KR20230075838A - An uninterruptible power supply for stable operation of the experimental animal breeding cage - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for sterilizing and purifying air (pollutants) exhausted from a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals such as mice, and more specifically, to a method for remotely controlling an experimental animal breeding cage by providing a sterilizing and purifying device which primarily uses an AOP lamp to sterilize bacteria, molds, and viruses that may be contained in the exhausted pollutant air of the breeding cage and decompose and remove pollutants and odor, secondarily uses UV lamp radiation to sterilize the air, and allows the air to be exhausted through filters (pre-filter, HEPA filter). When the present invention is implemented, pollutants inside the breeding cage can be efficiently sterilized and removed; the air environment inside the breeding cage can be optimally maintained according to the size of an intake pipe and an exhaust pipe and environmental information inside the breeding cage; the state of the experimental animal breeding cage can be monitored even from a remote location; and the experimental animal breeding cage can be controlled from a remote location.

Description

An uninterruptible power supply for stable operation of the experimental animal breeding cage {An uninterruptible power supply for stable operation of the experimental animal breeding cage}

The present invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply for a breeding cage for laboratory animals capable of stably operating the breeding cage even when the external power supply to the cage is cut off.

Korea has been intensively fostering the bio-industry and pharmaceutical industry, and these industries are particularly the future food technology of Korea, and many bio- and pharmaceutical companies around the world are conducting animal clinical trials in Korea.

In general, animals such as mice have been mainly used for experiments to develop drugs necessary for the human body, and breeding cages have been developed for breeding these experimental animals.

In addition, methods for efficiently managing conditions such as appropriate temperature, humidity, and ventilation for a plurality of breeding cages installed in animal breeding rooms have been developed.

As such, it is important to minimize variables other than drug injection in experimental animals used for experiments to develop drugs necessary for the human body. To this end, technology for maintaining the conditions of breeding cages in which experimental animals live is an important technology in the bio-industry and pharmaceutical industry, and the importance of the technology in that field is expected to increase in the future.

Patent Registration No. 10-0357051, a prior art related to this, includes an enclosure having an inner space and an insertion hole formed on the top surface of which a plurality of breeding containers are airtightly coupled, and dirt and air falling from the breeding container are guided downward in the inside of the enclosure. A waste collection passage installed as inclined downward as possible, a ventilation collection passage installed so that a ventilation passage is provided below the waste collection container, a duct installed in the enclosure so as to pass through the ventilation passage, and a blower installed on the duct to generate suction power , An odor removal device in a breeding cage for small animals is disclosed, characterized in that it is composed of a door installed to be able to open and close on the side wall of the enclosure.

However, this prior art simply focuses on discharging the odor of the breeding cage, keeping the ventilation inside the breeding cage in an optimal state and determining whether there is an error in the system for maintaining this state There was a problem for which the means were not disclosed.

In particular, since laboratory animals may be stressed due to air flow inside the breeding cage or noise caused by the air flow, it is very important to manage air change per hour (ACH) inside the breeding cage. Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for efficiently managing ACH inside a breeding cage in addition to solving the above problems.

Accordingly, the present applicant and the University of Ulsan have developed the following system as an industry-academia cooperation project.

Hereinafter, the previously developed system will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13 .

1 and 2 are diagrams showing a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 1, a breeding cage 10 ventilation management system using a blower motor includes, in detail, an intake unit 20, a measurement unit 30, an exhaust unit 40, and a control unit 50.

The exhaust unit 40 discharges air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing laboratory animals to the outside of the breeding cage. The dictionary meaning of exhaust is to discharge air from the inside to the outside.

According to FIG. 2, the exhaust unit 40 includes an exhaust pipe 41, a first blower motor 42 for exhaust, a primary filter for purifying exhausted air using the first blower motor 42, and a first A first measuring unit 31 for measuring information on air exhausted by using the blower motor 42 may be included.

The exhaust pipe 41 refers to a pipe connecting between the plurality of breeding cages 10 and the exhaust unit 40 .

The primary filter may include a pre-filter for filtering out relatively large dust and the like and a Hepa filter for filtering out particulates in the air.

Due to the primary filter, the air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing experimental animals can always be kept clean. However, it is desirable to replace the pre-filter or HEPA filter at an appropriate time.

At this time, the air information may mean all information about the air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing laboratory animals. In detail, the environment information may include air components (CO 2 , NH 3 , O 2 , H 2 O, etc.), air flow rate (ie, flow rate), air flow direction, odor component, temperature, humidity, and the like.

According to FIG. 2 , the first measuring unit 31 is a component that measures information on air exhausted by the exhaust unit 40 and may include various sensors. Sensors used at this time may mean all sensors that measure the information of the air.

The air intake unit 20 sends the air of which air information is measured by the first measuring unit 31 to the inside of the breeding cage 10 for culturing experimental animals.

2, the intake unit 20 includes an intake pipe 21, a second blower motor 22 for intake, a secondary filter for purifying intake air using the second blower motor 22, and a second blower motor 22. 2 may include a second measuring unit 32 that measures information on air intake by using the blower motor 22 .

The intake pipe 21 refers to a pipe connecting between the plurality of breeding cages 10 and the intake unit 20 .

The second filter may have the same configuration as the first filter including a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. As such, by doubly purifying the air using the primary and secondary filters, there is an effect of minimizing the stress that the experimental animals may feel.

The control unit 50 adjusts the RPM of the first blower motor 42 and/or the second blower motor 22 according to the values measured by the first measurement unit 31 and/or the second measurement unit 32 to ACH (Air Change per Hour) of the breeding cage 10 is controlled. At this time, ACH (Air Change per Hour) is a very important factor in managing the breeding cage 10 for culturing experimental animals.

Experimental animals reared in breeding cages consume feed or excrete inside the cage. Gaseous components such as ammonia generated from excrement of laboratory animals, carbon dioxide and water vapor generated from respiration of laboratory animals, and internal temperature rise caused by body heat of laboratory animals may have a detrimental effect on the health of laboratory animals.

In addition, it can affect the stress management of laboratory animals.

Therefore, it is very important to circulate and purify the air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing experimental animals. It is preferable that the differential pressure between the intake part 20 and the exhaust part 40 is zero or close to zero in order to minimize the effect on the experimental animals.

In this way, the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 for culturing laboratory animals is precisely operated in order to circulate the air inside the breeding cage 10 while setting the differential pressure between the intake part 20 and the exhaust part 40 to zero. It is important to be

3 is a graph showing air volume according to RPM of a blower motor.

The blower motor may refer to a motor that rotates a fan to circulate air inside a specific space. Here, it means all configurations for circulating air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing experimental animals.

In the case of breeding laboratory animals for culturing laboratory animals, even the flow of air may cause variables such as giving stress to the laboratory animals, so it is preferable that the blower motor used at this time has little noise.

In addition, it is preferable that there is almost no change in pressure generated by the blower motor.

Such a blower motor can adjust its air volume by controlling Revolutions Per Minute (RPM).

According to FIG. 3, it can be seen that RPM and air volume are in a proportional relationship.

4 is a photograph of implementing a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing experimental animals.

According to FIG. 4, the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 for culturing laboratory animals includes a plurality of breeding cages 10, a fixing frame 11, an intake unit 20, a measurement unit 30, and an exhaust unit 40. ), a control unit 50, a display unit 60, and an air conditioner. At this time, the intake unit 20, the measurement unit 30, the exhaust unit 40, and the control unit 50 are as described with reference to FIG. 1 .

The plurality of breeding cages 10 have a hexahedral shape, and the length of the side is longer than the upper and lower surfaces, and the inner space is a breeding space (not shown) in which the experimental animals are bred and feces and urine excreted by the experimental animals are dropped and stored It can be divided into a storage space (not shown).

That is, each breeding cage 10 may include a pedestal (not shown), and the upper space of the pedestal is a breeding space (not shown), and the lower space is divided into a storage space (not shown). A nozzle is connected to the side of each breeding cage 10, and air can be taken in or exhausted to each breeding cage 10 through the nozzle.

In addition, the upper surface of each breeding cage 10 may be configured to be opened and closed so that experimental animals can be put into or removed from the breeding space.

In addition, a water supply unit capable of supplying water to the experimental animals and a feed supply unit (not shown) capable of supplying feed may be connected to the side of each breeding cage 10 .

The fixing frame 11 means a frame capable of storing a plurality of breeding cages 10 . The fixing frame 11 has a plurality of storage spaces corresponding to the size of the breeding cage 10. Each of the breeding cages 10 is stored in the storage space, and may be accessed as needed.

The display unit 60 may include a first display unit that displays the measurement result of the measurement unit 30 in real time and a second display unit capable of displaying the control function of the control unit 50 and adjusting the control function of the control unit 50. .

A specific embodiment of the display unit 60 will be described in detail in the third embodiment below.

An air conditioner refers to a device capable of adjusting the temperature of air to be cool.

Hereinafter, the ventilation management method of the breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals will be described in detail.

5 is a view showing a ventilation management method of a breeding cage for culturing experimental animals.

According to FIG. 5, it relates to a ventilation management method inside the breeding cage performed by the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 using a blower motor.

At this time, the step of discharging the air inside the breeding cage 10 to the outside (S100), the step of measuring the information of the discharged air (S200), the step of returning the measured air to the inside of the breeding cage 10 (S300) and controlling an air change per hour (ACH) of the breeding cage 10 by adjusting revolutions per minute (RPM) of the blower motor according to the measured value (S400).

Meanwhile, a step of self-verifying whether the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 is in an error state (S500) may be further included.

The step of discharging the air inside the breeding cage 10 to the outside (S100) is the step of sucking in the air using a blower motor (S110) and purifying the air through at least one filter installed inside the blower motor Step S120 may be included.

In addition, information on the air may be measured simultaneously with or after the air purification.

At this time, the air information may mean all information about the air inside the breeding cage 10 for culturing laboratory animals. Specifically, air components (CO 2 , NH 3 , O 2 , H 2 O, etc.), air flow speed (ie, flow rate), air flow direction, odor components, temperature, humidity, and the like may all be included.

The step of measuring the information of the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 (S200) is the first point where the air inside the breeding cage 10 is discharged and the air introduced into the breeding cage 10 It may include measuring the differential pressure at the second point (S210), and determining whether the differential pressure is zero (S220).

The step of controlling the air change per hour (ACH) of the breeding cage 10 by adjusting the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of the blower motor (S400) is the step of calculating the air flow rate according to the fainted ACH (S410) and Adjusting the RPM according to the calculated air flow rate (S420) may be included.

The step of self-verifying whether the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 is in an error state (S500) is the step of calculating the actual ACH of the breeding cage 10 (S510), comparing the calculated actual ACH and the preset ACH It may include calculating a difference value (S520), and determining whether an error has occurred in the system based on the calculated difference value (S530).

6 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring RPM using a tachometer sensor.

The step of measuring information on the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 (S200) may further include, in addition to the information on the air, a step of measuring the RPM of the blower motor using a tachometer sensor (S230).

Referring to FIG. 6 , a clock (Clk) of the blower motor and a cycle (TC) required for one rotation may be measured using a tachometer sensor. A tachometer is a meter or measuring instrument that indicates the number of rotations (rotational speed) of a shaft in a device, and refers to a type of rotation system.

The step of measuring information on the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 (S200) may further include, in addition to the information on the air, a step of measuring the RPM of the blower motor according to the air flow rate (S240).

7 is a diagram illustrating a method of measuring RPM of a blower motor according to flow rate.

According to FIG. 7 , RPM of the blower motor may be calculated with reference to a flow rate-differential pressure graph of the blower motor. At this time, the unit of hydraulic pressure is CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute).

In addition, the differential pressure may mean a pressure difference between a first point where the breeding cage 10 and the exhaust unit 40 are connected and a second point where the breeding cage 10 and the intake unit 20 are connected. In this case, due to the characteristics of breeding experimental animals, the differential pressure was set close to zero.

7(a) is an example of a graph showing a relationship between hydraulic pressure and differential pressure unique to a blower motor.

In addition, (b) of FIG. 7 is an example of a unique data sheet of a blower motor.

The model name of the blower motor used in (a) and (b) of FIG. 7 may be G1G140-AV17-02. At this time, the minimum RPM may be 450 due to the characteristics of the motor of the model name. However, the model name of the motor described above is only one example of a blower motor.

7(c) is a straight line graph illustrating an RPM calculation formula according to a flow rate based on an RPM value measured through measurement using a tachometer sensor or the like. In this case, RPM may be measured through a tachometer while maintaining the differential pressure constant.

In addition, the step of measuring the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 (S200) may further include, in addition to the air information, the step of measuring the air flow rate according to the RPM of the air blower motor (S250) can

8 is a diagram illustrating a method of measuring the flow rate of a blower motor according to RPM.

According to FIG. 8 , the flow rate by the blower motor may be calculated with reference to the flow rate-differential pressure graph of the blower motor. At this time, since RPM needs to be known to calculate the flow rate, RPM can be measured using a tachometer sensor as shown in FIG. 6 .

8(a) is an example of a graph showing a unique oil pressure-differential pressure relationship of a blower motor.

8(b) is an example of a blower motor's unique data sheet.

The model name of the blower motor used in (a) and (b) of FIG. 8 may be G1G140-AV17-02. At this time, the minimum RPM may be 450 due to the characteristics of the motor of the model name. However, the model name of the motor described above is only one example of a blower motor.

FIG. 8(c) is a straight line graph illustrating a flow rate calculation formula according to RPM based on an RPM value measured through measurement using a tachometer sensor or the like. In this case, RPM may be measured through a tachometer while maintaining the differential pressure constant.

In addition, in the step of measuring the information of the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 (S200), in addition to the air information, the flow rate of the intake pipe 21 / exhaust pipe 41 is measured to calculate the air flow rate Step S260 may be further included.

In the step of calculating the flow rate of air by measuring the flow rate of the intake pipe 21/exhaust pipe 41 (S260), the cross-sectional area of the intake pipe 21/exhaust pipe 41 is first measured, and the flow rate passing through the corresponding cross-sectional area By measuring the flow rate can be calculated.

Hereinafter, a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals will be described in detail.

The corresponding computer program may be displayed on the display unit 60 . A user may command a desired operation by clicking a menu of a corresponding computer program.

9 is a diagram showing a “main screen” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 9, the computer program includes a tab menu at the top, the name of the program and the current time can be displayed at the bottom of the tab menu, and the intake part 20 and the exhaust part 40 measure the measurement at the bottom. measured values are displayed. In this case, the measured values may include motor speed, temperature, NH3, air speed, humidity, and CO2.

In addition, the measured ACH and the measured differential pressure may be displayed at the bottom of the corresponding computer program.

10 is a diagram showing “environment settings” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 10 , the corresponding computer program includes a tab menu at the top and may further include a basic setting menu at the bottom. The basic setting menu includes a menu to select Auto mode and Manual mode. At this time, a menu for inputting numerical values such as the number of cages, differential pressure, ACH, and differential pressure range may be further included so that basic setting values in case of manual mode can be set.

A menu for setting upper limit values of the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40 may be included at the bottom of the basic setting menu. The menu for setting the upper limit value may include menus such as motor speed, temperature, NH3, air speed, humidity, and CO2.

At the bottom of the upper limit value setting menu, a button for initializing a corresponding setting value and a button for applying the corresponding setting value may be further included.

11 is a diagram showing a “graph” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 11, the corresponding computer program may include a tab menu at the top and a sensor setting menu at the bottom. The sensor setting menu may include differential pressure, CO2, humidity, NH3, temperature, and air velocity menus.

In addition, a graph displaying measurement values measured by the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40 may be included at the bottom of the sensor setting menu.

12 is a diagram showing a “system” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 12, the corresponding computer program includes a tab menu at the top and can output an error list based on the measured sensor values at the bottom.

In addition, at the bottom of the error list, the lifespan of HEPA filters used in the intake unit 20 and exhaust unit 40 of the system may be displayed.

13 is a diagram illustrating a method of detecting an “error” with a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.

According to FIG. 13 , when the difference value calculated by the first measurement unit 30 and the second measurement unit 30 included in the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, an error occurs in the system. can be judged to have occurred. When it is determined that an error has occurred in the system, the corresponding content may be output to the error list of FIG. 13 .

In addition, when the calculated difference value is less than a predetermined value, the system may determine that it is in a normal state. In this case, the corresponding contents are not output to the error list of FIG. 13 .

1. There was a problem that the pollutants in the air inside the breeding cage could not be properly sterilized and purified.

2. If the sizes (diameters) of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe connected to the breeding cage are different, there is a problem in that all designs must be redone. That is, there is a problem that versatility is poor.

3. Breeding cage Breeding environment has a problem in adopting a method of maintaining the differential pressure at 0 in the prior art, although it is more preferable to maintain the negative pressure by default and to maintain the positive pressure as necessary, rather than maintaining the differential pressure close to zero.

4. Environmental information inside the breeding cage (environmental information may include air composition (CO2, NH3, O2, H2O, etc.), air flow rate (i.e. flow rate), air flow direction, temperature, humidity, etc. ) is directly related to the health status of the experimental animals, so to maintain a clean environment, a negative pressure state should be basically maintained and at the same time, a blower should be operated to optimally adjust the amount of air introduced or exhausted into the breeding cage according to environmental information. There was a lack of research on this.

5. If the external power supply provided to the breeding cage is cut off due to a power outage, etc., there is a problem in that the breeding cage does not operate normally.

1. Patent Application No. 10-2008-0017296, Title of Invention: "Air Conditioning System for Mouse Breeding Facility" 2. Patent Application No. 10-2006-0136747, Title of Invention: "Uninterruptible Power Supply"

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and the present invention sterilizes bacteria, fungi, and viruses that may be included in the contamination source by using the AOP lamp primarily for the exhaust pollutant air of the breeding cage and contaminating the air. By providing a sterilization purification device that decomposes and removes substances and odors, sterilizes them through UV lamp irradiation, and enables exhaust through filters (pre-filters, HEPA filters), thereby sterilizing the exhaust pollution source of the laboratory animal breeding cage. It provides a way to purify it.

In addition, the present invention provides a method for sterilizing and purifying an exhaust pollutant of a cage for breeding laboratory animals, and when intake into the cage or exhaust to the outside, the size of the intake and exhaust pipes is reflected and the rotation speed of the blower can be adjusted to optimize the Air conditioning control method tailored to the environmental information inside the breeding cage that enables the optimal control of the blower to create the breeding environment and optimally adjust the amount of air introduced or exhausted into the breeding cage according to the environmental information inside the breeding cage would like to propose

In addition, the present invention sterilizes bacteria, fungi and viruses that may be included in the pollutants by firstly utilizing the AOP lamp for the exhaust pollutant air of the breeding cage, decomposes and removes pollutants and odors, and secondarily irradiates with UV lamps. After sterilization through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter), it relates to a method of remotely controlling a breeding cage equipped with a sterilization purification device to be exhausted based on IoT.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an uninterruptible power supply capable of operating when an external power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like.

The present invention provides an intake pipe through which external air is supplied to the inside of the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which the internal air of the breeding cage is exhausted, and one or more AOP lamps and at least one UV lamp to sterilize and purify by receiving the internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. A sterilization and purification device having a lamp and a filter, an intake part (including a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and an exhaust part (including a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device And, a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe, a sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information of exhausted air, and a control unit for controlling the duty cycle of the first and second motors. As an uninterruptible power supply used for laboratory animal breeding cages that supply power to laboratory animal breeding cages,

The uninterruptible power supply includes an automatic voltage regulator (AVR), a rectifier, a storage battery, an inverter, a maintenance switch, a synchronous transfer switch, and an output switch,

In a normal operating state, externally supplied power, which is commercial power, is supplied to the laboratory animal breeding cage as a load through the rectifier - the storage battery - the inverter - the synchronous transfer switch - the output switch,

In the event of a power outage or failure of the rectifier, the power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the load via the inverter-the synchronous transfer switch-the output switch,

When all the power stored in the storage battery is used, or when a failure occurs in the rectifier or the inverter, the externally supplied power supplies power to the load via the automatic voltage regulator - the synchronous transfer switch - the output switch,

During maintenance work, the output switch is opened, and the external supply power is supplied to the load via the automatic voltage regulator-the maintenance switch,

The internal air of the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and the at least one UV lamp, and then supplied to the exhaust unit through the filter,

For environmental information customized air conditioning control inside the breeding cage

(a) transmitting a set ACH (Air Change per Hour: number of ventilation per hour) to be set for ventilation inside the breeding cage to a control unit;

(b) calculating, by the controller, an air flow rate supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH;

(c) calculating, by the control unit, a first air flow rate corresponding to the air flow rate;

(d) calculating an RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate by the controller;

(e) calculating, by the control unit, a duty ratio of the first motor controlling the first blower to maintain the RPM of the first blower;

(f) operating the first motor;

(g) operating the second motor to have a duty ratio different from that of the first motor by 10%;

(h) measuring the flow rate of the second air supplied to the intake pipe through a flow sensor installed inside the intake pipe and transmitting the measured flow rate to the control unit;

(i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate by the controller;

(j) deriving a measurement ACH that is a measurement value calculated according to the second air flow rate in the control unit and comparing a difference with the set ACH;

(k) Repeating steps (f) to (j) until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, but the duty ratio for operating the first motor in step (f) It consists of; repeating after increasing or decreasing a predetermined value,

In order to operate the second motor to have a duty ratio different from the first motor in step (g) by 10%,

In the case of maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a negative pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor,

In the case of maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second motor,

The environmental information measuring sensor installed inside the exhaust pipe measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia information of the air exhausted through the exhaust pipe, and is measured by the environmental information measuring sensor. When the contamination degree of the obtained environmental information deviates from the standard value established by the control unit, the duty ratios of the first motor and the second motor in steps (f) and (g) are increased by 5% compared to the existing state,

The control unit forwards the environment information to a server using wired or wireless communication,

The server stores the environment information in an environment information database,

It is possible to receive the environment information by accessing the environment information database of the server through a mobile terminal or a computer;

When control information capable of controlling the control unit is transmitted to the server through the portable terminal or computer, the server can control the control unit based on the control information;

The control unit and the first and second motors may receive power from the lab animal breeding cage.

When the exhaust pollutant sterilization purification method of the laboratory animal breeding cage of the present invention is used, the pollutant inside the breeding cage can be efficiently sterilized and removed, and the inside of the breeding cage can be removed according to the size of the intake pipe and the exhaust pipe and environmental information inside the breeding cage. There is an advantage that the air environment can be maintained optimally.

In addition, in the case of carrying out the present invention, there is an advantage in that the state of the laboratory animal breeding cage can be monitored from a remote location and the laboratory animal breeding cage can be controlled from a remote location.

In addition, in the case of implementing the present invention, there is an advantage in that the laboratory animal breeding cage can be stably operated even when the external power supply is cut off.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing conventional laboratory animals.
3 is a graph showing air volume according to RPM of a blower motor.
4 is a photograph of implementing a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing experimental animals.
5 is a view showing a ventilation management method of a breeding cage for culturing experimental animals.
6 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring RPM using a tachometer sensor.
7 is a diagram illustrating a method of measuring RPM of a blower motor according to flow rate.
8 is a diagram illustrating a method of measuring the flow rate of a blower motor according to RPM.
9 is a diagram showing a “main screen” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.
10 is a diagram showing “environment settings” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.
11 is a diagram showing a “graph” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.
12 is a diagram showing a “system” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.
13 is a diagram illustrating a method of detecting an “error” with a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for culturing laboratory animals.
14 is a flowchart illustrating the "air conditioning control method customized for environmental information inside the breeding cage" proposed in the present invention.
15 is an example of an experiment of the present invention.
16 is a functional block diagram of a laboratory animal breeding cage in which the present invention is practiced.
17 is a functional block diagram illustrating a process performed in the sterilized telephone device of the present invention.
18 shows an example of a pre-filter and a HEPA filter used in the present invention.
19 is a diagram schematically illustrating an interworking process between a control unit of a laboratory animal breeding cage, a server, and a portable terminal or computer according to the present invention.
20 and 21 are views showing an aspect of controlling a control unit of a laboratory animal breeding cage through a portable terminal or a computer.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail.

However, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the specific embodiments of the present invention, and includes all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Terms used in the present invention are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, the terms "include" or "have" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and it will be said that not only the claims to be described later, but also all modifications equivalent or equivalent to these claims belong to the scope of the present invention. .

Hereinafter, an IoT-based laboratory animal breeding cage remote control method proposed in the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

14 is a flowchart illustrating the "air conditioning control method customized for environmental information inside the breeding cage" proposed in the present invention.

The system of the present invention basically includes an intake pipe through which external air is supplied to the inside of the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which air inside the breeding cage is exhausted, and an intake part connected to the intake pipe (including a first motor and a first blower), An exhaust unit connected to the exhaust pipe (including a second motor and a second blower), a flow sensor installed inside the intake pipe, and a sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information of exhausted air; A control unit controlling duty ratios of the first and second motors is provided. For reference, in the breeding cage of the present invention, a plurality of unit cages are stacked in a rack type to maintain a mattress type, and a pressure sensor is mounted on one of the arbitrary unit cages. This is used to determine whether to maintain a positive or negative pressure inside the cage.

As shown, the air conditioning control method customized for environmental information inside the breeding cage according to the present invention is controlled in the following steps.

(a) Transmitting a configuration ACH to be configured to a control unit

This step can be selected from the display unit of FIG. 4 .

That is, the user can set the ACH through the display unit.

(b) calculating, by the controller, an air flow rate supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH

The control unit calculates the air flow rate corresponding to the input set ACH.

The required air flow rate calculation according to the set ACH value is as follows.

(c) Next, the control unit calculates a first air flow rate corresponding to the air flow rate.

(d) Next, the control unit calculates the RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate.

The calculation method is as follows

That is, in the case of the present invention, it can be seen that the number of revolutions of the first blower can be appropriately adjusted according to the size (diameter or area information) of the intake pipe. That is, it can be seen that the versatility is very excellent

(e) Next, the control unit calculates the duty ratio of the first motor for controlling the first blower to maintain the RPM of the first blower

This is because the RPM of the blower is determined by the PWM signal for motor control, and thus the number of revolutions of the blower can be adjusted by adjusting the duty ratio of the PWM.

(f) Next, the first motor in the intake section is operated.

At this time, the duty ratio of the second motor is automatically interlocked so that there is a difference between the duty ratio of the first motor and a predetermined value.

(g) In the present invention, the second motor is operated to have a duty ratio different from that of the first motor by 10%.

This depends on the breeding mode

Here, the breeding mode means whether the inside of the breeding cage is in a positive pressure condition or a negative pressure condition.

In general, it may be desirable to maintain a negative pressure in order to maintain a comfortable state and prevent contamination.

In the present invention, the controller determines whether the pressure sensor is in a positive pressure state or a negative pressure state by using the pressure inside the cage.

15 is an example of a differential pressure experiment of the present invention.

As can be seen from the experimental results, as a result of the differential pressure comparison experiment of the cage equipped with the pressure sensor, when the duty ratio of the first blower in the intake part and the second blower in the exhaust part is 10% difference, positive or negative pressure conditions are maintained for appropriate breeding mode. Could know.

That is, in the case of negative pressure, the duty ratio of the first blower is 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second blower, and in the case of positive pressure, the duty ratio of the first blower is set to be 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second blower. did

(h) then, measuring the flow rate of the second air supplied to the intake pipe through a flow sensor installed inside the intake pipe and transmitting the measured flow rate to the control unit; (i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate by the controller; (j) The controller derives a measurement ACH, which is a measurement value calculated according to the second air flow rate, and compares the difference with the set ACH.

;

(k) Next, steps (f) to (j) are repeatedly performed until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, but the duty for operating the first motor in step (f) The optimum condition is maintained while repeating the steps after increasing or decreasing the ratio by a predetermined value.

As described above, in the case of maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a negative pressure state in order to operate the second motor to have a duty ratio that is 10% different from the first motor in step (g), the The duty ratio of one motor is 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor, and when maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor. It is desirable to have high

Meanwhile, a sensor for measuring environmental information is installed inside the exhaust pipe of the present invention, and the information is transmitted to the control unit.

A sensor for measuring environmental information measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia information of air exhausted through the exhaust pipe.

When the degree of contamination of the environmental information measured by the sensor for measuring environmental information deviates from the standard value established by the controller, the controller determines the duty ratio of the first motor and the second motor in steps (f) and (g). By increasing the existing condition tabby by 5%, it is possible to quickly remove the source of contamination inside the breeding cage.

As described above, in the case of implementing the air conditioning control method customized for environmental information inside the breeding cage proposed in the present invention, the air environment inside the breeding cage can be optimally maintained according to the size of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe and environmental information inside the breeding cage. There is an advantage to being able to

That is, in the case of carrying out the present invention, the size of the intake and exhaust pipes is reflected when intake into the breeding cage or exhaust to the outside, and the rotation speed of the blower can be adjusted to create an optimal breeding environment, and the inside of the breeding cage It is possible to enable optimal control of the blower to optimally adjust the amount of air introduced or exhausted into the breeding cage according to environmental information.

Next, in the present invention, an additional method for removing contamination of the air inside the breeding cage, "a method for sterilizing and purifying exhaust pollutants in a breeding cage for laboratory animals" will be described.

16 is a functional block diagram of a laboratory animal breeding cage in which the present invention is practiced.

16, except for the addition of a sterilization and purification device, there is basically no significant difference from the above-described configuration, so repetitive descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the laboratory animal breeding cage of the present invention includes a breeding cage, an intake pipe through which outside air is supplied to the inside of the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which air inside the breeding cage is exhausted, and internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. A sterilization and purification device having one or more AOP lamps and at least one UV lamp and a filter in order to receive and sterilize and purify, an intake unit (with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and the sterilization and purification It has an exhaust unit (with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the device, a measuring unit, and a control unit.

In the present invention, a flow sensor may be installed inside the intake pipe, and a sensor for measuring environmental information for measuring information of exhausted air may be provided inside the exhaust pipe, and the control unit may input external input through a control unit not shown. It can receive and acquire various sensor information, and in particular, it has a function of controlling the duty ratio of the first and second motors.

In operation, the air inside the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization and purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and the at least one UV lamp, and then supplied to the exhaust unit through a filter. Therefore, there is an advantage in that it is possible to provide purified air.

17 is a functional block diagram illustrating a process performed in the sterilized telephone device of the present invention.

As is known, the AOP (Advanced Oxidation Process) method is an air or water treatment oxidation technology that has already been proven at home and abroad, such as ultraviolet (UV), AM (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and photocatalyst (TiO2). It is a chemical oxidation process that sterilizes pathogenic microbes, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and decomposes/removes harmful substances and odors by generating a large amount of OH radicals, which are oxides with good reactivity and strong oxidizing power, by convergence.

Here, the OH radical is a highly reactive and strong oxidizing agent that completely oxidizes and decomposes the object, has a faster reaction time than ozone or hydrogen peroxide, and has much better oxidizing power.

These AOP methods are used in the field of water treatment to sterilize and purify groundwater or drinking water, remove chlorine and THM (trihalomethane), decompose recalcitrant organic substances, remove heavy metals, and treat wastewater in industrial fields, industrial chemicals and toxic compounds, and persistent organic substances. The scope of application is expanding to various fields such as materials, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, beauty products, pesticides, demi- genization / decolorization / odor removal, etc. In the field of air treatment, sterilization of bacteria, fungi and viruses in indoor air, HCHO (formaldehyde) , It is mainly used to decompose and remove harmful substances and odors such as VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), and this function was also used in the present invention.

In the present invention, the air exhausted from the exhaust pipe was first removed and sterilized by applying the AOP method.

That is, the air exhausted from the breeding cage was sent to a sterilization purification device, and the AOP method was applied to first remove odor and sterilize.

Next, in the present invention, a second odor removal and sterilization process was performed on the internal air using a UV lamp.

Ultraviolet sterilization action means that UV-C, an ultraviolet region of 200 ~ 280 nm, penetrates the cell membrane of various bacteria such as bacteria and viruses, damaging or destroying DNA so that no more cell proliferation occurs. Since it has the highest sterilization power, it was sterilized by applying a 253.7 nm UV lamp as an example of the present invention.

Finally, in the sterilization purification device of the present invention, a filter, that is, a pre-filter and a HEPA filter are applied to enable third air purification for the internal air.

For reference, the pre-filter is a filter that filters relatively large dust with a particle size of 50 μm or more, and the HEPA filter is a filter that filters contaminants such as house dust, mites, viruses, molds, etc. with a particle size of 0.3 μm or more floating in the air. In the present invention, the H-13 grade was applied. Here, the H-13 grade is a filter developed for medical purposes, and the dust collection performance is known to be about 99.75 to 99.95%.

18 shows an example of a pre-filter and a HEPA filter used in the present invention.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, a server that interworks with a control unit of a laboratory animal breeding cage in a wired or wireless manner may be further provided.

19 is a diagram schematically showing an interworking process between a control unit of a cage for breeding lab animals and a server and a portable terminal or computer according to the present invention, and FIGS. 20 and 21 control the controller of the cage for breeding lab animals through a portable terminal or computer. It is a drawing showing the working mode.

In FIG. 19 , the server of the present invention may have an environment information database and store environment information sent through the control unit of the laboratory animal breeding cage.

In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 19, the user can access the APP/WEB remotely through a portable terminal or computer and request and receive predetermined information, for example, environmental information stored in the environmental information database from the server (see FIG. 20).

In addition, a user may set predetermined control information through a portable terminal or computer and transmit it to the server, and the server may control the control unit of the laboratory animal breeding cage (see FIG. 21 ). That is, when predetermined control information capable of controlling the controller is transmitted to the server through a portable terminal or computer, the server can control the controller based on the control information.

Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the state of the laboratory animal breeding cage can be monitored from a remote location and the laboratory animal breeding cage can be controlled from a remote location.

Next, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) operating when external power supplied to the laboratory animal breeding cage is cut off due to a power outage will be described.

22 is a diagram explaining the operation concept of an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS).

As shown, in the event of a power outage or an emergency situation in which commercial power is not supplied, the uninterruptible power supply is operated to stably operate devices that require power, such as the air conditioner and control unit of the laboratory animal breeding cage, so that due to power failure, etc. It is possible to prevent or delay the situation in which animals in an experiment are collectively killed.

Next, FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram of the uninterruptible power supply used in the present invention.

As shown, the automatic voltage regulator (AVR) of the present invention, a rectifier, a storage battery, an inverter, a maintenance bypass switch, and a static transfer switch ), and an output switch.

In the present invention, the rectifier serves to supply power to the storage battery and the inverter by converting AC power to DC.

In the present invention, the inverter has a function of converting input DC power back into stable AC and supplying it to the load. In the case of the present invention, the load means a practical animal breeding cage and means a supply power for operating the practical animal breeding cage.

In the present invention, the reason for supplying external power, which is commercial power, to the load via the rectifier, storage battery, and inverter is because when AC → DC → AC is converted, the quality of constant voltage and constant frequency is relatively higher than that of external power, which is commercial power. This is because it is stable and can supply the load.

Next, the regulator (VAR) is also called an automatic voltage regulator or an automatic transformer, and functions to constantly output unstable voltage fluctuations of +/- 15% or more to +/- 2%.

In addition, the maintenance bypass switch (MBS) performs a function of directly supplying external power supplied as commercial power to the load when artificial maintenance and inspection of the UPS shown in FIG. 23 is required.

Lastly, the static transfer switch functions to switch the external power supplied to the load so that it can be supplied to the load without interruption.

In other words, in the event of an internal failure of the UPS system, the external power supply, which is commercial power, goes through the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) to the output switch and load. It serves to change the path so that the external power supply can be supplied to the load through the rectifier-capacitor-inverter-output switch.

24 is a diagram showing a case where the UPS normally operates.

As shown, externally supplied power, which is a commercial power source, is supplied to the laboratory animal breeding cage as a load through a rectifier-storage battery-inverter-synchronous transfer switch-output switch.

In the present invention, the power converted to DC by the rectifier charges the naturally discharged part of the storage battery and supplies power to the inverter side. At this time, the AC power converted by the inverter has constant voltage and constant frequency characteristics without harmonics, surges, or noise.

25 is a diagram showing a case in which the uninterruptible power supply of the present invention operates in case of power failure or rectifier failure.

As shown, it can be seen that when a power outage occurs or a rectifier fails, the power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the load through the inverter-synchronous transfer switch-output switch.

26 is an operation method when all of the power stored in the storage battery is used or a failure occurs only in the rectifier or inverter.

In this case, the external power supply, which is commercial power, can be supplied to the load through an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) - synchronous transfer switch - output switch.

Next, FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an operation method during maintenance of the UPS.

During maintenance work, open the output switch to completely cut off the power supplied through cnrwjswl, etc., and allow the external power to be supplied directly to the load through the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR)-maintenance switch.

By using such an uninterruptible power supply, it will be possible to stably supply power to the laboratory animal breeding cage.

In the case of using the sterilization purification device of the present invention described above, it is possible to efficiently sterilize and remove the contamination source inside the breeding cage, and it is more comfortable when carried out together with the above-described environmental information customized air conditioning control method inside the breeding cage. There are advantages in that it is possible to provide purified air, monitor the condition of the laboratory animal breeding cage from a remote location, and control the laboratory animal breeding cage from a remote location.

In addition, by using the uninterruptible power supply, it is possible to stably operate the laboratory animal breeding cage.

So far, the present invention has been looked at with respect to its preferred embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a limiting point of view. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims (1)

An intake pipe through which external air is supplied to the inside of the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which the inside air of the breeding cage is exhausted, and one or more AOP lamps and at least one UV lamp and filter to sterilize and purify the internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. A sterilization and purification device having a, an intake part (with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, an exhaust part (with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device, A flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe, a sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure the information of the exhausted air, and a control unit for controlling the duty cycle of the first and second motors, and a laboratory animal As an uninterruptible power supply used for laboratory animal breeding cages that supply power to breeding cages,
The uninterruptible power supply includes an automatic voltage regulator (AVR), a rectifier, a storage battery, an inverter, a maintenance switch, a synchronous transfer switch, and an output switch,
In a normal operating state, externally supplied power, which is commercial power, is supplied to the laboratory animal breeding cage as a load through the rectifier - the storage battery - the inverter - the synchronous transfer switch - the output switch,
In the event of a power outage or failure of the rectifier, the power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the load via the inverter-the synchronous transfer switch-the output switch,
When all the power stored in the storage battery is used, or when a failure occurs in the rectifier or the inverter, the externally supplied power supplies power to the load via the automatic voltage regulator - the synchronous transfer switch - the output switch,
During maintenance work, the output switch is opened, and the external supply power is supplied to the load via the automatic voltage regulator-the maintenance switch,
The internal air of the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and the at least one UV lamp, and then supplied to the exhaust unit through the filter,
For environmental information customized air conditioning control inside the breeding cage
(a) transmitting a set ACH (Air Change per Hour: number of ventilation per hour) to be set for ventilation inside the breeding cage to a control unit;
(b) calculating, by the controller, an air flow rate supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH;
(c) calculating, by the control unit, a first air flow rate corresponding to the air flow rate;
(d) calculating an RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate by the controller;
(e) calculating, by the control unit, a duty ratio of the first motor controlling the first blower to maintain the RPM of the first blower;
(f) operating the first motor;
(g) operating the second motor to have a duty ratio different from that of the first motor by 10%;
(h) measuring the flow rate of the second air supplied to the intake pipe through a flow sensor installed inside the intake pipe and transmitting the measured flow rate to the control unit;
(i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate by the controller;
(j) deriving a measurement ACH that is a measurement value calculated according to the second air flow rate in the control unit and comparing a difference with the set ACH;
(k) Repeating steps (f) to (j) until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, but the duty ratio for operating the first motor in step (f) It consists of; repeating after increasing or decreasing a predetermined value,
In order to operate the second motor to have a duty ratio different from the first motor in step (g) by 10%,
In the case of maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a negative pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor,
In the case of maintaining the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second motor,
The environmental information measuring sensor installed inside the exhaust pipe measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia information of the air exhausted through the exhaust pipe, and is measured by the environmental information measuring sensor. When the contamination degree of the obtained environmental information deviates from the standard value established by the control unit, the duty ratios of the first motor and the second motor in steps (f) and (g) are increased by 5% compared to the existing state,
The control unit forwards the environment information to a server using wired or wireless communication,
The server stores the environment information in an environment information database,
It is possible to receive the environment information by accessing the environment information database of the server through a mobile terminal or a computer;
When control information capable of controlling the control unit is transmitted to the server through the portable terminal or computer, the server can control the control unit based on the control information;
The control unit and the first and second motors are uninterruptible power supplies for stable operation of the laboratory animal breeding cage, characterized in that for receiving power from the laboratory animal breeding cage.

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