the button is turned on, the sensing unit 30 automatically activates and identifies the microbial adhesion portion M. By controlling in this manner, when the person 50 enters and exits the room periodically, the microbial adhesion period is determined based on a signal from the microbial adhesion period input unit 82. When the person 50 enters and exits the room irregularly, the sensing unit 30 automatically determines the microbial adhesion period. The configuration using the sensing unit 30 is also effective, for example, when there is a possibility that the person 50 will suddenly enter or exit the room. This configuration makes it possible to more accurately determine when the person 50 enters or exits the target space S.

[0128] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 may be controlled to turn off after the sterilization and virus inactivation operation is completed, or may restart the microbial adhesion identification operation. By controlling in this manner, it is possible to constantly detect the entry and exit of a person 50 into the target space S, and to quickly perform the sterilization and virus inactivation process after the person 50 leaves the room.

[0129] The sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 according to the second embodiment described above is provided with a sensing unit 30 that detects the entry and exit of a person 50 into the target space S. Therefore, the period during which the person 50 is present is considered to be a period during which microorganisms may adhere, and the sensing unit 30 detects when the person 50 enters the target space and when the person 50 leaves the target space, identifies the microorganism-adhered portion, and can perform sterilization or virus inactivation processing in a concentrated manner.

[0130] Embodiment 3. Figure 14 is a functional block diagram of a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 3. Embodiment 3 differs from embodiments 1 and 2 in that it includes a trajectory detection unit 31. The other components are the same as or equivalent to those of embodiment 1 or 2. The following description will focus on the components that differ in embodiment 3 from embodiments 1 and 2, and components not described in embodiment 3 are the same as those of embodiments 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 14, the trajectory detection unit 31 includes a trajectory imaging unit 31a that captures images of the target space S, and a trajectory image processing unit 31b that detects trajectories based on the image data captured by the trajectory imaging unit 31a. The trajectory detection unit 31 is a unit that performs detection processing of the movement trajectory of the part that the person 50 has come into contact with.

[0131] (Trajectory Image Capturing Unit 31a) The trajectory image capturing unit 31a is a unit that captures images within the target space S. It includes a solid-state image capturing element such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor that can acquire image data.

[0132] (Trajectory image processing unit 31b) The trajectory image processing unit 31b includes a trajectory calculation control unit 311, a first trajectory storage unit 312, and a second trajectory storage unit 313. The trajectory calculation control unit 311 performs calculations on the image data captured and generated by the trajectory photographing unit 31a. The trajectory calculation control unit 311 is configured using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Instead of the DSP, the trajectory calculation control unit 311 may use a semiconductor element capable of high-speed digital image processing, such as an advanced image processor.

[0133] The first trajectory storage unit 312 stores image data captured in advance by the trajectory photographing unit 31a when no person 50 is present in the target space S. The image data captured in advance when no person 50 is present is used as background data during human detection processing to distinguish between people 50 and non-people 50.

[0134] The second trajectory storage unit 313 stores tracking data of the person 50 present in the target space S as image data. The second trajectory storage unit 313 is configured with a large-capacity storage device so that it can store a large amount of image data. An example of a large-capacity storage device is a volatile memory with a relatively large storage capacity, such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0135] The trajectory image processing unit 31b stores the background data in the first trajectory storage unit 312. The trajectory image processing unit 31b appropriately loads the background data stored in the first trajectory storage unit 312 into the trajectory calculation control unit 311. The trajectory image processing unit 31b periodically loads current image data captured and generated by the trajectory photographing unit 31a into the trajectory calculation control unit 311. The trajectory calculation control unit 311 compares the loaded current image data with the background data and extracts different areas. The different areas are areas where the person 50 is present. By tracking the passage of time in the comparison data, it is possible to detect the movement trajectory of the person 50 present in the target space S.

[0136] The trajectory calculation control unit 311 recognizes in advance the location of the fixture 91 based on the background data, and can detect the location of contact of the person 50 with the fixture 91 from the positional relationship between the location of the fixture 91 and the location of the person 50. Specifically, the trajectory calculation control unit 311 acquires a difference image between image data in a state where the fixture 91 is not installed and image data in a state where the fixture 91 is installed, that is, a difference image in which the fixture 91 has been extracted. The trajectory calculation control unit 311 then detects the overlapping portion between the difference image in which the fixture 91 has been extracted and the portion in which the presence of the person 50 has been extracted as the location of contact of the person 50 with the fixture 91.

[0137] As described above, the trajectory detection unit 31 can detect the movement trajectory of the part that the person 50 has come into contact with within the target space S. The sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 can determine the movement trajectory of the person 50 present within the target space S. The more intersections between the movement trajectories, the longer or more repeatedly the person 50 has been present within the target space S. When multiple microbial attachment areas M are present, the part with many intersections between the movement trajectories is determined to be a highly infectious part, and the sterilization / virus inactivation process can be started from the part with many intersections between the movement trajectories, thereby enabling sterilization or virus inactivation to be performed preferentially from the highly infectious part.

[0138] 15 is a control flowchart of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4. As shown in FIG. 15, when processing is started, the control device 40 drives the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 in step S201, and proceeds to step S202. The microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 determines when a person 50 has entered or left the target space S based on the detection result of the sensing unit 30.

[0139] In step S202, the control device 40 starts a trajectory detection operation by the sensing unit 30 and a microorganism-adhered portion identification operation by the microorganism-adhered portion identification unit 83, and then proceeds to step S203. In step S203, the control device 40 determines whether the sensing unit 30 has detected the entry of the first person 50 into the target space S, and if not, repeats the process (NO in step S203). If the entry of the first person 50 has been detected, the process proceeds to steps S204 and S205.

[0140] The control device 40 acquires image data at the start of the microbial adhesion period in step S204, and simultaneously starts tracking the movement trajectory in step S205, and proceeds to step S206. When the sensing unit 30 detects the entry of the first person 50 into the target space S, it determines that this is the start of the microbial adhesion period, and the microbial adhesion portion identifying unit 83 acquires image data at the start of the microbial adhesion period. The trajectory detection unit 31 starts tracking the movement trajectory of the person 50 present in the target space S.

[0141] In step S206, the control device 40 determines whether the sensing unit 30 has detected that everyone has left the target space S, and if not, repeats the process (NO in step S206).

[0142] When the control device 40 determines in step S206 that it has detected that all people have left the room (YES in step S206), it proceeds to steps S207 and S208. In step S207, the control device 40 acquires image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period, and at the same time, in step S208, it ends tracking of the movement trajectories, and proceeds to step S209. When the sensing unit 30 detects that all people have left the target space S, it determines that the microbial adhesion period has ended, and the microbial adhesion portion identifying unit 83 acquires image data at the end of the microbial adhesion period. The trajectory detection unit 31 ends tracking of the movement trajectories of the people 50 present in the target space S.

[0143] In step S209, the control device 40 determines whether image data of the microorganism-adhered portion has been acquired, and if not, repeats the process (NO in step S209), but if it determines that image data has been acquired, proceeds to step S210 (YES in step S209). In step S210, the control device 40 ends the microorganism-adhered portion identification operation. The microorganism-adhered portion identification operation ends at the same time as the image data of the microorganism-adhered portion M is analyzed with reference to the movement trajectory, and the sterilization and virus inactivation operation is started.

[0144] After step S210, the control device 40 performs the sterilization and virus inactivation operation by the same processes as steps S08 to S11 in FIG.

[0145] [Effects] According to the third embodiment, the microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 is configured to receive a detection signal from the sensing unit 30, and therefore has the following effects. The sensing unit 30 determines the start of the microorganism adhesion period when it detects that the first person has entered the target space S, and determines the end of the microorganism adhesion period when it detects that all people have left the target space S, and identifies the microorganism adhesion portion M. This allows for efficient sterilization and virus inactivation of the microorganism adhesion portion M even within the target space S.

[0146] Furthermore, by providing the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 with the trajectory detection unit 31 in addition to the microorganism attachment portion identification unit 83, the following effects can be achieved. The trajectory detection unit 31 can determine the movement trajectory of the person 50 present within the target space S. Places where the movement trajectories intersect frequently correspond to places within the target space S where the person 50 has been present for a long time or repeatedly. By providing the trajectory detection unit 31, parts of the microorganism attachment portion M where the movement trajectories intersect frequently can be identified as highly infectious parts, and sterilization or virus inactivation can be performed intensively.

[0147] The sensing unit 30, the trajectory detection unit 31, and the microorganism attachment portion identification unit 83 may each be provided separately, or the sensing unit 30 and the trajectory detection unit 31 may be arranged together in the microorganism attachment portion M. That is, the imaging unit 832a of the microorganism attachment portion identification unit 83 is configured to acquire visible images as well as fluorescent images. In this case, when the microorganism attachment portion identification operation starts, visible images of the target space S are periodically acquired, the entry and exit of the person 50 is detected, and the movement trajectory is tracked, thereby combining multiple components into one, resulting in a compact, lightweight, and inexpensive configuration.

[0148] Furthermore, the trajectory photographing unit 31a and the trajectory image processing unit 31b may be provided separately from the photographing unit 832a and the image processing unit 833 in the first and second embodiments, or the functions may be realized by the photographing unit 832a and the image processing unit 833. By realizing the functions of the trajectory photographing unit 31a and the trajectory image processing unit 31b by the photographing unit 832a and the image processing unit 833, the number of components of the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 can be reduced, resulting in a simpler configuration.

[0149] Embodiment 4. Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air conditioner 60 equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4. Figure 17 is a bottom view of an air conditioner 60 equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4. Embodiment 4 relates to an air conditioner 60 equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1. The following description will focus on configurations and processes in embodiment 4 that differ from embodiments 1 to 3, and configurations and processes not described in embodiment 4 are the same as embodiments 1 to 3.

[0150] The air conditioner 60 is an indoor unit placed in a space to be air-conditioned, such as an office, and supplies temperature-controlled air to the space to be air-conditioned by utilizing a refrigeration cycle that circulates a refrigerant. The air conditioner 60 performs one or both of heating and cooling operations as normal operation. The air conditioner 60 not only conditions the air in the space to be air-conditioned, but also includes a sterilization / virus inactivation device 1, and sterilizes bacteria or inactivates viruses in the space to be air-conditioned, which is designated as a target space S. The sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 included in the air conditioner 60 is, for example, the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 of embodiment 2.

[0151] The air conditioner housing 61, which forms the outer shell of the air conditioner 60, is embedded in the ceiling and includes an air conditioner main body 62 with an open bottom, and a decorative panel 63 that covers the opening of the air conditioner main body 62. The decorative panel 63 has a rectangular intake grille 64 in its center. Four air outlets 65 are formed around the intake grille 64 along its four sides. Each air outlet 65 is provided with an air deflector 66 that controls the direction of airflow from the outlet 65. The air conditioner 60 includes, as the air deflectors 66, an up-down air deflector 66a that controls the vertical air direction and a left-right air deflector 66b that controls the horizontal air direction. Motors (not shown) that drive the up-down air deflectors 66a and the left-right air deflectors 66b are also provided within the air conditioner housing 61.

[0152] Arranged within the air conditioner housing 61 are a centrifugal blower 67, a motor 68 that drives the centrifugal blower 67, and a heat exchanger 69 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air. The centrifugal blower 67 is disposed in the center of the air conditioner housing 61 and is connected to a shaft extending downward from the motor 68, which is fixed to the top plate of the air conditioner housing 61. The heat exchanger 69 is disposed around the centrifugal blower 67. Also disposed within the air conditioner housing 61 is a drain pan 70 below the heat exchanger 69 that collects condensation water generated in the heat exchanger 69. An electrical equipment box 71 is also disposed within the air conditioner housing 61. The electrical equipment box 71 houses a control board 71a that controls the operation of the air conditioner 60. Note that while FIG. 16 shows an example in which the air conditioner 60 is a ceiling-suspended indoor unit, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be a wall-mounted indoor unit.

[0153] The air conditioner 60 is equipped with a sterilization / virus inactivation device 1. Specifically, components of the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1, such as a microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81, a microorganism adhesion portion identifying unit 83, and a sensing unit 30, are disposed on a decorative panel 63, and the substance generating unit 32 is disposed near an air outlet 65 of the decorative panel 63. The transporting unit 33 includes a centrifugal blower 67, an air deflector 66, and a motor (not shown) that drives the air deflector 66. The centrifugal blower 67 also serves as the air blower 37 of the transporting unit 33. The air deflector 66 functions as the grill 4a of the transporting unit 33. The display unit 36 ​​is disposed on the outer surface of the decorative panel 63. The microorganism adhesion period receiving unit 81 is installed on the outer surface of an electrical equipment box 71. The functions of the control device 40 are mounted on a control board 71a within the electrical equipment box 71.

[0154] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating the sterilization and inactivation operation by an air conditioner 60 equipped with the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0155] As shown in Figure 18, the air conditioner 60 is installed in a position where it can transport airflow toward the fixtures 91. In practice, the air conditioner 60 is often installed in a room before the fixtures 91, so the fixtures 91 are installed in a position where the airflow from the air conditioner 60 can reach them. Alternatively, the air conditioner 60 may be installed during installation according to the installation layout of the fixtures 91 in the target space S. In either case, the air conditioner 60 is installed so that the microorganism adhesion portion M, to which microorganisms adhere, is located within the blowing range of the airflow from the air conditioner 60.

[0156] In the air conditioner 60, when the centrifugal blower 67 is rotated by the motor 68, air is sucked into the air conditioner housing 61 through the intake grill 64, passes through the centrifugal blower 67 and the heat exchanger 69, and is blown out from the outlet 65. The airflow blown out from the outlet 65 is an airflow whose temperature has been adjusted by the heat exchanger 69 and contains the specific substance generated in the substance generating section 32. This airflow is blown out from the outlet 65, and the blowing direction is controlled by the air direction vane 66.

[0157] 18 shows a state in which airflow is being transported from the outlet 65 to the microorganism attachment area M. More specifically, it shows a state in which airflow is being transported from the outlet 65 to the microorganism attachment area M in order from the high-brightness portion to the low-brightness portion. After the airflow has been transported from the outlet 65 to the high-brightness portion of the microorganism attachment area M, the airflow is transported from the outlet 65 sequentially toward the remaining microorganism attachment areas M. The air conditioner 60 controls the airflow blowing direction using the air direction vane 66, so that a highly linear and directional airflow can be transported toward the microorganism attachment area M of the person 50 in the air-conditioned space.

[0158] Fig. 19 is a control flowchart for an air conditioner 60 equipped with a sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4. The control performed by the air conditioner 60 is similar to the control performed by the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences between the flowchart in Fig. 19 and the flowchart in Fig. 13 according to embodiment 2.

[0159] The control device 40 is activated when a remote switch (not shown) installed in the target space S is operated to turn on the power to the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1. When the control device 40 is activated, in step S301, it starts normal operation and activates the microbial adhesion portion identifying operation and the sensing unit 30, and then proceeds to step S102. Normal operation is an operation set from a remote control (not shown), such as heating operation or cooling operation. The operation from this point on is the same as in FIG. 13 . In other words, the control by the air conditioner 60 differs from the flowchart in FIG. 13 only in that normal operation is started when the power is turned on, and the other processing is the same as in the flowchart in FIG. 13 .

[0160] The air conditioner 60 of embodiment 4 achieves the same effects as those of embodiments 1 and 2, as well as the following effect. The air conditioner 60 is configured by modifying an existing air conditioner that is originally installed in the space to be air-conditioned, such as an office, and appropriately incorporating the components that make up the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1. Therefore, the air conditioner 60 can efficiently sterilize or inactivate viruses in the space to be air-conditioned, without changing the appearance of the space to be air-conditioned. When modifying an existing air conditioner, installing assist louvers to increase the directionality and linearity of the airflow can improve the sterilization and inactivation effects.

[0161] Furthermore, an existing air conditioner that is originally installed in a space to be air-conditioned, such as an office, may be replaced with an air conditioner 60 equipped with the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1. In this case, as in the case of modifying an existing air conditioner, sterilization or virus inactivation within the target space S can be efficiently performed without changing the appearance of the target space S.

[0162] It should be noted that Embodiments 1 to 4 can be combined as appropriate. For example, in the above description, the air conditioner 60 equipped with the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 of Embodiment 2 has been described as an example, but the air conditioner 60 may be configured such that the sensing unit 30 is omitted and the sterilization and virus inactivation apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 is equipped, for example.

[0163] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above-described embodiment within the scope of the present disclosure. While an office has been given as an example of the target space S in which the sterilization and virus inactivation device 1 is installed, it may also be, for example, an ordinary house, a storage room, or a bathroom. Furthermore, the target space S may also be the interior of a refrigerator, a freezer, or the like.

[0164] The air conditioner 60 according to the fourth embodiment described above is equipped with the sterilization / virus inactivation device 1 and the heat exchanger 69, and therefore is able to pass through the heat exchanger 69 to regulate the temperature and transport an airflow containing a specific substance to the microorganism attachment portion M. This allows for efficient sterilization or virus inactivation within the air-conditioned space without changing the appearance of the space.

[0165] It should be noted that various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0166] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Disinfection / Virus Inactivation Device, 1a Housing, 2 First Case, 3 Second Case, 4 Grill Body, 4a Grill, 5 Air Outlet, 6 Fin, 6a Inner End, 6b Outer End, 7 Base, 21 Cylindrical Part, 23 Upper Surface, 23a Air Inlet, 24 Ventilation Channel, 25 Connector, 25a Hook Part, 26 Locking Part, 27 Air Path Forming Member, 30 Sensing Unit, 30a Transmitting Unit, 30b Receiving Unit, 31 Trajectory Detection Unit, 31a Trajectory Photography Unit, 31b Trajectory Image Processing Unit, 32 Substance Generating Unit, 33 Transporting Unit, 34 Substance Measuring Unit, 35 Main Board, 36 Display Unit, 37 Air Blower, 39 Drive Unit, 40 Control Unit, 50 Person, 60 Air Conditioner, 61 Air Conditioner Housing, 62 Air Conditioner Main Body, 63 Decorative panel, 64 Intake grill, 65 Outlet, 66 Air deflector, 66a Up and down air deflector, 66b Left and right air deflector, 67 Centrifugal blower, 68 Motor, 69 Heat exchanger, 70 Drain pan, 71 Electrical equipment box, 71a Control board, 81 Microbial adhesion period receiving unit, 82 Microbial adhesion period input unit, 83 Microbial adhesion portion identifying unit, 90 Door, 91 Fixture, 311 Trajectory calculation control unit, 312 First trajectory memory unit, 313 Second trajectory memory unit, 831 Light emitting unit, 832 Light receiving unit, 832a Photography unit, 832b Spectroscopic unit, 833 Image processing unit, 833a Calculation control unit, 833b First memory unit, 833c Second memory unit.

Claims

1. A sterilization and virus inactivation device for sterilizing or inactivating a target space, comprising: a microorganism-attached portion identifying unit that identifies microorganism-attached portions, which are locations within a target space where people enter and exit, where microorganisms are attached; a substance generating unit that generates a specific substance that performs sterilization or inactivation processing on the microorganisms; and a transport unit that generates an air flow within the target space and transports the specific substance toward the target microorganisms.

2. The sterilization and virus inactivation device according to claim 1, wherein the microbial adhesion portion identification unit identifies the microbial adhesion portion based on the results of differential analysis between the location where the microorganism was detected at the start of the microbial adhesion period during which the microorganism adhered and the location where the microorganism was detected at the end of the microbial adhesion period.

3. A sterilization and virus inactivation device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the microorganism attachment portion identification unit detects fluorescence emitted by substances that constitute the microorganisms.

4. The sterilization and virus inactivation device according to claim 3, wherein the microorganism attachment portion identification unit comprises a light emitting unit that irradiates light with a wavelength of 250 nm to 450 nm, and a light receiving unit that receives fluorescence generated from the light, and detects the luminescence of the microorganisms.

5. A sterilization and virus inactivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the microorganism attachment portion identification unit detects the luminescence of the microorganisms after the lights in the target space are turned off.

6. A sterilization and virus inactivation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a sensing unit that acquires information regarding the presence or absence of people in the target space, and the microorganism attachment part identification unit identifies the microorganism attachment part based on the results of differential analysis of the locations where the microorganisms were detected before and after the person was present, as acquired by the sensing unit.

7. An air conditioner comprising: a sterilization and virus inactivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air in the target space and a refrigerant flowing therethrough; wherein an air flow that has been temperature-controlled by passing through the heat exchanger and that contains the specific substance is transported to the microorganism adhesion section by the transport section.

8. A sterilization and virus inactivation method for performing sterilization or inactivation treatment within a target space, comprising: a microbial attachment portion identification step for identifying microbial attachment portions that have been touched by people or have been dispersed by droplets within a target space where people enter and exit; and a sterilization and inactivation step for transporting a specific substance generated in a substance generation unit that generates a specific substance to the microbial attachment portion by a transport unit that generates an air flow.

9. A sterilization and virus inactivation method as described in claim 8, wherein the microbial attachment portion identification process is initiated when a person is detected entering the target space and is terminated when the person is detected leaving the space, and the sterilization and inactivation process is initiated when the person is detected leaving the space.

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