KR20010058526A - sterilization facilities - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus for sterilizing gas is provided to maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity of a sterilization chamber, to simplify the work of sterilization, and to improve the performance of sterilization thereof. CONSTITUTION: The apparatus(100) for sterilizing gas is comprised of a chamber(110) formed with a first hot water receiving part and an opening; a door(120) for opening and closing the opening of the chamber, in which a second hot water receiving part is formed; a vacuum pump(130) for venting the air of the chamber; a hot water supply device(140); a sterilization gas supply device(150); a steam supply device(160); a sensor for detecting the temperature and humidity of the chamber; and a control panel(170) for controlling the action of the vacuum pump, the hot water supply device, and the sterilization gas supply device according to the value of the sensor and the require of a user.

Description

Gas Sterilization Equipment

The present invention relates to a gas sterilization apparatus, and more particularly, to a gas sterilization apparatus that enables sterilization of various medical devices, hygiene products, articles requiring a sterilization with sterilization gas.

In general, gas sterilization consists of a process of discharging a gas after a certain period of time by injecting a sterilization gas such as ethylene oxide in a state in which an article for sterilization is placed in an internal sealed space such as a chamber. In order to achieve high sterilization efficiency in such gas sterilization, the temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber should be maintained at an appropriate level. In such a gas sterilization apparatus, in order to adjust the humidity in the chamber, the temperature of the chamber is raised in a state in which water is sprayed in the chamber in advance, so that the water in the chamber evaporates and the humidity in the chamber is adjusted. That is, in the related art, the humidity inside the chamber was adjusted based on the experience of the skilled person, and thus the accuracy was not reduced, and it was difficult to perform the sterilization work without the skilled person.

In addition, in the conventional gas sterilization apparatus, even if the temperature of the chamber is increased to an appropriate level, the temperature of the vicinity of the door is lower than that of other parts, and thus there is a problem that sterilization of the article disposed near the door is not sufficiently performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas sterilization apparatus that can maintain the temperature and humidity inside the chamber to an appropriate level, as well as to improve sterilization performance, anyone can easily perform sterilization work even if not skilled.

1 is a perspective view of a gas sterilization apparatus according to the present invention,

2 is a configuration diagram for explaining the configuration and connection state of the gas sterilization apparatus of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber according to FIG. 1 I-I,

4 is a cross-sectional view of the door according to FIG. 1 J-J,

5 is a view showing the structure of the carburetor case,

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the wall structure of the carburetor case of Figure 5,

7 is a cross-sectional view showing a purifier,

8 is a side view of the steam supply means;

9 is a view showing an example of a water level sensor;

10 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of a chamber.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: gas sterilization apparatus 110: chamber

120: door 130: vacuum pump

140: hot water supply means 150: gas supply means

160: water vapor supply means 170: control panel

180: purifier 190: gas circulation tube

192: fan

An object of the present invention is a chamber having an opening formed on at least one side and a first hot water receiving portion for enclosing the inner space except the opening inside the wall, and installed on one side of the chamber to open and close the opening as necessary. , A door having a second hot water receiving unit formed therein, a vacuum pump for discharging air inside the chamber, a hot water supply unit for supplying and circulating hot water at a predetermined temperature to the first hot water receiving unit and the second hot water receiving unit, and a chamber Gas supply means for supplying sterile gas to the inside, sensors for measuring the temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. in the chamber and the measured values from the sensor and the vacuum pump, hot water supply means, steam supply means, gas according to the user's needs It can be achieved by the gas sterilization device, characterized in that it comprises a control panel for controlling the operation of the required portion such as supply means.

The upper chamber is connected to one side and the other side of the chamber to provide a passage for circulating the sterile gas in the chamber and the circulation fan installed on one side of the gas circulation tube and the steam to supply the steam to the chamber to control the humidity It is preferable to further include a purifier consisting of a water vapor supply means and a purifying container for purifying the sterilized gas discharged, a filter containing activated carbon and a water sprayer.

The gas supply means may be configured to include a gas storage container and a pipe for providing a gas supply path, a vaporizer for allowing the liquefied gas to vaporize, and a filter for filtering impurities contained in the vaporized gas in the vaporizer. .

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a gas sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a configuration diagram for explaining the configuration and connection state of the gas sterilization apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber according to Figure 1 II, Figure 4 is 1 is a cross-sectional view of the door according to JJ.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a chamber 110. The chamber 110 is intended to accommodate a sterilized object in a sealed inner space, and may be made in the form of a cargo container. The chamber 110 is provided with a temperature sensor 111 for measuring the temperature inside the chamber 110, a pressure sensor 112 for measuring the pressure, a humidity sensor 113 for measuring the humidity and the like. In order to maintain the temperature inside the chamber 110 uniformly, the wall is formed with a first hot water receiving portion 114 surrounding the inner space, which can be seen in detail with reference to FIG. 3. .

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the chamber 110 surrounds the inner cylinder 115 and the inner cylinder 115 made of stainless steel, etc., and has a jacket having a first hot water receiving portion 114 in which hot water can be accommodated. 116 and the jacket 116 is formed of a cover 118 to protect the insulation 117 and the insulation 117 disposed to the outside. Cover 118 is also preferably made of stainless steel.

An opening 119 is formed at one side of the chamber 110, and a door 120 is provided near the opening 119. The door 120 is for enabling the opening and closing of the opening 119 as needed. The door 120 is to close the opening 119 as necessary to seal the interior space of the chamber 110, the door 120 has a second hot water that can accommodate hot water inside the wall Receiving portion 121 is formed, in this regard can be seen in more detail with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the door 120 is disposed outside the inner plate 122 and the inner plate 122 and disposed outside the jacket 123 and the jacket 123 in which the second hot water receiving unit 121 is formed. It consists of the insulating material 124 and the outer plate 125 of the outside. Here, the second hot water receiving portion 121 is a part of the present invention, and is intended to maintain the internal temperature near the door 120 in the same manner as other parts. The packing should be installed along the edge of the door 120, it is good to withstand the maximum pressure 1.9kgf / ㎠ ± 0.1.

The first hot water receiving part 114 of the chamber 110 and the second hot water receiving part 121 of the door 120 are connected to each other through a hose 126, and the hot water is introduced into the lower end to be discharged to the upper end. have.

Gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention is provided with a vacuum pump (130). The vacuum pump 130 is to discharge the air in the chamber 110 to make the interior of the chamber 110 in a vacuum state, and is driven by the motor 131, to supply the cooling water for the cooling Receive. The interior of the chamber 110 should be vacuumed to inject enough sterile gas as necessary.

As shown, the gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention is provided with hot water supply means 140. The hot water supply unit 140 heats the water to raise the temperature, and then supplies hot water to the first hot water receiving unit 114 of the chamber 110 and the second hot water receiving unit 121 of the door 120 to circulate the water. It is intended to be made, the vaporizer 142 having a heater 141 for heating the water and a circulation pump 143 for circulating hot water. Of course, the vaporizer 142 is also used to evaporate the liquefied sterilization gas, the filter is provided inside the filter for filtering impurities contained in the sterilized gas evaporated supplied in a liquid state.

Gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention is provided with a gas supply means (150). The gas supply means 150 is for supplying the sterilization gas into the chamber 110, the pipe 152 and the liquefied gas to provide the gas storage container 151 and the gas supply path to be vaporized The vaporizer 142 and the filter 153 for filtering the impurities contained in the vaporized gas in the vaporizer 142. That is, the liquefied gas stored in the gas storage container 151 enters the chamber 110 after passing through the pipe 152, the vaporizer 142, and the filter 153. Of course, each pipe 152 line is provided with a butterfly valve BV, a motor valve MV, a solenoid valve SV, and the like.

The chamber 110 is provided with a temperature sensor 111, a humidity sensor 113, a pressure sensor 112, etc. for measuring the temperature, humidity, pressure, and the like therein.

As shown, the gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention is a vacuum pump 130, hot water supply means 140, steam supply means 160, gas supply means according to the measurement values of the various sensors and the user's needs A control panel 170 is provided for controlling the operation of the required portion such as 150, and one side of the control panel 170 is provided with a recorder 172 for recording the measured values of each sensor.

As shown, the gas sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present invention is provided with steam supply means 160. The steam supply means 160 is for supplying steam into the chamber 110 to maintain the internal humidity at an appropriate level, and has an evaporator 162 provided with a heater for heating the supplied water. It is better to supply water through the filter, and it is better to pass the evaporated water vapor through the filter once more. The steam supply means 160 to maintain the humidity in the chamber 110 in the range of 50% ± 10% to obtain an excellent sterilization effect. The water level sensor 163 is installed in the evaporator 162 of the water vapor supply means 160, so that the water level in the evaporator 162 falls below a predetermined level so that the water can be automatically replenished. .

The evaporator 162 is provided with a purifier 180 spaced a predetermined interval apart. The purifier 180 is connected to the vacuum pump 130, and to purify the sterilization gas to prevent contamination by the sterilization gas.

5 is a view showing the structure of the carburetor case, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the wall structure of the carburetor case of FIG.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the carburetor case 142a includes a plurality of heater holes 144 for installing a plurality of heaters, a gas pipe hole 145 for allowing a gas pipe to pass therethrough, and a temperature sensor hole 146. ), A water supply hole 147a for installing the water supply valve 147, an overflow hole 148 for discharging more water than necessary, and a hot water circulation pipe for sending hot water to each part of the chamber 110. Hot water circulation pipe hole 149 and the like are each formed. It is preferable that the wall of the vaporizer case 142a constitutes a container by using a relatively thick stainless steel 142c inside the heat insulating material 142b and a relatively thin stainless steel 142d outside.

7 is a cross-sectional view showing a purifier.

As shown in FIG. 7, the purifier 180 includes a purifier 181, a filter 182 containing activated carbon installed therein, and a water sprayer 183 for spraying water toward the sterilized gas introduced therein. . The purifier 180 is neutralized by spraying water on the sterilization gas such as ethylene oxide discharged through the vacuum pump 130, and the remaining sterilization gas is further purified through the filter 182 containing activated carbon This is to prevent environmental pollution.

8 is a side view of the steam supply means, Figure 9 is a view showing an example of the water level sensor.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the steam supply means 160 includes an evaporation vessel 162a, a buried heater 164, a temperature sensor 165, and a level sensor 163 that receive water. The safety valve installation part 166, the humidification pipe connection part 167, the water supply pipe connection part 168, and the drain valve installation part 169 are provided, respectively. The steam supply means 160 serves to heat and evaporate water to supply the chamber. When the water level in the water vapor supply means 160 is lowered, the water level sensor 163 as shown in FIG. 9 detects this and sends a signal to the control panel, and then operates the valve installed in the water supply pipe 145 in the control panel 170 again. Water is automatically supplied to the evaporation vessel (162a). That is, the evaporation vessel 162a is always maintained above a certain level. The water vapor supply means 160 to vaporize the water to supply water vapor to the chamber to maintain the humidity inside the chamber at an appropriate level.

10 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of a chamber.

As shown, the gas circulation tube 190 may be installed in the chamber 110 in which the door 120 is installed, and a fan 192 may be installed at one side thereof to circulate the sterilized gas filled in the chamber 110. It is supposed to be. When circulating the sterilization gas in the chamber 110 configured as described above, the sterilization gas moves relatively actively, and the sterilization gas is lighter than air as well as the uniform contact is made on the entire surface of the article loaded in the chamber 110. Prevents degradation of sterilization performance as the gas sinks downwards.

Referring to the sterilization operation process with reference to the drawings described above are as follows.

First, the article to be sterilized is loaded into the chamber 110, and the door 120 is closed to seal it. Then, the water is supplied to the vaporizer 142, the heater 141 is operated to make hot water above a predetermined temperature, and then the first hot water receiving unit 114 and the door 120 of the chamber 110 using the circulation pump 143. Hot water is supplied to the second hot water accommodating part 121). Hot water is supplied to the second hot water accommodating part 121, so that the vicinity of the door 120 may be maintained at about the same temperature as other parts, thereby improving sterilization performance. In this state, the vacuum pump 130 is driven to discharge the air in the chamber 110 to the outside to make the vacuum state. It is good to have a complete vacuum, but vacuum should be about 68cmHg ~ 72cmHg in 10 minutes.

On the other hand, the sterilization gas of the gas storage container 151 is supplied in a liquid state toward the vaporizer 142, is vaporized by hot water in the vaporizer 142, the vaporized sterilization gas to remove impurities through a predetermined filter. .

In addition, water is supplied to the steam supply means 160 and heated by the heater 164 to generate steam to supply the chamber 110 until a proper humidity is achieved. The steam supply means 160 can maintain the humidity inside the chamber 110 at a level suitable for sterilization, thereby improving sterilization performance.

When the temperature inside the chamber 110 reaches a constant temperature by the supply of hot water, and the humidity of the chamber 110 reaches a certain level by the supply of steam, the temperature sensor 111 and the humidity sensor 113, When the pressure sensor 112 detects this and sends a signal to the control panel 170, the control panel 170 operates a valve installed in the gas circulation pipe 159 to supply sterilized gas into the chamber 110. After supplying the gas at an appropriate level, after 4 to 8 hours, the vacuum pump 130 is operated again to discharge the sterilizing gas and the steam inside the chamber 110.

When the gas discharged from the chamber 110 is sent to the purifier 180, the water spray device 183 installed in the purifier is neutralized by injecting water toward the sterilization gas, and once again the filter 182 containing activated carbon Allow it to go through and let it out. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the environmental pollution caused by the discharge of sterile gas.

At this time, since the sterilization gas inside the chamber 110 is not completely discharged at once, the process of supplying the outside air through the sterile filter 199 into the chamber 110 and discharging again is repeated three times. Allow the sterilization gas on the article to be discharged completely. It takes about 30 minutes to inject and discharge air once into the chamber 110. This series of processes are automatically performed by the control panel 170 and various sensors.

As can be seen from the above description, since the gas sterilization apparatus according to the present invention can maintain the temperature and humidity inside the chamber at an appropriate level, the sterilization performance is improved, and even the skilled person can easily learn how to use the medical equipment. Sterilization such as can be performed. In addition, by purifying the exhaust gas once more using a filter containing activated carbon, environmental pollution by sterile gas does not occur.

Claims (3)

A chamber in which an opening is formed in at least one side and a first hot water receiving part is formed in the wall and surrounds an inner space except the opening; A door installed at one side of the chamber to open and close the opening as necessary, and having a second hot water receiving portion formed therein; A vacuum pump for discharging air in the chamber; Hot water supply means for supplying and circulating hot water at a predetermined temperature to the first hot water accommodating part and the second hot water accommodating part; Gas supply means for supplying sterile gas into the chamber; A sensor for measuring temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. in the chamber; And And a control panel for controlling the operation of necessary parts such as the vacuum pump, hot water supply means, steam supply means, gas supply means, etc. according to the measured value of the sensor and the user's needs. According to claim 1, The chamber is connected to one side and the other side of the chamber to provide a passage for circulating the sterile gas in the chamber and the circulation fan and the circulation fan installed on one side of the gas circulation tube and the inside of the chamber And a purifier comprising a purifier container for purifying the sterilized gas discharged, a purifier container for purifying the sterilized gas discharged, a filter containing activated carbon, and a water sprayer. 3. The gas supply means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas supply means filters out the vaporizer and the impurities contained in the vaporized gas in the vaporizer and the vaporizer to allow the gas storage vessel and the pipe and the liquefied gas to provide a gas supply path. Gas sterilization apparatus comprising a filter for giving.