Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Sanuwave receives US patent for use of shock waves in cleaning and grooming of water submerged structures
Sanuwave Health has been granted a US Patent entitled 'Cleaning and Grooming Water Submerged Structures Using Acoustic Pressure Shock Waves'.
The patent includes 24 claims relating to the apparatus and methods that use shock waves for the cleaning and grooming of submerged structures, such as ships, boats, watercrafts or platform structures, to name a few. Shock waves can be generated with laser electrohydraulic, or spark-gap electrohydraulic, or electromagnetic, or piezoelectric systems that are placed on a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
As well as shock wave devices, the system includes inspection modules, lights, cameras and one or more fluid jet nozzles. The cleaning of fouling or grooming of marine biofilms using shock waves is carried out without imparting material stress, paint or coating damage to the underlying surface of the submerged structure.
"This new patent continues to extend the reach of our technology and our patent portfolio beyond regenerative medicine and fits with our long-term strategy to maximise the value of our shock wave technology in non-medical fields," comments Kevin A. Richardson II, chairman of the board of directors of Sanuwave.
Sanuwave's new patent teaches a novel modality to remotely and automatically clean in a safe manner, (without the need to use divers) the submerged structures in a non-contact and non-abrasive way that is potentially non-destructive to paints or coatings, including antifouling or environmental coatings applied to the water vessel or underwater structure, which is an important financial and environmental benefit.
Furthermore, the systems and methods presented into this patent can be applied for ships at dockside or out to sea or on a lake or on a river, without the need to use dry-docks for cleaning, which is not only a large expense but a risk to the structure of the vessel each time it is removed from the water. This fits the needs of low maintenance and environmentally-friendly systems required by the ship industry.
"Cleaning and grooming of the fouling and biofilms formed on water submerged structures represents a new application for shock waves, which answers an important need of the modern society and opens new opportunities for Sanwuave's technology to be applied successfully outside the medical arena," adds Kevin.
"Small-scale testing at Montana State University and out in the field proved that indeed our technology can successfully clean marine biofilms and fouling. We are now ready to begin exploring strategic partnerships to bring this technology to an effective application in practice and successful commercialisation".
8th February 2018