US2014328721A1PendingUtilityA1

Methods of maintaining and using a high concentration of dissolved copper on the surface of a useful article

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Assignee: PRATT RICHARDPriority: May 23, 2006Filed: Jul 16, 2014Published: Nov 6, 2014
Est. expiryMay 23, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Richard PrattThomas D. JohnsonTimothy Suh
Y10T428/12993C22C 9/00C22C 9/04A01N 25/08C21D 1/26A61K 31/30A01N 25/34A61L 2/238C22F 1/08B21B 45/00A01N 59/20A01N 2300/00A61P 31/02Y02A50/30
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Claims

Abstract

A method for maintaining and using a high concentration of dissolved copper on a surface of a useful article by providing a copper surface without coatings thereon which increase the wetting angle and which isolate the copper surface and which has a surface roughness between 2 and 50 micro inches Ra, so as to kill microbes thereon.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reducing active microorganisms comprising:
 providing a copper alloy comprising a contact surface which provides copper ions or produces a copper oxide, or both, said contact surface having a roughness of between about 6 and about 14 microinches Ra; and   exposing said contact surface to an active microorganism;   
       wherein the contact surface is not coated with a polymer finish, barrier coating, tarnish inhibitor, oil, grease, or wax; and 
       wherein the contact surface has a lower contact angle, a higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution, and a higher rate of microbial inactivation, as compared to a copper alloy contact surface coated with benzotriazole. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness is about 10 microinches Ra. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the copper alloy is copper. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the copper alloy is copper alloy C110. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is an artificial sweat formulation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution is at least 10 times higher. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution is at least 30 times higher. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contact surface is chemically etched. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is  E. coli.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 60 minutes. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 45 minutes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 30 minutes. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a hospital touch surface or lighting device or control comprising said copper alloy is provided. 
     
     
         14 . A method of reducing active microorganisms comprising:
 providing a copper alloy comprising a contact surface which provides copper ions or produces a copper oxide, or both, said contact surface having a roughness of between about 6 and about 14 microinches Ra; and   exposing said contact surface to an active microorganism;   
       wherein the contact surface is not coated with a polymer finish, barrier coating, tarnish inhibitor, oil, grease, or wax; and 
       wherein the contact surface has a higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution as compared to a copper alloy contact surface coated with benzotriazole. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the surface roughness is about 10 microinches Ra. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the copper alloy is copper. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the copper alloy is copper alloy C110. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the aqueous solution is an artificial sweat formulation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the microorganism is  E. coli.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution is at least 10 times higher. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the higher rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution is at least 30 times higher. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a hospital touch surface or lighting device or control comprising said copper alloy is provided. 
     
     
         23 . A method of reducing active microorganisms comprising:
 providing a copper alloy comprising a contact surface which provides copper ions or produces a copper oxide, or both, said contact surface having a roughness of between about 6 and about 14 microinches Ra; and   exposing said contact surface to an active microorganism;   wherein the contact surface is not coated with a polymer finish, barrier coating, tarnish inhibitor, oil, grease, or wax; and   wherein the contact surface has a higher rate of microbial inactivation as compared to a copper alloy contact surface coated with benzotriazole.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the surface roughness is about 10 microinches Ra. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the copper alloy is copper. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the copper alloy is copper alloy C110. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the microorganism is  E. coli.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 60 minutes. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 45 minutes. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a reduction in  E. coli  by at least 99% within about 30 minutes. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the higher rate of microbial inactivation comprises a 3 log 10  reduction in CFU that is at least about 40% to about 60% faster as compared to the copper alloy contact surface coated with benzotriazole. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein a hospital touch surface or lighting device or control comprising said copper alloy is provided. 
     
     
         33 . A method of reducing active microorganisms comprising:
 providing a touch surface comprising a copper alloy which provides copper ions or produces a copper oxide, or both, said contact surface having a roughness of between about 6 and about 14 microinches Ra; and   exposing said touch surface to an active microorganism;   
       wherein the touch surface is not coated with a polymer finish, barrier coating, tarnish inhibitor, oil, grease, or wax; and 
       wherein the touch surface has a lower contact angle, a rate of copper evolution into aqueous solution that is at least 15 to 25 times higher, and a rate of microbial inactivation comprising a 3 log 10  reduction in CFU that is at least about 40% to about 60% faster, as compared to a copper alloy contact surface coated with benzotriazole. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the touch surface is a hospital touch surface.

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