Patent ID: 7833421

Claim:
A method of destroying microorganisms, said method comprising the following steps: using a device for treating a medium flowing through the device with a hydrodynamic cavitation field or a super cavitation field for destroying microorganisms contained in the medium, wherein said device includes a housing ( 2 ); at least one intake opening ( 3 a,b ); one exhaust opening ( 4 ) for exhausting; a flow through chamber ( 5 ) between the intake opening ( 3 a,b ) and the exhaust opening ( 4 ) with a plurality of obstacle bodies having edges ( 7 ), located in the flow through chamber ( 5 ), having planes perpendicular to a general main flow direction ( 10 ); and a flow-through gap ( 6 ) between the edges of the obstacle bodies ( 7 ) and the surrounding housing ( 2 ), wherein the obstacle bodies ( 7 ) have sharp separation edges ( 8 ), and wherein surfaces of said flow-through gap ( 6 ), measured perpendicular to the main flow direction, decrease in the general main flow direction ( 10 ), in main flow direction ( 11 ), after said at least one intake opening ( 3 a,b ) initially a cone-shaped cross-section contraction ( 13 ) is provided and subsequently a cone-shaped cross section expansion ( 14 ) is provided in front of a first obstacle body ( 7 a ), said first obstacle body ( 7 a ) provided as an impact plate ( 9 ) and wherein said impact plate ( 9 ) is concave on an impact side facing against said general main flow direction ( 10 ).