GB2360817A

GB2360817A - Monitoring device and clip

Info

Publication number: GB2360817A
Application number: GB0007631A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Marsh
Original assignee: AstraZeneca UK Ltd; AstraZeneca AB
Current assignee: AstraZeneca UK Ltd; AstraZeneca AB
Priority date: 2000-03-30
Filing date: 2000-03-30
Publication date: 2001-10-03
Also published as: GB0007631D0

Abstract

An air monitoring device is disclosed comprising a housin<WC 1>g for reception of a detection element and a clip assembly <WC 1>comprising a suspending element having a twisted region part-way along its length for location of the housing, in use, in the proximity of the nose and mouth of a wearer. The clip assembly is provided with a hook so sized and shaped as to be received in a slot provided in the housing. The clip assembly is provided with a spring-clip for suspension of the housing from a head-worn frame. The housing and the clip assembly comprise materials capable of withstanding high temperature sterilisation conditions. The housing is connectable to a portable pump. The air monitoring device is suitable for use under conditions where high standards and sterility are to be maintained - e.g., in the pharmaceutical industry.

Description

2360817 MONITORING DEVICE This invention relates to a monitoring device

for use by personnel in circumstances where monitoring of the air to which such personnel are exposed is to be undertaken.

Air monitoring devices typically comprise a unit which can be secured by a clip to the apparel worn by the user. For instance, the unit may be clipped to the lapel or top breast pocket of a coat, jacket or like garment so that the unit is disposed in reasonable proximity to the nose and mouth of the wearer whereby air sampled by the unit is representative of the air inhaled by the user. Air monitoring in this fashion may be effected passively or actively. In the latter event, the unit may be connected to a portable pump carried by the user for drawing air into the unit.

The present invention in one aspect thereof is concerned with improving the types of personal air monitoring devices currently available in order to facilitate their use under conditions where high standards of sterility are to be maintained - e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an air monitoring device comprising; a housing for reception of a detection element; and a clip assembly for location of the housing, in use, in the proximity of the nose and mouth and nose of a wearer; the housing and the clip assembly comprising materials capable of withstanding high temperature sterilisation conditions.

By high temperature sterilisation conditions, we mean sterilisation of the housing and clip assembly at temperatures in excess of about 1 WC. For example, sterilisation may be carried out in a steam atmosphere in which case, sterilisation is typically effected at a temperature of at least about 1 IOT, e.g. about 121 'C for about 20 minutes. Alternatively, sterilisation may be carried out under dry heat conditions and in this case the sterilisation temperature is usually at least about 15CC, e.g. about 16CC for about 2 hours.

Such sterilisation will typically be carried out in an autoclave. By fabricating the housing and the clip assembly from.suitable temperature resistant materials, the device may be re-used following the sterilisation procedure.

The detection element may for instance be a filter element which, following use of the device, can be removed and analysed for the presence of contaminants and such like.

Typically the housing and the clip assembly are fabricated from metal, e. g. stainless steel, although we do not exclude the possibility of one or other component being fabricated from a suitably temperature resistant non-metallic material, including a suitable temperature resistant plastics material.

The present invention also addresses the problem of locating an air monitoring device in close proximity to the nose and mouth of the user without unduly hampering the user, especially but not necessarily exclusively where the air monitoring device is used in sterile conditions and/or circumstances where convenient locations on the user's clothing are not available, as in the case for example where, when present within a sterile environment, the user is required to wear outerwear in the form of gowning.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an air monitoring device comprising a housing for a detection element and a clip assembly which is fashioned for suspension of the housing from a pair of goggles, spectacles or a like headwom eyeglass or eye protection frame so that the housing is in close proximity to the nose and mouth of the wearer of the headworn frame.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of a pair of goggles, spectacles or a like headworn eyeglass or eye protection frame and an air monitoring device comprising a housing for a detection element and a clip assembly which is fashioned for suspension of the housing from the frame.

Usually the air monitoring device is suspended from the frame at a location where it is at the periphery of, or substantially wholly outside, the field of view available to the wearer through the viewing portion of the frame. If desired, the air monitoring device may be suspended from part of the structure of the viewing portion of the frame.

The frame may be provided with a side portion or portions extending rearwardly of the viewing portion of the frame in use and the clip assembly may be fashioned for suspension of the housing from such side portion(s), usually at a forward location on the side portion so as to be in close proximity to the inhalation region of the wearer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the side portions may comprise side anus which each extend along opposite sides of the wearer's head in use, the side arms usually being shaped for registry behind the wearer's ears in order to maintain the frame in place. Usually the side arms will be substantially rigid and they may be hingedly connected to the viewing portion of the frame so that, for compactness, they can be folded into overlapping relation with the viewing portion when not in use.

Alternatively, the side portion(s) may comprise one or more ties or bands, usually of flexible material, intended to extend around the user's head in use to hold the frame in place. Such tic(s) or band(s) may be of an elastomeric material to facilitate attachment of the frame to the head.

The clip assembly may include a suspension element provided with a formation for attachment to the housing. Such formation may be of hookshaped configuration for instance. The suspension element is preferably of rigid construction.

The housing may be of a design found in conventional lapel and breast pocket-type personal air monitoring devices in wiiich air enters the housing through an entry port and in which the housing includes an attachment plate at the rear of the housing which lies in a plane generally normal to the axis of the entry port so that, in use, the attachment late lies generally flat against the jacket or other garment worn p 1 by the user with the entry port facing forwardly.

Where the housing is of conventional design, the suspension element of the present invention may be configured with a twisted formation between the locations of attachment with the housing and the side arm whereby, in use, the entry opening of the housing is forwardly facing.

The clip assembly and housing of the device according to the second aspect of the invention preferably comprise materials capable of withstanding high temperature sterilisation conditions as aforesaid.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of the invention, showing the air monitoring device in use; and Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the clip assembly of the device shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, an air monitoring device comprises a housing 10 of generally conventional design and a clip assembly 12. The housing and the clip assembly are fabricated from stainless steel or other material capable of being autoclaved under the high temperature conditions necessary to secure sterility. The housing 10 comprises a back plate 14 from which a hollow, generally cylindrical section 16 projects. The cylindrical section at its forward end has an entry opening 18, the central axis of which extends normal to the plane of the paper and hence normal to the back plate 14. A filter-containing element (not shown) is removably fitted into the cylindrical section 16. The interior cavity within the cylindrical section 16 rearwardly of the filter element is connectible to a pump (not shown) by connector 20 and tubing (not shown).

In an air monitoring device which is currently in widespread use, the housing 10 is intended to be attached for instance to a lapel of the user's clothing with the back plate lying flat against the lapel and the cylindrical section projecting forwardly. In the conventional design, the clip assembly comprises a suspension strap of plastics material which, at its lower end, attaches to the back plate via a slot 22 in the latter and, at its upper end, terminates in a clip for attachment to for example the lapel. The conventional clip assembly is unsuitable for autoclaving. Also, it is unsuitable for use in circumstances where, for entry into a sterile environment, the user is required to wear gowning over norTnal day-today wear. Such gowning tends to be of relatively flimsy material which is likely to fold or deform under the weight of the monitoring device or as a result of tension forces acting through the piping connection with the pump, with the consequence that the entry opening to the housing 10 may not be reliably positioned relative to the inhalation region of the user for example, folding of the garment may result in the entry opening facing sideways away from the nose and mouth of the user.

The clip assembly in the illustrated embodiment comprises a rigid suspension strip 24 of autoclavable material which at one end is formed with a hook 26 for attachment to the back plate 14 by engagement of the hook in the slot 22. The opposite end of the strip is provided with a spring clip 28 comprising a fixed jaw 3 0 which is integral with the strip 24 and a movable jaw 32 fulcrumed at 34 and having a lever arm 36 by means of which the user can open the jaws against the biasing action of a spring acting between the lever arm 36 and the underlying section of the strip 24. The strip 24 is formed with a twisted region 38 part-way along its length such that the hook 26 is displaced through 90 relative to the closing and opening direction of the jaws 30, 32.

In use, instead of being attached to the clothing of the user or gowning worn by the user, the device is attached by means of the spring clip 28 to the side arm 40 of headworn protective eyewear 42 worn by the user so that the housing 10 is suspended by the strip 24 in close proximity to the user's nose and mouth and faces forwardly by virtue of the rigidity of the strip 24 and also the twisted region 3 8. The interior of the housing 10 is connected to the pump by tubing (e.g. PVC tubing) which is engaged with the connector 20. The user will normally locate the pump in a pocket of a jacket worn beneath the gowning and the tubing will extend from the housing to the pump through a strategic opening in the gowning so positioned that only a small section of the tubing is located externally of the gowning. Before entry into a sterile area, the tubing may be wiped with a sterilising solution such as isopropyl alcohol as may be the pump. Alternatively the pump and/or the tubing may be fabricated of autoclavable material to allow high temperature sterilisation thereof. The tubing for instance may comprise an autoclavable PTFE material such as TYGON (Trade Mark) or, if desired, the tubing may be disposable after use in which case it need not comprise an autoclavable material.

It will be appreciated that the monitoring device is readily attachable and detachable from the frame 42 and, when so attached, is located in close proximity to the wearer's nose and mouth (and hence the inhalation region of the user) without unduly hampering the wearer. Also, because the housing and clip assembly are fabricated from autoclavable materials such as stainless steel, they may be effectively sterilised after removal of the filter element in.preparation for subsequent usage.

Although as illustrated in the drawings, the air monitoring device is attached to one of the side arms of frame 42, it will be appreciated that the device may be attached to other forms of eye wear, e.g. of the type in which the viewing portion is held in position by an elastomeric band encircling the wearer's head. In this instance, the air monitoring device may be suspended from one side of the viewing frame or from a suitable location on the band consistent with positioning the housing 10 in close proximity with the inhalation region of the user.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An air monitoring device comprising: a housing for reception of

a detection element; 5 a clip assembly for location of the housing, in use, in the proximity of the nose and mouth of a wearer; the housing and the clip assembly comprising materials capable of withstanding high temperature sterilisation conditions.
2. An air monitoring device according to claim 1, in which the clip assembly is adapted for suspension of the housing from a head-wom ftame.
3. An air monitoring device according to claim 2, in which the head-worn frame is provided with at least one side portion for receiving the clip assembly for suspension of the housing from said side portion.
4. An air monitoring device according to claim 3, in which the head-worn frame is part of a pair of goggles, spectacles or a like head-worn eyeglass or eye protection frame.
5. An air monitoring device according to claim 3, in which the head-worn frame is a headband.
6. An air monitoring device according to any preceding claim, in which the housing and/or the clip assembly are made from metal. 25
7. An air monitoring device according to claim 6, in which the housing and/or the clip assembly are made from stainless steel.
8. An air monitoring device according to any of claims 1-5, in which the housing and/or the clip assembly are made from a temperature resistant non-matallic material.
9. An air monitoring device according to claim 8, in which the housing and/or the clip assembly are made from a temperature resistant plastics material.
10. An air monitoring device according to any preceding claim, in which the clip assembly comprises a suspending element having a twisted region part-way along 10 its length for location of the housing.
11. An air monitoring device according to any preceding claim, in which the clip assembly is provided at one end with a spring-clip.
12. An air monitoring device according to claim 11, in which the springclip comprises a first fixed jaw and a second jaw moveable relative to the first fixed jaw for opening and closing the clip.
13. An air monitoring device according to claim 11 or claim 12, in which biasing means are provided for biasing the spring-clip into its closed position.
14. An air monitoring device according to any of claims 11 - 13, in which the springclip comprises a lever arm for operation of the spring-clip by the user.
15. An air monitoring device according to any preceding claim, in which the clip assembly and the housing are each provided with attachment means for attaching the housing to the clip assembly.
16. An air monitoring device according to claim 15, in which the clip assembly is provided with a hook sized and shaped so as to be received in a slot provided in the housing.
17. An air monitoring device according to any preceding claim in which the housing is connectable to a portable pump.
18. A clip assembly for an air monitoring device according to any preceding claim.
19. An air monitoring device substantially as described herein and with reference to an/or as illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying diagrams.
20. A clip assembly substantially as described herein and with reference to an/or illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying diagrams.