A method of treating a room using a robotic, mobile apparatus

• Main Authors: James William Williamson, Filipe Horta, Philip Samuel Johnson, Guy Braverman
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.11.2021
• Subjects: CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; COFFEE MILLS; CONTROLLING; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; FURNITURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

A method of treating an enclosed space, in particular a room in a hospital, is provided, for example by disinfecting same, using a robotic mobile apparatus emitting ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation or hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV). The robotic, mobile apparatus (1) comprises a wheeled carriage (3) on which a treatment device (2) is mounted and a controller (14) is provided that is configured to control operation of the wheels (12) of the carriage (3) and to operate the treatment device (2). A human-machine interface (HMI) (5) is also provided that is in communication with the controller (14) and is operable to start and stop a treatment procedure. A route around the enclosed space is recorded in the computer memory from a start position to an end position. When a treatment procedure is started, the human-machine interface (5) initiates operation of the controller (14), which controls operation of the wheels (12) of the carriage (3) so that the wheeled carriage (3) robotically tracks along the route around the enclosed space (53) and which controls operation of the treatment device (2) during its track along said route. The treatment may comprise disinfection by using a plurality of UV-C emitting lamps (10) mounted on the wheeled carriage.