JP2010046226A - Isolator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the discharge of a unreacted sterilization substance minimum when applying sterilization treatment between during last time operation and following time operation and to quickly make an isolator the state where the next operation can be started. <P>SOLUTION: The isolator 100 includes an operation chamber 10, a gas feeding section 40, a fan 46, a gas discharge section 50, a sterilization substance reducing treating section 54, a concentration measure section 56, a path 74 having an HEPA filter 20, a sterilization substance feed section 30, and a control section 90. After feeding the sterilization substance to the operation chamber 10 and sterilizing while maintaining the concentration of the sterilization substance in the operation chamber 10 constant, the control section 90 starts air discharge using the fan 46 and makes the air discharge amount when the completion of the air discharge higher than the air discharge amount when the concentration of the sterilization substance reaches the maximum concentration. Thereby, the discharge of the unreacted sterilization substance can be suppressed to minimum and the sterilization treatment time can be shortened by effective air discharge. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an isolator.

  The isolator has a work room in an aseptic environment inside, and is used to perform work that is required to be an aseptic environment in the work room, for example, work on biological materials such as cell culture. . Here, the aseptic environment refers to an environment that is almost as dust-free aseptic in order to avoid contamination other than substances necessary for work performed in the work room.

  In order to ensure an aseptic environment in the work chamber, in the isolator, air taken in from the gas supply unit is a particulate collection filter such as a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air filter) provided between the gas supply unit and the work chamber. Is supplied to the working room. Further, the air in the work chamber is discharged from the gas discharge portion through a particulate collection filter provided between the work chamber and the gas discharge portion.

  In addition, after one work in the work chamber is completed, for example, hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing material is sprayed from the sterilizing material supply unit into the work chamber to sterilize the work chamber in the next work (see Patent Document 1). .

As a method for measuring the concentration of sterilizing substances in an isolator, a system that measures the concentration of sterilant in the sterilization chamber in real time is known. This confirms whether the gas concentration transition satisfies the conditions for achieving sterilization. It aims at doing (refer patent document 2). Also known is a system that measures temperature and humidity upstream and downstream of the gas flow of a hydrogen peroxide gas generator, which is a sterilization gas, respectively, which determines the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas supplied to the sterilization chamber. The purpose (see Patent Document 3).
JP 2005-31799 A JP 2008-68088 A JP 2007-202628 A

  In the conventional hydrogen peroxide gas replacement process, the displacement is constant throughout the entire process, and the concentration of the sterilizing substance at the time of discharge has not been measured. Therefore, the exhaust amount has not been controlled according to the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas. Therefore, when exhaust is performed at a high displacement, in the first half of the replacement process, the device for reducing the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas (reduction processing unit) has not been able to efficiently reduce the sterilizing substance. However, there is a problem that unreacted sterilizing substances are discharged into the atmosphere, and there is a risk that workers and the like may be exposed to danger. On the other hand, when exhaust is performed at a low displacement, there is a problem that exhaust takes too much time in the second half of the replacement process in which the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the isolator is reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to enable the isolator to start the next work earlier when the sterilization process is performed between the previous work and the next work in the isolator. It is in the provision of a technology that can be put into a state and a technology that reduces the emission of sterilizing substances into the atmosphere.

  One embodiment of the present invention is an isolator. The isolator includes a work chamber for performing work on a biological material, a gas supply unit that supplies gas into the work chamber, a gas discharge unit that discharges gas in the work chamber, and a particulate collection filter. A flow path that communicates between the gas supply unit and the working chamber, a sterilizing substance supply unit that supplies a sterilizing substance into the working chamber, and an exhaust means for adjusting the amount of gas discharged from the gas discharging unit. , After reducing the concentration of the sterilizing substance contained in the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit and supplying the sterilizing substance to the working chamber to maintain a constant concentration of the sterilizing substance in the working chamber, And a control unit that starts exhaust using the exhaust means and makes the exhaust amount at the end of exhaust higher than the exhaust amount when the concentration of the sterilizing substance reaches the maximum concentration.

  According to this aspect, when the sterilization process is performed between the previous work and the next work in the isolator, the isolator can be brought into a state where the next work can be started earlier by an efficient replacement process. it can. In addition, when the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas reaches a predetermined concentration, the displacement is suppressed, so that the sterilizing substance that has not been processed by the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit is minimized to the atmosphere. can do. As a result, the worker's safety can be improved.

  Moreover, in the said aspect, it further has the density | concentration measurement part which measures the density | concentration of the sterilization substance which exists in the gas discharged | emitted from the gas discharge part provided in the gas discharge part, and a control part is measured by a concentration measurement part. The exhaust amount is gradually increased until the determined concentration reaches a predetermined determination concentration, and the exhaust amount is kept within a predetermined range after reaching the determination concentration, and the concentration decrease rate measured by the concentration measuring unit exceeds a predetermined threshold. The exhaust amount may be further gradually increased on the condition.

  Moreover, in the said aspect, it further has a density | concentration measurement part which measures the density | concentration of the sterilization substance which exists in the gas discharged | emitted from the gas discharge part provided in the gas discharge part, and a control part is to predetermined | prescribed determination density | concentration. Gradually increases the exhaust volume, and after reaching the judgment concentration, the exhaust volume is controlled by feedback using the concentration measured by the concentration measurement unit so that the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas falls within a predetermined range. The exhaust amount may be fixed on the condition that a predetermined exhaust amount has been reached.

  Further, in the above aspect, when the concentration measurement unit is provided on the downstream side of the gas flow of the reduction processing unit, the control unit further includes another concentration measurement unit provided on the upstream side of the gas flow of the reduction processing unit. The concentration of the sterilized substance in the exhaust gas after the sterilizing substance reduction process, measured using the concentration measuring unit, is reduced using another concentration measuring unit on condition that the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit has been reached. The concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust before treatment is measured, and the exhaust from the gas discharge unit is exhausted on the condition that the concentration of the sterilized substance measured by another concentration measurement unit has reached the detection limit of another concentration measurement unit. You may end.

  Further, in the above aspect, the apparatus further includes a measuring unit that measures a time required for the gas in the working chamber to reach the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit after the gas starts to be discharged from the gas discharging unit, and the control unit has a predetermined time. When the threshold value is exceeded, a reduction in capability of the reduction processing unit may be notified.

  In the above embodiment, the sterilizing substance may be hydrogen peroxide.

  A combination of the above-described elements as appropriate can also be included in the scope of the invention for which patent protection is sought by this patent application.

  According to the present invention, the time required for the sterilization treatment can be shortened, and the discharge of the sterilized substance into the atmosphere can be reduced.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The embodiments do not limit the invention but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an isolator 100 according to the first embodiment. The isolator 100 according to the first embodiment includes a work chamber 10 for performing work on biological materials such as cell extraction and cell culture, a gas supply unit 40 that supplies gas into the work chamber 10, and the isolator 100. The gas discharge part 50 which discharges | emits this gas, the sterilization substance supply part 30 which supplies a sterilization substance in the working chamber 10, and the control part 90 which performs these control are provided. Here, the living body-derived material means a material including a living organism including a cell itself, a substance constituting the living organism, or a substance produced by the living organism.

  The gas supply unit 40 is provided with an air inlet 42, a three-way valve 44, and a fan 46. Air is taken in from the outside via the air inlet 42. The three-way valve 44 is connected to the gas flow downstream side of the intake port 42 via the path 70 and to the gas flow downstream side of the sterilizing substance delivery part 36 via the path 80. The three-way valve 44 is connected to the upstream side of the gas flow of the fan 46 via a path 72. The three-way valve 44 can exclusively switch the gas flow path from the path 70 to the path 72 or from the path 80 to the path 72. Air taken in via the air inlet 42 or gas containing a sterilizing substance delivered via the path 80 is taken into the fan 46 via the three-way valve 44.

  The fan 46 sends the gas taken in from the direction of the three-way valve 44 via the path 72 to the direction of the work chamber 10 via the path 74. The fan 46 can be switched on and off by the control unit 90. The fan 46 can continuously adjust the exhaust amount.

  The work room 10 is provided with a front door 12 that can be opened and closed. A work glove 14 for performing work in the work chamber 10 is provided at a predetermined position of the front door 12. An operator can perform a work in the work chamber 10 through the work glove 14 by inserting a hand into the work glove 14 from an opening (not shown) provided in the front door 12. In the work chamber 10, the gas sent from the fan 46 is taken in from the gas supply port 16, and the gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 18. The gas supply port 16 is provided with a HEPA filter 20, and the gas discharge port 18 is provided with a HEPA filter 22. As a result, the sterility of the working chamber 10 is ensured. The gas discharged from the work chamber 10 is sent to the gas discharge unit 50 via the gas discharge port 18, the HEPA filter 22, and the path 76.

  According to the gas flow, the gas discharge unit 50 is provided with a three-way valve 52, a sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54, a concentration measurement unit 56, and an exhaust port 58 in this order.

  The three-way valve 52 is connected to the gas flow downstream side of the working chamber 10 via the path 76 and to the gas flow upstream side of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 via the path 82. The three-way valve 52 is connected to the upstream side of the gas flow of the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 via a path 78. The three-way valve 52 can exclusively switch the gas flow path from the path 76 to the path 82, or from the path 76 to the path 78, and the gas taken in via the path 76 is in the direction of the path 82 or It is sent in the direction of the path 78.

  The sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 performs processing for reducing the concentration of the sterilizing substance contained in the gas sent via the three-way valve 52. The sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54 includes a metal catalyst such as platinum, but may include activated carbon.

  The concentration measurement unit 56 is provided downstream of the sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54 in the gas flow, and measures the concentration of the sterilization substance after the reduction process in the exhaust gas. The measurement result is transmitted from the concentration measurement unit 56 to the control unit 90. The gas reduced by the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 is discharged from the exhaust port 58 to the outside of the isolator 100.

  A sterilizing substance supply unit 30 that supplies a sterilizing substance to the working chamber 10 is provided outside the working chamber 10. The sterilizing substance supply unit 30 supplies the sterilizing substance to the working chamber 10 and circulates the inside of the isolator 100, so that the working chamber 10 and the path can be made aseptic environment. Here, the aseptic environment refers to an environment that is almost as dust-free aseptic in order to avoid contamination other than substances necessary for work performed in the work room. In this embodiment, the sterilizing substance is hydrogen peroxide.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sterilizing substance supply unit 30 is located on the gas flow downstream side of the three-way valve 52 and the path 78 and on the gas flow upstream side of the path 80 and the three-way valve 44. The sterilizing substance supply unit 30 includes a sterilizing substance supply tank 32, a pump 34, and a sterilizing substance delivery unit 36. The sterilizing substance supply tank 32 stores hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing substance. The pump 34 pumps up the hydrogen peroxide solution stored in the sterilizing substance supply tank 32 via the sterilizing substance supply pipe 33 and sends it through the sterilizing substance supply pipe 35. The sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 is connected to the downstream side of the gas flow of the three-way valve 52 via the path 78 and to the upstream side of the gas flow of the three-way valve 44 via the path 80. The sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 generates hydrogen peroxide gas or mist from the supplied hydrogen peroxide solution. The generated hydrogen peroxide gas or mist is sent to the path 80.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36. A specific configuration of the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 will be described with reference to this drawing. The sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 includes a control substrate 202, a hydrogen peroxide solution tank 204, a water seal cap 206, a hydrogen peroxide solution tank 208, and an ultrasonic oscillator 210.

  The control board 202 is a board for controlling the pump 34. The hydrogen peroxide tank 204 is a container that temporarily stores hydrogen peroxide. The water seal cap 206 is a cap for adjusting the supply amount from the hydrogen peroxide tank 204 to the hydrogen peroxide tank 208. The hydrogen peroxide tank 208 includes an ultrasonic oscillator 210 at the bottom, and is a water tank that temporarily stores the hydrogen peroxide solution supplied from the hydrogen peroxide tank 204. The ultrasonic oscillator 210 is an oscillator for generating hydrogen peroxide gas or mist by ultrasonic vibration. The sterilizing substance supply tank 32 shown in FIG. 1 contains hydrogen peroxide water. For example, the pump 34 is controlled by the control board 202, and the sterilizing substance supply tank 32 passes through the sterilizing substance supply pipes 33 and 35. The hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to the hydrogen peroxide solution tank 204.

  The hydrogen peroxide solution supplied to the hydrogen peroxide solution tank 204 is supplied to the hydrogen peroxide solution tank 208 via the water seal cap 206 under the control of the control board 202. Then, hydrogen peroxide gas (mist) 203 is generated by applying ultrasonic vibration to the hydrogen peroxide solution in the hydrogen peroxide solution tank 208 using the ultrasonic oscillator 210. The generated hydrogen peroxide gas (mist) 203 is sent out toward the work chamber 10 via the path 80, but most of the gas is quickly vaporized and exists in the work chamber 10 as hydrogen peroxide gas or mist. To do. Hereinafter, hydrogen peroxide gas including hydrogen peroxide mist may be referred to.

  The sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 is not limited to the configuration that generates hydrogen peroxide gas or mist as in the present embodiment. For example, the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 applies hydrogen to the dropped hydrogen peroxide solution to vaporize the hydrogen peroxide gas. Alternatively, a hydrogen peroxide gas generator that generates mist may be used. The sterilizing substance is not limited to hydrogen peroxide, and may be a substance containing an active oxygen species such as ozone.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 90 will be described. The control unit 90 includes a measurement unit 92 and a recording unit 94. The control unit 90 controls the sterilizing substance delivery by the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36. The control unit 90 also switches the gas flow path by controlling the opening and closing of the three-way valves 44 and 52.

  Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the opening and closing of the three-way valve 44 to control exclusive switching of the gas flow path from the path 70 to the path 72 or from the path 80 to the path 72. The control unit 90 controls the opening and closing of the three-way valve 52 to control exclusive switching of the gas flow path from the path 76 to the path 82 or from the path 76 to the path 78. Further, the control unit 90 receives the measurement result from the concentration measurement unit 56 and, based on the received measurement result, controls the rotation speed of the fan 46 according to the concentration measurement result of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas by the concentration measurement unit 56. Adjust and continuously control the displacement. The measuring unit 92 measures the time required from the start to the end of the sterilization process. The recording unit 94 records the measured time. The control unit 90 uses the measurement unit 92 and the recording unit 94 to determine the performance deterioration of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54.

(Change of gas flow path)
The gas flow path of the isolator 100 is switched in the following two ways by the controller 90 controlling the opening and closing of the three-way valves 44 and 52. That is, when the hydrogen peroxide gas is circulated in the isolator 100, the three-way valve 44 is opened only in the direction from the path 80 to the path 72, and is closed in the direction from the path 70 to the path 72. Further, the three-way valve 52 is opened only in the direction from the path 76 to the path 78, and is closed in the direction from the path 76 to the path 82. As a result, the hydrogen peroxide gas enters the working chamber 10 from the sterilizing substance delivery section 36 through the path 80, the three-way valve 44, the path 72, the fan 46, the path 74, the HEPA filter 20, and the gas supply port 16. A circulation path is formed through the outlet 18, the HEPA filter 22, the path 76, the three-way valve 52, and the path 78 to return to the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36.

  On the other hand, when the air in the working chamber is replaced, the three-way valve 44 is opened only in the direction from the path 70 to the path 72 and is closed in the direction from the path 80 to the path 72. The three-way valve 52 is opened only in the direction from the path 76 to the path 82, and is closed in the direction from the path 76 to the path 78. As a result, the air enters the working chamber 10 from the intake port 42 through the path 70, the three-way valve 44, the path 72, the fan 46, the path 74, the HEPA filter 20, and the gas supply port 16, and the gas exhaust port 18, HEPA filter. 22, the path 76, the three-way valve 52, the path 82, and the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 are discharged from the exhaust port 58.

(Sterilization)
In the isolator 100, after one work in the work chamber 10 (previous work) is completed, the sterilization process of the flow path used in the work chamber 10 and the previous work is performed in the next work. The sterilization process includes a pretreatment process, a sterilization process, and a replacement process.

  In the pretreatment process, the hydrogen peroxide gas is supplied from the sterilizing substance supply unit 30 into the work chamber 10, and the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the work chamber 10 is maintained to be higher than the concentration required for sterilization in the work chamber 10. The After the hydrogen peroxide gas in the working chamber 10 reaches a predetermined concentration or more in the pretreatment process, the sterilization process is started.

  In the sterilization process, sterilization is performed by circulating hydrogen peroxide gas from the sterilizing substance supply unit 30 to the working chamber 10 and returning to the sterilizing substance supply unit 30 again via the three-way valve 52. More specifically, in the sterilization process, the three-way valve 44 is switched to the open state only from the path 80 toward the path 72 and is closed from the path 70 toward the path 72. On the other hand, the three-way valve 52 is switched to the open state only from the path 76 in the direction of the path 78, and is closed in the direction from the path 76 to the path 82. As a result, a gas flow in which gas emitted from the sterilizing substance delivery unit 36 enters the working chamber 10 via the three-way valve 44 and returns to the sterilization substance delivery unit 36 via the three-way valve 52 in the isolator 100. A path is formed and hydrogen peroxide gas circulates in the isolator 100.

  In the replacement process, the air taken in via the air inlet 42 is supplied into the work chamber 10 and the gas in the work chamber 10 is pushed out to replace the gas in the work chamber 10. More specifically, in the replacement process, the control unit 90 switches the three-way valve 44 from the intake port 42 to the working chamber 10 direction and opens the three-way valve 52 from the working chamber 10 to the exhaust port 58 only. Switch. Further, the control unit 90 turns on the fan 46. As a result, the air taken in from the air inlet 42 into the isolator 100 passes through the HEPA filter 20 from the path 70 to the work chamber 10, and passes through the HEPA filter 22 from the work chamber 10 to the exhaust port. A gas flow path is formed to be discharged from 58. As a result, the gas in the work chamber 10 is replaced with air, and the hydrogen peroxide gas in the work chamber 10 is removed from the work chamber 10.

  At this time, the hydrogen peroxide gas pushed out from the working chamber 10 is reduced by the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54, so that the outflow of the hydrogen peroxide gas from the exhaust port 58 to the outside of the isolator 100 is reduced. . At this time, the control unit 90 adjusts the exhaust amount by the fan 46 based on the concentration measurement result in the concentration measurement unit 56. Further, in the replacement process, it is adsorbed to a region other than the working chamber 10 in the isolator 100, for example, the hydrogen peroxide gas remaining in the gas supply unit 40 or the HEPA filters 20 and 22 in the flow passage used in the previous work. Hydrogen peroxide that is present is also removed.

  In the replacement process, when the hydrogen peroxide gas in the work chamber 10 becomes a predetermined concentration or less, the next work can be started. Here, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas at which the next operation can be started is a concentration that does not affect the biological material used for the next operation to a degree that cannot be ignored in the operation. This concentration is, for example, a concentration of 1 ppm (TWA: time-weighted average value) or less defined by ACGIH (American Conference of Global Industrial Hygienists). Alternatively, the time during which the hydrogen peroxide gas in the working chamber 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined concentration may be experimentally obtained so that the next operation can be started after the lapse of the determined time.

(Control of displacement in replacement process)
Next, changes in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas and the displacement in the replacement process will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating exhaust control according to the first embodiment. The upper stage, the interruption, and the lower stage respectively show the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the replacement step, the differential component as the change rate of the concentration, and the change over time of the displacement of the isolator 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas is measured by the concentration measurement unit 56 provided on the downstream side of the gas flow of the sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54. Based on this, the exhaust amount of the gas discharge unit 50 is controlled as follows so that the allowable exhaust concentration does not exceed a predetermined threshold value by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the fan 46 according to a command from the control unit 90. Is done. First, after the start of exhaust (I), the exhaust amount is gradually increased (II) by increasing the rotational speed of the fan 46. Next, after the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas reaches a predetermined judgment concentration A (III), the exhaust amount is maintained as shown in the upper part of FIG. 3 by keeping the rotational speed of the fan 46 within a predetermined range. Is maintained within a predetermined range (IV). As shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, after the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas reaches the maximum concentration at time Ta, the exhaustion is further continued. As shown in the middle part of FIG. After confirming that the differential component (decrease rate) of the concentration exceeds the predetermined threshold value (V), the exhaust amount is gradually reduced as shown in the upper part of FIG. Increase (VI). Further, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, after the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas falls to a predetermined judgment concentration A (VII), the maximum exhaust amount is exhausted until the exhausting is finished, as shown in the upper part of FIG. The discharge is continued at (VIII). The allowable exhaust concentration may be determined by experiment. The predetermined determination concentration A is preferably about 40% of the allowable exhaust concentration, but may be determined by experiment. In addition, the differential component of the decrease rate of the hydrogen peroxide gas concentration is usually a specific negative value as a threshold value, but is not limited to this and may be determined by experiment. Here, when the displacement reaches the maximum output as shown in the upper part of FIG. 3 and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas is not measured below the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit as shown in the lower part of FIG. The rotation speed of the fan 46 is reduced by the unit 90, and the exhaust is finished. After reaching the detection limit, when the volume of the working chamber 10 is Xm ³ and the exhaust capacity of the fan 46 is Ym ³ / sec, after X / Y × 5 to X / Y × 10 sec, that is, in the working chamber 10 Exhaust may be terminated after a further time has elapsed to replace the gas 5 to 10 times.

(Measures against performance deterioration of the sterilization substance reduction processing unit)
FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the number of sterilization implementations and the sterilization processing time, and is a schematic diagram showing the capability determination of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 according to the first embodiment.

  The measuring unit 92 measures the time (processing time) from the start to the end of the sterilization process, that is, from the start of the sterilization process until a predetermined time elapses after reaching the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit 56. The recording unit 94 records this measurement result in association with the number of sterilizations. The graph (a) in FIG. 4 is a plot of each sterilization treatment time (vertical axis) obtained here versus the number of sterilization operations (horizontal axis). Here, the control unit 90 determines whether the processing time measured by the measuring unit 92 and recorded by the recording unit 94 exceeds a predetermined threshold (b), and if the processing time exceeds the threshold, sterilization is performed. Notification is made that the performance of the substance reduction processing unit 54 has deteriorated. Thus, the processing unit can be replaced at an appropriate time, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas can be reduced by using the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 whose performance is always higher than a predetermined level. Note that the threshold (b) of the time required for the sterilization process may be determined by experiment, and further includes a device that automatically replaces the sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54 in addition to notifying a decrease in performance. May be.

  In the conventional isolator, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the working chamber rapidly decreases immediately after the start of the replacement process, but thereafter, the rate of decrease in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas has been significantly reduced. This is because the exhaust was performed with a constant exhaust amount, so that efficient exhaust could not be performed in the second half of the replacement process in which the hydrogen peroxide gas in the isolator becomes low in concentration. As a result, the replacement process takes time, and a long time is required until the working chamber becomes usable. On the other hand, the isolator 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 gradually increases the exhaust amount in the replacement step, and after the hydrogen peroxide gas in the working chamber 10 reaches a predetermined concentration, the exhaust amount is within a predetermined range. Then, after confirming that the concentration reduction rate of the hydrogen peroxide gas has reached a predetermined threshold value or more, the exhaust amount is gradually increased again. Thereby, in the first half of the replacement process, the discharge of undecomposed hydrogen peroxide into the atmosphere can be minimized, so that the safety of workers and the like is ensured and efficient exhaust is possible. Further, in the latter half of the replacement process, the hydrogen peroxide gas was conventionally discharged at a constant displacement, so that the exhaust could not be performed efficiently. However, by the control of the displacement in this embodiment, the discharged hydrogen peroxide Evacuation can be performed efficiently when the gas concentration is low. By controlling the exhaust amount, when sterilization is performed between the previous work and the next work, the time required for the replacement process can be shortened, and the isolator 100 can be started sooner. be able to.

  In addition, by notifying that the performance of the sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54 has deteriorated based on the measurement result by the measurement unit 92, it is possible to more reliably secure the safety from the exhaust gas and shorten the sterilization time. it can.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the displacement is controlled by feedback. The other configurations of the isolator 100, the operation in the sterilization process, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore the same drawings are used and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating exhaust control according to the second embodiment. Specifically, the hydrogen peroxide gas concentration and displacement of the isolator 100 in the replacement step by feedback are shown over time.

  The concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas is measured by the concentration measuring unit 56 that measures the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas provided on the gas flow downstream side of the gas discharge unit 50 (see the lower part of FIG. 5). Based on the measurement result, the exhaust amount of the gas discharge unit 50 is controlled by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the fan 46 according to a command from the control unit 90.

  As shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, first, the exhaust amount is gradually increased by increasing the rotational speed of the fan 46 after the start of exhaust (I). Next, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 5, after the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas reaches a predetermined determination concentration B (II), the exhaust amount is controlled by feedback by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed. Here, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, the exhaust amount is controlled by increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the fan 46 in accordance with the vertical movement of the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas measured by the concentration measuring unit 56 (III ).

  That is, when the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas exceeds a predetermined determination concentration B, the rotational speed of the fan 46 is decreased to reduce the exhaust amount. On the other hand, when the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas falls below the predetermined determination concentration B, the rotational speed of the fan 46 is increased and the exhaust amount is increased. Thereby, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 5, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust gas is maintained within a predetermined range. Thereafter, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, the exhaust amount is gradually increased while being slightly increased or decreased, and the exhaust amount is set to the maximum output and maintained (IV). After reaching the detection limit by the concentration measuring unit 56, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, the exhaust is further continued at the maximum displacement (V), and then the exhaust is terminated (VI). The predetermined determination concentration B is preferably about 50% of the allowable exhaust concentration, but may be determined by experiment. Further, the determination density B may not be a specific value but may be a specific range in which an upper limit and a lower limit are determined. In this case, the exhaust amount may be controlled to be lowered when the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas in the exhaust exceeds the upper limit value, and the exhaust amount may be controlled to increase when the concentration falls below the lower limit value. Note that the present embodiment can provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that another concentration measuring unit 60 (see FIG. 6) for measuring the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas is further provided on the upstream side of the gas flow of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54. . Other configurations of the isolator 300 and operations in the sterilization process are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and therefore, the same symbols are used and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an isolator according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the exhaust control according to the third embodiment, that is, the change over time in the hydrogen peroxide gas concentration and the exhaust amount in the replacement step. FIG. 7 shows three patterns of density 1 (high density), density 2 (medium density), and density 3 (low density). FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the hydrogen peroxide gas concentration detection limit region C of FIG. M represents a change over time in the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas measured using the concentration measuring unit 56 on the downstream side of the gas flow of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54. On the other hand, N represents a change over time in the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas measured using another concentration measuring unit 60 provided on the upstream side of the gas flow of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, after the measurement value (M) by the concentration measurement unit 56 provided on the downstream side of the gas flow of the sterilization substance reduction processing unit 54 reaches the detection limit at time T1, the sterilization substance Using the concentration measurement unit 60 provided on the upstream side of the gas flow of the reduction processing unit 54 (N), the concentration measurement is performed until the concentration measurement unit 60 reaches the detection limit at time T2, and the exhaust is terminated. Based on the measurement result by the concentration measurement unit 60, the detection limit of the concentration measurement unit 56 is set by performing the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas on the downstream side of the gas flow of the sterilizing substance reduction processing unit 54 even after reaching the detection limit of the concentration measurement unit 56. The same effect as when it is lowered can be obtained. Note that the concentration measuring unit 56 provided on the downstream side of the gas flow may not be provided, and only the concentration measuring unit 60 may be provided. In this case, the control by the control unit 90 may be performed so that the same effect as in the first and second embodiments is obtained based on the measurement result by the concentration measurement unit 60.

  The present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments described above, and various modifications such as design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. These forms can also be included in the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the isolator 100 according to each of the above embodiments may include a heater (not shown) as a heating unit for raising the temperature of the HEPA filter 20. According to this, the hydrogen peroxide adsorbed on the HEPA filter 20 becomes easier to peel off. Further, when hydrogen peroxide is adsorbed to the HEPA filter 20 in a liquid state, when the hydrogen peroxide in the liquid state is vaporized, heat is taken away as the heat of vaporization, and the temperature is lowered to vaporize the hydrogen peroxide. It is possible to avoid a state in which is suppressed. The heater ON / OFF and the heating amount may be controlled by the control unit. The heating amount of the HEPA filter 20 by the heater is preferably such that the temperature change in the work chamber 10 due to the heating of the heater is suppressed to, for example, 5 ° C. or less. Further, the heating of the HEPA filter 20 by the heater is performed on the HEPA filter of the flow path used in the previous work after the gas flow path is switched to the flow path not used in the previous work in the replacement process, for example. Is called.

  In the first to third embodiments, the HEPA filters 20 and 22 are installed on the side surface of the work chamber 10. However, the positions of these filters may be separated from the work chamber 10.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, only the fan 46 that is an intake fan is used and the fan also has a function as an exhaust fan. However, the fan is not limited to the intake fan, and may be an exhaust fan. In addition, both an intake fan and an exhaust fan may be provided. In the latter case, the control unit 90 may control the exhaust amount of the intake fan to be approximately the same as the exhaust amount of the exhaust fan.

  In the first to third embodiments, the pass box and the three-way valve and the fan for controlling the air in the pass box are not installed, but an isolator including these may be used. Here, the pass box is installed on the wall surface of the work room, and when passing tools and articles between the front room and the work room, avoid entering and leaving dust and minimize entry of dust into the work room. A device that can be used.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, a plurality of valves may be used so that the flow path is switched as long as the same effects as those of these embodiments are exhibited, and the three-way valve may not be used.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an isolator according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of a sterilization substance delivery part. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating exhaust control according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the capability determination of the sterilization substance reduction process part which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating exhaust control according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an isolator according to a third embodiment. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating exhaust control according to Embodiment 3. FIG. It is the schematic diagram which expanded the detection limit area | region C of the density | concentration of the hydrogen peroxide gas of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Working room, 12 Front door, 14 Work glove, 16 Gas supply port, 18 Gas discharge port, 20, 22 HEPA filter, 30 Sterilization substance supply part, 32 Sterilization substance supply tank, 33, 35 Sterilization substance supply pipe, 34 Pump, 36 Sterilization substance delivery section, 40 Gas supply section, 42 Intake port, 44, 52 Three-way valve, 46 Fan, 50 Gas discharge section, 54 Sterilization substance reduction processing section, 56, 60 Concentration measurement section, 58 Exhaust opening, 70 , 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 path, 90 control unit, 92 measurement unit, 94 recording unit, 100, 300 isolator, 202 control substrate, 203 hydrogen peroxide gas (mist), 204 hydrogen peroxide water tank 206 Water seal cap.

Claims (6)

A working room for performing work on biological materials;
A gas supply unit for supplying gas into the working chamber;
A gas discharge part for discharging the gas in the working chamber;
A flow passage having a particulate collection filter, and communicating the gas supply unit and the working chamber;
A sterilizing substance supply unit for supplying a sterilizing substance into the working chamber;
An exhaust means for adjusting the exhaust amount of the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit;
A reduction processing unit for reducing the concentration of the sterilizing substance contained in the gas discharged from the gas discharge unit;
After supplying the sterilizing substance to the working chamber and performing sterilization while keeping the concentration of the sterilizing substance constant in the working chamber, exhausting was started using the exhaust means, and the concentration of the sterilizing substance reached the maximum concentration A control unit that makes the exhaust amount at the end of exhaust higher than the exhaust amount at the time,
An isolator comprising: A concentration measuring unit for measuring a concentration of the sterilizing substance provided in the gas discharged from the gas discharging unit provided in the gas discharging unit;
The controller is
The exhaust amount is gradually increased until the concentration measured by the concentration measuring unit reaches a predetermined determination concentration,
Keeping the displacement in a predetermined range after reaching the judgment concentration,
2. The isolator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement is further increased gradually on condition that the concentration decrease rate measured by the concentration measuring unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value. A concentration measuring unit for measuring a concentration of the sterilizing substance provided in the gas discharged from the gas discharging unit provided in the gas discharging unit;
The controller is
Gradually increase the displacement until a predetermined judgment concentration,
After the determination concentration is reached, the exhaust amount is controlled by feedback using the concentration measured by the concentration measuring unit so that the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas falls within a predetermined range, and the exhaust amount is a predetermined exhaust amount. 2. The isolator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement is fixed on condition that the pressure reaches the value of 2. When the concentration measurement unit is provided on the downstream side of the gas flow of the reduction processing unit, the concentration measurement unit further includes another concentration measurement unit provided on the upstream side of the gas flow of the reduction processing unit,
The controller is
The concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust gas after the sterilizing substance reduction process, measured using the concentration measuring unit, has reached the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit.
Measure the concentration of the sterilizing substance in the exhaust before the reduction process using the other concentration measuring unit,
The exhaust by the gas discharge unit is terminated on condition that the concentration of the sterilized substance measured by the another concentration measurement unit reaches a detection limit of the another concentration measurement unit. Or the isolator according to 3. A measuring unit for measuring the time required for the gas in the working chamber to reach the detection limit of the concentration measuring unit after being started to be discharged from the gas discharging unit;
5. The isolator according to claim 1, wherein when the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit notifies a reduction in the capability of the reduction processing unit.   The isolator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sterilizing substance is hydrogen peroxide.

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