GB2219505A

GB2219505A - A cooling module for an autoclave

Info

Publication number: GB2219505A
Application number: GB8813976A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Albert Prior
Original assignee: PRIOR CLAVE Ltd
Current assignee: PRIOR CLAVE Ltd
Priority date: 1988-06-13
Filing date: 1988-06-13
Publication date: 1989-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-13
Also published as: GB8813976D0; GB2219505B

Abstract

A cooling module (2) for an autoclave (4) enables rapid cooling of the autoclave following heat sterilization of its contents. The module (2) comprises a fan (6), a body portion (8) for supporting the fan (6), and locating means (10) for locating the autoclave (4) on the cooling module (2). <IMAGE>

Description

A COOLING MODULE FOR AN AUTOCLAVE This invention relates to a cooling module for an autoclave.

Autoclaves have been in use for many years for sterilising equipment such for example as medical instruments and for destroying biological and micro-biological life. The autoclaves use super heated steam so that they operate at high pressures. The autoclaves are also known as steam sterilisers. Once the equipment that has been placed in the autoclaves has been sterilised, it is desirable to remove the sterilised equipment from the autoclaves as soon as possible so that the equipment can be reused at the earliest possible time and, more especially, so that the autoclaves are immediately available for reuse for sterlising further equipment. The autoclaves need to be cooled before the sterlised equipment can be removed.For example, the autoclaves may be operating at temperatures of 1260 centigrade and if glass equipment is being sterilised and it is removed from the autoclaves at much above 800 centigrade, then the glass tends to explode. Also, by way of example, if the equipment being sterlised is made of a metal such for example as copper, then the normal rate of cooling of the autoclaves is very lengthy.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, this invention provides a cooling module for an autoclave, which cooling module comprises a fan, a body portion for supporting the fan, and locating means for locating the autoclave on the cooling module.

The cooling module of the present invention enables an autoclave to be cooled more rapidly than it would normally cool if just left on its own. The enforced cooling enables the autoclave more speedily to be ready for another sterilising operation so that the autoclave can be used more times in a working day than would be the case if the enforced cooling did not occur. Thus the cooling module enables the autoclave to be used more efficiently and with greater productivity. Furthermore, because the cooling module of the present invention is in modular form, it can be manufactured and supplied separately from the autoclave so that existing autoclaves can simply be fitted with the cooling modules and companies initially only being able to afford autoclaves can subsequentely purchase the cooling modules for fitting to the autoclaves.

Usually, the fan will be such that it operates to blow air around the autoclave for the purpose of cooling the autoclave. If desired however the fan could be arranged to suck air around the autoclave for the purpose of cooling the autoclave.

When the fan is such that it blows air around the autoclave, then the body portion is preferably provided with air intake means. The air intake means is preferably an air intake grill.

Usually, the body portion will be of substantially the same shape in plan as the shape in plan of the autoclave.

Thus, for example, the body portion may be square in plan.

With the body portion and the autoclave being of the same shape in plan, it will be apparent that the autoclave is able to fit neatly on the cooling module and the resulting combination may appear to be a single purpose built unit.

The body portion may comprise wheel means for enabling the cooling module easily to be moved. Usually, the wheel means will be wheels or castors.

Advantageously, the locating means are recesses which are for receiving autoclave mounting members.

There may be four recesses for receiving autoclave mounting members in the form of feet or wheel means. The autoclave wheel means may be wheels or castors.

The present invention also extends to the combination of an autoclave and the cooling module.

The autoclave may comprise an autoclave body mounted in a housing. The housing may comprise a panelled frame.

The combination of the autoclave and the cooling module may be such as to include a plurality of insulating members positioned between the autoclave body and the housing such that cooling air from the fan is caused to circulate between the autoclave body and the insulating members, and between the insulating members and the housing.

With a fan that blows air, the air can then be arranged to circulate upwardly from the fan and between the autoclave body and the insulating members, and then downwardly between the insulating members and the housing.

The housing and/or the body portion of the cooling module may be provided with outlet means for allowing the removal of the circulating air.

Preferably, the insulating members are insulating panels. The insulating panels may be made of any desired and suitable material such for example as a foamed plastics material.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a part sectional view through an autoclave mounted on a cooling module; and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing how the autoclave is mounted on the cooling module.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a cooling module 2 for an autoclave 4. The cooling module 2 comprises a fan 6, a body portion 8 for supporting the fan, and locating means in the form of four recesses 10 for locating the autoclave 4 on the cooling module 2.

The fan 6 has a plurality of blades 12 and it rotates about an axis 14 to blow air around the autoclave 4 for the purpose of cooling the autoclave 4. The body portion 8 is provided with air intake means in the form of an air intake grill 16.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the body portion 8 is of substantially the same shape in plan as the shape in plan of the autoclave 4. Thus, more specifically, the body portion 8 and the autoclave 4 are both square in plan and they thus fit together and look as though they are a single purpose built unit.

The body portion 8 is provided with wheel means in the form of castors 18 for enabling the cooling module 2 easily to be moved.

As can be seen most clearly from Figure 2, the recesses 10 are mounted one at each corner of the body portion 8 of the cooling module 2 and they are of a size for receiving autoclave mounting members 20 arranged one at each corner of the autoclave 4. The autoclave mounting members 20 may be feet as shown or they may alternatively be the wheel means such for example as wheels or castors.

As shown in Figure 1, the autoclave 4 comprises an autoclave body 22 mounted in a housing 24. The autoclave body 22 is provided with a lid 26. The housing 24 comprises a frame (not shown) to which is attached a plurality of facing panels 28.

A plurality of insulating members in the form of insulating panels 30 are positioned as shown between the autoclave body 22 and the housing 24 such that cooling air from the ian 6 fs caused to circulate between the autoclave body 22 and the insulating panels 30, and between the insulating panels 30 and the housing 24. The insulating panels 30 are provided on all sides of the autoclave 2 so that the air from the fan is caused to circulate substantially completely around the autoclave body 22 and thus rapidly cool the autoclave 4 at the end of an operation to sterilise equipment inside the autoclave body 22. The passage of the cooling air is shown by the arrows in Figure 1.More specifically, the fan 6 draws air in through the air intake grill 16 and then blows it upwardly between the autoclave body 22 and the insulating panels 30 and then the air circulates downwardly between the insulating panels 30 and the housing 24. The air is then dispelled through outlet means 32 provided adjacent where the autoclave 4 joins the cooling module 2. The outlet means may be provided in the housing 24 and/or in the body portion 8 of the cooling module 2, as may be desired.

The cooling module 2 thus affords the ability to cool the autoclave 4 and its contents more quickly than would be the case if the autoclave 4 and its contents were just left to cool unassisted. The enforced cooling ensures that sterilisedequipment inside the autoclave body 22 can more quickly be removed from the autoclave body 2 than would otherwise be the case so that the autoclave 4 is then more speedily ready for another sterilising operation. Thus the cooling module 2 enables the autoclave 4 to complete more sterilising operations in a day than would otherwise be the case so that the autoclave 4 is able to be used more efficiently to give greater productivity of sterilised equipment.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, another type of fan 6 may be employed, and the insulating panels 30 may be omitted. Further, other types of arrangement for fitting the autoclave 4 on the cooling module 2 may be employed. Releaseable locking means may be employed for releaseably locking the autoclave 4 on the cooling module 2, and the housing 24 of the autoclave 4 may be provided with a control panel for controlling operation of the autoclave 4 and the fan 6 once the apparatus shown in Figure 1 is connected to a source of mains electricity by a lead (not shown).

Claims

1. A cooling module for an autoclave, which cooling module comprises a fan, a body portion for supporting the fan, and locating means for locating the autoclave on the cooling module.

2. A cooling module according to claim 1 in which the fan is such that it operates to blow air around the autoclave for the purpose of cooling the autoclave.

3. A cooling module according to claim 2 in which the body portion is provided with air intake means.

4. A cooling module according to claim 3 in which the air intake means is an air intake grill.

5. A cooling module according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is of substantially the same shape in plan as the shape in plan of the autoclave.

6. A cooling module according to any one of the preceding claims and including wheel means for enabling the cooling module easily to be moved.

7. A cooling module according to claim 6 in which the wheel means are wheels or castors.

8. A cooling module according to any one of the preceding claims in which the locating means are recesses which are for receiving autoclave mounting members.

9. A cooling module according to claim 8 in which there are four recesses for receiving autoclave mounting members in the form of feet or wheel means.

10. A cooling module substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. The combination of an autoclave and a cooling module as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

12. The combination according to claim 11 in which the autoclave comprises an autoclave body mounted in a housing.

13. The combination according to claim 12 and including a plurality of insulating members positioned between the autoclave body and the housing such that cooling air from the fan is caused to circulate between the autoclave body and the insulating members, and between the insulating members and the housing.

14. The combination according to claim 13 in which the housing and/or the body portion of the cooling module are provided with outlet means for allowing the removal of the circulating air.

15. The combination according to claim 13 or claim 14 in which the insulating members are isulating panels.