GB2584787A

GB2584787A - Improvements in air sampling devices

Info

Publication number: GB2584787A
Application number: GB2005933.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rhys Jones Gethin
Original assignee: Pinpoint Scient Ltd
Current assignee: Pinpoint Scient Ltd
Priority date: 2019-04-29
Filing date: 2020-04-23
Publication date: 2020-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-23
Also published as: GB202005933D0; GB2584787B; GB201905931D0

Abstract

An air sampling system comprises a plurality of air sampling heads 10a, 10b, 10c, each comprising a chamber 12, a turntable 13 in the chamber for supporting a container (such as a petri dish) containing culture media, a motor 14 for rotating the turntable, a pump 18 for creating an airflow through an inlet 16 into the chamber, the inlet being adapted to direct air onto the culture media, and a network adapter 21, 121. The system further comprises a network having an ethernet hub 26 with which the network adapter of each head is adapted to communicate, and a remote‐control device 28 connected to the hub for sending control data signals to each head over the network.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR SAMPLING DEVICES

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to devices for sampling air.

BACKGROUND

There is often the requirement, for example in pharmaceutical clean rooms, to sample the quality of air in order to determine microbial levels. Microbial air sampling devices are well known and W02017089841A1 discloses one such device comprising a sealed chamber in which a petri dish containing a culture media is placed. During testing, a known volume of air is drawn into the chamber through an inlet slit, where it is directed onto the culture media.

The petri dish rotates on a turntable at a selected speed and, because of their mass, any micro-organisms in the air impact the surface of the culture media where they are deposited in a circumferentially spatially separated manner by virtue of the plate rotation. An analysis of microbial contamination over time can thus be achieved by cultivating the media.

A pharmaceutical clean room may comprise a large number of such air sampling devices disposed at different locations and a pharmaceutical manufacturer may have many pharmaceutical clean rooms, possibly spread amongst different locations. Hence, it will be appreciated that controlling a large number of airs sampling devices and analysing the data which they collect can be difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, such air sampling devices are expensive and often bulky in construction.

Accordingly, solutions which endeavour to address and/or improve on the identified problems with in existing devices are sought.

SUM MARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an air sampling system comprising a plurality of air sampling heads, each head comprising a chamber, a turntable disposed in the chamber for supporting a container containing culture media, a motor for rotating the turntable in the chamber, an airflow device for creating an airflow through an inlet into the chamber, the inlet being adapted to direct air onto the culture media, and a network adapter, the system further comprising a network having a hub with which the network adapter of each head is adapted to communicate, and a remote-control device connected to the hub for sending control data signals to each head over the network.

In use, an air sampling head can be placed at each desired location and the remote-control device (which may be a PC) can control and manage each head remotely over the network without the need for a complex control device at each head and in a manner which is structured and easy to manage for a large number of heads in different locations. It will be appreciated that each head is inexpensive and compact compared with existing air sampling devices since it comprises a minimal number of components.

The remote-control device can be used in a number of ways. In one embodiment the control device may be arranged transmit an operating routine over the network to a memory at each selected head, for example which defines the sampling time and/or the percentage of the culture media to be used during a sampling run. The head could then run in isolation, possibly after a local user has loaded a petri dish of culture media and actuated an actuator which may be provided on the head to start a sampling run.

In another embodiment each head may be arranged transmit a signal over the network to the control device which is indicative that that the head is ready to perform a sampling run, possibly after a local user has loaded a petri dish of culture media and actuated an actuator which may be provided on the head to confirm the head in ready to start a sampling run.

The control device is then arranged transmit control signals over the network to the head, for example which initiate the starting and stopping of a sampling run.

In another embodiment each head may comprise apparatus for loading a petri dish of culture media onto the turntable, the control device being arranged transmit control signals over the network to the head, to control the loading apparatus and to initiate the starting and stopping of a sampling run.

The hub may comprise an ethernet hub, a network switch or bridging hub arranged to connect the heads, the remote-control device and other devices in the network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device using hardware addresses assigned to the devices. Such hubs are widely used in distributed computer networks and are in expensive, thereby avoiding the need for a complex bespoke network hub.

The hub may be connected to a plurality of data cables, the heads being connected to selected cables at remote locations. It is very common for buildings to be provided with a structured network of twisted-pair data cables (e.g. of Category 5 or 6) that can be used to form computer or communication networks in the building. The system of the present invention can advantageously use such a structured network of twisted-pair data cables.

The network may be arranged to supply power to one or more heads from a remote power supply, thereby avoiding the need for a local power supply, which further helps to reduces the expense and complexity of the head and further helps to reduce the heat emitted by the 10 head.

The remote power supply may be provided at the hub and may be arranged to supply power to one or more heads over a data cable extending between the hub and the head. Such so-called power over ethernet (PoE) hubs are widely used hubs which pass along with data over data cabling. This allows a single cable to provide both data connection and electric power to the heads, the remote-control device and other devices on the network.

In the case of a head which comprises a wireless network adapter, the head may comprise a local power supply.

Each head may comprise an airflow sensor for monitoring the airflow through the head from the inlet and a control circuit for controlling the airflow device to regulate the airflow. Each head may be arranged to transmit data about the airflow through the head to the remote-control device over the network, so that the remote-control device can capture this data.

The data can be included in a run history log for each run of each head in a full or summarised format. This could be used to confirm whether a successful sampling run was performed and that the correct volume of air was sampled, and the air sampling parameters were maintained.

The remote-control device may comprise a control screen having a graphical user interface which can be used to configure a processor of the remote-control device to control the heads over the network. The screen may be connected to the processor via the hub or directly.

At least one head may be a single unit which comprises the chamber, the turntable, the motor, and the airflow device for creating an airflow through the inlet into the chamber. It will be appreciated that since the airflow device is disposed inside the housing that there is no pipework required. This is significant advantage as adding ducting to an external airflow device is a major intervention in a cleanroom, RABS (Rapid access barrier system), isolator or biosafety cabinet where the head may be disposed. The lack of any ducting avoids drilling holes and welding of flanges etc. and the incumbence of having to clean the ducting.

Having the airflow device in the head as a single unit means there is no need for an external airflow device located outside the area being monitored. In this manner, air is not drawn out of the environment and the air can be exhausted back into the same environment. This is particularly advantageous in a biosafety cabinet where it is undesirable to have a potentially harmful agent escaping to the environment via an external airflow device.

Ideally, all components of the single unit are provided inside the same housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a schematic diagram of an air sampling system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawing, there is shown an air sampling system comprising a plurality of air sampling heads 10a, 10b, 10c. Each head e.g. 10a comprises an external housing having a body and a lid 11 for closing the open upper end of the body. The housing defines an internal compartment 12 which is exposed when the lid 11 is opened. A turntable 13 is mounted inside the compartment 12 for rotation about a vertical axis A, the turntable 13 having an upper surface which lies in a plane normal to the axis of rotation. A motor 14 or other type of actuator is arranged to rotate the turntable 13 about its axis. A tubular air inlet 15 is disposed on the lid 11. The inlet 15 comprises a bottom wall in which an elongate slit 16 is formed. The bottom wall of the inlet 15 lies in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper surface of the turntable 13. The inlet 15 is disposed directly above the turntable 13 in a position which is radially offset from the axis of rotation and which is arranged such that the slit 16 extends radially thereof. Each head e.g. 10a further comprises a simple control circuit 20 to which start and stop actuators 23,24 and a small display 22 are connected.

The sampling heads 10a and 10c each comprise an air pump 18 disposed inside the housing for drawing air into the compartment 12 through the inlet 16. The sampling head 10b comprises an air pump 118 disposed externally of the housing and connected thereto by a duct 101 for drawing air into the compartment 12 through the inlet 16. Each head e.g. 10a comprises an air flow sensor 19 which is connected to the control circuit 20 for measuring and regulating the airflow rate through the inlet 16.

The system comprises a remote hub 26, such as a conventional ethernet hub, a network switch or bridging hub. A plurality of twisted-pair data cables (e.g. of Category 5 or 6 type) extend from the hub 26 to respective wall sockets 25 disposed in various locations around a room or building. A PC 28 and control panel 30 are connected to the hub 26 via respective sockets 25. The hub 26 is a so-called power over ethernet (PoE) hub comprising a power supply 29 arranged to supply power along each data cable extending from the hub 25. Such that both data connection and electric power is provided at each socket 25.

The control circuit 20 of the sampling heads 10a and 10b each comprise a wired network interface 21 which is connected via a twisted pair data cable (e.g. of Category 5 or 6 type) to an adjacent wall socket 25. The control circuit 20 of the sampling head 10c comprises a wireless network interface 121 which is connected to an antenna 102 and wirelessly communicates e.g. via Wi-Fi or GPRS with a transceiver 27: in the former case, the transceiver 27 is a router located within the locality of the of the sampling head 10c and connected via a standardised twisted pair Ethernet cable to an adjacent wall socket 25 of the wired network. In the latter case, the transceiver 27 is a cellular base station which is arranged to communicate with the hub 26, for example over the internet via an interface (not shown).

The wired heads 10a, 10b draw all of their power from the power supply 29 via the hub 26 and data cables. The wireless head 10c is provided with a local power supply 122.

In use, a remote user configures the desired sampling routine for each head e.g. 10a via the control panel 30, whereupon the PC 28 transmits an operating routine over the network via the hub 26 to a memory of the control circuit 20 of each selected head. The routine defines the sampling time and/or the percentage of the culture media to be used during a sampling run of the head. Once a local user has loaded a petri dish of culture media onto the turntable 13 and actuated the start actuator 23, the control circuit 20 energises the air pump 18 to draw air into the internal compartment 12 where it is directed through the slit 16 onto a region of the culture media 21. The petri dish 20 rotates on the turntable 13 at a selected speed and any micro-organisms in the air are circumferentially spatially separated by the dish rotation.

The airflow sensor 19 in each head monitors the airflow through the head from the inlet 16 and the control circuit controlling the pump 18 to regulate the airflow in order achieve the desired operating routine. Each head e.g. 10a transmits data (e.g. about the airflow through the head) to the PC 28 over the network, so that the PC 28 device can capture this data. The data can be included in a run history log for each run of each head in a full or summarised format. This could be used to confirm whether a successful sampling run was performed and that the correct volume of air was sampled, and that the air sampling parameters were maintained.

It will be appreciated that a plurality of hubs could be interconnected to expand the network. It will be appreciated that the internet may form a part of the network.

An air sensing system in accordance with the present invention is simple and in expensive in construction yet is able to control and manage a large number of sampling heads remotely over the network without the need for a complex control device at each head and in a manner which is structured and easy to manage.

Claims

CLAIMS1) An air sampling system comprising a plurality of air sampling heads, each head comprising a chamber, a turntable disposed in the chamber for supporting a container containing culture media, a motor for rotating the turntable in the chamber, an airflow device for creating an airflow through an inlet into the chamber, the inlet being adapted to direct air onto the culture media, and a network adapter, the system further comprising a network having a hub with which the network adapter of each head is adapted to communicate, and a remote-control device connected to the hub for sending control data signals to each head over the network.
2) A system as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one head comprises an actuator which can be actuated to start a sampling run of the head.
3) A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the control device is arranged transmit an operating routine of a sampling run over the network to a memory of at least one head, the head being arranged to carry out the routine.
4) A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the control device is arranged transmit control signals over the network to at least one head to initiate the starting and stopping of a sampling run of the head.
5) A system as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one head comprises apparatus for loading a dish of culture media onto the turntable, the control device being arranged transmit control signals over the network to the head, to control the loading apparatus and to initiate the starting and stopping of a sampling run.
6) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the hub comprises an ethernet hub, a network switch or bridging hub arranged to connect the heads, the remote-control device and other devices in the network to receive and forward data to the destination device using hardware addresses assigned to the devices.
7) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the hub is connected to a plurality of data cables, the heads being connected to selected cables at remote locations.
8) A system as claimed in claim 7, in which the cables form part of a structured network of twisted-pair data cables.
9) A system as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the network is arranged to supply power to one or more heads from a remote power supply. 10 10) A system as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which a remote power supply is provided at the hub and is arranged to supply power to one or more heads over a said data cable extending between the hub and the head.11) A system as claimed in claim 7, in which the hub is a so-called power over ethernet (PoE) hub which provide both a data connection and electric power to devices which are connected thereto via respective data cables.12) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each head comprises an airflow sensor for monitoring the airflow through the head from the inlet and a control circuit for controlling the airflow device to regulate the airflow.13) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each head is arranged to transmit data about the airflow through the head to the remote-control device over the network, so that the remote-control device can capture this data.14) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the remote-control device comprises a control screen having a graphical user interface which can be used to configure a processor of the remote-control device to control the heads over the network.15) A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one head is a single unit which comprises the chamber, the turntable, the motor, and the airflow device for creating an airflow through the inlet into the chamber.16) A system as claimed in claim 15, in which the components of the single unit are provided inside the same housing.