Abstract:
A personal decontamination apparatus includes an adapter valve attachable to a water source for mixing water with a concentrated decontamination fluid for rapid detoxifying washing of the skin of a user exposed to toxic chemical, biological or nuclear radioactive substances.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation application Ser. No. 10/963,493 filed Oct. 12, 2004 and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. Sec. 120. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to personal devices for rapid decontamination of persons exposed to toxic substances.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) may take the form of chemical, biological, or nuclear agents. Although people in the immediate vicinity of such a release will most likely succumb to the lethal doses inhaled or perhaps blast effects, others more remote to the source of contaminant (perhaps 95% of all those contaminated) will be affected by agents which are substantially diluted by air. This airborne “smog” can be lethal if particles remain on exposed skin for a substantial period through transdermal absorption. However, if the contaminants are washed off the skin quickly with a flood of water, most people will survive. If a strong shower with ample flow is not available, a smaller quantity of water with a decontaminant solution can be just as effective. For many agents, a weak solution of 5% household chlorine (bleach) is an effective decontaminant.  
         [0004]     Among the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,051 of Miskell, which is basically two separate hermetically sealed housings, each containing one reactive component under pressure. They are coupled with a third separate item known as a “coupler” which then pierces each of the housings causing them to mix due to pressure differential between them. A discharge tube is attached to one of the housings. Miskell &#39;051 requires two product housings containing reactive components.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, unlike Miskell &#39;051, a dispenser housing which is not under pressure during long term storage for both safety and ease of transporting, especially by air where very low ambient pressure exists in the cargo hold, so that aerosol leakage during an airplane flight does not occur.  
         [0006]     It is further object of the present invention to provide personal hand-held or portable shower-mounted decontamination devices, or other devices temporarily attachable to sources of water, for rapid topical application of cleansing decontamination wash to the skin of persons exposed to toxic substances.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention includes an adapter valve which can be attached to a fluid source for rapid disinfecting of persons exposed to products of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The adapter can be a canister which mixes fresh water from a shower or other water source, such as a hose spigot, with chemical rescue products for rapid detoxification of the skin, such as a mixture of 5% Clorox and water. The source can also be portable containers, such as a large 50 gallon field water bag used in military applications for portable showers. The items can be in a kit including canisters of materials for detoxifying persons exposed to biological, chemical or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The device can be a self drenching hand-held pressurized pistol with a predetermined amount of water and a treatment solution in a second canister.  
         [0008]     Unlike Miskell &#39;051, the present invention has one housing, which is not under pressure, containing product to be discharged. Within the housing of the present invention is a second container under pressure containing propellant to pressurize the housing upon activation. All dispenser components of the present invention are pre-assembled and self-contained.  
         [0009]     This invention provides an apparatus that can be used with household pressurized water or even in the absence of such a water source to wash the exposed skin with a decontamination solution. The first embodiment is meant to be connected to household pressurized water. It includes a special connector with two female threaded receptacles sized so as to connect either to an outdoor hose spigot or to a standard showerhead connection. The connector has a two-way valve to select the desired receptacle as well as a backflow preventer (to protect the water supply from contamination) and a quick-connect coupling. The coupling mates with a short length of flexible hose with quick-connect mating couplings at both ends. The third major part of this embodiment is a liquid dispenser which is designed to mix a concentrated liquid with pressurized water for dilution and spraying through a nozzle. This can be a venturi type of apparatus or other mixing type similar to those used to mix and dispense liquid fertilizer (such as the MIRACLE GRO® dispenser) but adapted to provide the proper degree of dilution for this application. This dispenser has a quick-connect coupling identical to that on the special connector. To use in an emergency, the liquid container on the dispenser is quickly filled with the concentrated decontamination solution. Preferably, the solution is provided from a date-stamped sealed container with long shelf life such as three years. One end of the hose is plugged into it. The special connector is then screwed into a hose spigot or a shower connector (after the shower head is screwed off), and the selector valve is properly set. The free end of the hose is plugged into the special connector and the water supply is turned on. At a campsite where no running water is available, the special connector can be screwed into a threaded male outlet connected to an elevated water bag or tank used as a portable shower.  
         [0010]     In the absence of any pressurized water source, the second embodiment of this invention includes an aerosol dispenser. The aerosol dispenser has a dated amount of a decontamination substance, such as for example, a water and five (5%) chlorine mixture or other appropriate topical cleansing decontamination substance. The aerosol dispenser has a long shelf life, such as for example, three years, so that it will still be active where needed. The aerosol container may have the cleansing decontamination substance factory installed and sealed, or it may be a refillable aerosol dispenser with two chambers, one for a liter or more of water and a second smaller chamber for the concentrated decontamination solution. The propellant used may be from a canister, or it may be compressed air manually supplied through an efficient ergonomically designed compressor. The compressor may be trigger operable, such as with an asymmetric dual bellows type operated by rapidly squeezing an operating bar incorporated into the handle. This compressor is designed to rapidly pressurize an unpressurized chamber and then raise the internal pressure to a high terminal level. Prior art compressors were a compromise between these two goals. Once pressurized, a dispensing valve is used to discharge pressurized water through a venturi which aspirates decontamination concentrate and mixes it with the water stream before it exits the spray nozzle. When the pressure is somewhat depleted after steadily discharging solution for at least 30 seconds, a few more strokes of the operating bar will restore operating pressure for further spraying.  
         [0011]     The third embodiment is a long-term storage aerosol dispenser using a preferably date stamped, hermetically sealed container of a cleansing decontamination wash substance such as, for example, a premixed user strength decontamination solution and a separate hermetically sealed pressurized propellant cartridge. Normal aerosol dispensers have a design-acceptable leakage rate and lack the propellant energy to dispense a large amount of liquid at a fast rate. This aerosol dispenser uses a fast rate discharge valve/nozzle and a small sealed high-strength cartridge of high energy propellant such as liquified carbon dioxide. A second version of this embodiment uses a larger container (such as 3-5 liters) and a comparably larger propellant tank. Since such a version would be unwieldy to operate like an ordinary aerosol dispenser, it is meant to be placed on the floor and used with a hose-attached dispensing valve/nozzle. The internal technology of this version is identical to that of the smaller version described. A key feature of this embodiment is the bellows section of the hermetically sealed liquid container which is collapsed via a screw top to pierce the container top to permit liquid discharge and then to pierce the pressurized propellant tank upon further turning.  
         [0012]     The fourth embodiment describes a decontamination system that can be used in any venue where shower facilities are available. It can be used with normal domestic or institutional water supplies, or even in a field situation with showers fed by a gravity system using a flexible water bladder as supply. A venturi siphon adapter is introduced between the showerhead supply pipe and the showerhead by screwing it into the supply pipe and tightening with a wrench. This can be done in one or more bathrooms in a home, for example. This adapter is a chrome plated short length extension which does not alter the height of the showerhead appreciably and it blends in with normal bathroom plumbing. It is also compatible with the use of handheld shower wands by introducing the venturi adapter between the supply pipe and the source end of the flexible hose extension. In case of an emergency involving a WMD attack, a factory-filled, date stamped bottle of the proper decontamination fluid (chemical, biological, or radiological type) is simply plugged into the siphon port of the venturi siphon adapter with a “click”. When water starts flowing through the showerhead, decontamination fluid will be drawn from the attached bottle and thoroughly mixed with the water flow. To disconnect the decontamination bottle, a release button on the side of the siphon port is pressed. The siphon port preferably has an automatic sealing quick connect/disconnect fitting which mates with a compatible fitting on top of the cap of the decontamination bottle. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a Side elevation view of the first embodiment of this invention using a liquid dispenser hose-attached to a household supply of pressurized water for dispensing a cleansing decontamination treatment wash for treating victims exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a Side elevational view of a special dual orifice connector used with the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an End view of the connector shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a Perspective view of a second embodiment of this invention, incorporating an aerosol dispenser using manually generated compressed air as the propellant for dispensing a cleansing decontamination treatment wash for treating victims exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a Schematic side view in partial crossection of hydraulic and pneumatic components of the aerosol dispenser of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a Crossectional side view of an asymmetric dual bellows compressor used in the second embodiment of this invention shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a Side view illustration of the operation of the manual compressor of  FIG. 6 , shown with substantial back pressure.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a Perspective view of a third embodiment of this invention for a hand-held hermetically sealed aerosol dispenser for dispensing a cleansing decontamination treatment wash for treating victims exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a Side crossectional view of the hand-held aerosol dispenser of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is a Perspective view of a large version of the hand-held aerosol dispenser of  FIG. 9 , shown using a hose-connected discharge valve/spray nozzle.  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is a Side crossectional detail view of a high pressure propellant tank of the hand-held aerosol dispenser of  FIG. 9 , showing the location of an outlet pressure regulator.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is a Side crossectional detail view of an aerosol housing and cap with enhancement features for the hand-held aerosol dispenser shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  is a Side elevational view of a fourth embodiment for a wall-mounted shower head adapter dispenser, shown with a venturi siphon adapter with an attached decontamination fluid bottle for dispensing a treatment wash for victims exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0027]      FIG. 14  is a Side central crossectional view the venturi siphon adapter for the wall mounted shower head adapter dispenser of  FIG. 13 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 15  is a Side central crossectional detail view of a top portion of the decontamination bottle of the fourth embodiment of this invention shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 16  is a Perspective view of a field treatment hose dispenser for rapid cleansing decontamination treatment washing of a victim exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0030]      FIG. 17  is a Perspective view of a person using a hand held aerosol dispenser dispensing a cleansing decontamination treatment wash for exposure toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0031]      FIG. 18  is a Perspective view of a person using a wall mounted domestic shower adapter with a canister for dispensing a rapid cleansing decontamination treatment wash for exposure to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials.  
         [0032]      FIG. 19  is a Perspective view showing a person using another hand-held dispenser with a canister and hose for dispensing a rapid cleansing decontamination treatment wash for exposure to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0033]      FIG. 1  shows the first embodiment for a dispenser  1  of this invention which is meant to be connected to a supply of household pressurized water. Here hose spigot  10  is connected to special connector  2  which couples to hose  3  which terminates in decontamination spraying dispenser  4 .  
         [0034]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show closer views of special connector  2 . Connector  2  has flattened housing  15  with hose coupling female threaded orifice  19  and smaller female threaded orifice  20  sized to couple with a shower head connector. Housing  15  also has a selector valve operated by knob  16  to couple the distal end to either orifice  19  or  20 . Housing  17  contains a commercially available cartridge type backflow preventer. Quick disconnect coupling  5  with release button  11  completes special connector  2 . The latter can be a straight through HFC 108-35 coupling from Colder Products Company of St. Paul, Minn. The offset placement of threaded orifices  19  and  20 , along with the flattened configuration of special connector  2  permits reliable leak free attachment to hose or shower connectors with just hand applied torque. Elastomeric sealing washers (not shown) are embedded at the bottom of both coupling orifices. Spraying dispenser  4  draws concentrated decontamination fluid from reservoir  8  in the proper ratio to mix with water flowing through spray head  9  whenever discharge lever  7  is actuated. Preferably reservoir  8  is date stamped, with a long shelf life, such as, for example, three years. Quick disconnect coupling  6  is identical to coupling  5 . Hose  3  is terminated in mating couplings such as straight through type HFC 228-35 also from Colder.  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  shows aerosol dispenser  30  which is the second embodiment of this invention used for decontamination in areas not adjacent to pressurized water supply. It includes housing  31 , hollow handle  36 , compressor assembly  38 , cap assembly  32  and locking knob  33 . Attached to handle  36  is a trigger mechanism, such as, for example, pivot  41  for thumb-operated discharge lever  37 . Attached to cap assembly  32  is a fluid output, such as, for example, adjustable gooseneck  34  terminating in nozzle  35 , discharge valve coupling cover  40  and inlet venting check valve  39 .  
         [0036]     The operation is best understood by reference to the schematic drawing of  FIG. 5 . Inside housing  31  are two separate compartments or chambers  57  and  58 . Preferably one compartment is larger than the other compartment. The larger compartment or chamber  58  is filled with water leaving a small air space on top. The smaller compartment  57  is filled with concentrated decontamination fluid, preferably from a date stamped supply container with a long shelf life. Cap assembly  32  has dip tube  45  which leads to discharge valve  48  and venturi restriction  56  along with concentrate dip tube  55 . Compartment  58  is sealed at the top at  47  and by side partition  46 . Compartment  57  is vented to the atmosphere  54  via inlet check valve  39  (vacuum breaker). In this configuration, pressure at venturi  56  must be below atmospheric to draw concentrate from compartment  57 . Alternatively, compartment  57  can be sealed to the atmosphere and check valve  39  is relocated to communicate pressure from chamber  58  to chamber  57  through partition  46  while still isolating the two liquids. A resizing of venturi  56  would be required to properly meter concentrate in the pressurized version of chamber  57 . Manually operated compressor assembly  38  feeds compressed air for discharge of cleansing decontamination fluid. For example, compressor assembly  38  preferably incorporates large bellows  51 , small tapered bellows  52  and coupling bar  50  feeds compressed air into hollow handle  36  which is then discharged into compartment  58  to be used as the aerosol propellant. Discharge valve actuator  49  couples with thumb operated discharge lever  37  when cap assembly  32  is locked atop housing  31 .  
         [0037]     The operation of ergonomically designed manual compressor assembly  38  is illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . This is an asymmetric dual bellows design which is efficient and specially designed to promote rapid pressure build-up of a chamber at low or atmospheric pressure as well as high terminal pressure (exceeding 50 psig). Large bellows  51  with valve block  66  draws in ambient air  67  through an inlet check valve on its expansion stroke and discharges compressed air  68  through an outlet check valve on its compression stroke into the hollow interior of handle  36 . Similarly, smaller tapered bellows  52  with valve block  65  contributes compressed air to the interior of hollow handle  36 . Both bellows operate in parallel and independently, rapidly building up pressure when bar  50  is squeezed repeatedly. At some point, depending on the squeezing force and back pressure communicated through hollow handle  36 , it will be too difficult to squeeze large bellows  51 .  
         [0038]     However, as shown in  FIG. 7 , smaller tapered bellows  52  will still be squeezable and that end only of bar  50  will oscillate  69  pivoting on large bellows  51  which will act as a hinge in this phase of high pressure compression. The transition from parallel operation of both bellows to the single bellows operation is seamless and hardly apparent to the user. The bellows are made of blow molded polyproplyene or similar plastic resin.  
         [0039]     A third embodiment of this invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 8 through 10 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 8  shows a long-term storage special hand-held aerosol dispenser  80  with housing  81 , discharge valve/nozzle  83 , and activating twist cap  82 . A frangible tamper evident tape wrap  96  is used to insure integrity of this emergency decontamination dispenser. As distinguished from ordinary aerosols, this is a zero leakage hermetically sealed dispenser designed for long term shelf life storage, rapid robust discharge, and ease of use. The user simply actuates the dispensing of fluid by twisting activator cap  82  several turns and then proceeds to dispense the pre-mixed proper concentration decontamination fluid by pressing discharge valve  83 .  
         [0041]     The side view crossection of  FIG. 9  shows the preferable operating principle. A robust pressure resistant housing  81  has bellows type convolutions  87  formed in the top section. After all the internal components are mounted and housing  81  is filled with fluid  95 , the top is hermetically sealed as by welding or soldering. A suitable non corroding material such as stainless steel, or alternatively a non-corroding coating (internally and externally) is used for housing  81 . Dip tube  89  is attached to the center of the top of housing  81  with an elastomeric seal  88  at it top end. Support tube  93  is attached to the bottom of housing  81  and a propellant tank support housing with spring supports  92  is attached to its top end. High pressure propellant tank  90  which is hermetically sealed is thereby placed centrally over hollow piercing needle  91  rigidly attached and communicating to the interior of support tube  93 . Piercing hollow needle  86  communicates with discharge valve  83  and is rigidly attached to activator cap  82 . A ring of threads  84  which engage threads  85  on the inside of cap  82  is attached rigidly to the exterior of housing  81 . It can be appreciated that by turning cap  82  thereby screwing it down relative to housing  81 , first, the top of housing  81  is pierced by needle  86 . There is no leakage since the interior of housing  81  is not pressurized at this point. Further turning of cap  82  will, in turn, seal hollow needle to elastomer seal  88  and then collapse the top of housing  81  thereby forcing tank  90  onto hollow needle  91  piercing its end and releasing propellant into tube  93  whereby it escapes into the interior of housing  81  through holes  94  thereby instantly pressurizing housing,  81 . A small 12 gram carbon dioxide tank as commonly used in pellet guns is sufficient to pressurize a one liter (or somewhat larger) aerosol dispenser  80 .  
         [0042]     A larger version  100  of this embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . A larger tank  101  (3 to 5 liters) is necked down at the top and accommodates a pressure release activator, such as, for example, a larger twist activator cap  102 . The interior of the necked down portion is identical to the convoluted construction of  FIG. 9 . A larger propellant tank commensurate with the larger dispensing volume is used. The operation is the same as described in  FIG. 9 . In this version, a quick connect coupling with automatic shutoff  103  is attached to cap  102  in place of valve/nozzle  83  of  FIG. 9 . This can be an HFCD 108-35 from Colder Products. A mating coupling  107  attached to hose  104  will automatically open connector  103  when inserted. Coupling  107  can be a colder HFCD 228-35. Hose  104  attaches discharge valve/nozzle  105  operated via lever  106  at its other end.  
         [0043]     While drawings  8 - 10  depict hermetically sealed hand-held aerosol dispensers useful for decontamination use, certain enhancements can make them more desirable. As shown, they represent a zero leakage design wherein the housing is unpressurized during storage and the propellant is isolated within in a separate high pressure tank; this is a very safe design. The pressure and volume of propellant is designed to be consistent with the volume of decontamination solution to be discharged, the strength of the liquid housing, and the amount of head space above the liquid as filled at the factory, where the dispenser is date stamped to indicate shelf life. The pressure will decrease somewhat as liquid is discharged.  
         [0044]     While  FIGS. 8, 9  and  10  show various preferably twist cap activators, it is known that other button activated, lever activated or other pressure release mechanisms known to those skilled in the art may be employed.  
         [0045]     The preferable enhancements shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  will optimize the amount of decontamination liquid in any given size dispenser and reduce the overall weight, in addition to providing fairly constant discharge pressure from full to empty. This is accomplished by the addition of discharge pressure regulator  116  which is installed within propellant tank  90  upstream of sealing cap  115  which is pierced by hollow needle  91  at activation (see  FIG. 11 ). Pressure regulator  116  reseals tank  90  when the desired discharge pressure inside the liquid housing has been reached. As more liquid is dispensed, more propellant is metered into the housing to maintain pressure.  
         [0046]      FIG. 12  shows the rest of the preferable enhancement features. Since housing  120  now receives a regulated pressure from propellant tank  90 , it can now be fabricated from reduced gage material thereby reducing dispenser weight. Also, the head space at filling can be reduced since the only requirement is the minimum gas space at ambient pressure to permit easy actuation of these aerosol dispensers by collapsing the convoluted top section. As these two changes could represent an explosion hazard in case of regulator  116  failure, a safety device such as a welded rupture disc  123  is added to the top of housing  120  along with a series of vent holes  122  in activation cap  121 . In this way, propellant tank  90  can be smaller and with higher pressure for a given dispenser size thereby using less internal volume (this permits more decontamination liquid to be housed).  
         [0047]      FIG. 13  shows a side view of the fourth embodiment of this invention for use with shower fixtures. A permanently installed fluid direction controller such as venturi siphon adapter  150 , is preferably plumbed between supply pipe  151  and showerhead  152 . A decontamination bottle  162  is shown attached to siphon port  155  with release button  156  on the side. A fastener, such as lock nut  154  with internal o-ring is used to lock and seal venturi adapter  150  in place once it threaded onto pipe  151  and in the proper position with siphon port  155  vertical. Fastener  153 , such as a nut, part of showerhead  152 , is screwed onto the end of venturi adapter  150 . Bottle  162  is factory-filled with biological weapon decontamination fluid in this illustration as indicated by the large “BIO” label and the non-verbal international symbol  160  for this type of contamination emblazoned on its container  159 . Similar bottles would be labeled “CHEM” or “RAD” to indicate chemical or radiological contamination respectively; the appropriate international symbol  160  would also be displayed and bottle  162  is date stamped to indicate shelf life. Bottle cap  157  has vent seal  158  which allows ambient air to enter container  159  thereby preventing vapor lock.  
         [0048]      FIG. 14  is a crossection view of the internals of venturi siphon adapter  150 . The gentle curvature of the internal water channels  170  reduces pressure loss. The diameter reduction at siphon tap  173  is the minimum that will insure effective draw and mixing of decontamination fluid even at reduced flow rates so as to reduce overall pressure reduction at showerhead  152 . The rate at which fluid is drawn from bottle  162  is related to the water flow rate thereby insuring a relatively constant effluent decontamination fluid concentration. Siphon port  155  is shaped to guide the mating member from bottle  162  into coupler  171  with side latch release  174 . Button  156  with internal spring biasing it outward, will transmit a force to latch release  174  when pressed. This will release bottle  162 . Note the simplicity of venturi siphon adapter  150  with no valves or adjustment levers. It will start drawing decontamination fluid as long as a non-empty bottle  162  is attached and water is flowing through showerhead  152 . Showerhead  152  preferably screws onto threads  172 .  
         [0049]     Other fluid direction controls may be employed for mixing water from source pipe  151  with decontamination fluid from bottle  162 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 15  is a side central crossection of the top portion of bottle  162 . Bottle cap  157  is shown threaded onto container  159  with elastomeric seal  180 . Adhesive can be used on these threads as the user need not gain access to the inside of container  159 . Alternatively, cap  157  can be simply adhesively bonded to container  159  without the use of threads. Cap protrusion  187  is threaded on its external surface to receive protective cap  181  with base flange  182 . Cap  181  protects quick connect/disconnect member  182  with sealing o-ring  183 . Member  182  enters coupler  171  which is part of venturi siphon adapter  150  to click-lock together providing a liquid conduit for decontamination fluid and also providing a mechanical means to support the weight of bottle  162  from adapter  150 . Member  182  is adhesively or otherwise attached to protrusion  187  and is coupled to semi-rigid dip tube  184  which reaches to the bottom of container  159 . Member  182  can be part number PMCD 22-01-12 with integral shutoff while coupler  171  can be part number PMCD 10-02-12 also with integral shutoff both from Colder Products Company. Note that flange  182  seals orifice  186  in elastomeric vent seal  158  when it is screwed down; this seals bottle  162  from environmental contamination. The user unscrews cap  181  before coupling bottle  162  with adapter  150 ; this action unseals vent orifice  186  and also breaks frangible tamper evident tape  185 .  
         [0051]      FIGS. 16-19  show various dispensers for rapid dispensing of cleansing decontamination washes, for topical treatment of skin exposed to toxic substances, such as nuclear, biological or chemical substances. Rapid cleansing with a treatment wash reduces the effects of topical exposure to the toxic substances, and/or hazardous materials and prevents grave internal burns or other damage to internal organs.  
         [0052]     In order to achieve the rapid cleansing, the various dispensers shown in  FIGS. 16-19  may be used in different situations.  
         [0053]     For example,  FIG. 16  shows a decontamination treatment wash being rapidly dispensed from dispenser  205 , connected by flexible hose  204  to one or more fluid sources, such as portable fluid bags or canisters  201  containing the appropriate decontamination treatment wash mixture dispensed therefrom.  
         [0054]     However, where mass exposure to toxic substances makes it difficult to get many victims to field treatment facilities, such as that shown in  FIG. 16 , as shown in  FIG. 17 , hermetically sealed hand-held dispensers  80 , having hand-held housing  81 , twist-cap  82  and discharge valve  83 , such as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , may be carried by a person, so that the person can rapidly self-cleanse his or her skin as soon as the person is exposed to toxic substances, such as in a rescue-inaccessible environment. For example, in a mass transit rail vehicle or in an entertainment or sports stadium, it may not be feasible to mobilize and collectively wash hundreds or thousands of persons exposed to toxic substances and/or hazardous materials. In such situations, if carried in a pocket or handbag, a portable hand-held aerosol dispenser, such as aerosol dispenser  80 , may be used. Each person exposed to the toxic substances and/or hazardous materials can activate the hand-held dispenser and rapidly decontaminate the skin by spraying decontamination fluid onto exposed areas of the skin.  
         [0055]     As shown in  FIG. 18 , residential or institutional shower heads  152  can be adapted with connectable adapters  150  to treat victims with mixtures made of water and cleansing decontamination treatment washes substances, such as chlorine, provided in canisters  162 , The water is provided from the conventional shower water source and mixes with the decontamination fluid in adapter  150 .  
         [0056]      FIG. 19  shows a different hand-held dispenser  100  with twist lock cap  102 . flexible hose  104  and spray discharge nozzle  105 . Other configurations for dispensing a controlled pressurized amount of cleansing decontamination treatment wash from a container through an outlet may be employed,  
         [0057]     As a result, rapid treatment of skin exposed to toxic substances can be accomplished quickly and efficiently, in a variety of dispensing devices, such as wall-mounted shower head adapters, hand-held aerosol dispensers or hand-held shower devices.  
         [0058]     In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment.  
         [0059]     However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.  
         [0060]     It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.