GB2464337A

GB2464337A - Handling enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2464337A
Application number: GB0818841A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sean Partick Codling
Original assignee: A1 Envirosciences Ltd
Current assignee: A1 Envirosciences Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-15
Filing date: 2008-10-15
Publication date: 2010-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-15
Also published as: GB0818841D0; GB2464337B

Abstract

An enclosure 1 adapted for handling particulate material comprises chamber means 2 provided with work surface means 3 and opening means 10 adapted for manual access thereto. The chamber means 2 comprises a first working Zone (4, fig 2) adapted to receive storage container means for particulate material and a second working zone (5,fig 2) adapted to hold at least one piece of scientific apparatus, such as a weighing scale. First 14, 15 and second 13 air extraction means are provided in the first (4,fig 2) and second (5,fig 2) working zones respectively. Also disclosed is an enclosure (1) comprising chamber means (2) provided with viewing panel means 9 extending generally upwardly from the opening means 10, and sloping away from a face of a user of the opening means.

Description

PARTICULATE HANDLING ENCLOSURE

The present invention relates to a containment system for safe handling of particulate materials, for example in a laboratory environment. More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to an enclosure to facilitate weighing out of particulate materials, such as pharmaceuticals, from a storage container.

Conventional fume cupboards and fume hoods, having a simple air extraction system pulling an airflow through the fume cupboardlhood from front to rear, are no longer deemed suitable for many procedures and operations in the modern pharmaceutical industry. A range of more specialised enclosures have therefore been proposed.

One procedure for which specialised enclosures have been developed is dispensing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from bulk stocks. This may be carried out for production, quality control and development purposes, and typically involves weighing out accurately quantities of between 100 grams and 10 kilograms from a bulk storage drum. Walk-in downflow booths have been used for this purpose, in which the entire booth, enclosing an operator, the drum and appropriate weighing equipment, is provided with air extraction systems producing an airflow directed generally from the user towards the drum. However, given the active nature of APIs, the use of downflow booths now incurs significant personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for the operator, which is undesirable.

An alternative approach has been to alter a conventional weighing enclosure provided with air extraction, adding an aperture in a floor of the enclosure, through which a bulk storage drum is inserted. The drum is usually lifted up from beneath the enclosure until its upper rim is roughly level with the floor of the enclosure. The user may then stand outside the enclosure, reaching in to scoop the API out of the drum and weigh it out on a balance located adjacent to the drum.

However, existing enclosures of this type still have distinct shortcomings. They are unergonomic, may be tiring to use and it can be difficult for the user to observe with ease the manipulations that he or she is carrying out. It is also very difficult to adjust the airflow to provide the required containment of the API while allowing easy transfer of the API from the drum (for example, without significant entrainment into the airflow).

It is hence an object of the present invention to provide art enclosure for handling particulate materials that obviates the above disadvantages of existing enclosures, and which is reliable, convenient, ergonomic and safer in use.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an enclosure adapted for handling particulate materials, comprising chamber means provided with work surface means and opening means adapted for manual access thereto, said chamber means comprising a first working zone adapted to receive storage container means for said particulate material and a second working zone adapted to hold at least one piece of scientific apparatus, wherein said first and second working zones are provided with respective first and second air extraction means.

Preferably, the work surface means is provided with aperture means adapted to receive said storage container means, located within said first working zone.

Advantageously, the enclosure is adapted for the storage container means to be mounted to the aperture means with a mouth of the storage container means adjacent the work surface means.

The storage container means may be mountable to the enclosure from an exterior of the chamber means.

The enclosure may be provided with lifting means adapted to lift the storage container means into a mounted disposition, optionally from beneath the work surface means.

Preferably, the first air extraction means is adapted to operate selectively adjacent a mouth of the storage container means.

Advantageously, the first air extraction means comprises one or more air intake means locatable adjacent the mouth of the storage container means.

Said air intake means may be disposed adjacent said aperture means of the work surface means. --4-

Alternatively, said air intake means may be selectably disposable adjacent said aperture means.

Optionally, the air intake means is pivotably mounted to the work surface means.

Said first air extraction means may comprise collar means extending, in use, at least partway around a circumference of the aperture means.

Said collar means may be pivotably mounted to the work surface means.

Preferably, the second air extraction means of the second working zone comprises apertured baffle means comprising a wall of the chamber means remote from the opening means.

Advantageously, the first working zone may also be provided with said second air extraction means.

Common second air extraction means may be provided for the first and second working zones.

Preferably, the chamber means comprises viewing panel means extending above the opening means.

Advantageously, said viewing panel means is sloped away from a face of a user of the opening means.

The opening means may be defined between said viewing panel means and lip means extending generally upwardly from adjacent an edge of the work surface means.

Preferably, the first working zone is provided with sealing means adapted to prevent escape of particulate material between the storage container means and a circumference of the aperture means.

Advantageously, said sealing means comprises clamp means adapted to hold a margin of flexible inner container means of the storage container means in sealing contact with the Said clamp means may comprise an annular clamp member selectably disposable around the aperture means.

The clamp means may be mounted to the first air extraction means.

The clamp means may be mounted to collar means of the first air extraction means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an enclosure adapted for handling particulate materials, comprising chamber means provided with work surface means and opening means adapted for manual access thereto, said chamber means comprising a first working zone adapted to receive storage container means for said particulate material and a second working zone adapted to hold at least one piece of scientific apparatus, the chamber means being provided with viewing panel means extending generally upwardly from the opening means, and sloping away from a face of a user of the opening means.

Preferably, the opening means is defined between said viewing panel means and lip means extending generally upwardly from adjacent an edge of the work surface means.

Advantageously, an upper margin of the lip means is disposed closer to a user of the opening means than is a lower margin of the viewing panel means.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic frontal elevation of a first enclosure embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view from above of the first enclosure shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of the first enclosure shown in Figure 1, taken along the line 111-111; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view from above of the first enclosure shown in Figure 1, with airflow patterns shown; Figure 5 is a schematic cross-section of the first enclosure shown in Figure 1, taken along the line 111-111, with airflow patterns shown; Figures 6A and 6B are a schematic plan view from above and a schematic cross-section, respectively, of a second enclosure embodying the present invention; Figures 7A and 7B are a schematic frontal elevation and a schematic cross-section, respectively, of the second enclosure shown in Figures 6A and 6B, with a primary extraction element shown in a raised disposition; Figures 8A and 8B are schematic side elevations of a prior art enclosure in use; and Figures 9A and 9B are schematic side elevations of a first or second enclosure embodying the present invention, in use.

Referring now to the Figures, and to Figures 1 to 3 in particular, a first enclosure I embodying the present invention comprises a working chamber 2, the walls and roof of which are preferably constructed from a clear, strong plastics material, such as polyacrylate or polycarbonate. A floor of the working chamber 2 acts as a work surface 3, and may be made from steel, thermoset resin, granite or other materials, depending on specific requirements for chemical resistance, damage resistance and ease of cleaning.

The enclosure I shown may be mounted on a laboratory bench top, but is preferably mounted on a conventional steel frame stand (see Figures 8A to 9B).

The working chamber 2 effectively comprises a first working zone 4 and a second working zone 5. In the second working zone 5, an electronic balance 6 or other piece of scientific apparatus may be disposed on the work surface 3, in a conventional manner.

In the first working zone 4, a circular aperture 7 is formed through the work surface 3, the aperture 7 being of sufficient diameter to receive an upper rim of a storage drum, such those used to hold stocks of APIs. Typically, the drum would be raised from beneath the work surface 3 until its rim is generally level with the work surface 3. (see Figures 8A to 913 for details).

A face of the chamber 2 aligned towards a user comprises a lip 8, rising at an outward angle from an edge of the work surface 3, and a viewing panel 9 sloping rearwardly towards a roof of the chamber 2, which respectively define a lower and an upper margin of an opening 10, through which the user may reach to handle materials and equipment within the chamber 2.

The viewing panel 9 may be mounted on hinges, so that it may be opened to allow larger items to be installed in or removed from the chamber 2, or to permit cleaning.

A face of the chamber 2 opposite the opening 10 comprises a first 11 and a second 12 baffle plate, adjacent the first 4 and second 5 working zones respectively. Each baffle plate 11, 12 is provided with a set of outflow slots 13. An air extraction system (see Figures 4 and 5 below) is connected to the enclosure 1 so that air is drawn in through the opening 10, flows through the working zones 4, 5 and out through the respective outflow slots 13.

The first working zone 4 of the enclosure 1 is also provided with a primary extraction unit 14 (also known as a Primary Extract Point). This comprises a generally arcuate body, extending around part of a circumference of the aperture 7, remote from the opening 10 of the chamber 2. The primary extraction unit 14 is connected by flexible piping 15 to a conventional air extraction system. The primary extraction unit 14 thus provides extraction adjacent a top of the drum, which is controllable separately from the general chamber extraction through the baffle plate slots 13. This extraction is also focussed at the point at which API concentrations are likely to be at their highest, such that the need for effective extraction is greatest.

The resultant airflow patterns within the chamber 2 are shown by arrows in Figures 4 and 5.

In the second working zone 5, there is a general front-to-rear airflow from the opening 10 to the outflow slots 13 in the second baffle plate 12.

In the first working zone 4, there is a similar front-to-rear airflow from the opening 10 to the outflow slots 13 in the first baffle plate 11, across an upper portion of the chamber 2. There is also a superimposed flow from the opening 10 to the primary extraction unit 14 across a lower portion of the chamber 2, adjacent the work surface 3 so that it transverses the aperture 7 and the mouth of a storage drum when present in the aperture.

This arrangement ensures that any spillages or dust from a bulk stock of API in such a drum are efficiently and effectively removed from the first working zone 4. The primary extraction unit 14 may comprise or be connected to specialist filtration means to remove airborne APIs from the extracted air.

Figure 5 also shows how the enclosure I is provided with a plenum 16 connected to the outflow slots 13 in the baffle plates 11, 12. The plenum 16 is provided with a connection 17 to a respective air extraction system (tl1iS may be the same system as is connected to the primary extraction unit 14 through piping 15, or may be a separate system). These details are omitted from Figure 3 for clarity.

A second, preferred enclosure 21 embodying the present invention, shown in Figures 6A to 7B, is provided with an additional feature, associated with the primary extraction unit 14 and the aperture 7 for the storage drum. There will be some variation in drum diameter, and smaller capacity drums may also be used. There will hence be a variable clearance between -10-an outer circumference of the drum and an inner circumference of the aperture 7. In some existing enclosures, a flexible annular seal or gasket is provided around the inner circumference of the aperture 7. However these are found not to be as convenient or effective as might be desired, and so there is a risk of APIs falling between the drum and the circumference of the aperture 7. Any gaps here will also spoil the planned airflow patterns through the first working zone 4.

Standard drums for APIs comprise a rigid outer shell enclosing at least one plastics bag or sack to contain the powdered API. Usually, they comprise an inner and an outer plastics bag, each independently sealable.

The primary extraction unit 14 of the second enclosure 21 is therefore provided with an annular clamp member 22. The primary extraction unit 14 is pivotably mounted to the work surface 3, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B. When the drum (not shown) is located within the aperture 7, its outer plastics bag is unsealed and its margin is spread outwardly, extending across any gaps around the druni. The primary extraction unit 14 is then pivoted down into position, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, and the annular clamp member 22 clamps the margin of the plastics bag against the work surface 3 all around the aperture 7 (or clamps it to a corresponding fixed annular clamp member 23 extending around the aperture 7). The primary extraction unit 14 may then be activated prior to opening the inner plastics bag to access the stock of API. The outer plastics bag thus forms a complete seal across any gaps between the drum and the circumference of the aperture 7.

A further advantage of the enclosures 1, 21 of the present invention is shown in Figures 8A to 9B. Existing enclosures 31 have a conventional rectilinear form with a vertical clear viewing panel 39 that defines an opening 30 adjacent the work surface 3, through which a user 50 may reach into the enclosure 31. This arrangement is standard for conventional fume hoods.

However, where the user 50 needs to reach down into a drum 34 through an aperture 7 in the work surface 3, this arrangement is unergonomic and inefficient (see Figure 8B).

The opening 10 of the enclosures 1, 21 of the present invention is defined between an upstanding lip 8 and a sloping viewing panel 9, arranged so that the user 50 may reach diagonally downwardly through the opening 10 towards the work surface 3 (Figure 9A) or through the aperture 7 into the drum 34 (Figure 9B). The sloping viewing panel 9 also allows the user 50 a much clearer view of manipulations within the chamber 2, and indeed allows the user 50 to lean over slightly, as in Figure 9B, without having to crouch, as in Figure 8B.

This is more convenient, less fatiguing and safer than existing arrangements.

NB: Figures 8A tO 9B also show a typical steel-framed support stand 18 for the enclosures 1, 21, 31, together with an integral or separate lifting system 19, allowing the drum 34 to be installed beneath the enclosure 1, 21, 31 and then lifted up through the aperture 7. The enclosures 1, 21 of the present invention are fully compatible with existing arrangements of this kind.

Claims

-12 -CLAIMS1. An enclosure adapted for handling particulate material, comprising chamber means provided with work surface means and opening means adapted for manual access thereto, said chamber means comprising a first working zone adapted to receive storage container means for said particulate material and a second working zone adapted to hold at least one piece of scientific apparatus, wherein said first and second working zones are provided with respective first and second air extraction means.
2. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the work surface means is provided with aperture means adapted to receive said storage container means, located within said first working zone.
3. An enclosure as claimed in claim 2, adapted for the storage container means to *.S.:: . be mounted to the aperture means with a mouth of the storage container means adjacent the S... *.SS * . *ISS*5*S** * .
4. An enclosure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the storage container means may be mountable to the enclosure from an exterior of the chamber means.

**.S.. * *
5. An enclosure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the enclosure is provided with lifting r.wans adapted to lift the storage container means into a mounted disposition.

-13 -
6. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first air extraction means is adapted to operate selectively adjacent a mouth of the storage container means.
7. An enclosure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first air extraction means comprises one or more air intake means.
8. An enclosure as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the air intake means is pivotably mounted to the work surface means.
9. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first air extraction means comprises collar means extending, in use, at least partway around a circumference of the aperture means.

.. :
10. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second air extraction means of the second working zone comprises apertured baffle means comprising a wall of the chamber means remote from the opening means.

*....S * . * ** :.: *:
11. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first working S.....zone is provided with said second air extraction means.
12. An enclosure as claimed in claim 11, wherein common second air extraction means is provided for the first and second working zones. -14-
13. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, the chamber means comprises viewing panel means extending above the opening means.
14. An enclosure as claimed in claim 13, wherein said viewing panel means is sloped away from a face of a user of the opening means.
15. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the opening means is defined between said viewing panel means and lip means extending generally upwardly from adjacent an edge of the work surface means.
16. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first working zone is provided with sealing means adapted to prevent escape of particulate material between the storage container means and a circumference of the aperture means. S...:
17. An enclosure as claimed in claim 16, wherein said sealing means comprises S...clamp means adapted to hold a margin of flexible inner container means of the storage *..S * . .* container means in sealing contact with the work surface means. *

S. *S** * S
18. An enclosure as claimed in claim 17, wherein said clamp means comprises an *S....

* annular clamp member selectably disposable around the aperture means.
19. An enclosure as claimed in claim 18, wherein said clamp means is mounted to the first air extraction means.

-15 -
20. An enclosure adapted for handling particulate materials, comprising chamber means provided with work surface means and opening means adapted for manual access thereto, said chamber means comprising a first working zone adapted to receive storage container means for said particulate material and a second working zone adapted to hold at least one piece of scientific apparatus, the chamber means being provided with viewing panel means extending generally upwardly from the opening means, and sloping away from a face of a user of the opening means.
21. An enclosure as claimed in claim 20, wherein the opening means is defined between said viewing panel means and lip means extending generally upwardly from adjacent an edge of the work surface means.
22. An enclosure as claimed in claim 21, wherein an upper margin of the lip means is disposed closer to a user of the opening means than is a lower margin of the viewing .. : panel means. * * **. **.*
23. An enclosure as claimed in any of claims 20 to 22, wherein said chamber * ***.** * means has walls and a roof that comprise a clear plastics material and a floor that comprises a different material.

****.* * *
24. An enclosure as claimed in any of claims 20 to 23, wherein said viewing panel is mounted on hinges, so that it is openable.
25. An enclosure substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying Figures.