Chlorine Dioxide Disinfecting Cloth with Single-Dose Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disinfection cloths are ineffective due to the limited stability and slow efficacy of disinfectants like alcohol, and the use of chlorine dioxide-based systems faces challenges with manual activator spray dosage, leading to excess residues and additional cleaning steps, which can reintroduce contamination and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A disinfection cloth impregnated with a component for chlorine dioxide production is activated by a pre-packed, single-dose activating agent in liquid form, ensuring accurate stoichiometric ratios and minimizing excess residues, using chlorite or chlorate salts with suitable co-reactants like acids or hydrogen peroxide, packaged for controlled release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If manual activator spray is used to activate chlorine dioxide on preimpregnated wiping cloths, then the active ingredient is produced directly on use solving storage stability, but the correct dosage cannot be controlled leading to excess activator residues requiring recleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The activating agent is pre-packed in a single-dose container with the disinfection cloth, ensuring the correct amount is available before use. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual dosage control and prevents excess activator application.
Solution Approach 2:
A pre-packed single-dose container serves as an intermediary between the activator and the cloth, controlling the release and application of the activating agent to ensure precise stoichiometric ratios without manual intervention.
2Reliability
If excess activator is used to ensure complete activation, then sufficient chlorine dioxide is produced, but recleaning is required to remove residues which defeats the sterilization purpose
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-packed single-dose system is self-regulating, providing exactly the amount of activator needed for complete activation without excess. The system serves itself by controlling the stoichiometric ratio internally, eliminating the need for recleaning to remove residues.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If recleaning is performed to remove excess activator residues, then surfaces are cleaned, but new contamination can occur and additional time and costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic excess activator is extracted from the system by using pre-packed single-dose containers that provide only the precise amount needed for complete activation. This eliminates residues that would otherwise require recleaning and potential recontamination.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional disinfection cloths with alcohol are used, then broad spectrum disinfection is achieved, but contact time is too long due to vaporization
Solution Approach 1:
The disinfectant mechanism is changed from alcohol-based to chlorine dioxide-based, fundamentally altering the chemical parameters. Chlorine dioxide provides rapid disinfection action without the vaporization issues of alcohol, reducing required contact time while maintaining broad spectrum efficacy.
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
This solution ensures precise activation of chlorine dioxide, reducing the need for recleaning, enhancing disinfection efficacy while maintaining sterility and reducing operational time and costs, with controlled release packaging ensuring reliable and efficient disinfection.
Implementation Method 1
activated by contacting the disinfectant cloth with a clearly defined amount of an activating agent in liquid form that has been pre-packed as a single dose
Implementation Method 2
the activation liquid packed therein flows onto the cloth included in the package and is absorbed thereby
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to highly effective disinfecting or sterilising cloths with chlorine dioxide as the main active ingredient. For this, the chlorine dioxide is only generated shortly before use by bringing a cloth impregnated with a chlorite or chlorate salt in contact with a clearly defined amount of a suitable activation agent that is fluid or dissolved or admixed in a fluid, and prepackaged as a single dose, for the generation of chlorine dioxide. In a preferred embodiment, the impregnated cloth and the activation fluid are packaged in a common packaging unit and the activation occurs by breaking through a barrier separating the cloth or the cloths and the activation fluid. In a further preferred embodiment, the packaging is a moulded part having two packaging spaces separated from one another by removable barriers, which can be converted into a moulded part with only one chamber via simple pressure in one direction. The activation fluid or the disinfecting cloth can contain further substances, such as the pH-value-controlling substances, surfactants, guanidine derivatives, aldehydes, phenoxyethanols, phosphate esters, alcohols, sulfoxides, etc. Preferably, the disinfecting cloth according to the invention is used for disinfecting and/or sterilising medical instruments and/or medical products and/or surfaces.