JP4770062B2 - Space pressure control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent powder from going out of an isolator 2 for charging the powder which flows out of a space 14 where powder filling machine is installed. SOLUTION: The isolator 2 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces 11 to 18. The powder filling machine is installed in the space located at a central section (a fourth zone 14.) The space 14 is controlled so as to be at the highest pressure (80 Pa of positive pressure). Spaces of low pressure (15 Pa) (a second zone 12 and a sixth zone 16) are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the space 14, and spaces of middle pressure (40 Pa) (a first zone 11 and a seventh zone 17) are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the spaces of low pressure 12, 16. The powder splashed in the space 14 of high pressure where the powder filling machine is installed flows out to the spaces of low pressure 12, 16, however, cannot flow to the spaces of middle pressure 11, 17, and is trapped in the spaces of low pressure 12, 16.

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a pressure control system for a space, and more particularly to a pressure control system for a space in which a plurality of spaces partitioned by a partition wall having an opening are independently controlled.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an isolator system in which a processing device such as a filling machine is installed in an isolator isolated from the outside and manufactures pharmaceutical products and the like is known. For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, such an isolator is mainly used for maintaining a highly sterile environment, or for the purpose of handling pathogens or highly bioactive drugs. The present invention does not take out such powder outside the isolator when preparing a pharmaceutical powder with strong pharmacological activity in an isolator isolated from the outside or filling the container with powder. It is related with the technique for making it.
[0003]
When handling a substance with strong pharmacological activity such as powder in the isolator isolated from the outside as described above, the inside of the isolator is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by a partition wall having an opening, and among these spaces, A powder filling machine is installed in a space located near the center. Conventionally, the pressure in each space is controlled so that the pressure in the space where the powder filling machine is installed is the highest, and the pressure gradually decreases with increasing distance from the filling portion to the upstream side and the downstream side.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the space in which the powder disposed near the center of the isolator is processed is controlled to a high pressure, and the space before and after the space (the space upstream and downstream of the space controlled to a high pressure) When pressure control is performed so that the pressure gradually becomes low, it is possible to completely prevent the powder scattered in the processing space or the powder adhering to the container from flowing out of the isolator through the front and rear spaces. There wasn't.
[0005]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a space that can reliably prevent a pharmaceutical powder and other highly pharmacologically active substances from coming out of the space of an isolator or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure control system.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A space pressure control system according to the present invention controls a plurality of spaces partitioned by a partition wall having an opening , air supply means and exhaust means provided in each space, and the air supply means and exhaust means. the pressure in the space and a pressure control means for maintaining a predetermined positive pressure value each, and the processing space for performing predetermined processing to the article in the plurality of spaces, transfer space of the article on the upstream side and the downstream side The pressure in each space is controlled by controlling the pressure in the processing space to a high pressure, and the pressure in the transfer space is controlled to be lower than the pressure in the processing space. A pressure transfer space, an intermediate pressure transfer space that is controlled to a pressure intermediate between the pressure of the processing space and the pressure of the low pressure transfer space, and an intermediate pressure along the transfer direction of the article upstream of the processing chamber. Transfer space and low-pressure transfer space in order Together arranged along the conveying direction of the article on the downstream side of the processing chamber is obtained by sequentially arranging the low pressure space and the medium-pressure space.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan layout view of an isolator in which the pressure in an internal space is controlled by a pressure control system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the pressure control system. The interior of the isolator (generally indicated by reference numeral 2) includes a plurality of partition walls 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, and 4G having openings 4Aa, 4Ba, 4Ca, 4Da, 4Ea, 4Fa, and 4Ga. It is partitioned into eight spaces 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 (in this embodiment, 8).
[0008]
The most upstream space 11 (first zone) in the isolator 2 is connected to another isolator 6 installed on the upstream side thereof, and a container filled with powder from the other isolator 6 on the upstream side ( (Not shown). An opening (container entrance) between the upstream isolator 6 and the first zone 11 can be opened and closed by a shutter 8, and the conveyor installed in the upstream isolator 6 by opening the shutter 8. A container is delivered from 10 to the first zone 11 side.
[0009]
A main conveyor 20 is disposed in the interior of the isolator 2 from the first space (first zone) 11 to the seventh space (seventh zone) 17, and containers are transferred from the conveyor 10 by the conveyor 20. Receive and transport. The container is then transported into the fourth space (fourth zone) 14 and filled with pharmaceutical powder by a powder filling machine (not shown) installed in the space 14. Accordingly, the fourth zone 14 is an article processing space, and the zones 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17 before and after the fourth zone 14 are article transport spaces.
[0010]
The last (eighth) space 18 of the isolator 2 is an air shower unit, and the container filled with the powder is received by the conveyor 22 in the space 18, and air is blown to adhere to the container. Blow away the powder. The opening 4Ga formed in the partition wall 4G between the air shower portion 18 and the seventh zone 17 is provided with a shutter 24 so that it can be opened and closed.
[0011]
Each of the zones (the first zone 11 to the seventh zone 17 and the air shower unit 18) in the isolator 2 can be independently pressure-controlled, and a pair of air supply blowers 11A, 12A, 13A, 14A, 15A, 16A, 17A, 18A and exhaust blowers 11B, 12B, 13B, 14B, 15B, 16B, 17B, 18B, and a pressure sensor (not shown) are provided. Further, control means (not shown) for controlling the supply amount and the exhaust amount of the intake blowers 11A to 18A and the exhaust blowers 11B to 18B so as to maintain the pressure in each of the zones 11 to 18 at a predetermined pressure. Is provided. As described above, it is not necessary to provide a pair of air supply and exhaust blowers in each zone, and two or more zones can be controlled by a set of air supply and exhaust blowers.
[0012]
In addition, circulation lines 26 and 28 having air shower blowers 26A and 28A are respectively provided in the third zone 13 and the fifth zone 15 located before and after the fourth zone 14 where the powder filling machine is installed. In the fourth zone 14, when the container is filled with powder, the powder scattered in the space, the powder adhering to the container, and the like are blown off.
[0013]
In this embodiment, the pressure in each space (each zone 11-18) is independently controlled, and the first zone 11 is maintained at 40 Pa positive pressure (that is, atmospheric pressure plus 40 Pa pressure). The next second zone 12 is controlled to be 15 Pa positive pressure, and the third zone 13 is controlled to be 50 Pa positive pressure. The fourth zone 14 in which the powder filling machine is installed is maintained at a positive pressure of 80 Pa, which is the highest pressure in the isolator 2. Further, the fifth zone 15 on the downstream side of the fourth zone 14 is controlled to maintain a positive pressure of 50 Pa, the sixth zone 16 to 15 Pa, and the seventh zone 17 to 40 Pa. The air shower 18 on the most downstream side in the isolator 2 has a positive pressure of 10 Pa. Note that another isolator 6 connected to the upstream side of the isolator is controlled so as to maintain a positive pressure of 100 Pa.
[0014]
In the isolator 2 according to the above configuration, each of the partitioned zones 11 to 18 is controlled to the above-described pressure, and the container supplied from the other isolator 6 on the upstream side is maintained at 40 Pa positive pressure. The first zone 11, the second zone 12 with a positive pressure of 15 Pa, and the third zone 13 with a positive pressure of 50 Pa are sequentially passed and carried into the fourth zone 14 as a filling unit. A powder filling machine is installed in the fourth zone 14, and the powder for medicine is filled in the container by the powder filling machine. The container filled with the powder sequentially passes from the fourth zone 14 through the fifth zone 15 maintained at the downstream 50 Pa positive pressure, the sixth zone 16 at 15 Pa positive pressure, and the seventh zone 17 at 40 Pa positive pressure, It is sent to the last air shower section 18 and discharged from the isolator 2 after taking an air shower.
[0015]
As described above, the fourth zone 14 is controlled to the highest pressure (80 Pa) in the isolator 2, and when the powder is filled into the container, the powder scattered in the space is the fourth zone. It flows out to the third zone 13 and the fifth zone 15 which are controlled to a pressure (50 Pa) lower than 14. The second zone 12 upstream of the third zone 13 and the sixth zone 16 downstream of the fifth zone 15 are controlled to the lowest pressure (15 Pa) in the isolator 2, and the scattered powder is Further, it flows out to the second zone 12 and the sixth zone 16. However, the first zone 11 upstream of the second zone 12 and the seventh zone 17 downstream of the sixth zone 16 are at a pressure (40 Pa) higher than the pressure in the second zone 12 and the sixth zone 16. The powder that has been controlled and has flowed out from the fourth zone 14 serving as the filling portion does not flow into the first zone 11 and the seventh zone 17 but is confined in the second zone 12 and the sixth zone 16.
[0016]
The isolator 2 according to the present embodiment has a pressure gradient as described above in each zone 11 to 18 partitioned by the partition walls 4A to 4G, that is, a filling unit in which a powder filling machine is installed (fourth zone 14). Is controlled to the highest pressure, and the lowest pressure zones (second zone 12 and sixth zone 16) are provided upstream and downstream thereof, and the high pressure (80 Pa) and the low pressure (15 Pa are further provided outside thereof. ) Is set to a medium pressure zone (first zone 11 and seventh zone 17) that is set to an intermediate pressure (40 Pa), and the powder scattered during the filling operation at the filling portion comes out of the isolator 2. There is nothing.
[0017]
In the above-described embodiment, the positive pressure controlled to 50 Pa positive between the fourth zone 14 controlled to the highest pressure and the second zone 12 and the sixth zone 16 controlled to the most constant pressure, respectively. Although the third zone 13 and the fifth zone are provided, these zones are not necessarily provided. In any case, the present invention sequentially provides a low-pressure zone and an intermediate-pressure zone on the downstream side of the processing space such as powder filling controlled to a high pressure, and a low-pressure zone on the upstream side of the processing space. A zone and a medium pressure zone may be provided sequentially. Moreover, the numerical value of the pressure of each zone shown in the said embodiment is an example, and can also be controlled to other pressures. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the inside of the isolator is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by the partition wall having the opening has been described. However, the present invention is also applied to a case where a plurality of isolators are connected to be handled as one isolator. Needless to say, it can be done.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of spaces partitioned by a partition wall having an opening , air supply means and exhaust means provided in each space, and the air supply means and exhaust means are controlled. the pressure in the space and a pressure control means for maintaining a predetermined positive pressure value each, and the processing space for performing predetermined processing to the article in the plurality of spaces, transfer space of the article on the upstream side and the downstream side In the pressure control system for the space in which the pressure in each space is controlled by controlling the pressure in the processing space, the pressure in the processing space is controlled to a high pressure, and the pressure in the transfer space is controlled to be lower than the pressure in the processing space. A pressure transfer space, an intermediate pressure transfer space that is controlled to a pressure intermediate between the pressure of the processing space and the pressure of the low pressure transfer space, and an intermediate pressure along the transfer direction of the article upstream of the processing chamber. Transfer space and low pressure transfer space Sequentially with placing, by along the conveying direction of the article on the downstream side of the processing chamber are sequentially arranged a low pressure space and the medium-pressure space has, in the space of lower pressure on the downstream side and the upstream side from the processing space Substances with strong pharmacological activity, such as powder that has flowed out, can be trapped in the low-pressure space and flow out to the outside because the space located further downstream or upstream of the low-pressure space is medium pressure. Absent.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall arrangement of isolators controlled by a space pressure control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a pressure control system for the space.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Isolators 4A to 4G Partition walls 4Aa to 4Ga Openings 11A to 18A Air supply blowers 11B to 18B Exhaust blower 11 Medium pressure conveyance space (first zone)
12 Low pressure transfer space (second zone)
14 Processing space (4th zone)
16 Low pressure transfer space (6th zone)
17 Medium pressure transport space (7th zone)

Claims (1)

A plurality of spaces partitioned by a partition wall having an opening , air supply means and exhaust means provided in each space, and the air supply means and exhaust means are controlled to control the pressure in the space to a predetermined positive pressure Pressure control means for maintaining the value, and a processing space for performing predetermined processing on the article in the plurality of spaces, and an article conveyance space on the upstream side and the downstream side thereof to control the pressure in each space In the space pressure control system
Controls the pressure in the treatment space in a high pressure, and low pressure transfer space also be controlled to a low pressure than the pressure of the processing space into the transport space, the pressure between the pressure of the processing space the lower pressure transfer space An intermediate pressure conveyance space that controls to an intermediate pressure is provided, and an intermediate pressure conveyance space and a low pressure conveyance space are sequentially arranged along the article conveyance direction on the upstream side of the processing chamber, and the downstream side of the processing chamber A pressure control system for a space, wherein a low-pressure space and a medium-pressure space are sequentially arranged along the article conveyance direction .

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