Patent Description:
Physicians, nurses, aid workers and other clinicians who treat patients with infectious diseases often wear personal protection equipment ("PPE") to limit their exposure to the pathogen. During treatment, exposed surfaces of the PPE will often come into contact with the bodily fluids of patients, and become contaminated with the pathogen. Pathogens on the PPE can be carried to transitional areas where the clinicians remove their PPE, and remain viable to infect the clinicians and others within the vicinity for extended periods of time, thereby defeating the purpose of wearing the PPE in the first place.

Traditional decontamination efforts have included dousing the PPE in bleach or other disinfectant before the PPE is removed from the clinicians. Although effective, liquid disinfectants such as bleach commonly contain active ingredients such as sodium hypochlorite, which causes irritation of the clinicians' airways and can cause skin burns. Further, in remote regions of the world liquid disinfectants may not be readily available for use, despite their potential side effects. <CIT> discloses a booth for decontaminating personal protective equipment having a bottom wall made of a quartz glass plate with an aluminum reflector. <CIT> is directed to an ultraviolet area sterilizer or disinfector which is incorporated into a building structure where concern exists regarding the presence of pathogenic bacteria on environmental surfaces. Ultraviolet C (UV-C) generators generate UV-C that is directed to architectural partitions of an enclosed area. <CIT> is directed to an environmental enclosure or clean room composed of a structural frame which supports a flexible transparent plastic film which defines a sealed chamber or room. Air is introduced into the chamber through a two-stage filter system and is exhausted through a filter duct. <CIT> is directed to a movable disinfection and sterilization apparatus sterilizing contagious viruses is provided to sterilize people coming in and out using an antiseptic solution and ultraviolet rays. <CIT> is directed to a patient isolation unit including a foldable frame body, a flexible envelope made of a flammable resin sheet which can be attached to the assembled frame body, and an exhauster to discharge or exhaust the air from the envelope. The exhauster includes a UV lamp, an HEPA filter, and a blower. <CIT> is directed to an isolation enclosure for isolating a person to an area about a bed, wherein the bed is adapted to support the person and includes a frame and a mattress overlying the frame.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for rendering PPE pathogen reduced without first requiring removal of the PPE. Such an apparatus and method should limit the spread of a pathogen carried by the PPE to the clinician or another person without exposing the clinician wearing the PPE to harm from a decontamination agent.

According to the invention, claim <NUM> discloses a method of decontaminating personal protective equipment. Such a method includes, while a person wearing the personal protective equipment to be decontaminated is present within a booth having a plurality of internally-reflective surfaces, operating a plurality of UVC light sources arranged to emit UVC light into the booth, wherein the booth includes a rigid frame that supports a shell made from a flexible material to form an enclosure; wherein at least one portion of the shell is provided with a reflective material that reflects UVC light. Operation of the UVC light sources is maintained while the person wearing the personal protective equipment is in the booth to expose surfaces of the personal protection equipment to the UVC light for a predetermined period of time suitable to achieve a desired level of decontamination of the surfaces of the personal protective equipment. The UVC light sources are de-energized after expiration of the predetermined period of time.

According to the invention, claim <NUM> discloses a decontamination apparatus including a booth having a plurality of internally-reflective surfaces that define an interior space having dimensions suitable for receiving a standing person wearing personal protective equipment, wherein the booth includes a rigid frame that supports a shell made from a flexible material to form an enclosure; wherein at least one portion of the shell is provided with a reflective material that reflects UVC light. A plurality of UVC light sources are arranged to emit UVC light into the booth, and a door is selectively closeable to enclose the interior space and interfere with UVC light escaping the interior of the booth into an ambient environment of the booth. A controller is operable to selectively operate the UVC light sources while the person wearing the personal protective equipment is standing within the interior space.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:.

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language used herein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in the drawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase "at least one of", if used herein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of the members, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example, the phrase "at least one of a first widget and a second widget" means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, or the first widget and the second widget. Likewise, "at least one of a first widget, a second widget and a third widget" means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, the first widget and the second widget, the first widget and the third widget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget and the second widget and the third widget.

<FIG> shows an illustrative embodiment of a decontamination booth <NUM> in which personal protection equipment ("PPE") <NUM> (<FIG>) being worn by a clinician <NUM> can be decontaminated, thereby rendering the PPE <NUM> pathogen reduced. Rendering the PPE <NUM> "pathogen reduced" does not necessarily require the surfaces of the PPE to be <NUM>% sterile, free of any and all living organisms that can viably reproduce. Instead, to be considered pathogen reduced, there must be a lower level of living contagions on the decontaminated PPE <NUM> capable of reproducing or otherwise causing an infection after performance of the decontamination process than the level that existed on the PPE <NUM> prior to performance of the decontamination process. For example, the exterior surfaces of the PPE <NUM> can be considered to be pathogen reduced if at least a <NUM> log<NUM> reduction of such contagions on the exposed surfaces remain infectious (i.e., no more than <NUM>/10th of the biologically-active contagions originally on the exposed surfaces of the PPE <NUM> remain active or infectious at a time when the decontamination process is completed). According to yet other embodiments, the surfaces of the PPE <NUM> can be considered pathogen reduced once at least a <NUM> log<NUM> reduction (i.e., <NUM>/<NUM>,000th) of such contagions on the exterior surfaces of the PPE <NUM> is achieved.

According to the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the PPE <NUM> can include any protective garments and/or equipment worn to protect clinicians from pathogens, such as pants, jackets, gloves, overalls, coveralls, hazmat suits, goggles, masks, face shields, helmets, hats, shoes, shoe covers, self-contained breathing apparatuses, etc. Such articles of PPE <NUM> can optionally be airtight, and can optionally be substantially opaque to certain wavelengths of light. For example, the articles of PPE <NUM> can be substantially opaque to ultraviolet C ("UVC") light, which is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM>. To be substantially opaque to this light, the articles <NUM> can block at least <NUM>% of UVC light, and optionally at least <NUM>% of UVC light imparted thereon.

The decontamination booth <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, includes a rigid frame <NUM> that supports a shell <NUM> made from a flexible material to form a cubical enclosure in which the PPE <NUM> worn by the clinician <NUM> is to be exposed to a decontamination agent and rendered pathogen reduced. The frame <NUM> can be formed from a plurality of interlocking segments. For example, each segment can include both a male end and a female end. The segments can be assembled end to end by inserting the male end of one segment into the female end of another segment, optionally by hand and without the assistance of any tools. The segments can optionally be urged together, when assembled, by an elastic band that extends through an interior passage defined by each segment. But regardless of their configuration, the segments can be repeatedly disassembled without damaging the segments to allow for transportation of the decontamination booth <NUM> and assembled to support the shell <NUM> that will define the cubical, or other shaped of enclosure that can be closed to interfere with the escape of UVC light or other decontamination agent.

When relocation of the decontamination booth <NUM> is desired, the segments can be pulled apart and arranged parallel to each other or otherwise broken down into a size that fits into a bag or other portable container to be carried by hand. The decontamination booth can optionally be used in conjunction with a hand-held, battery operated UVC source (not shown) that can be used to emit limited quantities of UVC light for testing the UVC protection offered by the PPE <NUM> worn by the clinician <NUM>. For example, the hand-held, battery operated UVC source can be activated adjacent to a portion of the PPE <NUM> pulled away from the clinician <NUM> wearing it. A hand-held UVC meter can also be positioned adjacent to the portion of the PPE <NUM>, but separated from the hand-held, battery operated UVC source by the portion of the PPE <NUM> to give the clinician <NUM> a sense of the UVC blocking ability offered by the PPE <NUM> prior to the performance of a decontamination process within the decontamination booth <NUM> while wearing the PPE <NUM>.

For the sake of brevity and clarity, the decontamination agent will be described herein below as UVC light. One or a plurality of UVC light sources <NUM> (e.g., UVC bulbs) that emit UVC light to be directed toward the surface(s) to be rendered pathogen reduced can be supported within the decontamination booth <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a UVC light source <NUM> is supported by the frame <NUM> adjacent to each corner of the decontamination booth <NUM>, and adjacent to the ceiling <NUM> of the decontamination booth <NUM>. The UVC light source(s) <NUM> described herein can be operatively connected to a power plug that is to be inserted into a conventional AC mains electrical socket supplied with electricity by a public utility, for example. According to alternate embodiments, electric energy can be supplied by a rechargeable battery bank <NUM> (<FIG>) operatively connected to the UVC light source(s) <NUM>. Regardless of the power supply, embodiments of the decontamination booth <NUM> can include at least two, and optionally three or four UVC bulbs that can each optionally be independently controlled relative to the others. For example, each UVC source <NUM> can exhibit a minimum fluence of approximately 1mW/s/cm<NUM>, or <NUM> mJ per five minute cycle measured at <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> inches) from the respective source <NUM>.

Embodiments of the UVC light sources <NUM> include UVC bulbs 20A and 20B that can be connected in series in an end-to-end arrangement as illustrated in <FIG>. Each bulb 20A, 20B can optionally share a common configuration with the other bulb 20A, 20B. So configured, the bulbs 20A, 20B includes a cylindrical glass tube region <NUM> with a male electrical connector <NUM> provided to a first end and a female electrical socket <NUM> arranged at an opposite end along a longitudinal axis of the bulbs 20A, 20B. The male electrical connector <NUM> provided to the end of the bulb 20B not shown in <FIG> can be plugged into base with a compatible female electrical socket <NUM>. The base can optionally include a controller <NUM> described below, or at least a switch that allows an operator to turn the bulb 20B on and off. The male electrical connector <NUM> of the other bulb 20A, which can include a metallic contact or other plug feature as shown in <FIG>, can be inserted into the female electrical socket <NUM>, which can include a sleeve lined with a metal substance or other electrical conductor, of the other bulb 20A to establish an electrical connection between the bulbs 20B, 20A. Electric energy conducted between the female electrical socket <NUM> and the male electrical connector <NUM> energizes the bulb 20A. The bulb 20B plugged directly into the base is controlled by the controller <NUM> or other suitable control device and is considered to be the "master" bulb, while the bulb 20A and any other bulb electrically connected to the master bulb 20B are considered "slave" bulbs, as their operation is dependent upon, and limited to the operational state of the master bulb 20B in the present example.

The shell <NUM> can be formed from any suitably-flexible material such as a woven fabric, cross-woven ballistic Nylon, and the like, or a combination including a plurality of different types of flexible material. At least a portion of the material forming the shell <NUM> can optionally be foldable, allowing the shell <NUM> to be broken down and optionally folded into a size that allows for transportation of the shell <NUM>, by hand, in a bag or other suitable container. When deployed, the shell <NUM> includes at least side walls <NUM>, a ceiling <NUM>, a floor <NUM>, and a door flap <NUM>. The interior dimensions of the decontamination booth <NUM> can be any desired value, allowing an adult human, for example, to stand therein without hitting their head on the ceiling. For such embodiments, the floor <NUM> of the decontamination booth <NUM> can measure approximately <NUM> by <NUM>,<NUM>, e.g., <NUM>,<NUM> sqm (<NUM> ft by <NUM> , e.g., approximately <NUM> sq. ), and the side walls <NUM> can be at least approximately <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> ft) aHfr in height, however, the dimensions can vary to accommodate any object that is to be decontaminated within the decontamination booth <NUM>. For example, the interior of the decontamination booth can have a height of at least <NUM>,<NUM> (<NUM> ft) Alternate embodiments of the shell <NUM> can include at least one of: a window <NUM>, and one or more vents <NUM>. If present, the window <NUM> can optionally be formed of an optically transparent sheet of plastic, glass or other suitable material to allow an occupant of the decontamination booth <NUM> to view the environment outside of the decontamination booth <NUM>. Although optically transparent, the plastic, glass or other material forming the window <NUM> can block, or at least interfere with the transmission of UVC light, even while not concealed as described below. For instance, the material can block at least <NUM>% of the UVC light, or at least <NUM>% according to alternate embodiments. The one or more windows <NUM> can also optionally be concealed from outside of the shell <NUM> by a window flap <NUM> that, when closed, further interferes with the emission of UVC light from the source(s) <NUM> within the shell <NUM>. The window flap <NUM> can be formed of the same flexible material that is opaque to UVC light forming the other portions of the shell <NUM> (e.g., the walls <NUM>, ceiling <NUM> and floor <NUM>), and can be secured in place over the window <NUM> through the use of any releasable fastener. For instance, the releasable fastener can include a zipper assembly that extends about a significant portion (e.g., ¾) of the periphery <NUM> of the window <NUM>. An additional window flap <NUM> can also optionally be arranged to cover the interior of the window <NUM>, to be opened and closed by the occupant of the decontamination booth <NUM> utilizing any suitable releasable fastener (e.g., zipper assembly about the periphery <NUM>) that allows the additional window flap <NUM> to be repeatedly opened and closed to selectively grant access to the window <NUM> from the inside.

If present, the one or more vents <NUM> can form an aperture in a vertical wall <NUM> of the shell <NUM> to allow air to enter and/or exit the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM>. The vent(s) <NUM> can include a thermal vent 32a (<FIG>), through which air travels as a result of a temperature gradient between the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM> and the ambient, external environment of the decontamination booth <NUM>. According to alternate embodiments, the vent(s) <NUM> can optionally include one or more forced-air vents 32b (<FIG>), each including an aperture formed in a vertical wall <NUM> of the shell <NUM> in fluid communication with a fan, blower or any suitable air mover <NUM> (<FIG>) that is operable to move air into the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM> through the forced-air vent <NUM>. For example, the air mover <NUM> can move any suitable volume of air (e.g., <NUM> cfm) at a rate that can be exhausted through the one or more thermal vents 32a, for example, so as to protect against undesirable inflation of the decontamination booth <NUM>. Each vent <NUM> can optionally and independently include a segment of material to interfere with the direct transfer of objects through the walls <NUM>, but such segments of material may optionally not hermetically seal the aperture of the respective vent(s) <NUM>.

The door flap <NUM> can also be formed from a segment of the same material from which the walls <NUM>, ceiling <NUM> and floor <NUM> are formed. And like the window flaps <NUM>, <NUM>, the door flap <NUM> can be closed through the use of a releasable fastener such as a zipper assembly that extends at least partially (e.g., about ½ to about ¾ of the circumference) of the door flap <NUM> to allow for ready ingress to and egress from the decontamination booth <NUM>. The door flap <NUM> can optionally be configured to be manipulated from inside the decontamination booth <NUM> and from outside the decontamination booth <NUM>. For example, a zipper mechanism can include a handle segment that can be grasped from inside and/or outside of the decontamination booth <NUM>.

To further interfere with the escape of UVC light from within the decontamination chamber <NUM>, at least one, and optionally each releasable fastener utilized to secure the window flap(s) <NUM>, <NUM> and the door flap <NUM> closed can optionally include a light shield <NUM>. An example of such a light shield <NUM> can include a strip of material that is opaque to UVC light, and extends over at least a portion of the zipper when the cooperating portions of the zipper are mated to maintain the window flap(s) <NUM>, <NUM> and/or the door flap <NUM> closed. According to alternate embodiments, the zippers can include tightly-meshing teeth that, when mated, block substantially all of the UVC light emitted within the decontamination booth <NUM>. Thus, the decontamination booth <NUM> can block at least <NUM>%, and optionally at least <NUM>% of all UVC light emitted therein, preventing the blocked light from reaching the ambient environment of the decontamination booth <NUM>.

The inward-facing surface (e.g., the surface viewable from within the decontamination chamber <NUM> with all flaps closed) of at least one, optionally a plurality of or all portions (e.g., floor, walls, ceiling, flap(s), etc.) of the shell <NUM> can be provided with a reflective material that reflects UVC light. For example, the inward-facing surface(s) can be provided with an aluminized or otherwise metalized material, Mylar (e.g., stretched polyester film, also commonly referred to as biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate or "BoPET", for short) film, or any other suitable reflector of UVC light.

As shown in <FIG>, the decontamination booth <NUM> can optionally include a platform <NUM>, false floor or other support on which the clinician <NUM> wearing the PPE <NUM> can stand to be supported at an elevation vertically above the floor <NUM> during a decontamination process. At least a portion of the platform <NUM> on which the clinician <NUM> stands can be formed from a material that is substantially transparent (e.g., degrades intensity of UVC light no more than <NUM>%, or no more than <NUM>% according to an alternate embodiment, or no more than <NUM>% according to yet another embodiment) to UVC light. Thus, at least a portion of UVC light <NUM> emitted by the source(s) <NUM> and reflected upwardly by the reflective surface of the floor <NUM> can pass through the platform <NUM> to be imparted on the underside of the clinician's footwear <NUM>.

A controller <NUM> can also optionally be supported within the decontamination booth <NUM> to allow the clinician <NUM> to initiate a decontamination process and, optionally, manually terminate a decontamination process already underway. The controller <NUM> can include at least one of a start button <NUM> that can be pressed by the clinician <NUM> while inside the decontamination booth <NUM> to initiate a decontamination process during which the sources <NUM> are energized, a stop button <NUM> that can be pressed by the clinician <NUM> while inside the decontamination booth <NUM> to terminate a decontamination process to de-energize the sources <NUM>; and a timer <NUM> that is operable to time a decontamination process and automatically (e.g., without human intervention) initiate termination of the decontamination process in response to expiration of a predetermined period of time to achieve the desired level of decontamination. For example, the timer <NUM> can be set for any desired length of time that, once expired, causes the sources <NUM> to be automatically de-energized. By default, the duration of the decontamination process as determined by the timer <NUM> can be established at five (<NUM>. ) minutes, but other values can optionally also be utilized. Using the default value, once a decontamination process is initiated, the sources <NUM> will be automatically de-energized in response to expiration of the timer <NUM>. According to alternate embodiments, the duration of the decontamination process to be established by the timer <NUM> can be adjusted, and/or a plurality of pre-programmed durations can be included as default values of the timer <NUM>. For example, the timer <NUM> can optionally be provided with a plurality of buttons, each assigned a different, dedicated duration. Selecting such a button initiates the decontamination process and causes the sources <NUM> to be energized for the duration corresponding to the selected button. The timer <NUM> can optionally be capable of being programmed, in real time by a user and/or pre-programmed by a manufacturer, to conduct decontamination cycles as short as one minute, and as long as twenty four (<NUM> hr.

The controller <NUM> can optionally also be provided with a sensing component that can receive a signal or otherwise sense a breach of the decontamination booth <NUM> while a decontamination process is underway. For example, the controller <NUM> can be provided with a light sensor that can detect certain changes in light (e.g., changes in the level of visible light outside of the UVC range) within the decontamination chamber <NUM>. The controller <NUM>, based on such sensed light gradients, can determine that the door flap <NUM> has been opened and terminate the decontamination process to de-energize the sources <NUM>. Of course, a light sensor is but one of several suitable sensors that can be utilized by the controller <NUM> to determine that the sources <NUM> are to be de-energized. According to an alternate embodiment, the controller can include a motion sensor trained on the door flap <NUM>. If the door flap <NUM> is opened such a motion sensor will sense this condition and transmit a signal to cause the controller <NUM> to de-energize the source(s) <NUM>. According to another illustrative embodiment, a sensor in communication with the zipper provided to the periphery of the door flap <NUM> can sense when the zipper is opened, and again transmit a signal to cause the controller <NUM> to de-energize the source(s) <NUM>. According to another embodiment, the controller <NUM> can be in communication with (e.g., via a wireless communication channel and/or hardwired to) a remotely-located (e.g., located and accessible by an operator outside of the decontamination booth <NUM>) fob <NUM> (<FIG>) or other remote control to receive a manually-entered termination instruction that causes the controller <NUM> to terminate an active decontamination process and de-energize the source(s) <NUM>. The fob <NUM> or other remote control device can be limited to only an "ON" button <NUM> that activates a decontamination process, only an "OFF" button <NUM> that terminates a decontamination process, or a combination thereof.

Although the embodiments described above include the sources <NUM> of UVC light installed on the frame <NUM> as part of the decontamination booth <NUM>, alternate embodiments can include a plurality of sources <NUM> provided to a portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> (<FIG>) that is placed inside the decontamination booth <NUM> along with the clinician <NUM>. An example of such a portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> is described in <CIT>. According to such embodiments, the decontamination booth <NUM> can be as described above, but separate from the sources <NUM> and optionally the controller <NUM>', which can be provided to the portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> itself as shown in <FIG>. The portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> of such embodiments can be independently arranged within the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM>, as desired, and closed therein when the door flap <NUM> is closed. The one or a plurality of sources provided to such a portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM>, each adjacent to an end of an adjustable arm such that the position of each source <NUM> can be adjusted relative to each other, and can be energized and optionally de-energized as described herein to achieve the desired level of decontamination, with the primary difference being that the portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> can be arranged independently of the decontamination booth <NUM>. Further, the position of each of a plurality of UVC light sources <NUM>' provided to the portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM> can be independently adjusted relative to each other. Such adjustments can be achieved through manipulation of joints and/or other portions of adjustable arms <NUM> coupling the UVC light sources <NUM>' to a base <NUM> of the portable UVC decontamination apparatus <NUM>. The adjustable arms <NUM> allow for adjustment of the positions of the UVC light sources <NUM>', even while the UVC light sources <NUM>' are operational (e.g., emitting UVC light).

<FIG> is a flow diagram schematically depicting a method of decontaminating the PPE <NUM> while it is being worn by the clinician <NUM> following possible exposure to a pathogen. As shown in <FIG>, a placard <NUM> can optionally be secured to a wall <NUM> within the decontamination booth <NUM> and display to a person therein instructions on how to properly decontaminate PPE being worn by that person. The placard <NUM> can optionally guide the person in performing the following method. At step S100, the clinician <NUM> wearing the PPE <NUM> departs a location where a patient with an infectious disease is examined and enters the decontamination booth <NUM> through the open door flap <NUM> before the PPE <NUM> is removed. The clinician <NUM> or other person can then adjust the zipper to close the door flap <NUM> and close the interior window flap <NUM> provided to any open windows from within the decontamination booth <NUM>. The clinician can also optionally stand atop of the platform <NUM>, if present, to promote exposure of the clinician's footwear to reflected UVC light <NUM> during the decontamination process.

At step S110, an instruction can be input to the controller <NUM> to commence the decontamination process and energize the sources <NUM> while the clinician <NUM> wearing the PPE <NUM> is enclosed within the decontamination booth <NUM>. This instruction can originate from any of the sources described herein, such as the start button <NUM> of the controller <NUM>, a remotely-located fob, or any other suitable control device.

Once the decontamination process has begun, the timer <NUM> can monitor how long the sources <NUM> are active at step S120, maintaining operation of the sources <NUM> while the clinician <NUM> remains in the decontamination apparatus for a predetermined period of time that will achieve a desired level of decontamination. The clinician <NUM> can remain in the decontamination booth <NUM> while the sources <NUM> are energized without fearing harmful side effects of UVC exposure because the PPE <NUM> blocks virtually all of the UVC light, thereby preventing the UVC light from reaching the clinician's skin. Accordingly, the PPE <NUM> should offer full body protection, fully insulating the clinician <NUM> from the sources <NUM>.

At step S130, one or more sensors can optionally monitor changes in visible light, motion within the decontamination booth <NUM>, etc. to determine whether the light integrity of the decontamination booth <NUM> has been breached since the decontamination process was initiated. If so, the controller <NUM> can terminate the decontamination process and de-energize the sources <NUM>. If not, however, the decontamination process is allowed to continue through expiration of the period established by the timer <NUM>, at which time the sources <NUM> are de-energized and the clinician can exit the decontamination booth <NUM> at step S140. According to alternate embodiments, monitoring the integrity of the decontamination booth <NUM> to protect against the escape of UVC light to an ambient environment where others who are not protected by the PPE <NUM> could be exposed to escaping UVC light can include monitoring a status of the door flap <NUM> to detect when the door flap <NUM> has been opened. Such monitoring can be performed by sensing a status of a zipper assembly or other closure mechanism to determine when the door flap <NUM> has been opened or otherwise breached during a decontamination cycle. Similar monitoring can be performed to determine if a window (e.g., monitoring a zipper assembly or other closure device) has been breached in a manner that could potentially allow UVC light to escape the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM>. Regardless of the type of monitoring performed, the sensing of any condition that could potentially allow UVC light to escape from the interior of the decontamination booth <NUM> into an unprotected ambient environment (e.g., where other people who are not wearing PPE <NUM> may be present) can result in premature (e.g., prior to successful completion of the decontamination cycle) termination of the decontamination cycle.

Although described above as decontaminating PPE <NUM> worn by a clinician <NUM> for the sake of brevity and clarity, the present disclosure is not so limited. Instead, the decontamination booth <NUM> and methods described herein can also be utilized to decontaminate inanimate objects such as wheelchairs, for example, as well.

Claim 1:
A method of decontaminating personal protective equipment, the method comprising:
while a person wearing the personal protective equipment (<NUM>) to be decontaminated is present within a booth (<NUM>) having a plurality of internally-reflective surfaces, operating a plurality of UVC light sources (<NUM>) arranged to emit UVC light into the booth (<NUM>); wherein the booth (<NUM>) includes a rigid frame (<NUM>) that supports a shell (<NUM>) made from a flexible material to form an enclosure; wherein at least one portion of the inward-facing surface of the shell (<NUM>) is provided with a reflective material that reflects UVC light;
maintaining operation of the UVC light sources (<NUM>) while the person wearing the personal protective equipment (<NUM>) is in the booth (<NUM>) to expose surfaces of the personal protection equipment (<NUM>) to the UVC light for a predetermined period of time suitable to achieve a desired level of decontamination of the surfaces of the personal protective equipment (<NUM>); and
de-energizing the UVC light sources (<NUM>) after expiration of the predetermined period of time.