JP4375874B2 - High-pressure steam sterilizer for chemicals - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquids, and more particularly to a high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquids that performs steam sterilization on a chemical liquid sealed in a container such as a bottle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Steam sterilization is performed on a chemical solution such as a medicine enclosed in a container such as a bottle in order to sterilize bacteria or the like mixed in the container. The steam sterilization apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is used for such steam sterilization.
According to this steam sterilization apparatus, in a sterilization chamber 100 formed by a pressure resistant container, a container 102 such as a bottle in which a chemical solution is enclosed and a dummy bottle 103 in which a temperature sensor T1 for detecting the temperature of the enclosed water is inserted. Then, water is supplied by the water supply pipe 108 provided with the control valves 105 and 106 and the check valve 107, and is stored in the storage unit 104 provided at the bottom portion away from the placed container 102. Water is stored. When storing water in the storage unit 104, when the amount of water supplied from the water supply pipe 108 is larger than the amount of water stored in the storage unit 104, the drainage pipe 123 opened to a predetermined position of the storage unit 104 is used. Excess water is drained. The drain pipe 123 is provided with a control valve 120 and a drain trap 122.
The storage unit 104 is provided with a water amount detection sensor FI, and the control valve 106 is controlled by the water amount detection sensor FI.
[0003]
Next, while supplying steam from the steam supply pipe 114 provided with the control valves 109 and 110, the check valve 112, and the safety valve 113, the exhaust pipe provided with the control valve 115, the needle valve 116, and the check valve 117. After exhausting the air in the sterilization chamber 100 via 118, the control valve 115 is closed and the interior of the sterilization chamber 100 is heated and pressurized with steam supplied from the steam supply pipe 114, and the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber 100 are increased. When the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature / pressure, the state is maintained for a predetermined time to sterilize the chemical solution in the container 102.
The control valve 115 is controlled by a timer (not shown) set to close after a predetermined time has elapsed since the control valve 110 was opened and steaming was started.
Further, the control valve 110 provided in the steam supply pipe 114 includes a temperature sensor T2 that detects the temperature in the sterilization chamber 100, a pressure sensor PI that detects the pressure in the sterilization chamber 100, and the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber 100. Is controlled by a timer (not shown) that maintains a state where the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature and pressure for a predetermined time.
[0004]
After maintaining the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber 100 at a predetermined temperature and pressure for a predetermined time and sterilizing the chemical solution in the container 102, the control valve 110 is closed to stop steaming, and the sterilization chamber 100 and the container 102 are Cool the chemical.
During such cooling, if the temperature difference between the sterilization chamber 100 and the chemical solution in the container 102 becomes large, the container 102 such as a glass bottle may break. For this reason, in order to cool the chemical solution in the container 102 with the temperature difference from the sterilization chamber 100 as small as possible, the chemical solution in the container 102 is stored and heated in the storage unit 104 when sterilizing the chemical solution in the container 102. The heated water is sprinkled into the container 102. The sprinkling of the heated water is performed by driving the line pump LP provided in the circulation pipe 119 drawn from the storage unit 14 and reaching the upper part of the sterilization chamber 10.
[0005]
By the way, since water has a larger heat capacity than steam, even if the temperature of the space part of the sterilization chamber 100 decreases, the temperature of the heated water stored in the storage unit 104 is unlikely to decrease. For this reason, the control valve 106 is opened, cold water is supplied to the reservoir 104 from the water supply pipe 108, and part of the heated water is drained from the drain pipe 123 to adjust the temperature of the heated water. The amount of cold water supplied for temperature adjustment is such that the temperature difference between the temperature of the sealed water in the dummy bottle 103 detected by the temperature sensor T1 and the temperature of the sterilization chamber 100 detected by the temperature sensor T2 is within a predetermined range. Adjusted to
In this way, when the heated water stored in the storage unit 104 and having its temperature adjusted is cooled while sprinkling into the container 102, and the pressure in the sterilization chamber 100 detected by the pressure sensor PI becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure, the exhaust pipe The control valve 115 118 is opened to release the pressure in the sterilization chamber 100. Further, the line pump LP of the circulation pipe 119 is stopped, the control valve 126 of the pressure release pipe 128 branched from the circulation pipe 119 is opened, and the pressure in the sterilization chamber 100 is released even through the check valve 130.
[0006]
When the pressure in the sterilization chamber 100 becomes atmospheric pressure, the water-sealed vacuum pump VP is driven to pass the gas in the sterilization chamber 100 via the vacuum pipe 136 provided with the leak valve 132 and the check valve 134. Suction to make negative pressure. At this time, the control valve 139 of the outside air suction pipe 138 is opened, outside air is introduced into the sterilization chamber 100 via the filter F and the check valve 140, and dry air is allowed to flow on the outer surface of the container 102, thereby The drying speed of the outer surface can be increased. The outside air introduced into the sterilization chamber 100 is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 142 of the water ring vacuum pump VP via the circulation pipe 119, the pressure relief pipe 128, and the vacuum pipe 136.
The water seal vacuum pump VP is supplied with seal water from a seal water pipe 143.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid shown in FIG. 2, even if the chemical liquid is sealed in the glass bottle used as the container 102, the chemical liquid can be sterilized without damaging the glass bottle .
However, when the lid of the container 102 is manually tightened, the lid is loosened during the steam sterilization, and the line pump LP is driven to circulate while heating water stored in the storage unit 104 is sprinkled through the circulation pipe 119 to the container 102. When doing so, the sprinkled heated water may be sucked into the container 102.
For this reason, recently, pure water that has been subjected to deionization processing or the like is being used as water stored in the storage unit 104.
However, when pure water is used as the water stored in the storage unit 104, the line pump LP is driven to circulate the heated pure water stored in the storage unit 104 while sprinkling the container 102 through the circulation pipe 119. In order to adjust the temperature of the heated pure water, it is necessary to use pure water as water to be poured into the reservoir 104.
[0008]
On the other hand, pure water is more expensive than tap water , and when non-heated pure water is poured into the reservoir 104 to adjust the temperature of heated pure water, the heated pure water stored in the reservoir 104 is used. A part is discharged from the drain pipe 123. Therefore, the running cost of pure water a chemical high pressure steam sterilization apparatus for supplying the reservoir 104 is higher as compared to tap water in the chemical high pressure steam sterilization apparatus supplies the savings engaging portion 104.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure steam for a chemical solution that can sterilize a chemical solution enclosed in a container without substantially discharging the pure water even if pure water is stored in a storage part of a sterilization chamber. It is to provide a sterilizer.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present inventor injects non-heated pure water into the storage part by adjusting the temperature of the heated pure water stored in the storage part of the sterilization chamber by using a heat exchanger. As in the case of adjusting the temperature, the heated pure water is not substantially discharged, so that the present inventors have reached the present invention as a result of considering that the running cost can be suppressed.
That is, the present invention provides containers in which the drug solution is sealed is placed, and a sterilization chamber in which pure water is stored in the storage portion provided away from the container, obtained by evaporation of the pure water A high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid that blows pure steam, heats and pressurizes and sterilizes the chemical liquid, and stores the chemical liquid in the container after the steam sterilization is stored in a storage section in the sterilization chamber A pure water circulation pipe for spraying and cooling heated pure water to the container is provided, and a part of the heated pure water stored in the storage unit is taken out and cooled pure water cooled by a heat exchanger is stored in the storage unit. The high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemicals is provided with a cooling pipe that returns to the part.
In the present invention, by forming the cooling pipe by branching from the middle of the pure water circulation pipe, a heat exchanger can be easily provided even in a conventional high-pressure steam sterilizer for chemicals.
Furthermore, installation of a heat exchanger can be facilitated by using a heat exchanger that uses tap water as cooling water as the heat exchanger.
Also, an ejector provided in the middle of the steam supply pipe for supplying steam to the sterilization chamber, and a suction from the sterilization chamber to the ejector so that the gas in the sterilization chamber is mixed with the steam in the steam supply piping and blown into the sterilization chamber. By providing the pipe, the temperature in the sterilization chamber can be made as uniform as possible during the steaming in which the temperature in the sterilization chamber tends to vary.
[0010]
According to the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemicals according to the present invention, when heated pure water stored and heated in a reservoir formed in a sterilization chamber is sprinkled into a container while being circulated through a pure water circulation pipe, heating is performed. The temperature of pure water can be adjusted by a heat exchanger.
For this reason, it is sufficient to supply pure water from the outside of the sterilization chamber to such an extent that the amount of pure water in the storage unit can be maintained at a constant level. As in the case of carrying out, the amount of heated pure water in the reservoir is not increased, and part of the heated pure water is not discharged from the drain pipe.
Therefore, the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquids according to the present invention can reduce the running cost as compared with the conventional high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquids that adjusts the temperature of heated pure water by injecting unheated pure water into the reservoir.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An example of the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquids according to the present invention is shown in FIG. In the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid shown in FIG. 1, a temperature sensor T1 for detecting the temperature of a container 12 such as a bottle in which a chemical liquid is enclosed and water in the chemical liquid is inserted into a sterilization chamber 10 formed by a pressure-resistant container. After placing the dummy bottle 13, pure water is supplied by the pure water supply pipe 18 provided with the control valves 15, 16 and the check valve 17, and is provided at the bottom portion away from the placed container 12. The stored water is stored in the storage section 14. When storing pure water in the storage unit 14, if the amount of water supplied from the pure water supply pipe 18 is larger than the amount of pure water stored in the storage unit 14, the drainage that is opened at a predetermined position of the storage unit 14. Excess pure water is drained from the pipe 33. The drain pipe 33 is provided with a control valve 30 and a drain trap 32.
Here, the pure water used in the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical solution shown in FIG. 1 is subjected to water treatment such as microfiltration, deionization treatment, and degassing treatment for general water such as tap water, and is contained in the general water. It is obtained by removing as much impurities as possible.
The storage unit 14 is provided with a water amount detection sensor FI, and the control valve 16 is controlled by the water amount detection sensor FI.
[0012]
Next, while supplying pure steam from the steam supply pipe 24 provided with the control valves 19, 20, the check valve 22, and the safety valve 23, the exhaust provided with the control valve 25, the needle valve 26, and the check valve 27. After exhausting the air in the sterilization chamber 10 via the pipe 28, the control valve 25 is closed and the inside of the sterilization chamber 10 is heated and pressurized with pure steam supplied from the steam supply pipe 24, and the temperature in the sterilization chamber 10 is increased. When the pressure reaches the predetermined temperature / pressure, the state is maintained for a predetermined time to sterilize the chemical solution in the container 12.
The pure steam supplied from the steam supply pipe 24 is obtained by subjecting tap water to water treatment such as microfiltration, deionization treatment, and degassing treatment, and removing impurities contained in general water as much as possible. It was obtained by evaporating pure water.
The control valve 20 provided in the steam supply pipe 24 has a temperature sensor T2 for detecting the temperature in the sterilization chamber 10, a pressure sensor PI for detecting the pressure in the sterilization chamber 10, and the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber 10. It is controlled by a timer (not shown) that holds the state of reaching the predetermined temperature and pressure for a predetermined time.
The control valve 25 is controlled control valve 20 by the open had set to close from the start of the steam supply after a predetermined time elapse is timer (not shown).
Further, the steam supply pipe 24 is provided with an ejector 34 between the safety valve 23 and the check valve 22. When pure steam is supplied to the ejector 34 and driven, gas is sucked into the ejector 34. A suction pipe 35 is connected to the sterilization chamber 10. For this reason, when supplying pure steam from the steam pipe 24 into the sterilization chamber 10, the ejector 34 is driven, and the pure steam in the sterilization chamber 10 sucked by the suction pipe 35 is supplied by the steam supply pipe 24. It is mixed with pure steam and blown into the sterilization chamber 10, and the pure steam in the sterilization chamber 10 can be agitated to a uniform temperature.
[0013]
After maintaining the temperature and pressure in the sterilization chamber 10 at a predetermined temperature and pressure for a predetermined time and sterilizing the chemical solution in the container 12, the control valve 20 is closed to stop steaming, and the sterilization chamber 10 and the container 12. Cool the chemical.
At this time, in order to cool by reducing the temperature difference between the chemical solution in the container 12 and the sterilization chamber 10 as much as possible, the chemical solution in the container 12 was stored and heated in the storage unit 14 when sterilized. The heated pure water is sprinkled into the container 12. Such sprinkling of heated pure water is performed by driving a line pump LP provided in a pure water circulation pipe 39 extending from the storage unit 14 to the upper part of the sterilization chamber 10.
A heat exchanger 52 is provided in the cooling pipe 50 branched from the pure water circulation pipe 39 and connected between the sterilization chamber 10 of the pure water supply pipe 18 and the check valve 17. Tap water is supplied to the heat exchanger 52 as cooling water through a cooling water pipe 56 provided with control valves 53 and 54, and a heat exchanger 52 is provided through a drain pipe 57 provided with a control valve 55 and a check valve 56. Cooling water is drained from.
In such heat exchangers 52, heated deionized water supplied to the heat exchanger 52 through the inlet-side control valve 57 of the cooling pipe 50 is thus cooled in tap water as the cooling water, the outlet of the heat exchanger 52 The pure water supply pipe 18 returns to the storage unit 14 via a constant flow valve 58 and an outlet side control valve 59 provided on the side.
[0014]
In this way, the temperature of the heated pure water stored in the storage unit 14 can be adjusted by returning the purified pure water cooled by the heat exchanger 52 to the storage unit 14. The temperature adjustment of the heated pure water is performed so that the temperature difference between the temperature of the sealed water in the dummy bottle 13 detected by the temperature sensor T1 and the temperature of the sterilization chamber 10 detected by the temperature sensor T2 is within a predetermined range. adjust. For this reason, while the line pump LP is driven and the temperature of the heated pure water is adjusted by the heat exchanger 52, the timing of starting the spraying of the heated pure water into the container 12 is determined according to the temperature of the sealed water in the dummy bottle 13 and the sterilization. It is determined by the temperature of the chamber 10.
Further, the amount of cooling water is adjusted by a control valve 53 provided in a cooling water pipe 56 that supplies general water to the heat exchanger 52, and the temperature of the cooling pure water that is cooled by the heat exchanger 52 and returns to the storage unit 14 is adjusted. May be.
[0015]
When heated pure water stored in the storage unit 104 and temperature-adjusted is sprayed into the container 12 while being cooled, and the pressure in the sterilization chamber 10 detected by the pressure sensor PI becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure, the exhaust pipe 28 is controlled. The valve 25 is opened to release the sterilization chamber 10 pressure. Further, the line pump LP of the pure water circulation pipe 39 is stopped, the control valve 41 of the pressure release pipe 40 branched from the pure water circulation pipe 39 is opened, and the pressure in the sterilization chamber 10 is also passed through the check valve 42. Release the pressure.
When the pressure in the sterilization chamber 10 becomes atmospheric pressure, the water-sealed vacuum pump VP is driven and the gas in the sterilization chamber 10 is passed through the vacuum pipe 45 provided with the leak valve 43 and the check valve 44. Suction to make negative pressure. At this time, the control valve 47 of the outside air suction pipe 46 is opened, outside air is introduced into the sterilization chamber 10 via the filter F and the check valve 48, and dry air is allowed to flow on the outer surface of the container 12. The drying speed of the outer surface can be increased. The outside air introduced into the sterilization chamber 10 is discharged from the exhaust pipe 49 of the water ring vacuum pump VP via the pure water circulation pipe 39, the pressure release pipe 40 and the vacuum pipe 45.
The water seal vacuum pump VP is supplied with seal water from a seal water pipe 51.
[0016]
As the container 12, when the anti-pressure properties of a plastic bottle inferior glass bottles, when a chemical liquid sealed in the container 12 is heated, the container 12 with less pressure difference in the internal pressure of the container 12 and the pressure in the sterilization chamber 10 It is preferable to introduce compressed air into the sterilization chamber 10 in order to prevent the rupture. For this reason, the compressed air supply pipe 60 is connected between the check valve 22 and the ejector 34 of the steam supply pipe 24. The compressed air supply pipe 60 is provided with control valves 61 and 63, a pressure reducing valve 62, and a check valve 64.
The time when the compressed air is supplied from the compressed supply pipe 60 to the sterilization chamber 10 may be when the pressure difference between the internal pressure of the container 12 and the pressure of the sterilization chamber 10 becomes large. The temperature and pressure may be maintained for a predetermined time and the chemical solution in the container 12 may be sterilized, or the chemical solution in the container 12 may be cooled.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemicals according to the present invention, the heated pure water whose temperature is adjusted by cooling a part of the heated pure water stored and heated in the storage part of the sterilization chamber with the heat exchanger is steam sterilized. It is possible to cool the chemical liquid while sprinkling water into the container in which the chemical liquid heated by the container is enclosed, and preventing breakage of the container such as a broken bottle due to rapid cooling.
Thus, in the high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemicals according to the present invention, the temperature of the heated pure water is adjusted by the heat exchanger, so that unheated pure water is injected into the reservoir while discharging a part of the heated pure water. As in the case of adjusting the temperature of the heated pure water, the heated pure water is not discharged, and the running cost of the high-pressure steam sterilizer for chemicals can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional high-pressure steam sterilizer for chemicals.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Sterilization chamber 12 Container 13 Dummy bottle 14 Storage part 18 Pure water supply piping 24 Steam supply piping 28 Exhaust piping 39 Pure water circulation piping 33 Drain pipe 50 Cooling piping 52 Heat exchanger LP Line pump

Claims (4)

Drug solution is the container may placed sealed, and the sterilization chamber in which pure water is stored in the storage portion provided away from the container, heated and blown into a pure vapor obtained by evaporating pure water A high-pressure steam sterilizer for chemicals that pressurizes and sterilizes the chemical with steam,
A pure water circulation pipe is provided for cooling the chemical solution in the container after the steam sterilization by spraying heated pure water stored in the storage part in the sterilization chamber into the container and cooling it,
In addition, a high-pressure steam sterilization for a chemical solution is provided, wherein a cooling pipe is provided for taking out a part of the heated pure water stored in the storage unit and returning the cooled pure water cooled by a heat exchanger to the storage unit. apparatus.   The high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid according to claim 1, wherein the cooling pipe is branched from the middle of the pure water circulation pipe. The high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical liquid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger is a heat exchanger in which tap water is used as cooling water.   An ejector provided in the middle of the steam supply pipe for supplying steam to the sterilization chamber, and the sterilization chamber to the ejector so that the gas in the sterilization chamber is mixed with the steam in the steam supply piping and blown into the sterilization chamber. The high-pressure steam sterilization apparatus for chemical | medical solutions as described in any one of Claims 1-3 provided with suction piping.

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