US 12,326,443 B2
Detecting antimicrobial surfaces
Steven Poteet, Ashland, MA (US); Katherine Urena Pimentel, Winston-Salem, NC (US); Thomas Martz, Winston-Salem, NC (US); Irene Rexwinkle, Mill Creek, WA (US); Vijay V. Pujar, Rancho Santa Fe, CA (US); and David Charles McConnell, Winston-Salem, NC (US)
Assigned to B/E AEROSPACE INC., Winston Salem, NC (US)
Filed by B/E Aerospace, Inc., Winston Salem, NC (US)
Filed on Sep. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/476,169.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/080,974, filed on Sep. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0091107 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 33/532 (2006.01); A01N 55/00 (2006.01); C09D 5/14 (2006.01); G01N 21/63 (2006.01); G01N 33/569 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/532 (2013.01) [A01N 55/00 (2013.01); C09D 5/14 (2013.01); G01N 21/63 (2013.01); G01N 33/56911 (2013.01); G01N 2021/634 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An antimicrobial structure comprising:
a substrate;
an array of spiked molecules of antimicrobial material extending from a surface of the substrate; and
a photochromic material bound to the spiked molecules, wherein the photochromic material is an anionic dye with absorbance near-UV which undergoes isomerization to become visible under near-UV illumination and remain invisible absent the near-UV illumination and wherein the photochromic material includes at least one of spiropyrans, indolino-naphthoxazines, or diarylethenes.