JP2013236928A5

JP2013236928A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2013236928A5
Application number: JP2013088416A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2013-04-19
Publication date: 2014-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2033-04-19

Description

本発明の滅菌装置は、実質的に大気圧下に保持される被滅菌空間(3, 3’)と、液体の窒素酸化物を収容しかつ密閉可能な容器(1)と、容器(1)内から被滅菌空間(3, 3’)に加圧して所定の量だけ供給される液体の窒素酸化物を噴射又は噴霧する噴射装置(2)とを備え、噴射又は噴霧された液体の窒素酸化物を被滅菌空間(3,3’)で窒素酸化物の飽和蒸気圧曲線以下に減圧し気化する。本発明では、酸化力の強い窒素酸化物の液体を定量ポンプ(4, 4’)により予め決められた量だけ容器(1)から噴射装置(2)に圧送し、噴射装置(2)から実質的に大気圧下の被滅菌空間(3, 3’)内に液体の窒素酸化物を放出して瞬時に気化させる。気化された窒素酸化物は、例えばクリーンルーム(20)の被滅菌空間(3)全体にガスとして分散されかつ拡散して、被滅菌空間(3, 3’)を所定濃度に保持し、被滅菌空間(3, 3’)全体を迅速かつ効率良く無菌化する。また、例えば、滅菌チャンバ(30)内の被滅菌空間(3, 3’)に配置される医療機器(12)等の滅菌対象物を無菌化処理する場合、気化された窒素酸化物は、滅菌対象物(12)の全表面に接触し滅菌対象物(12)を滅菌する。 The sterilization apparatus of the present invention includes a space to be sterilized (3, 3 ′) that is substantially maintained under atmospheric pressure, a container (1) that contains liquid nitrogen oxides and can be sealed, and a container (1). An injection device (2) for injecting or spraying liquid nitrogen oxide that is pressurized from the inside to the space to be sterilized (3, 3 ') and supplied in a predetermined amount, and nitrogen oxidation of the injected or sprayed liquid The object is vaporized by reducing the pressure below the saturated vapor pressure curve of nitrogen oxides in the space to be sterilized (3, 3 '). In the present invention, the nitrogen oxide liquid having a strong oxidizing power is pumped from the container (1) to the injection device (2) by a predetermined amount by the metering pump (4, 4 '), and is substantially supplied from the injection device (2). In particular, liquid nitrogen oxides are released into the space to be sterilized (3, 3 ') under atmospheric pressure to vaporize instantaneously. The vaporized nitrogen oxide is dispersed and diffused as a gas, for example, in the entire sterilization space (3) of the clean room (20) to maintain the sterilization space (3, 3 ′) at a predetermined concentration, (3, 3 ') The whole is sterilized quickly and efficiently. Further, for example, when sterilizing an object to be sterilized such as a medical device (12) disposed in a sterilization space (3, 3 ′) in the sterilization chamber (30), the vaporized nitrogen oxide is sterilized. The entire surface of the object (12) is contacted to sterilize the object to be sterilized (12).

本発明の滅菌法は、液体の窒素酸化物を密閉可能な容器(1)に収容する過程と、容器(1)から液体の窒素酸化物を実質的に大気圧下の被滅菌空間(3,3’)に加圧して供給する過程と、噴射装置(2)により液体の窒素酸化物を被滅菌空間(3,3’)に噴射又は噴霧する過程と、噴射又は噴霧された液体の窒素酸化物を被滅菌空間(3,3’)で窒素酸化物の飽和蒸気圧曲線以下に減圧し気化する過程とを含む。 The sterilization method of the present invention includes a process of containing liquid nitrogen oxide in a sealable container (1), and a liquid nitrogen oxide from the container (1) to be sterilized under a substantially atmospheric pressure (3, 3 ′) pressurized and supplied process, a process of spraying or spraying liquid nitrogen oxides into the sterilized space (3, 3 ′) by the spray device (2), and a nitrogen oxidation of the sprayed or sprayed liquid And the process of depressurizing and vaporizing an object below the saturated vapor pressure curve of nitrogen oxides in the space to be sterilized (3, 3 ')

Claims

A space to be sterilized that is substantially maintained under atmospheric pressure;
A container containing liquid nitrogen oxides and sealable;
An injection device that injects or sprays liquid nitrogen oxides that are pressurized from a container to a space to be sterilized and supplied in a predetermined amount;
A sterilization apparatus characterized in that a liquid nitrogen oxide that has been sprayed or sprayed is reduced in pressure and below a saturated vapor pressure curve of the nitrogen oxide in a space to be sterilized.

Provided with a metering pump that pressurizes and supplies a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen oxide contained in a container to the sterilization space,
The metering pump includes a variable volume portion that temporarily stores liquid nitrogen oxide supplied from a container,
A valve device is connected between the container and the variable volume portion and between the variable volume portion and the space to be sterilized;
When the metering pump is aspirated, the valve device shuts off the space between the metering pump and the space to be sterilized and introduces liquid nitrogen oxides from the container into the variable volume. The sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the liquid nitrogen oxide is pumped from the variable volume portion to the space to be sterilized while being interrupted.

The sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein the valve device is a ball valve.

The sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein the valve device is an intake valve and a discharge valve each having a diaphragm.

The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spray device has a spray port that sprays and vaporizes liquid nitrogen oxides in a space to be sterilized, and can adjust a nozzle hole area of the spray port.

The sterilizer according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the metering pump is selected from a diaphragm pump, a piston pump, a plunger pump, and a tube pump.

An introduction valve provided in a pressure feed pipe connecting the container and the space to be sterilized;
A pressure gauge provided on the upstream side of the introduction valve,
The sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the supply amount of liquid nitrogen oxide to the sterilized space is controlled by controlling the opening and closing time of the introduction valve according to the pressure value of the pressure gauge.

A pressure-feed pipe connecting the cylinder as a container and the space to be sterilized;
An introduction valve provided in the pressure feeding pipe,
2. The liquid nitrogen oxide, which is preliminarily pressurized and filled by a necessary amount, is discharged from the cylinder by opening the introduction valve, and a certain amount of liquid nitrogen oxide is pumped into the sterilized space. Sterilization equipment.

The liquid nitrogen oxide is heated by a heating device connected between the container and the injection device, and the nitrogen oxide is injected or sprayed from the injection device into the sterilized space. The sterilizer described.

The heating device includes a pipe line connected between the container and the injection device, and a housing surrounding the pipe line,
The sterilizer according to claim 9, wherein the liquid nitrogen oxide passing through the inside of the pipe line is in thermal contact with the heating medium in the housing.

The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the liquid nitrogen oxide is selected from one or more of dinitrogen tetroxide, dinitrogen trioxide and nitrous oxide.

The sterilization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the sterilization space accommodates an object to be sterilized.

Storing liquid nitrogen oxides in a sealable container;
A process of supplying pressurized nitrogen oxide from a container to a space to be sterilized substantially under atmospheric pressure,
A process of spraying or spraying liquid nitrogen oxides into the sterilized space by an injection device;
A sterilization method comprising a step of reducing and vaporizing the injected or sprayed liquid nitrogen oxide below the saturated vapor pressure curve of the nitrogen oxide in the space to be sterilized.

The process of pressurizing and supplying liquid nitrogen oxide includes a process of sucking a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen oxide from a container by a metering pump and pumping the sucked liquid nitrogen oxide into a sterilized space. The sterilization method according to claim 13.

A process of opening a space between the container and the metering pump by a valve device and closing a space between the metering pump and the space to be sterilized by the valve device when a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen oxide is sucked from the container by the metering pump; ,
When a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen oxide is supplied to the sterilization space by the metering pump, the space between the container and the metering pump is closed by the valve device, and the space between the metering pump and the space to be sterilized is opened by the valve device. The sterilization method of Claim 14 including a process.

The process of pressurizing and supplying liquid nitrogen oxide is performed by controlling the opening and closing time of the introduction valve according to the pressure value upstream of the introduction valve provided between the container and the space to be sterilized. The sterilization method according to claim 13, wherein the supply amount of liquid nitrogen oxide to the sterilization space is controlled.

The process of storing liquid nitrogen oxide in a container includes a process of pressurizing and filling liquid nitrogen oxide into a cylinder as a container in a necessary amount in advance,
The process of pressurizing and supplying liquid nitrogen oxide is performed by opening the introduction valve provided in the pressure feeding pipe with the cylinder connected to the sterilized space through the pressure feeding pipe, thereby oxidizing the nitrogen of the pressure filled liquid. The sterilization method according to claim 13, comprising a step of discharging all objects from the cylinder and pumping a certain amount of liquid nitrogen oxide into the sterilization space.