JP2009077934A - Decontamination apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently decontaminate a bag 2 containing a decontaminated content (resin container) 78, with simple structure and to unseal it as it is under an aseptic condition. <P>SOLUTION: The decontamination apparatus is provided with a heating chamber 8 for heating an article (bag) 2 before decontamination, a decontamination chamber 10 which is provided continuously with a blowing port 56 for blowing hydrogen peroxide steam into the chamber and decontaminates the bag 2 heated by the heating chamber 8 with the hydrogen peroxide steam, and an aeration chamber 23 for aerating the decontaminated bag 2. While the bag 2 is conveyed by a conveying means 4 placed inside the respective chambers 8, 10 and 12, each of processing is performed. Moreover, the decontamination chamber 10 is formed into a narrow tunnel-like space so that the hydrogen peroxide steam does not spread widely and an inner wall surface of the decontamination chamber 10 is heated by a heater 60. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a decontamination apparatus that decontaminates articles (removes contamination) with hydrogen peroxide vapor, and more particularly to a decontamination apparatus that performs continuous processing while conveying articles. .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a container in which contents are filled in an aseptic filling line is decontaminated in advance and supplied in a state of being accommodated in a package. Such a container is decontaminated on the outer surface of the package, then opened and removed in a sterile environment, and then sent to a filling device for filling.

  Devices have already been known in which the outer surface of the package containing the decontaminated articles as described above is decontaminated and then opened in a sterile environment (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and Patent). Reference 3). All of these apparatuses described in each patent document perform batch processing, and in order to process a large amount of articles, a decontamination warehouse that performs decontamination inside or a storage room for articles after decontamination. There has been a problem that the facilities such as these are enlarged.

  On the other hand, a decontamination apparatus that continuously processes a package containing the decontaminated articles has been proposed (see Patent Document 4). A decontamination apparatus described in Patent Document 4 (referred to as an apparatus for sterilizing a package in Patent Document 4) includes a heating zone, a sterilization zone, a ventilation zone, and a filling zone connected thereto. These zones are separated from each other by a partition wall.

In the heating zone, high-temperature sterile air is introduced from the upper nozzle, and high-temperature air is drawn from the bottom outlet. Similarly, gaseous hydrogen peroxide is introduced into the sterilization zone from the upper nozzle, and hydrogen peroxide is extracted from the outlet at the bottom. In the ventilation zone, high-temperature sterile air is introduced from the upper nozzle, and high-temperature air is drawn from the bottom outlet. In this sterilization apparatus, the package heated in the heating zone is moved to the sterilization zone and is sterilized by being exposed to gaseous hydrogen peroxide introduced from an upper nozzle. Thereafter, hydrogen peroxide is removed in the ventilation zone.
Japanese Patent No. 3503284 (page 2, page 6, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-205067 (page 5-8, FIG. 2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-143726 (page 5-7, FIG. 2) JP 2006-508873 A (page 6-8, FIG. 1)

  In the configuration of the invention described in Patent Document 4, the sterilization zone is maintained at a predetermined hydrogen peroxide gas concentration, and is sterilized by passing a sterilization object through the room. However, since it is necessary to sufficiently expose the object to be sterilized to the hydrogen peroxide gas atmosphere, when the object to be sterilized becomes large, a long conveyance path is required in the sterilization zone, which increases the size of the apparatus and takes time for sterilization. There was a problem. In addition, the contaminated article may be sequentially carried into the sterilization zone, and the sterilized article may be recontaminated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a decontamination apparatus that performs decontamination in a short time with high-concentration hydrogen peroxide vapor and can avoid an increase in the size of the apparatus. It is intended to do. Another object of the present invention is to prevent condensation and condensation of hydrogen peroxide vapor so that decontamination can be performed efficiently.

  The present invention includes a heating chamber for heating an article before decontamination, a decontamination chamber for decontaminating the heated article with hydrogen peroxide vapor, an aeration chamber for aeration of the article after decontamination, and conveying the article A decontamination apparatus that decontaminates the surface by bringing hydrogen peroxide vapor into contact with an article conveyed through the decontamination chamber by the conveyance means. In the dyeing chamber, a blowout port for blowing out hydrogen peroxide vapor into the chamber, an inner wall surface covering the periphery of the article to prevent the hydrogen peroxide vapor blown from the blowout outlet from diffusing from around the article, A heating means for heating the surface of the inner wall surface is provided.

  The decontamination apparatus of the present invention covers the periphery of the article with the inner wall surface in order to prevent the hydrogen peroxide vapor blown from the outlet from diffusing from the periphery of the article. It is possible to perform decontamination in a short time. Moreover, since the heating means for heating the inner wall surface of the decontamination chamber is provided, the decontamination can be performed efficiently by preventing condensation and condensation of hydrogen peroxide vapor.

  A heating chamber for heating the article before decontamination, a blow-off port for blowing out hydrogen peroxide vapor, a decontamination chamber for decontaminating the article heated in the heating chamber with the hydrogen peroxide vapor, and after decontamination An aeration chamber for aerating the article, and a transport means for transporting the article and passing through the chambers, and hydrogen peroxide vapor blown out from the outlet diffuses from around the article. In order to prevent dehydration, a heating means for heating the surface of the inner wall surface surrounding the article is provided, so that the purpose of efficient decontamination by preventing condensation and condensation of hydrogen peroxide vapor is achieved. can do.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an overall configuration of a decontamination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a transverse sectional view of the main part of FIG. 1 and a hydrogen peroxide vapor supply path. It is. This decontamination apparatus is supplied in a state in which a container (for example, a resin container) decontaminated in advance is accommodated in the bag 2 and is subjected to a decontamination process while being conveyed by the conveying means 4. The bag 2 is opened in the aseptic space and the resin container inside is taken out. The bag 2 is the article described in the claims.

  This decontamination apparatus is provided with a plurality of chambers 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 that are partitioned by a partition wall, and is provided outside by means of a conveying means 4 installed in each of the chambers 6-16. Processing such as decontamination and taking out of the resin container is performed while the bag 2 introduced from is transported. In the conveying means 4, hooks 24 are attached at predetermined intervals to a conveying cable 22 wound around pulleys 18 and 20 at both ends, and the bag 2 is suspended and conveyed by each hook 24 one by one. . The first chamber 6 into which the bag 2 that has been transported by the transport means 4 is first introduced is a chamber that performs each process inside the decontamination apparatus (see chambers 8, 10, 12, and 14 to be described later). This is a front chamber (dynamic air lock chamber) that prevents outside air from flowing into the chamber 8 or gas from the chambers 8, 10, 12, and 14, and the inside is exhausted by the exhaust blower 26. Negative pressure is maintained.

  A second chamber 8 that is adjacent to the front chamber 6 with a partition wall 28 is a heating chamber that heats the bag 2 that is suspended and carried by the hook 24 of the transport means 4. External air is sent into the heating chamber 8 by the air supply blower 30 after being sent to the heater 32 and heated. The air in the heating chamber 8 is exhausted by the exhaust blower 34. Since the exhausted air contains hydrogen peroxide vapor that has flowed into the heating chamber 8 from the decontamination chamber 10 described later, the hydrogen peroxide is decomposed through the catalyst 36 and then discharged. The inlet wall 38 of the first chamber 6 and the partition wall 28 between the first chamber (front chamber) 6 and the second chamber (heating chamber) 8 include a transport cable 22 of the transport means 4 and Openings 38 a and 28 a sized to allow the bag 2 suspended through the hook 24 to pass through the transport cable 22 are provided. In the heating chamber 8, the internal pressure is maintained at a predetermined positive pressure by controlling the supply amount by the supply blower 30 and the exhaust amount by the exhaust blower 34.

  Subsequent to the second chamber (heating chamber) 8, a decontamination chamber 10 as a third chamber is disposed. As shown in FIG. 2, the decontamination chamber 10 has a tunnel shape having a width (cross-sectional area) that allows the transfer cable 22 and the bag 2 suspended from the transfer cable 22 via a hook 24 to pass therethrough. Is formed. A hydrogen peroxide vapor supply device 40 is connected to the decontamination chamber 10. The hydrogen peroxide vapor supply device 40 evaporates the liquid in the container 42 containing the hydrogen peroxide solution by sending it to the evaporator 46 by the pump 44, while introducing external air through the blower 48 and through the dehumidifier 50. After dehumidifying, the heater 52 is heated and sent to the evaporator 46, and the hydrogen peroxide vapor evaporated by the evaporator 46 is supplied to the decontamination chamber 10 by heated air.

  The decontamination chamber 10 is provided with a plurality of outlets 56 on the side walls 10 a and 10 b on both sides, and the hydrogen peroxide vapor sent from the hydrogen peroxide vapor supply device 40 through the pipe 58 is the plurality of outlets 56. Infused from. A heater cord 60 is attached to surround the outer surfaces of the side walls 10a and 10b, the top wall 10c and the bottom wall 10d of the decontamination chamber 10. A heater 60 is mounted on the entire wall surface (side walls 10a, 10b, top wall 10C, bottom wall 10d) surrounding the tunnel-shaped space of the decontamination chamber 10 to heat the wall surfaces 10a, 10b, 10C, 10d. By heating the inner wall surface (the whole is indicated by reference numeral 10e) surrounding the tunnel-like space, the surface is prevented from dewing.

  The decontamination chamber 10 has a narrow space (cross-sectional area) through which the bag 2 suspended from the transport cable 22 and the hook 24 of the transport cable 22 can pass. The periphery of the bag 2 is covered so as to prevent the hydrogen peroxide vapor blown into the inside 10 from diffusing from the periphery of the bag 2. On the wall surface 62 on the outlet side of the heating chamber 8 which is the second chamber, an opening 62a having the same size as the cross-sectional area of the decontamination chamber 10 is formed. A curtain 64 is installed on the heating chamber 8 side of the entrance (opening 62a) to the decontamination chamber 10.

  An aeration chamber 12 that is a fourth chamber is provided on the downstream side of the decontamination chamber 10. An opening 66 a having substantially the same size as the cross-sectional area of the decontamination chamber 10 is formed on the wall surface 66 on the inlet side of the aeration chamber 12. A curtain 68 is installed on the aeration chamber 12 side of the outlet from the decontamination chamber 10 (the opening 66a). The pressure in the decontamination chamber 10 is maintained by the curtains 64 and 68 installed on the inlet side and the outlet side of the decontamination chamber 10. The aeration chamber 12 is supplied with air by an air supply blower 70 and exhausted by an exhaust air blower 72. This exhaust pipe is provided with a catalyst 74 that decomposes and removes hydrogen peroxide contained in the air exhausted from the aeration chamber 12. The aeration chamber 12 is maintained at a positive pressure almost as high as the heating chamber 8 by controlling the amount of air supplied by the air supply blower 70 and the amount of exhaust by the exhaust air blower 74. The decontamination chamber 10 is maintained at a positive pressure higher than that of the heating chamber 8 and the aeration chamber 12.

  The fifth chamber 14 on the downstream side of the aeration chamber 12 which is the fourth chamber is a container 78 in which the bag 2 from which the hydrogen peroxide vapor has been removed by aeration after the decontamination is opened is stored inside. It is a processing chamber in which the work to take out is performed. The processing chamber 14 is provided with a glove 76 so that an outside worker can insert his / her hands into the chamber to work. In this processing chamber 14, an external worker inserts a hand into the room through the globe 76, opens the bag 2, takes out the internal contents 78, and puts it in the hopper 80. The contents 78 put into the hopper 80 are sent to the next step, for example, a filler or the like. The processing chamber 14 is supplied with air from the air supply blower 82 and is maintained at a positive pressure higher than that of the aeration chamber 12.

  A sixth chamber 16 is provided on the downstream side of the fifth chamber (processing chamber) 14 for taking out the storage 78 such as a container from the bag 2. The sixth chamber 16 is a rear chamber (dynamic air lock chamber) that prevents outside air from flowing into each of the upstream chambers or preventing the atmosphere on the processing chamber 14 side from flowing out to the outside. 6, the inside is exhausted by the exhaust blower 84 and maintained at a negative pressure. On the partition wall 86 between the aeration chamber 12 and the processing chamber 14, the partition wall 88 between the processing chamber 14 and the rear chamber 16, and the wall surface 90 on the outside of the rear chamber 16, the transfer cable 22 and the bag 2 are respectively provided. Passable openings 86a, 88a, 90a are formed.

  The operation of the decontamination apparatus according to the above configuration will be described. During operation, the air supply blowers 30, 70, 82 and the exhaust blower 26 provided in the first chamber 6, the second chamber 8, the fourth chamber 12, the fifth chamber 14, and the sixth chamber 16, respectively, By supplying air into the respective chambers 6, 8, 12, 14, and 16 from 34, 72, and 84, and discharging the indoor air, the processing chamber 14 that is the fifth chamber is brought to the highest positive pressure, and The inside of the heating chamber 8 as the second chamber and the aeration chamber 12 as the fourth chamber are maintained at a positive pressure lower than that of the processing chamber 14, and the front chamber 6 and the sixth chamber as the first chamber are maintained. The rear chamber 16 is maintained at a negative pressure. Further, hydrogen peroxide vapor is blown into the decontamination chamber 10 which is the third chamber from the hydrogen peroxide vapor supply device 40 to maintain the inside of the chamber 10 at a predetermined hydrogen peroxide vapor concentration. The positive pressure is maintained at approximately the same pressure as the processing chamber 14.

  In this state, the bags 2 in which the decontaminated resin containers (contained items 78) are accommodated in the hooks 24 provided at equal intervals on the conveying cable 22 of the conveying means 4 are sealed one by one. Hang and hang. The transport cable 22 of the transport means 4 travels and the bags 2 are sequentially carried into the front chamber 6 which is the first chamber. The front chamber 6 is maintained at a negative pressure, and the air that has entered from the outside and the atmosphere flowing from the downstream heating chamber 8 side are exhausted by the exhaust blower 26, so that the front chamber 6 exceeds the front chamber 6. Will not enter inside or be discharged outside.

  The bag 2 that has passed through the front chamber 6 is carried into the second chamber (heating chamber) 8 as the transport cable 22 travels. Air heated by a heater 32 is supplied to the heating chamber 8, and the bag 2 is preheated before being decontaminated in the next decontamination chamber 10.

  The bag 2 that has passed through the heating chamber 8 is carried into a third chamber (decontamination chamber) 10. In the decontamination chamber 10, the hydrogen peroxide vapor sent from the hydrogen peroxide vapor supply device 40 is blown from the blowout port 56 provided in the side walls 10 a and 10 b, and the transport cable 22 and the bag 2 pass through. The tunnel shape has a narrow cross-sectional area as much as possible, and hydrogen peroxide vapor is blown into the narrow space, so that the hydrogen peroxide vapor is maintained at a predetermined high concentration. Therefore, the bag 2 passing through the decontamination chamber 10 is decontaminated in a short time. The wall surfaces 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d around the decontamination chamber 10 are heated by being wound with a heater cord 60 on the outer surface side, and the surface of the inner wall surface 10e of the decontamination chamber 10 has a predetermined temperature. Therefore, condensation and condensation of hydrogen peroxide vapor can be suppressed, and decontamination can be performed efficiently. Since the decontamination chamber 10 is maintained at the highest positive pressure, the upstream atmosphere before decontamination does not enter.

  The bag 2 that has been decontaminated in the decontamination chamber 10 is hydrogen peroxide vapor attached in the decontamination chamber 10 by the air blown from the air supply blower 70 in the next fourth chamber (aeration chamber) 12. Is removed. The hydrogen peroxide is decomposed by the catalyst 74 when discharged by the exhaust blower 72.

  The bag 2 subjected to decontamination and aeration is carried into a fifth chamber (processing chamber) 14. In this processing chamber 14, an external worker inserts both hands through the glove 76, opens the bag 2, takes out the stored item 78 stored in the bag 2, and puts it in the hopper 80. In the processing chamber 14, an external worker takes out the contents 78 from the bag 2 through the globe 76, so that the environment in the processing chamber 14 is not destroyed. The bag 2 that has been transported to the processing chamber 14 in a sealed state is transported thereafter in an unsealed state (the opened bag is indicated by reference numeral 2A).

  The opened bag 2A passes through the rear chamber 16 and is discharged to the outside. Since the inside of the rear chamber 16 is maintained at a negative pressure similarly to the front chamber 6, the internal atmosphere does not leak to the outside, and the outside air does not enter the inside. The unsealed bag 2A carried out by the traveling of the transport cable 22 is removed from the hook 24, and a new bag 2 containing a decontaminated container (resin container or the like) 78 is stored in the hook 24. Is suspended and the same operation as described above is performed. Since the bag 2 containing the decontaminated contents 78 can be continuously decontaminated by the conveying means 4 traveling in the chambers 6 to 16 in this way, it is extremely efficient. Moreover, the apparatus can be installed in a compact space without increasing the size.

It is a block diagram which simplifies and shows the whole structure of a decontamination apparatus. Example 1 It is the figure which made the cross section the decontamination chamber of the decontamination apparatus of FIG. 1, and the block diagram of a hydrogen peroxide vapor | steam supply apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

2 Goods (bags)
4 Conveying means 8 Heating chamber 10 Decontamination chamber 10e Inner wall surface of decontamination chamber 12 Aeration chamber 56 Outlet 60 Heating means (heater code)

Claims (1)

A heating chamber for heating the article before decontamination, a decontamination chamber for decontaminating the heated article with hydrogen peroxide vapor, an aeration chamber for aeration of the article after decontamination, A decontamination apparatus that decontaminates the surface by bringing hydrogen peroxide vapor into contact with an article conveyed through the decontamination chamber by the conveyance means.
A blowout port for blowing out hydrogen peroxide vapor into the decontamination chamber, and an inner wall surface covering the periphery of the article in order to prevent the hydrogen peroxide vapor blown from the blowout outlet from diffusing from around the article. A decontamination apparatus comprising a heating means for heating the surface of the inner wall surface.

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