JPS6111050A - Gas sterilization apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The gas sterilizer according to the present invention is used in hospitals, various research facilities, etc. for medical instruments that have been or may have been contaminated with bacteria, Used to sterilize laboratory equipment, etc.

(Background of the Invention) Various instruments, materials, etc. used in places where there is a risk of being contaminated by bacteria, such as hospitals and various research facilities, must be cleaned and further sterilized before being reused. Sterilization work is sometimes performed using high-temperature (approximately 130°C) steam, but if the object to be sterilized has poor heat resistance, the object to be sterilized may be stored in a sterilization container and the container filled with sterilization gas. This is done to kill bacteria attached to the object to be sterilized.

When performing sterilization work, the air in the sterilization container containing the object to be sterilized is exhausted by a vacuum pump, and then sterilization gas is fed into the container to perform sterilization for a predetermined period of time. Once this sterilization time has elapsed, the sterilization gas is extracted by a vacuum pump.

In this way, after sterilization, 4'A+! ;
.

Conventionally, the sterilizing gas used in the sterilization process was simply discarded, resulting in the following inconveniences. In other words, the number of bacteria attached to the object to be sterilized is extremely small compared to the ψ of the sterilization gas filled in the sterilization container, so even if gas sterilization is performed, almost no sterilization gas is consumed, and sterilization is not possible. There is almost no loss of effectiveness.

On the other hand, since sterilizing gases such as ethylene oxide are expensive, it is wasteful to discard sterilizing gases that are sufficiently reusable after every sterilization operation. Furthermore, if a sterilizing gas whose sterilizing ability has hardly diminished is discharged as it is, there is a risk of degrading the surrounding environment and causing various problems.
It is unavoidable that the equipment becomes larger.

(Objective of the Invention) In order to eliminate any of the above-mentioned disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas sterilizer that can reuse the sterilizing gas used for sterilization.

(Structure of the Invention) The gas sterilizer of the present invention is provided with a storage container for storing sterilizing gas after being used for sterilization work, separately from the sterilization container, and the gas is condensed by a condenser installed in the middle of the exhaust pipe. A trap for separating the liquefied sterilizing agent and this storage container are communicated through a communication pipe with a valve in the middle, so that the sterilizing gas used for sterilization work can be stored in the storage container in a condensed and liquefied state. I have to.

To explain in more detail with reference to the drawings, the drawings are schematic diagrams showing the outline of the gas sterilization apparatus of the present invention, and in the example shown in the drawings, the sterilization container l has a double structure consisting of an inner can 1a and an outer can 1b. . A hot water jacket 1c is formed between the inner can 1a and the outer can 1b, and hot water for heating is supplied into the hot water jacket 1c by a steam supply device (not shown) and can be further discharged.

One end of a gas pipe 3 provided with a first valve 2 in the middle is opened in the internal holder 1a, so that sterilizing gas can be sent into the internal holder 1a during sterilization work.

In addition, in the middle of the exhaust pipe 4, which has one end opened in the interior 1a,
A condenser 5, a trap 6, a second valve 7, and a vacuum pump 8 are provided in series with each other in this order from the inner can 1a side.

The condenser 5 cools and liquefies the sterilizing gas sent through the exhaust pipe 4, and the trap 6 separates this liquefied sterilizing agent and discharges it from a drain port provided at the bottom.

Communication tr' whose upper end is connected to the drain port of this trap 6:
A third valve 9 is provided in the middle of the pipe 11, and the lower end of this communication pipe 11 communicates with the storage container 10.

Further, a fourth valve 13 is provided in the middle of the air supply pipe 12 which has one end opened in the interior la.

14 is a sterilization filter provided at the other end of this air supply pipe 12.

(Operation of the invention) The operation of the gas sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above is as follows.

(a) At the start of sterilization, the first valve 2, third valve 9, and fourth valve 13 are all closed, and the vacuum pump 8 is operated with the second valve 7 open.

As a result, the air in the inner part 1a of the sterilization container 1 is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 4, and the inner part 1a becomes a vacuum.

Then, the second valve 7 is closed, the first valve 2 is opened, and the gas pipe 3 is opened.
A sterilizing gas is fed into the inner holder 1a through the inner holder 1a to sterilize the object 15.15 to be sterilized stored in the inner holder 1a. Third,
The fourth valve 9.13 remains closed.

(b) At the end of sterilization When the sterilization work for a predetermined period of time is completed, the first valve 2 is closed, the second and third valves 7.9 are opened, and the vacuum pump is operated.

As a result, the sterilizing gas in the internal container 1a is sucked into the vacuum pump 8, and while passing through the condenser 5, it is cooled and condensed into liquid. At this time, the fourth valve 13 is kept closed.

The sterilizing agent condensed and liquefied by the condenser 5 is then separated by the trap 6 and sent to the storage container 1 through the communication pipe 11.
Sent within 0.

A normal refrigerator can be used as the condenser 5, but among the gases normally used as sterilization gases, ethylene oxide has a boiling point of 10.7°C at 1 atm and a die side L.
(Product name: 1% ethylene oxide and 53% freon-
11 and 36% Freon-12) have the same boiling point of 11°C, and Guiside LS (product name: 12%
The boiling point of a mixture of ethylene chloride and 88% Freon-12 is also -23°C, and it is relatively easy to condense and liquefy these sterilizing gases.

In addition, if it becomes difficult to liquefy the sterilizing gas due to a drop in the pressure inside the internal holder 1a, open the fourth valve 13 immediately after starting operation of the vacuum pump 8 after sterilization, or during operation, to remove the exhaust gas. A mixed gas of sterile gas and sterile air may be fed into the pipe 4. By doing so, only the sterilizing gas is liquefied in the condenser 5, separated by the trap 6, and collected in the storage container 10.

Once most of the sterilizing gas in the interior 1a has been transferred to the storage container 10, the third valve 9 is closed and the second and fourth valves 7.13
Open and rotate the vacuum pump 8. The first valve 2 remains closed.

As a result, clean air that has passed through the sterilization filter 14 is sent into the interior holder 1a, and the sterilization gas adhering to the surface of the object 15 to be sterilized is removed. At this time, hot water for heating is sent into the hot water jacket lc of the sterilization container 1 and placed inside the sterile container 1a.
The temperature inside the container is raised to ensure that the above-mentioned sterilizing gas is efficiently removed.

After this sterilization gas has been removed for a predetermined period of time, the vacuum pump 8 is stopped and the object 15 to be sterilized is taken out.

(c) When resuming sterilization work When resuming sterilization work, the first, second, and fourth valves 2.7
．． Open the third valve 9 while keeping the valve 13 closed. Inner position 1
Vacuum the inside of a beforehand.

As a result, the sterilizing agent stored in the liquid state in the storage container 1o evaporates and passes through the communication pipe 11 and the exhaust pipe 4 to the internal storage 1.
The object to be sterilized 15 that is fed into the inner container 1a and stored in the inner container 1a is sterilized. At this time, if the sterilizing gas evaporates slowly, the sterilizing agent is heated by the heater 16 attached to the storage container 10 to promote evaporation. Further, if the amount of sterilizing gas returned from the storage container 10 into the inner container 1a is insufficient for sterilization work, the first valve 2 is opened and new sterilizing gas is supplied through the gas pipe 3 as appropriate.

Thereafter, the steps described above are repeated to sterilize the object to be sterilized.

(Effects of the Invention) Since the gas sterilizer of the present invention is configured as described above, most of the sterilizing gas used for sterilization can be recovered and reused, and the cost required for sterilization can be saved. In addition, the equipment for processing the waste sterilization gas can be simplified or completely omitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawing is a diagram schematically showing the gas sterilization apparatus of the present invention. l2 sterile container, la: inside, 1b: outer can, lc: hot water jacket, 2: first valve, 3: gas pipe, 4/exhaust pipe, 5
: Condenser, 6: Trap, 7: Second valve, 8: Vacuum pump, 9: Third valve, 1o: Storage container, 11: Communication pipe, 1
2: Air pipe, 13/4th valve, 14: Sterilization filter, 1
5. Item to be sterilized, 16: Heater.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A gas pipe for supplying sterilizing gas with a first valve in the middle and an exhaust pipe in which a second valve and a vacuum pump are connected in series to each other are installed in a sterilized container for storing objects to be sterilized. In the gas sterilizer provided, a condenser for cooling and liquefying the sterilizing gas is provided in a portion of the exhaust pipe closer to the sterilization container than the second valve and the vacuum pump, and a A gas sterilizer characterized in that a liquid discharge port of a trap provided in between and a storage container for storing liquid sterilizing gas are communicated through a communication pipe having a third valve in the middle.