Abstract:
A cartridge for assembly to the dispensing head of a Bio Cannister M-11 decontamination dispenser for maintaining booster chemicals separated from the liquid decontamination solution until ready for use thus preserving the shelf life of the decontamination system. The cartridge is configured to fit within the canister of the M-11 dispenser when assembled with the dispenser head.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing a fluid substance and more particularly, to improved decontamination apparatus in which the basic decontamination solution and the booster chemicals are maintained separately until the solution is dispensed. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In recent times, especially since Sep. 11, 2001, there has been considerable interest in defense against chemical and biological attack. In this connection, various decontamination protocols and chemicals have been developed for the amelioration or elimination of various chemical and biological agents that are or maybe employed. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a patented broad spectrum formulation for the decontamination of areas that have been subject to chemical or biological agents. Over time, various chemical boosters have been identified for use in conjunction with the basic decontamination formulation. This formulation can be dispensed in a number of forms and by various techniques both for large areas and for small area decontamination. For small areas, a dispenser described as the Bio Canister M-11 decontamination dispenser has been in use in the decontamination of small areas and individuals. The M-11 dispenser is gas operated and comprises a dispensing head and a canister for containing the decontamination solution. Recently decontamination fluids have been improved by the admixture of booster chemicals to improve the performance of the decontamination solution. However, if boosters are to be used with the basic formulation, they must be premixed with the formulation in order to be simultaneously dispensed by the M-11 dispenser. Premixing of the booster chemicals substantially reduces the shelf life of the decontamination solution from about 10 years to 8 hours. Accordingly, premixing of booster chemicals is impractical unless the formulation and boosters are to be dispensed almost immediately. 
   Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide apparatus that permits the simultaneous dispensing of booster chemicals and basic decontamination formula through simple dispensers such as the M-11 decontamination dispenser without the attendant loss of shelf life. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention comprises a hollow cartridge adapted for assembly to a dispenser for maintaining components of a chemical system separated until the system is ready to be dispensed. The cartridge includes a side wall and at least an upper and lower wall defining a compartment, each wall including a port for communication between the compartment and the exterior of the cartridge, pressure activated valves normally sealing the ports, the cartridge being adapted for assembly on the dispensing head and for being received in the canister when the canister is affixed to the dispensing head, the cartridge normally maintaining a component separate from the contents of the canister and releasing the component responsive to gas pressure for simultaneous dispensing with the contents of the canister. 
   In another aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for maintaining the basic decontamination formulation and the booster chemicals separate until such time as the dispenser is needed for decontamination. In this manner, the shelf life of the decontamination system, that is the basic decontamination solution and the booster chemicals, is not deleteriously affected by premixing of the chemicals and decontamination solution. Thus, the decontamination dispenser can be placed in areas ready for use in the event of chemical or biological contamination much as fire extinguishers are provided in various locations in the event of emergency. The need to premix booster chemicals and the basic formulation is eliminated resulting in the ease of use and substantial reduction in the time required to apply the decontamination system. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the booster chemicals are stored in separate areas in a cartridge that is adapted to be received in the canister of the dispenser. The dispenser is operated by puncturing a high pressure nitrogen shell, which releases the nitrogen under pressure into the cartridge to force the booster chemicals from the cartridge into the basic decontamination solution in the canister. The high pressure gas provides a mixing action and also pressurizes the interior of the canister to dispense the now mixed decontamination system. 
   In another aspect of the invention, kits, including a cartridge with booster chemicals, nitrogen shells and a container of basic decontamination fluid, are provided for replenishing exhausted dispensers in the field. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cartridge adapted for the M-11 dispenser in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cartridge of  FIG. 1  as viewed from the opposite side; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation partially in section of the cartridge illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the M-11 dispenser and cartridge of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevation of the M-11 dispenser in the assembled condition with the cartridge shown in phantom in the canister of the dispenser. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , the cartridge of the invention, shown generally as  10 , comprises a hollow cylinder, the interior of which is divided into compartments. In the embodiment shown the cartridge is divided into a first upper compartment  12  and second lower compartment  14 . The compartments  12  and  14  are separated by a wall  16 , and the cartridge  10  is closed at the top by a wall  18  and at the lower end by a wall  20 . Openings  27  in each wall  16 ,  18  and  20  are normally closed by pressure-activated check valves  22  that are forced open by pressure in the cartridge to permit communication between the compartments and the exterior of the cartridge. A groove  24  open at each end extends along the length of one side of the cartridge  10 . A portion  23  of the wall on the side of the cartridge  10  opposite the groove  24  is extended below the bottom wall  20  to define a cavity  25 . 
   As is most clearly shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the M-11 dispenser comprises a dispensing head  30  that includes a pivotally-mounted lever  32 , one end of which acts against a shell  34  containing pressurized nitrogen when the lever is pivoted upwardly. The lower end  36  of the dispensing head  30  is threaded for engagement with corresponding threads (not shown) in the neck of the canister  38  that normally contains a single component decontamination fluid. The lower end  36  includes a pin (not shown) for unsealing the shell  34  when it is forced downwardly by the lever  32 . A passage (not shown) extends through the lower end  36  for fluid communication between the shell  34  and the interior of the canister  38 . A downwardly extending tube  40 , including a filter element  41  on its lower extending end is attached to the dispensing head  30  for fluid communication with a nozzle  42 . 
   In operation, the lever  32  is raised upwardly, causing it to act against the shell  34  forcing the end of the shell against the pin (not shown) to unseal the shell and to release the pressurized nitrogen through the cartridge  10  into the canister  38 . The release of the pressurized nitrogen forces the decontamination fluid upwardly through the tube  40  and out the nozzle  42 . 
   As mentioned, the decontamination fluid contains a single component, and the addition of booster chemicals, that improve the effectiveness of the decontamination fluid and dispensing form of the decontamination system, substantially reduce the shelf life of the decontamination fluid to a matter of hours. The cartridge  10  of the present invention contains two booster chemicals in separate compartments so that they are separated from each other and from the decontamination fluid in the canister  38 . 
   As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , the cartridge  10  is adapted for attachment to the decontamination head  30  and for being received in the canister  38  when so attached. More particularly, the top end of the cartridge  10  is attached to the lower end  36  of the dispensing head  30  with the check valve  22  in the top wall  18  essentially aligned with the nitrogen communication port in the lower end  36  of the dispenser head. The downwardly extending tube  40  is received in the groove  24  of the cartridge  10  and the filter element  41  is received in the cavity  25  defined by the extended portion  23  of the sidewall. As assembled, the cartridge  10  is nested around the tube  40  and the filter element  41 . The assembly is no larger than the opening in the neck of the canister  38  so that the tube  40  and cartridge  10  assembly are received in the canister  38 . 
   As described above, the operation of the dispenser  30  is initiated by raising the lever  32  to effect the opening of the shell  34  to release the pressurized nitrogen into the cartridge  10 . The force of the pressurized nitrogen acts against the check valve  22  in the upper wall  18  to permit the flow of nitrogen directly into the upper compartment  12  of the cartridge  10 . The pressure produced by the nitrogen on the contents of the upper compartment  12  creates sufficient pressure to open the check valve  22  in the wall  16  between the upper compartment and the lower compartment  14  which in turn forces check valve  22  in the bottom wall  20  to open, thereby providing communication through the cartridge  10  to the canister  38 . The contents of both of the compartments  12  and  14  are forced into the canister  38  and are mixed therewith. The nitrogen pressure forces the mixture of decontamination fluid and booster chemicals through the filter element  41  and tube  40  for egress through the dispenser nozzle  42 . 
   The following example is illustrative of the use of the cartridge  10  of the present invention. 
   EXAMPLE 
   An M-11 dispenser as described above was utilized to dispense a decontamination system identified as MDF-200 manufactured and distributed by Modec, Inc. under license from Sandia Laboratories, Inc. This system comprises an aqueous-based decontamination solution and aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide and glycol diacetate as booster chemicals. The canister  38  of the M-11 dispenser was charged with 1000 milliliters of the basic decontamination solution in liquid form. A cartridge  10  of the type described above in connection with  FIGS. 1–3 , was assembled onto the dispensing head  30  of the M-11 dispenser in the manner described above. The upper compartment  12  of the cartridge contained 62.4 milliliters of a 35% aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and the lower compartment contained 50 milliliters of a 50% aqueous solution of glycol diacetate. The dispenser head/cartridge assembly was threaded onto the canister  38  containing the decontamination solution. Upon activation of the lever unseal the shell  34  to release the pressurized nitrogen, the contents of the cartridge  10  were released into the canister  38  to catalyze the decontamination solution. The solution was dispensed indicating effective mixture of the booster chemicals with the basic decontamination solution. 
   In another aspect of the invention, a kit is provided to permit recharging the M-11 decontamination solution dispenser in the field for reuse. The kit comprises one or more nitrogen shells  34 , a cartridge  10  containing the booster chemicals in the upper and lower compartments  12  and  14  respectively, and a container of the basic decontamination fluid. 
   After dispensing the decontamination system, the nitrogen shell  34  and the cartridge  10  are disassembled from the dispensing head  32  and the fresh cartridge is assembled on the dispensing head in the manner described above and a new nitrogen shell  34  is placed in the dispensing head  30 . The basic decontamination fluid is placed in the canister  38  and the dispensing head/cartridge assembly is secured onto the canister. The M-11 dispenser is thus ready for reuse with the basic decontamination fluid and booster chemicals separated for maximum shelf life. 
   From the foregoing it can be seen that the present invention permits the M-11 dispenser to be used with the multi-component decontamination system. The decontamination system can be dispensed by the M-11 as a spray, mist, or fog, depending on the choice of nozzle employed in the dispenser head. The present invention permits a dispenser to be fully charged for immediate use without the loss of shelf life. In addition, the invention provides a kit for recharging an exhausted dispenser in the field. 
   While the invention has been described in connection with various embodiments, it will be understood that it may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.