JP2009162527A - Specimen storage warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a specimen storage warehouse capable of blocking completely a specimen from the outside from the viewpoint of biohazard, without denaturing the specimen. <P>SOLUTION: This specimen storage warehouse 10 is equipped with a storage chamber 1 having airtightness, capable of controlling a temperature in a closed state of a specimen gateway; a specimen gateway 2 for removing the specimen into/out the storage chamber 1; a suction means 3 capable of sucking the outside air into the storage chamber, when the specimen gateway is opened; and a sterilizing lamp 4 capable of sterilizing the inside of the storage chamber, and after closing the specimen gateway, irradiation of the sterilizing lamp is executed for a fixed time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a specimen storage.

In recent years, Japan's health care provision system has been developed under the universal health insurance system. On the other hand, there is a concern that medical expenses will increase due to the declining birthrate and aging population, the spread of advanced medical care, and the improvement of public health awareness. Has been. Therefore, there is a demand for a shift to medical services other than the insurance system, that is, private examinations that implement health prevention at their own expense have become widespread.
From the current state of the medical system, a simpler and more preventive test such as a postal examination is desired. Currently, in postal medical examinations that are expected to spread, specimens are transported to medical institutions and testing centers by mail or courier.

  It is clear that human or animal blood, urine, body fluids, etc. are likely to be infectious, and it is clear that biohazard consideration is necessary. However, at present, they are stored together with other postal items and other delivery items. Being transported.

  Moreover, it is common for transport to use transport means that are not temperature-controlled. Due to the rise in summer temperature, there is a possibility that the target test results may be affected due to decay or denaturation.

  In addition, mail and home delivery have security issues, and in the unlikely event that they are stolen, they may cause serious situations such as infectivity and personal information (gene information) leakage. is there.

  At present, specimen storage for the purpose of transporting and collecting specimens uses a simple cold box, is secured within the discretion of individuals, and regulates the transport of highly infectious specimens. It is expected that some regulations will be implemented.

  On the other hand, the spread of AIDS tests and the like needs to be further promoted by the spread of infection, and tests that can be easily performed by those who wish to test themselves, such as postal medical examinations, need to spread socially.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a specimen transport storage that can solve the above-described various problems in specimen transportation such as mailing or home delivery. It is to provide a specimen storage that can completely shut off the outside.

  The object is to provide a temperature-controllable and airtight storage chamber in a state in which the sample inlet / outlet is closed, a sample inlet / outlet for loading / unloading a sample into / from the storage chamber, and when the sample inlet / outlet is opened. And a sterilization lamp capable of sterilizing the storage chamber, and after the specimen inlet / outlet is closed, the sterilization lamp is irradiated for a predetermined time. It can be solved by the specimen storage.

  According to a preferred aspect of the sample storage of the present invention, the suction means is a means capable of applying a negative pressure in the storage chamber in a state where the sample entrance is closed, or the sample entrance is opened. In this state, the outside air is sucked into the storage chamber, and the suction is stopped immediately after the sample inlet / outlet is closed, so that the negative pressure in the storage chamber can be obtained.

According to another preferable aspect of the sample storage of the present invention, the sample storage has exhaust means capable of discharging the air in the storage chamber to the outside through the sterilization filter.
According to still another preferred aspect of the sample storage container of the present invention, the area of the sample entrance / exit is 1/2 or less of the entire area of the sample entrance / exit installation surface.
According to still another preferred aspect of the sample storage of the present invention, the sample storage port has a sample extraction port dedicated for extraction in addition to the sample port.
According to still another preferred embodiment of the sample storage of the present invention, the air density in the storage chamber corresponds to biohazard class II.

  According to the present invention, the temperature in the storage chamber can be controlled, so that denaturation of the specimen can be suppressed. In addition, according to the present invention, the specimen and the outside can be completely blocked from the viewpoint of biohazard.

  The object to be stored in the sample storage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is particularly suitable for storing a sample that may have a biohazard. Examples of such specimens include specimens that are infectious or suspected to be derived from humans or animals, such as blood, urine, feces, body fluids, organs, and the like.

  Hereinafter, the sample storage of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings showing specific embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an aspect of a sample storage for transporting automobiles provided with a single sample entrance for loading and unloading samples. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing the internal structure of another embodiment of a sample storage for transporting automobiles provided with one dual-purpose sample entrance, as in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing one mode of a sample storage for temporary storage having a sample outlet for exclusive use in addition to a common sample inlet / outlet.

  A sample storage 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a storage chamber 1 that is temperature-controllable and airtight, and an exterior portion 9 thereof. The outer layer section 9 is provided with a sample inlet / outlet port 2, an exhaust section 5, a temperature display section 6, a keyboard 7 and a power supply section 8. Further, in FIG. Is provided. The sample extraction port is used when an unspecified number of people drop a sample, and a large number of samples collected in a biohazard bag or a biohazard box in which the sample is placed are extracted at a time.

  Inside the outer layer part 9, there are provided a suction means 3 capable of sucking outside air into the storage chamber when the sample entrance 2 is opened, and a sterilization lamp 4 for sterilizing the storage chamber. A sample rack 11 that can hold the sample 12 can be provided. In addition, a sensor 21 that senses opening and closing of the sample entrance 2 can be provided.

  The exterior part of the specimen storage can be formed from a material having sufficient strength, for example, reinforced plastic, metal (for example, aluminum). The internal storage chamber is not particularly limited in structure and material as long as the temperature can be controlled and has airtightness. For example, when a heat insulating material (for example, foamed polystyrene) is used, the temperature is controlled. From the point of view, it is preferable.

  The temperature control of the storage room can be carried out according to the same principle as a refrigerator or a freezer, preferably 2 ° C to 20 ° C or / and 0 ° C to -100 ° C, more preferably 3 ° C to 15 ° C or / and 0 ° C. Controlled at ~ -80 ° C.

  Temperature control is possible with a normal power source, and when transported by mail or courier, the temperature can be controlled using an automobile battery as a power source. If the specimen is resistant to temperature changes, rough management can be performed with ice, dry ice, or liquid nitrogen, for example.

Sterilization of the specimen put into the storage chamber can be performed by a sterilization lamp provided in the storage chamber, for example, an ultraviolet (UV) lamp. As the UV lamp, for example, a mercury lamp or a xenon lamp is generally used. When the sample entrance (and sample take-out port; hereinafter, in the description of opening and closing of the sample entrance and exit means both the sample entrance and the sample take-out port unless otherwise specified), irradiation is performed for a certain period of time. Sterilize the storage room. In the present invention, ultraviolet irradiation and the closing of the specimen entrance / exit are linked. The UV irradiation time at the time of closing the specimen entrance / exit can be appropriately determined by measuring the number of sterilized floating cells in the storage room, taking into account the intensity of the ultraviolet light, the size of the storage room, the frequency of opening, and the like. it can. For example, the amount of irradiation necessary to kill 100% of Bacillus subtilis, which is considered to be the strongest to ultraviolet rays among bacteria, is 36,000 μw / cm ² , and is usually 36,000 μw / cm ² or more. The dose is preferably 53,000 μw / cm ² or more. When the sample entrance is opened, it is preferable that the ultraviolet irradiation is in a stopped state, but the sample entrance can be opened in the state of ultraviolet irradiation. In recent years, UV lamps that irradiate ultraviolet rays in a pulsed manner, such as pulsed xenon, have been developed, and the sterilization time is being shortened.

  As the suction means capable of sucking outside air into the storage chamber when the sample inlet / outlet is opened, suction means capable of creating a negative pressure in the storage chamber can be used when the sample inlet / outlet is closed. In addition, when the sample inlet / outlet is open, the outside air (air outside the storage) is sucked into the storage chamber, and the suction is stopped immediately after the sample inlet / outlet is closed, and the inside of the storage is made negative pressure. A suction means that can be used can also be used.

  When the sample inlet / outlet is opened and the outside air is sucked, an exhaust unit is provided so as not to exhaust the air in the chamber contaminated with biohazard. The specimen inlet / outlet is opened, and the sucked outside air is sucked into the storage chamber and exhausted to the outside through a sterilization filter [for example, hepa (HEPA) filter].

  The specimen storage of the present invention is devised so as to suck as little air as possible when the specimen entrance is opened to facilitate temperature control. The reason why the suction amount can be reduced is that the inside of the cabinet has already been sterilized, the air near the entrance is sterilized, and there is no possibility of discharging the air from which the bacterial cells are scattered even with weak suction. In order to ensure this, it is preferable that the specimen entrance / exit is not more than 1/2 of the area of the entire installation surface, and the size of the opening is determined from the balance with the operability of specimen insertion. The temperature inside the cabinet has been achieved through a device.

  The inside of the storage room is secured to airtightness corresponding to biohazard class II, and the test method can apply JIS K 3800: 2005 (JACA / JSA), such as a biohazard safety cabinet. The safety cabinet performance defined in JIS K3800 is as follows.

5.1 According to the test for sealing degree 8.1, according to any of a) to d).
a) The internal pressure drop after 30 minutes is within 10% by the positive pressure maintenance method of 8.1.1.
b) According to the soap method of 8.1.2, soap foam due to leakage is not allowed.
c) The leak rate is less than 1 × 10 ^-5 cm ³ / s by the halogen gas method of 8.1.3.
d) Class II cabinets with positive pressure contaminated plenums not surrounded by negative pressure plenums shall have a leak rate of not more than 5 × 10 ^-7 cm ³ / s by the halogen gas method according to 8.1.3.
5.2 Transmittance of HEPA filter According to the test of 8.2, the maximum transmittance of HEPA filter should be less than 0.01%.
5.3 Blower performance According to the test of 8.12, the reduction in the air flow rate due to a 20% increase in static pressure shall be within 25% without rotation control.
5.4 Airflow balance Aerosol generated in the Class II cabinet shall not leak out of the Class II cabinet by the safety test, sample protection test and cross-contamination prevention test ⁽¹¹⁾ between the workers in 8.3. Contaminants must not enter the work space, and at the same time there must be no cross contamination in the work space.
[Note ⁽¹¹⁾ : In an individual inspection of a class II cabinet that was manufactured as a type-inspected model, if the average blowing wind speed and the average inflow wind speed meet 5.5 in the 8.4 wind speed test, the air balance test in 8.3 Considered conforming to 5.4. ]
5.4.1 Worker safety The test of 8.3.2 shall be performed under the conditions of 8.3.2 b) and 8.3.2 h), and the following items shall be met 5 times in succession.
a) The total number of colonies obtained from the collected liquid of 6 impingers is 10 or less.
b) The total number of colonies of the slit sampler collected 30 minutes after the start of the test is 5 or less per test.
c) The number of colonies on the positive control plate is 300 or more.
5.4.2 Sample protection The test of 8.3.3 shall be performed under the conditions of 8.3.3 b) and 8.3.3 h) and the following items shall be met three times in succession.
a) The total number of colonies collected on the agar plate is 5 or less per test.
b) The number of colonies on the positive control plate is 300 or more.
5.4.3 Prevention of cross-contamination between samples The test of 8.3.4 shall be performed and the following items shall be met three times in succession.
The total number of colonies collected on the agar plate at a position where the center of the plate is more than 360 mm away from the side is 2 or less per test.
5.5 Wind speed
5.5.1 Blowout wind speed The test was conducted according to 8.4.2, and the following.
a) For Class II cabinets designed to keep the blown air speed constant, the measured value at each point is within ± 20% of the average blown air speed. The average blowing wind speed is within ± 0.025 m / s of the selected wind speed value ⁽⁹⁾ .
b) In class II cabinets designed to provide a gradient of blown air velocity from the front opening toward the rear wall, the measured value at each point in each region is within ± 20% of the average blown air velocity in each region. The average blowing wind speed in each area is within ± 0.025 m / s of the selected wind speed value ⁽⁹⁾ .
5.5.2 Inlet wind speed Performed according to the test of 8.4.3, according to the following.
a) Average inflow air velocity from the entire opening is 0.40 m / s or more for Class II Type A cabinet and 0.50 m / s or more for Class II Type B cabinet.
b) The average inflow wind speed is within ± 0.025 m / s of the selected wind speed value ⁽⁹⁾ .
5.5.3 Average Exhaust Air Volume per Frontage 8.4.4 The average exhaust air volume per meter of frontage is 0.070 m ³ / s or higher for Class II Type A cabinets and 0.100 m ³ / s or higher for Class II Type B cabinets.
5.6 Airflow direction The airflow direction is as follows.
a) 8.5 According to the test of a), the smoke shall flow smoothly down. There shall be no areas where smoke does not flow or upward.
b) As per the test of 8.5 b), the smoke shall flow smoothly down. There shall be no areas where smoke does not flow or upward. Smoke must not escape from the Class II cabinet.
c) 8.5 Smoke once entered into a Class II cabinet by the test of c) shall not escape from the Class II cabinet. Do not leak into the work space.
d) 8.5 Smoke shall not leak outside the Class II cabinet as a result of the test of d). Also, there should be no inward airflow that would cause turbulence in the blowout flow.
5.7 Temperature rise According to the test of 8.6, the temperature difference between room temperature and Class II cabinet shall be within 8.5 ° C after 4 hours continuous operation.
5.8 Noise The noise level shall not exceed 67 dB (A) by the test of 8.7.
5.9 Illuminance Based on the test of 8.8, the average illuminance is 750 to 1600 lx. However, this does not apply when there is prior consultation with the user.
5.10 Vibration The vibration displacement in the three directions (X, Y, Z) of the work table shall be 5 μm RMS or less by the test of 8.9.
Reference RMS (root mean square) is the area average value of the oscillating sine wave.
RMS value = 0.707 × PEAK value
Where PEAK value is the height of sine wave (one side)
Is calculated as
5.11 Stability and strength
5.11.1 Tipping and tilting The lifting of the rear leg from the floor shall be no more than 1.6 mm by the tests of 8.10.1 and 8.10.4.
5.11.2 Twist According to the test of 8.10.2, the forward and lateral displacement of the front upper edge shall be 1.6 mm or less.
5.11.3 Strain of the work table Permanent strain shall not remain on the work table according to the test of 8.10.3.
5.12 Sink capacity and water leakage Sink capacity should be 4 L or more. According to the test of 8.11, there shall be no water leakage that can be visually confirmed after standing for 1 hour.
5.13 Resistance of leakage current and protective earth circuit The leakage current shall be 250 μA or less, and the resistance of the protective earth circuit shall be 0.15 Ω or less.

  In the sample storage of the present invention, an anti-theft key can be provided at the sample entrance and the sample take-out port as desired. By providing such a key, security can be strengthened.

  The sample storage of the present invention can be applied to, for example, sample storage and transportation.

It is a perspective view showing typically a sample storage for transportation of vehicles which is one mode of a sample storage of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the internal structure of the sample storage for motor vehicles which is another one aspect | mode of the sample storage of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows typically the sample storage for temporary storage which is another one aspect | mode of the sample storage of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Sample storage;
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Storage room; 2 ... Sample entrance / exit; 3 ... Aspiration means; 4 ... Sterilization lamp;
5 ... exhaust part; 6 ... temperature display part; 7 ... keyboard; 8 ... power supply part;
9: outer layer part.

Claims (7)

  Temperature-controllable and airtight storage chamber with the sample inlet / outlet closed, a sample inlet / outlet for loading / unloading the sample into / from the storage chamber, and the outside air is sucked into the storage chamber when the sample inlet / outlet is opened. A specimen storage container comprising a suction means capable of sterilization, a sterilization lamp capable of sterilizing the storage chamber, and irradiating the sterilization lamp for a predetermined time after the specimen inlet / outlet is closed.   The specimen storage case according to claim 1, wherein the suction means is a means capable of making a negative pressure in the storage chamber when the specimen entrance is closed.   The suction means is a means capable of sucking outside air into the storage chamber in a state where the sample inlet / outlet is open, stopping suction immediately after the sample inlet / outlet is closed, and making the storage chamber negative pressure. The specimen storage case according to claim 1 or 2.   The specimen storage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an exhaust unit that can exhaust the air in the storage chamber to the outside through a sterilization filter.   The specimen storage case according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an area of the specimen entrance / exit is equal to or less than ½ of an entire area of the specimen entrance / exit installation surface.   The specimen storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a specimen outlet for exclusive use in addition to the specimen inlet / outlet.   The specimen storage case according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the airtightness in the storage chamber corresponds to biohazard class II.

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