CA2913384A1 - Infection control vent hood - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides for an improved method of containing air-born contaminants emanating from an infected patient. The infection Control Vent Hood is a mechanical device that is placed in close proximity to an infected patient with the intended purpose of collecting the "sneezing - coughing"
and other contaminated air-streams complete with diseased body fluid particles emitted from a patient. Typically; the application would involve placing the air collection device (vent hood) over, that is: in close proximity to, the infected person, who would be lying prone, perhaps incapacitated, in a hospital bed. The infection control vent hood captures these emanations and directs them to sterilization equipment or to discharge in a safe zone.

Technical Development and claimed Improvement in the Art of Infection Control:

Typically, hospital rooms containing infected patients use a centralized HVAC
air control system. Air is conditioned by heating, cooling, humidifying and filtering by commercial air-conditioning equipment and then directed to the patient area. To allow for air in-migration, allowance must also be made for air extraction. This leaving air may be directed to "HVAC
return-air-systems" for filtering and re-use. Typical practice is to salvage the heated air, filter it, and then re-use this air along with 10 to 20% of outside fresh air and send that mixture back to the hospital room where the process is repeated.
Investigation has shown that a single sneeze has the potential to infect an entire room with viruses, bacteria and other biological material. Research has also shown that the heavier water droplets from a sneeze may fall to the floor where they evaporate. Infected material contained within those droplets can later be disturbed by people walking by and re-introduce these particles into air flows within the room where it is captured by the HVAC
systems and re-circulated.
The purpose of this mechanical device is to protect medical personnel such as doctors and nurses and also other non-infected persons in close proximity to the infected patient by removing, as much as possible, those contaminated emissions.
The Infection Control Vent Hood is not intended to replace the HVAC system in a room, rather its purpose is to capture sneezes and other air born emissions from the patient and vent only those air-streams to safe disposal.

Description

Abstract of the Disclosure The invention provides for an improved method of containing air-born contaminants emanating from an infected patient. The infection Control Vent Hood is a mechanical device that is placed in close proximity to an infected patient with the intended purpose of collecting the "sneezing ¨
coughing" and other contaminated air-streams complete with diseased body fluid particles emitted from a patient. Typically; the application would involve placing the air collection device (vent hood) over, that is: in close proximity to, the infected person, who would be lying prone, perhaps incapacitated, in a hospital bed. The infection control vent hood captures these emanations and directs them to sterilization equipment or to discharge in a safe zone.
Technical Development and claimed Improvement in the Art of Infection Control:

Typically, hospital rooms containing infected patients use a centralized HVAC
air control system. Air is conditioned by heating, cooling, humidifying and filtering by commercial air-conditioning equipment and then directed to the patient area. To allow for air in-migration, allowance must also be made for air extraction. This leaving air may be directed to "HVAC
return-air-systems" for filtering and re-use. Typical practice is to salvage the heated air, filter it, and then re-use this air along with 10 to 20% of outside fresh air and send that mixture back to the hospital room where the process is repeated.
Investigation has shown that a single sneeze has the potential to infect an entire room with viruses, bacteria and other biological material. Research has also shown that the heavier water droplets from a sneeze may fall to the floor where they evaporate. Infected material contained within those droplets can later be disturbed by people walking by and re-introduce these particles into air flows within the room where it is captured by the HVAC
systems and re-circulated. The purpose of this mechanical device is to protect medical personnel such as doctors and nurses and also other non-infected persons in close proximity to the infected patient by removing, as much as possible, those contaminated emissions.
The Infection Control Vent Hood is not intended to replace the HVAC system in a room, rather its purpose is to capture sneezes and other air born emissions from the patient and vent only those air-streams to safe disposal.

Drawings and Detailed Description of the Invention Figure # 1:
The device could be shaped like a large spoon or shallow box called the "Infection Control Vent-Hood" (ICVH). The ICVH is placed in close proximity to the patient. The mechanical purpose of the ICVH is to act as an air-chamber. The air-chamber captures the contaminated air and contains it upon extraction by the suction fan associated with this device.
The Infection Control Vent-Hood has built within it the ability to direct the air flow to extraction ducting.
Figure #2:
Located about the periphery of the interior surface of the Infection Control Vent Hood are venting mechanisms whose purpose is to direct the infected air flows to attached air extraction ducts. Removed air is replaced by room air flowing over the containment edges of the ICVH, diluting the contaminated air and aiding in moving the particulate matter to the extraction point.
Figure #3:
Figure # 3 shows the ducting detail directing the infected air to extraction fans. The contaminated air would be directed to sterilization equipment which is not part of this patent claim or to a safe air discharge location such as outdoors.

Explanation of patent application device in projected field service: as presented to Health Canada in preparation for Health Canada Regulatory Approval, now in progress:
Copy of email sent to Health Canada explaining product design, copies of which were also sent to various other medical establishments as mentioned above: [with revisions]
Brian Wilson <wisemechanicalservice@outlook.com>
I "colin.fosterhc-sc.qc.ca" <colin.fosterhc-sc.qc.ca>
C "wisemechanicalserviceoutlook.corn"
<wisemechanicalserviceoutlook.com>
LI, 2015-10-21 06:31 PM
Infection Control - Isolation Chamber Hi Colin, below is the email that I spoke of. [with revisions]
For your records, and to provide information for others of your staff should they need it, here is a short summary of what we discussed:
= Our company Wise Mechanical Services (BC) Ltd., is developing a negatively pressurized Infection Control - Isolation Chamber for use in serious infectious outbreaks such as: SARS and Ebola and for chemical, radiation, or other potential health hazards.
= The purpose of the machine (chamber) is to PROTECT HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL.

The machine will control air-born and other emanations from the infected patient and direct these contaminated air-streams to sterilization equipment and subsequently to safe outside discharge. Further; the machine will allow medical staff to perform many of the required health care duties from outside of the chamber via "gloved portal access", thus minimizing risk to medical staff. The machine is large and will also allow medical staff to enter and perform intimate but potentially more dangerous care under controlled conditions. There will be an additional internal "vent hood" that will also provide point specific ventilation to again provide additional protection to the health-care personnel.
= Additionally, to reduce costs; the machine is designed to include a disposable liner. Once the patient leaves the chamber the contaminated liner can be burnt or otherwise safely disposed. Most of the control electronics and mechanical systems are remote to the patient environment and thus will not need sterilization once the patient leaves. There will be sensors for the instrumentation mentioned above and these sensors will be included in the liner. The sensors will either be sterilized and re-used, or disposed along with the liner.
= The machine will come complete with: lighting, pressure control instrumentation, sterilization equipment, electrical wiring suitable for medical equipment power, and various other safety devices to protect patient and staff. The machine is sturdy and rugged in construction but capable of disassembly and storage.

= The expected use environment is within a ward of the hospital that has been designated for emergency contamination purposes. The purpose of this chamber is to provide additional personal protection for those medical personnel working in the "high risk contamination ward".
= The machine will be shipped in a sturdy crate and air sealed until use;
it is expected that the unit will be kept in "stores" pending use and replacement liners will be available as needed.
Thank you Colin for the opportunity to speak with you concerning this project;
I am trying to keep as much of the above as confidential as possible but obviously this is difficult to do.
Sincerely yours, Brian Wilson Wise Mechanical Services (BC) Ltd.
Cell: (604)220-3257 Due Diligence and Investigation:
The applicant has contacted various hospitals, Health Canada and even Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory (CNML) and, to our knowledge, no one within these establishments has heard of such an advanced approach to infection control. When speaking with the CNML
we mentioned that we considered our device "to be the best in the world" and, being challenged by them on this boast, we obtained names of world-class infection control equipment manufacturers from CNML and investigated their web sites and found nothing like our product. These manufacturers could easily make a product like ours as they are very well funded, but, it seems, they have not thought of it.
We have searched Canada's, the United States of America's and the United Kingdom's patent registry believing that their health care systems are the most affluent and would use such a product; and again, found nothing like our product. We have also searched the world-wide-web using the Google Image search engine, and again have found nothing similar to our product. We have also been in touch with one of the world's best infection control chamber manufacturers and received literature from them and they too have nothing like this product.

Claims

Claims The patent investigator will note that this device is similar in concept to vent hoods used in chemical laboratories, pharmaceutical departments or even to the home stove vent hood. The mechanical properties are similar as indeed, air is collected in each of the examples cited and then directed via ducting procedures for eventual removal. The patent petitioner however claims a unique approach to the use of air removal in the Infection Control Vent Hood as follows:
.cndot. In this invention the patent investigator will observe that the venting device is brought or moved to close proximity to the infected patient. Often, as in cases involving dangerous infection control such as Ebola infection, the afflicted person will also be located within an isolation chamber and in which case this Infection Control Vent Hood will provide even more security to the medical staff by providing "point-specific" air capture and venting.
.cndot. Variants of this venting device could be developed for use with infected persons who are not yet debilitated to the point of lying in a prone position. One could envision ¨
with much imagination ¨ a sitting room in a family practice doctors' office designed in such a manner that air flows from those awaiting examination by the doctor are captured and eliminated as explained above. The venting idea could be cleverly designed into the "seating area" complete with reading lights etc.
.cndot. Devices of this nature could also be used in veterinary practice.
Today, with the failure of antibiotics, infected animals are becoming dangerous and problematic to treat. A
device such as this ICVH could provide some degree of safety to those treating such animals.
.cndot. The device could be used in agriculture infection control. One could envision plant particles such as air-born seeds or spores or insects attached to certain plants that would need capture pending government inspection and control; again a device such as this would best be used in a containment structure but could also be useful for "point-specific" air and sample capture even without a surrounding structure.
.cndot. The device could also be used in poison control. Poisons such as air-distributed poison gases or radioactive materials, clinging to an afflicted person may need air particle capture and confinement.