Patent ID: 8216523

Claim:
A decontamination unit, comprising: a collapsible enclosure equipped with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the collapsible enclosure when erected being suitable for providing a decontamination enclosure for containing articles to be decontaminated, the collapsible enclosure when collapsed being suitable for being transported; a decontaminant air stream generator which comprises a liquid hydrogen peroxide container, a catalyst section containing a catalyst therein, and a decontaminant air stream mixing section, the liquid hydrogen peroxide container including a liquid hydrogen peroxide separation wall which separates the liquid hydrogen peroxide container from the catalyst section, the liquid hydrogen peroxide separation wall comprising one or more passageways for permitting liquid hydrogen peroxide to flow from the liquid hydrogen peroxide container to the catalyst section where the liquid hydrogen peroxide contacts the catalyst within the catalyst section or being made of a frangible material which when broken permits liquid hydrogen peroxide to flow from the liquid hydrogen peroxide container to the catalyst section where the liquid hydrogen peroxide contacts the catalyst within the catalyst section, the generator being adapted for catalytically converting part of the liquid hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen in an exothermic reaction and for vaporizing part of the liquid hydrogen peroxide to form vaporous hydrogen peroxide, the generator including an inlet adapted for permitting air to flow into the decontaminant air stream mixing section in contact with the vaporous hydrogen peroxide and an outlet adapted for permitting a decontaminant air stream comprising the air and vaporous hydrogen peroxide to flow out of the decontaminant air stream mixing section; a blower adapted to be connected to the generator outlet and the collapsible enclosure gas inlet, the blower being suitable for forcing the flow of the decontaminant air stream from the generator into the collapsible enclosure; and an exhaust hose adapted to be attached to the collapsible enclosure gas outlet, the exhaust hose comprising an interior wall impregnated with a catalyst for converting hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, and/or the exhaust hose comprising a biological and/or chemical hazard filter to separate hazardous chemical and/or biological materials from exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust hose.