JP4238861B2 - Safety cabinet and bioclean bench with built-in centrifuge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a safety cabinet and a bioclean bench incorporating a centrifuge.

  Recently, for cell culture related to regenerative medicine, which is a part of advanced medicine, it is necessary to work in an environment that is sterile and completely prevents cross-contamination of cells removed from patients (hereinafter referred to as samples). . In the above operation, the centrifuge is used when the sample is rotated at high speed to separate the substance in the liquid. The target sample may require aseptic operation, and the infectious sample may require biohazard countermeasures. In the past, aseptic operation has been performed by surrounding the centrifuge and supplying clean air to the atmosphere to clean it, and biohazard measures have been taken with a special hood to prevent leakage of contaminated aerosol generated from the sample. It was.

In the case where there is a possibility that the sample is infectious, conventionally, an apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 1 has been used as means for preventing the scattering of contaminated aerosol generated from the sample in the centrifuge tank (see Patent Document 1). . In this apparatus 1, the exhaust in the centrifugal separation tank 2 is sucked by the exhaust fan 3, cleaned by the HEPA filter 5 provided in the middle of the flow path 4, and discharged to the outside of the apparatus 1. In the method of exhausting the aerosol into the laboratory after purification using the exhaust HEPA filter 5, the effect of preventing the aerosol from scattering into the laboratory when the centrifuge tank door is open is low, and crossing by exposing the sample to the laboratory after taking it out There was a possibility of contamination. In addition, there is a high possibility that the sample will come into contact with the air in the laboratory, and it is difficult to aseptically hold the sample during the centrifugation.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-36532

  In view of the above points, the present invention aims to prevent the leakage and scattering of contaminated aerosol generated from a sample inside a centrifuge tank only by the air flow of a safety cabinet and a bioclean bench equipped with a centrifuge. It is.

In the invention of claim 1, a clean air is blown into the clean work space, the air discharged from the clean work space is sucked, and a blower and a hepar filter are provided in the air circulation circuit for circulating the air, A rotary separation tank of a centrifugal separator is provided in the air circulation circuit, and is surrounded by a flow of air circulating through the tank.
In the invention according to claim 2, the rotary separation tank of the centrifugal separator is provided in the air circulation circuit and located downstream of the clean work space.

The present invention can prevent the scattering of contaminated aerosol from the centrifuge only by the air flow of the clean bench, and can perform the centrifugation and the operation of the sample accompanying it in a space-saving clean work space. It became.
In other words, the safety cabinet or bioclean bench and the centrifuge are integrated, and the contaminated aerosol generated from the centrifuge can be prevented from flowing out of the machine using the circulating airflow inside the device. The prevention exhaust fan is unnecessary. Moreover, aseptic air circulated in the safety cabinet or bioclean bench is sent into the centrifuge chamber, so that the sample can be aseptically operated.
All sample operations in the centrifuge can be performed in a safety cabinet or bioclean bench. When removing the sample from the centrifuge, it prevents aerosol infection to the laboratory personnel, and the sample is placed in a sterile space. By handling, cross contamination of samples in the laboratory can be prevented.
Conventionally, the installation space for both the safety cabinet or the bioclean bench and the centrifuge is required. Moreover, the work space is expanded by making the upper part of the centrifuge a work cabinet structure of a safety cabinet or a bioclean bench.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal side view of the safety cabinet and bioclean bench 10 (hereinafter referred to as “cleaning device 10”) of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the centrifuge tank portion. The cleaning device 10 has a cleaning work space 12 in the center of the machine base, a return duct 15 is provided along the lower part of the work table surface 13 of the cleaning work space 12 and the outside of the back wall 14, and the ceiling portion of the cleaning work space 12. Are provided with a blower 16 that sucks air in the return duct 15, a duct 17 that distributes the air from the blower 16 to the outside of the cleaning device 10 and the cleaning work space 12, and the exhaust to the outside of the device passes through the hepa filter 18, Air is supplied to the clean work space through the hepa filter 19, and the air passing through the clean work space 12 passes through the ventilation holes 11 provided in the lower portion of the back wall 14 of the clean work space 12, and the return duct 15 and the blower 16. , A circulation circuit that circulates along the path of the duct 17, the hepa filter 19, and the clean working space 12 is configured. A shutter 20 is provided in front of the cleaning work space 12.

A centrifuge 21 is incorporated in the cleaning device 10 including the safety cabinet or the bioclean bench, and both are integrated.
The separation tank 22 of the centrifuge 21 is provided in the lower part of the clean work space 12 with the return duct 15 interposed therebetween. The clean bench work surface 13 and the separation tank 22 have openings 25 and 26 having lids 23 and 24, respectively. Is provided. By closing the lid 23, the working space of the bioclean bench is secured at the top of the centrifuge, and by opening the lids 23, 24, the centrifuge tank 22 and the clean working space 12 communicate with each other through the openings 25, 26, and The cleaning work space 12 and the centrifugal separation tank 22 communicate with the return duct 15. The lid 24 is for putting the material into the centrifuge tank 22 and is provided with a safety lock 27 to prevent an operator from opening the lid accidentally during centrifugation.

  A partition plate 28 is surrounded around the opening 26 of the centrifuge tank 22 to prevent a sample spilled on the workbench from entering the centrifuge 21. The periphery of the centrifuge 21 is covered with sealed lids 31 and 32 with packings 29 and 30 so that negative pressure is maintained to prevent outflow of contaminated air to the outside of the apparatus.

  A centrifuge 22 is provided with a rotor (not shown). The sample is set in the rotor and the rotor is rotated to perform centrifugation. The drive mechanism for rotating the rotor is installed outside the centrifuge tank. The member leading to is sealed so that pressure fluctuation does not occur inside and outside the tank 22.

  Next, the flow path around the centrifuge tank 22 is configured as follows. A vent hole 34 is provided at a position located inside the shutter 20 of the front work table 33 located in the clean work space 12 when the shutter 20 in the clean work space 12 is closed. A vent hole 35 is provided on the side of the front work table 30 that contacts the centrifuge 21. The support member of the separation tank 22 in the centrifuge 21 is provided with a vent hole 36 that leads to the return duct 15, and the airflow that enters the centrifuge 21 from the vent hole 34 of the front work table 36 is separated. It flows into the return duct 15 from the flow vent 36 so as to surround the tank 22.

  When the operator handles the sample, first, the fan 16 of the safety cabinet or bioclean bench shown in FIG. 2 is operated. The clean working space 12 is cleaned (sterile) by supplying air purified by a hepa filter 19 installed at the top. Since clean air is always supplied, even when the sample 20 is handled, even when the shutter 20 is opened, the outside air that has entered through the shutter opening is sucked into the vent hole 34 of the front work table 33, and an air barrier caused by the inflow airflow. At the same time, the airflow from the clean work space 12 is also sucked into the vent hole 34, so that the contaminated air does not enter the clean work space 12 from the outside and is not exposed to the contaminated air outside the apparatus. Operations such as mixing can be performed. Further, the periphery of the centrifugal separation tank 22 can be kept in a clean space by being covered with a circulating air flow.

  When performing the centrifugation, first, the safety lock 27 of the lid 24 to the centrifuge tank 22 is released, and the lid 24 is slid to open. Since the safety lock 27 is not released during the centrifugal separation operation, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation of the operator.

  During the centrifugal separation operation, the shutter 20 is closed to prevent outside air from entering, so that only clean air in the clean work space circulates around the centrifugal separation tank 22 from the vent holes 24 and 25 of the front work table 33. Therefore, leakage of contaminated aerosol generated from a gap such as a centrifuge door to the worker side is prevented.

  To remove the sample from the centrifuge tank, the lid 24 is opened as shown in FIG. At this time, the air entering the centrifuge chamber is clean air in the clean bench, so that sterility can be ensured, and the contaminated aerosol generated in the centrifuge flows to the return duct on the back of the bench due to the circulating airflow in the clean bench. It is possible to prevent the outflow of contaminated aerosol to the person side. The air flowing into the return duct is purified by the air supply hepa filter 19 and circulates in the storage. A part of the air is purified by the exhaust hepa filter 18 and then exhausted outside the clean bench.

  Samples that have been centrifuged can be transferred to safety cabinets and bioclean benches without being exposed to contaminated air. In addition, if the sample taken out on the workbench is accidentally spilled and enters the gap between the centrifuge and the workbench, the partition plate 28 prevents entry into the centrifuge drive unit and can be easily cleaned. It is.

  In the present invention, the centrifuge can be surrounded by clean air by using the flow of clean air in the safety cabinet or the like by integrally installing the centrifuge in the safety cabinet or bioclean bench. It is possible to prevent outflow of contaminated aerosol to the outside, and the operation of the sample processed by the centrifuge can be performed in the clean work space of the safety cabinet, thus eliminating the influence of contamination to the surroundings at the sample operation stage. Making it possible.

Schematic sectional view of a conventional device. The schematic sectional drawing of this invention apparatus. The expanded sectional view around a centrifuge tank.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cleaning apparatus 11 Ventilation hole 12 Cleaning work space 13 Work table surface 14 Back wall 15 Return duct 16 Blower 17 Duct 18, 19 Hepa filter 20 Shutter 21 Centrifuge 22 Separation tank 23, 24 Lid 25, 26 Opening 27 Safety lock 28 Partition Plate 29, 30 Packing 31, 32 Lid 33 Front work table 34, 35, 36 Vent

Claims (2)

  Clean air is blown into the clean work space, the air discharged from the clean work space is sucked, and a blower and a hepar filter are provided in the air circulation circuit for circulating the air, and the centrifuge rotates in the air circulation circuit. A safety cabinet and a bioclean bench incorporating a centrifugal separator, characterized in that a separation tank is provided and surrounded by a flow of air circulating in the tank.   The safety cabinet and bioclean bench incorporating the centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein the rotary separation tank of the centrifuge is provided in the air circulation circuit at a downstream side of the cleaning work space.

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