Bioactive Filter with Noble Metal Coating for Liquid Disinfection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filters for disinfecting liquids, particularly water, face issues with corrosive and toxic chemical substances, complex production processes, delayed antimicrobial effects, and limited efficacy due to the use of silver or other noble metals, which can lead to incomplete decontamination and material damage.
Innovation Solution
A bioactive filter with a spherical or oval hollow body coated with noble metals, specifically silver and ruthenium, designed to maximize surface area and flow, utilizing turbulence and reactive oxygen species to enhance antimicrobial action, and featuring a stainless steel wire mesh structure for efficient disinfection of large volumes with reduced material and production complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical disinfection solutions (alcohols, phenols, formaldehyde, oxidizing agents) are used, then disinfection effect is achieved, but corrosive and toxic damage to devices and surfaces occurs, and treated water becomes inedible and potentially harmful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates harmful chemical substances from the disinfection process, replacing them with a physical filtration method using a bioactive filter containing silver and ruthenium. The filter physically removes pathogens through adsorption and oligodynamic effect without introducing toxic chemicals into the water, thus achieving disinfection while avoiding corrosive and toxic damage to devices and surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable bioactive filter cartridge that can be replaced rather than regenerated. This disposable approach eliminates the need for complex chemical regeneration processes and avoids accumulating toxic residues in the system, providing reliable disinfection without the harmful effects of reusable chemical systems.
2Reliability
If silver is used for disinfection, then antibacterial efficacy is achieved, but direct dissolution of silver in liquid occurs, requiring complex production processes and multiple filter elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material combining silver and ruthenium in a specific ratio (1:9 to 9:1) within a porous support structure. This composite formulation enhances the oligodynamic effect and prevents excessive silver dissolution while maintaining antibacterial efficacy. The dual-metal composition allows for more efficient pathogen removal with fewer filter elements and simplified production compared to pure silver filters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous support structure (ceramic, plastic, or metal foam) that provides a large surface area for the silver-ruthenium coating while maintaining controlled silver release. The porous structure enables efficient contact between the bioactive agents and pathogens, achieving effective disinfection with a single filter element rather than multiple stacked filters.
3Reliability
If classic silver technology is used, then antimicrobial action is achieved, but onset of effect is substantially delayed and depends on release and stabilization of free silver ions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the silver compound by combining it with ruthenium in a composite structure. This modification alters the release kinetics and stability of silver ions, enabling faster onset of antimicrobial action. The ruthenium component stabilizes the silver ions and enhances their bioavailability, reducing the time required for effective disinfection compared to classic silver technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ruthenium as an intermediary substance that facilitates the release and stabilization of silver ions. The ruthenium acts as a carrier and mediator, controlling the gradual release of silver ions while preventing their premature deactivation. This intermediary mechanism accelerates the onset of antimicrobial effect by ensuring immediate availability of active silver ions upon contact with pathogens.
4Reliability
If silver ions are used for disinfection, then antibacterial action is achieved, but silver ions are deactivated by sulfur compounds or complexing agents, and spectrum of activity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material combining silver and ruthenium where ruthenium provides protection against deactivation by sulfur compounds and complexing agents. The ruthenium component forms stable complexes that prevent silver ion deactivation, extending the filter's effectiveness in various water conditions. Additionally, the dual-metal composition broadens the spectrum of antimicrobial activity to include bacteria, viruses, and fungi, overcoming the limited spectrum of classic silver technology.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The filter achieves effective disinfection of a larger volume of liquid with reduced material usage and production effort, minimizing chemical risks and improving antimicrobial efficiency by leveraging turbulence and reactive species, while preventing particle deposition and enhancing microbial contact with bioactive agents.
Implementation Method 1
Silver ions destroy the cellular transport mechanism and the proteolytic activity of bacterial cells by bonding to enzymes and structural proteins of the bacterial cell wall and cell membrane
Implementation Method 2
Silver ions prevent the DNA replication of bacteria by bonding to the DNA
Implementation Method 3
Silver ions block the respiratory chain of bacteria at the cytochromes and interfere with metabolic processes
Implementation Method 4
The spherical shape, in particular, provides a large surface area, which advantageously protects the inner surface and also enables good flow. This shape advantageously also causes oxygen molecules to be picked up as the filter is thrown into the water, enabling the sphere or the filter to float on the water for a time
Implementation Method 5
during use, turbulence is formed within the liquid by the wire mesh and/or the ring, which increases the contact between the bioactive coating of the filter and the molecules of the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a bioactive filter for the disinfection of liquids, in particular water or aqueous solutions in containers. A structure that is advantageous in terms of filter efficiency is obtained by forming a spherical or oval filter body (1), which is coated with noble metals (FIG. 1).