Human Milk Pasteurization via UV Vortical Flow

The patent replaces the thermal pasteurization system with a UV irradiation system. Instead of using heat (thermal energy) to inactivate contaminants, the invention uses ultraviolet light (electromagnetic radiation) to achieve the same microbial inactivation effect while avoiding thermal damage to bioactive components. This substitution of the physical mechanism resolves the contradiction between effective pathogen reduction and preservation of heat-sensitive nutrients.

The patent changes the parameter of energy type from thermal energy to electromagnetic energy (UV radiation). By using UV light at specific wavelengths (200-280 nm, particularly 254 nm) instead of heat, the process achieves microbial inactivation through a different physical parameter that does not cause thermal degradation of bioactive components, thus resolving the contradiction between contaminant reduction and nutrient preservation.

The patent segments the UV irradiation process by using multiple UV lamps positioned at different locations around the container, ensuring that light reaches the milk from multiple directions. This segmentation of the illumination source compensates for the high absorption coefficient of milk by providing cumulative UV exposure from various angles, thereby achieving effective microbial inactivation despite the opaque nature of the liquid.

The patent transitions from single-directional UV irradiation to multi-directional irradiation by positioning UV lamps around the container. This adds spatial dimensions to the light exposure, allowing UV photons to reach contaminants throughout the milk volume by traveling through different paths, thereby overcoming the limitation of light penetration in opaque liquids.