US 12,217,468 B2
Systems and methods for sanitizing surfaces and devices and methods for detecting an antimicrobial coating
Reuben Strydom, Brisbane (AU); Jason Armstrong, Brisbane (AU); David Corporal, Brisbane (AU); Nicola Vaisey, Brisbane (AU); Celeste De Mezieres, Brisbane (AU); and Michael Monteiro, Brisbane (AU)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/690,245.
Prior Publication US 2023/0290102 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. G06V 10/143 (2022.01); A61L 2/10 (2006.01); A61L 2/24 (2006.01); A61L 2/26 (2006.01); G06V 10/141 (2022.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01)
CPC G06V 10/143 (2022.01) [A61L 2/10 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01); A61L 2/26 (2013.01); G06V 10/141 (2022.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for detecting an antimicrobial coating applied to a surface, the antimicrobial coating comprising a polymer, an antimicrobial agent bonded to the polymer, and a fluorophore bonded to at least one of the polymer and the antimicrobial agent, the device comprising:
a portable housing;
a light source that is disposed within the portable housing and that emits a first light having a first wavelength, wherein the coating comprises a fluorophore of the antimicrobial coating re-emits a second light having a second wavelength, which is different than the first wavelength, in response to excitation by the first light;
a light detector that is disposed within the portable housing and that receives the second light re-emitted from the coating; and
a distance measurer that is coupled to the portable housing and that calculates a measured distance between the light source and the surface; and
a processing unit that is disposed within the portable housing and that is operatively coupled to the light detector and the distance measurer, wherein;
the processing unit comprises a data processor and a memory coupled to the data processor;
the memory stores a plurality of reference re-emission intensities, a plurality of reference distances, and a plurality of reference coverage metrics; and
the data processor is adapted to:
detect calculate a detected re-emission intensity of the second light received by the light detector;
correlate the detected re-emission intensity to one of the reference re-emission intensities;
correlate the measured distance to one of the reference distances;
correlate the one of the reference re-emission intensities and the one of the reference distances to one of the reference coverage metrics; and
determine a coverage metric of the coating based on the re-emission intensity of the second light one of the reference coverage metrics.