KR20230140069A - Experimental animal breeding cage remote control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention firstly uses an AOP lamp to sterilize bacteria, molds, and viruses that may be included in the pollutants in the exhaust pollutant air of the breeding cage, decomposes and removes pollutants and odor, and secondly irradiates the air with a UV lamp. It relates to a method of remotely controlling cages for raising laboratory animals by providing a sterilization and purification device that allows exhaustion through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter) after sterilization.
The present invention provides an intake pipe through which external air is supplied into the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which the internal air of the breeding cage is exhausted, one or more AOP lamps, and at least one AOP lamp to receive and sterilize the internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. A sterilization and purification device having the above UV lamp and filter, an intake unit (with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and an exhaust unit (with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device. (equipped), a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe, an environmental information measurement sensor installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information on the exhausted air, and a control unit that controls the duty ratios of the first and second motors. It relates to a method of remotely controlling a laboratory animal breeding cage equipped with an IoT-based,
The internal air of the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization and purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and at least one UV lamp and then supplied to the exhaust unit through the filter,
For customized air conditioning control of environmental information inside the breeding cage
(a) transmitting the setting ACH (Air Change per Hour: number of ventilations per hour) to be set for internal ventilation of the breeding cage to the control unit;
(b) calculating, by the control unit, a flow rate of air supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH;
(c) calculating a first air flow rate corresponding to the air flow rate in the control unit;
(d) calculating the RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate in the control unit;
(e) the control unit calculating a duty ratio of the first motor that controls 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 that is 10% different from that of the first motor;
(h) measuring the second air flow rate supplied to the intake pipe through a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe and transmitting it to the control unit;
(i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate in the control unit;
(j) deriving a measured ACH, which is a measurement value calculated according to the second air flow rate, in the control unit, and comparing the difference with the set ACH;
(k) Repeat steps (f) to (j) until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, and the duty ratio for operating the first motor in step (f) is It consists of increasing or decreasing a predetermined value and then repeating it,
To operate the second motor to have a duty ratio that is 10% different from the first motor in step (g),
When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage at negative pressure, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor,
When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second motor,
The sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia of the air, which is environmental information exhausted through the exhaust pipe, and is measured by the sensor for measuring environmental information. If the pollution level of the environmental information deviates from the standard value set 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 transmits the environmental information to the server using wired or wireless communication,
The server stores the environmental information in an environmental information database,
You can receive the environmental information by accessing the environmental information database of the server through a mobile terminal or computer,
When control information capable of controlling the control unit is transmitted to the server through the mobile terminal or computer, the server can control the control unit based on the control information.
When the present invention is implemented, the contaminants inside the breeding cage can be efficiently sterilized and removed, and 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. It has the advantage of being able to monitor the condition of cages for raising experimental animals even from a remote location and controlling the cages for raising experimental animals from a remote location.

Description

Experimental animal breeding cage remote control method}

The present invention relates to a remote management and control method for cages for breeding laboratory animals. More specifically, it primarily uses an AOP lamp to sterilize bacteria, molds, and viruses that may be contained in the pollutant air exhaust from the breeding cage. A breeding cage equipped with a sterilization and purification device that decomposes and removes pollutants and odors, sterilizes them through second UV lamp irradiation, and exhausts them through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter) can be remotely operated based on IoT. It is about how to manage and control.

Korea has been intensively fostering the bio industry and pharmaceutical industry, and these industrial fields are especially future food technologies for Korea, and many bio companies and pharmaceutical companies around the world are conducting animal clinical trials in Korea.

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

In addition, methods have been developed to efficiently manage conditions such as appropriate temperature, humidity, and ventilation in multiple breeding cages installed in animal breeding rooms.

In this way, it is important to minimize variables other than drug injection in laboratory animals used for experiments in order to develop drugs needed for the human body. To this end, technology to maintain optimal conditions in breeding cages where experimental animals live is an important technology in the bio and pharmaceutical industries, and the importance of technology in this field is expected to increase in the future.

Patent No. 10-0357051, which is a related prior art, includes an enclosure provided with an internal space and an insertion hole formed on the upper surface through which a plurality of breeding bins are airtightly combined, and inside the enclosure, dirt and air falling from the breeding bins are guided downward. A waste collection passage installed to be inclined as downward as possible, a ventilation assembly passage installed with a ventilation passage below the waste collection tank, a duct installed in the enclosure to communicate with the ventilation passage, and a blower installed on the duct to generate suction force. , an odor-discharging device in a breeding cage for small animals is disclosed, characterized in that it consists of a door that can be opened and closed on the side wall of the enclosure.

However, such prior art simply focuses on discharging bad odors from breeding cages, and maintains the optimal ventilation condition inside the breeding cage and determines whether there is an error inside the system to maintain this condition. There was a problem for which no means had been disclosed.

In particular, experimental animals may be stressed due to air flow or noise caused by the air flow inside the breeding cage, so it is very important to manage ACH (Air Change per Hour: Number of ventilations per hour) inside the breeding cage. Therefore, in addition to solving the above problems, a system and method for efficiently managing ACH inside the breeding cage are needed.

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

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a ventilation management system for a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

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

The exhaust unit 40 exhausts the air inside the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals to the outside of the breeding cage. The dictionary definition of exhaust means discharging 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 the air exhausted using the first blower motor 42, and a first It may include a first measuring unit 31 that measures information on air exhausted using the blower motor 42.

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

The primary filter may include a pre-filter to filter out relatively large dust, etc., and a HEPA filter to filter out particulates in the air.

Due to the primary filter, the air inside the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals can always be kept clean. However, it is advisable 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 cultivating experimental animals. Specifically, environmental information may include air components (CO2, NH3, O2, H2O, etc.), air flow speed (i.e., flow rate), air flow direction, odor components, temperature, humidity, etc.

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. The sensors used at this time may refer to all sensors that measure information about the air.

The intake unit 20 sends the air whose information has been measured by the first measuring unit 31 into the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals.

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

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

The secondary filter may have the same configuration as the primary filter including a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. In this way, by purifying the air twice using primary and secondary filters, there is an effect of minimizing the stress that 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 value measured by the first measurement unit 31 and/or the second measurement unit 32. Controls the ACH (Air Change per Hour) of the breeding cage (10). At this time, ACH (Air Change per Hour) is a very important factor in managing the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals.

Laboratory animals raised in breeding cages consume or excrete food inside the cage. Gas components such as ammonia generated from the excrement of laboratory animals, carbon dioxide and water vapor generated from the respiration of laboratory animals, and internal temperature increase due to the body heat of the laboratory animals can have a detrimental effect on the health of the laboratory animals.

Additionally, it may affect stress management in laboratory animals.

Therefore, circulating and purifying the air inside the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals is a very important task. In order to minimize the impact on experimental animals, it is preferable that the differential pressure between the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40 is 0 or close to 0.

In this way, in order to circulate the air inside the breeding cage 10 while setting the differential pressure between the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40 to 0, the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals is precise. It is important that it operates properly.

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

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

In the case of raising experimental animals for cultivating experimental animals, even the flow of air can cause variables such as stress on the experimental animals, so it is desirable that the blower motor used in this case has little noise.

Additionally, it is desirable that there is little change in pressure generated by the blower motor.

This blower motor can control its wind volume by controlling RPM (Revolutions Per Minute).

According to Figure 3, it can be seen that RPM and wind volume are proportional.

Figure 4 is a photograph illustrating the ventilation management system of a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

According to Figure 4, the ventilation management system of the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals includes a plurality of breeding cages 10, a fixing frame 11, an intake unit 20, a measuring unit 30, and an exhaust unit. (40), it may include 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 the same as those described with reference to FIG. 1.

The plurality of breeding cages (10) have a hexahedral shape, the sides are longer than the top and bottom, and the internal space is a breeding space (not shown) where experimental animals are raised and where feces and urine excreted by the experimental animals fall and are stored. It can be divided into storage spaces (not shown).

That is, each breeding cage 10 may include a stand (not shown), the upper space of the stand is divided into 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 sucked in or exhausted from each breeding cage (10) through this nozzle.

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

Additionally, a water supply unit for supplying water to experimental animals and a food supply unit (not shown) for supplying food may be connected to the side of each breeding cage 10.

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

The display unit 60 may include a first display unit that displays the measurement results of the measurement unit 30 in real time and a second display unit that displays the control function of the control unit 50 and can adjust the control function of the control unit 50. .

Specific embodiments of the display unit 60 will be described in detail in the third embodiment below.

An air conditioner is a device that can coolly control the temperature of the air.

Hereinafter, a detailed description of the ventilation management method of breeding cages for cultivating experimental animals will be provided.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing a method of managing ventilation in a breeding cage for cultivating laboratory animals.

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

At this time, a step of discharging the air inside the breeding cage 10 to the outside (S100), a step of measuring information on the discharged air (S200), and a step of returning the measured air to the inside of the breeding cage 10 ( S300) and a step (S400) of controlling the ACH (Air Change per Hour) of the breeding cage 10 by adjusting the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of the blower motor according to the measured value.

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

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

Additionally, information about the air can be measured simultaneously with or after purifying the air.

At this time, the air information may mean all information about the air inside the breeding cage 10 for cultivating experimental animals. Specifically, it can include air components (CO2, NH3, O2, H2O, etc.), the speed at which the air flows (i.e., flow rate), the direction in which the air flows, odor components, temperature, humidity, etc.

The step (S200) of measuring information on the air discharged to the outside of the breeding cage 10 includes the first point where the air inside the breeding cage 10 is discharged, and the air inside the breeding cage 10. It may include measuring the differential pressure at the second point where the pressure flows in (S210), and checking whether the differential pressure is 0 (S220).

The step of controlling the ACH (Air Change per Hour) 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 fixed ACH (S410). And it may include adjusting the RPM according to the calculated air flow rate (S420).

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

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method of 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, the step of measuring the RPM of the blower motor using a tachometer sensor (S230). .

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

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, the step of measuring the RPM of the blower motor according to the air flow rate (S240).

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

According to FIG. 7, the RPM of the blower motor can be calculated by referring to the 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, differential pressure may mean the pressure difference between the first point where the breeding cage 10 and the exhaust unit 40 are connected and the second point where the breeding cage 10 and the intake unit 20 are connected. there is. In this case, due to the nature of experimental animal breeding, the differential pressure was close to 0.

Figure 7 (a) is an example of a graph showing the unique hydraulic pressure-differential pressure relationship of the blower motor.

Additionally, Figure 7(b) is an example of a unique data sheet of a blower motor.

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

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

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

Figure 8 is a diagram showing 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 can be calculated by referring to the flow rate-differential pressure graph of the blower motor. At this time, since RPM must be known to calculate the flow rate, RPM can be measured using a tachometer sensor as shown in FIG. 6.

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

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

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

Figure 8 (c) is a straight line graph showing the flow rate calculation formula according to RPM based on the RPM value measured through measurement using a tachometer sensor, etc. In this case, the RPM can be measured using a tachometer while maintaining the differential pressure constant.

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

The step (S260) of calculating the air flow rate by measuring the flow rate of the intake pipe 21/exhaust pipe 41 first measures the cross-sectional area of the intake pipe 21/exhaust pipe 41, and calculates the flow rate passing through the cross-sectional area. The flow rate can be calculated by measuring .

Hereinafter, a computer program for operating a ventilation management system for a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals will be described in detail as follows.

The corresponding computer program may be displayed on the display unit 60. Users can command desired actions by clicking on the menu of the computer program.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the “main screen” of a computer program for operating a ventilation management system for a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

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

Additionally, the measured ACH and the measured differential pressure can be displayed at the bottom of the computer program.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the “environment settings” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system in a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

According to FIG. 10, the computer program includes a tab menu at the top and may further include a basic settings menu at the bottom. The basic settings menu includes a menu where you can select Auto mode and Manual mode. At this time, a menu for entering values such as the number of cages, differential pressure, ACH, differential pressure range, etc. may be further included to set the basic settings in Manual mode.

The bottom of the basic setting menu may include a menu that can set the upper limits of the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40. Menus that can set the upper limit value may include menus such as motor speed, temperature, NH3, air speed, humidity, and CO2.

The bottom of the upper limit setting menu may further include a button for initializing the setting value and a button for applying the setting value.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing a “graph” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system in a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

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

Additionally, the bottom of the sensor setting menu may include a graph displaying measured values from the intake unit 20 and the exhaust unit 40.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing a “system” of a computer program for driving a ventilation management system of a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

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

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

Figure 13 is a diagram showing a method of detecting an “error” with a computer program for operating a ventilation management system in a breeding cage for cultivating experimental animals.

According to FIG. 13, if 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 a preset value, an error occurs in the system. It can be determined that has occurred. If it is determined that an error has occurred in the system, the corresponding information may be output to the error list in FIG. 13.

Additionally, if the calculated difference value is less than a preset value, the system may be determined to be in a normal state. In this case, the corresponding content is not output to the error list in FIG. 13.

However, this prior art has the following problems.

1. There was a problem that the contaminants in the air inside the breeding cage were not properly sterilized and purified.

2. If the size (diameter) of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe connected to the breeding cage are different, there is a problem that the entire design must be redone. In other words, there is a problem of poor versatility.

3. In the breeding cage breeding environment, it is preferable to basically maintain negative pressure and maintain positive pressure as necessary rather than maintaining differential pressure close to 0. However, there is a problem in the prior art that a method of maintaining differential pressure at 0 was adopted.

4. Environmental information inside the breeding cage (environmental information may include air components (CO2, NH3, O2, H2O, etc.), air flow speed (i.e. flow rate), air flow direction, temperature, humidity, etc. Since it is directly related to the health status of the experimental animals, the negative pressure is basically maintained to maintain a clean environment, and at the same time, the blower is operated to optimally adjust the amount of air flowing into or out of the breeding cage according to environmental information. It should be done, but research on this was insufficient.

1. Patent application number 10-2012-0116386, title of invention: “Integrated management method of individually ventilated cage breeding equipment for mouse culture”

Accordingly, the present invention was proposed to solve the above problems, and the present invention primarily uses an AOP lamp to sterilize bacteria, mold, and viruses that may be contained in the pollutant air exhaust from the breeding cage. By providing a sterilization and purification device that decomposes and removes pollutants and odors, sterilizes them through secondary UV lamp irradiation, and then exhausts them through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter), the source of exhaust pollution from cages for raising laboratory animals is provided. To provide a method for sterilizing and purifying.

In addition, the present invention provides a method for sterilizing and purifying exhaust contaminants from cages for breeding experimental animals, and can reflect the size of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe and adjust the rotation speed of the blower when inhaling into the cage or exhausting to the outside. An environment inside the breeding cage that creates an optimal breeding environment and enables optimal control of the blower to optimally adjust the amount of air flowing into or out of the breeding cage according to the environmental information inside the breeding cage. We would like to propose a customized information air conditioning control method.

In addition, the present invention first uses an AOP lamp to sterilize bacteria, molds, and viruses that may be included in the pollutant, decomposes and removes pollutants and odors, and secondarily irradiates the exhaust pollutant air from the breeding cage with a UV lamp. It relates to a method of remotely controlling a breeding cage based on IoT, which is equipped with a sterilization and purification device that allows exhaustion through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter) after sterilization through a filter (pre-filter, HEPA filter).

The present invention provides an intake pipe through which external air is supplied into the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which the internal air of the breeding cage is exhausted, one or more AOP lamps, and at least one AOP lamp to receive and sterilize the internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. A sterilization and purification device having the above UV lamp and filter, an intake unit (with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and an exhaust unit (with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device. (equipped), a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe, an environmental information measurement sensor installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information on the exhausted air, and a control unit that controls the duty ratios of the first and second motors. It relates to a method of remotely controlling a laboratory animal breeding cage equipped with an IoT-based,

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

For customized air conditioning control of environmental information inside the breeding cage

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

(b) calculating, by the control unit, a flow rate of air supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH;

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

(d) calculating the RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate in the control unit;

(e) the control unit calculating a duty ratio of the first motor that controls 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 that is 10% different from that of the first motor;

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

(i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate in the control unit;

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

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

To operate the second motor to have a duty ratio that is 10% different from the first motor in step (g),

When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage at negative pressure, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor,

When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second motor,

The sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia of the air, which is environmental information exhausted through the exhaust pipe, and is measured by the sensor for measuring environmental information. If the pollution level of the environmental information deviates from the standard value set 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 transmits the environmental information to the server using wired or wireless communication,

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

You can receive the environmental information by accessing the environmental information database of the server through a mobile terminal or computer,

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

When using the method of sterilizing and purifying exhaust pollutants from cages for breeding laboratory animals of the present invention, the pollutants inside the cages can be efficiently sterilized and removed, and the rearing is carried out according to the size of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe and environmental information inside the breeding cage. There is an advantage in that the air environment inside the dragon cage can be maintained optimally.

In addition, when implementing the present invention, there is an advantage that the condition of the cage for raising experimental animals can be monitored even from a remote location and the cage for raising experimental animals can be controlled from a remote location.

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

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

However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical 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, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The 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, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and the scope of the patent claims described below as well as all modifications that are equivalent or equivalent to the scope of this patent claim shall fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. .

Hereinafter, the remote management and control method for cages for raising laboratory animals proposed by the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 14 is a flowchart explaining the "air conditioning control method tailored to environmental information inside a breeding cage" proposed in the present invention.

The system of the present invention basically includes an intake pipe through which external air is supplied into the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which air inside the breeding cage is exhausted, and an intake unit (equipped with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe. and an exhaust unit (equipped with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the exhaust pipe, a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe, and an environmental information measurement sensor installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information on the exhausted air. and a control unit that controls duty ratios of the first and second motors. For reference, the breeding cage of the present invention maintains a mattress type by stacking a plurality of unit cages in a rack type, and one of the unit cages is equipped with a pressure sensor. This is used to determine whether to maintain positive pressure inside the breeding cage or negative pressure.

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

(a) Step of transmitting the setting ACH to be set to the control unit

This step can be selected from the display in FIG. 4.

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

(b) calculating, by the control unit, the 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 setting 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:

In other words, in the case of the present invention, it can be seen that the rotational speed of the first blower can be appropriately adjusted depending on the size (diameter or area information) of the intake pipe. In other words, it can be seen that the versatility is very excellent.

(e) Next, the control unit calculates the duty ratio of the first motor that controls 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 therefore the rotation speed 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 linked so that there is a predetermined value difference from the duty ratio of the first motor.

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

This depends on the breeding mode

Here, the breeding mode refers to whether the inside of the breeding cage is under positive or negative pressure.

In general, it may be desirable to maintain negative pressure to maintain comfortable conditions and prevent contamination.

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

Figure 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 test of the cage equipped with a pressure sensor, when the duty ratio of the first blower in the intake part and the second blower in the exhaust part are 10% different, positive or negative pressure for an appropriate breeding mode is maintained. Could know.

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

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

;

(k) Next, repeat steps (f) to (j) until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, wherein the duty for operating the first motor in step (f) is Maintain optimal conditions by increasing or decreasing the ratio by a predetermined value and repeating the steps.

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

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.

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

If the pollution level of the environmental information measured by the sensor for measuring environmental information deviates from the standard value set by the control unit, the control unit determines the duty ratios of the first motor and the second motor in steps (f) and (g). By increasing the existing tabby by 5%, contaminants inside the breeding cage can be quickly removed.

As explained so far, when implementing the air conditioning control method tailored to environmental information inside the breeding cage proposed in the present invention, the air environment inside the breeding cage is optimized according to the size of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe and the environmental information inside the breeding cage. There is an advantage in that it can be maintained.

That is, when implementing the present invention, the size of the intake pipe and exhaust pipe is reflected when inhaling into the inside of the breeding cage or exhausting to the outside, and the rotation speed of the blower can be adjusted to create an optimal breeding environment, and the breeding cage It is possible to optimally control the blower to optimally adjust the amount of air flowing into or out of the breeding cage according to the internal environmental information.

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

Figure 16 shows a functional block diagram of a cage for raising laboratory animals in which the present invention is implemented.

There is basically no significant difference from the configuration described above except that a sterilization and purification device is added in FIG. 16, so repetitive description is omitted.

As shown in Figure 16, the cage for raising laboratory animals of the present invention includes a breeding cage, an intake pipe through which external air is supplied into the breeding cage, an exhaust pipe through which the internal air of the breeding cage is exhausted, and the exhaust pipe A sterilization and purification device equipped with one or more AOP lamps and at least one UV lamp and filter to receive and sterilize the exhausted internal air, an intake unit (equipped with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and , an exhaust unit (equipped with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device, a measuring unit, and a control unit.

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

In operation, the internal air of the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization and purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and at least one UV lamp and then supplied to the exhaust unit through a filter. Therefore, there is an advantage that purified air can be provided.

Figure 17 is a functional block diagram explaining the process implemented 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 uses oxidation mechanisms such as ultraviolet rays (UV), AM (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and photocatalyst (TiO2), which are already proven oxidation mechanisms at home and abroad. It is a chemical oxidation process that sterilizes bacteria, mold and viruses, which are pathogenic microorganisms, and decomposes/removes harmful substances and odors by combining and combining OH radicals, which are highly reactive and strong oxidizing oxides.

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

In the water treatment field, this AOP method is used for sterilization and purification of groundwater or drinking water, removal of chlorine and THM (trihalomethane), decomposition of non-degradable organic substances, removal of heavy metals, and wastewater treatment, industrial chemicals and toxic compounds, and persistent organic substances in the industrial field. The scope of application is expanding to various fields such as substances, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, beauty products, pesticides, deodorization/decolorization/odor removal, etc. In the air treatment field, sterilization of bacteria, mold and viruses in indoor air, HCHO (formaldehyde) , It is mainly used to decompose and remove harmful substances such as VOC (volatile organic compounds) and bad odors, and this function was also intended to be utilized in the present invention.

In the present invention, the AOP method was applied to first remove odor and sterilize the air exhausted from the exhaust pipe.

In other words, 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 process of removing odor and sterilizing the internal air was performed using a UV lamp.

Ultraviolet sterilization refers to UV-C, which is the ultraviolet range of 200 to 280 nm, penetrating the cell membranes of various bacteria such as bacteria and viruses, damaging or destroying DNA to prevent further cell proliferation. 253.7 nm ultraviolet rays Because it has the highest sterilizing power, sterilization was performed using a 253.7 nm UV lamp in an example of the present invention.

Lastly, in the sterilization and purification device of the present invention, filters, that is, a pre-filter and a HEPA filter, are applied to enable three-way air purification of the internal air.

For reference, a pre-filter is a filter that filters relatively large dust with a particle size of 50 um or more, and a HEPA filter is a filter that filters contaminants such as house dust, mites, viruses, and molds with a particle size of 0.3 um 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%.

Figure 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 is linked wired or wirelessly with the control unit of the cage for raising experimental animals may be further provided.

Figure 19 is a diagram schematically showing the linkage process between the control unit of the cage for raising laboratory animals and the server and a portable terminal or computer according to the present invention, and Figures 20 and 21 show the control unit of the cage for raising laboratory animals through a mobile terminal or computer. This is a diagram showing an aspect of controlling.

In Figure 19, the server of the present invention is equipped with an environmental information database and can store environmental information transmitted through the control unit of the cage for raising experimental animals.

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

Additionally, the user can set predetermined control information through a portable terminal or computer and transmit it to the server, and the server can control the control unit of the cage for raising experimental animals (see FIG. 21). That is, when predetermined control information capable of controlling the control unit is transmitted to the server through a portable terminal or computer, the server can control the control unit based on the control information.

Therefore, there is an advantage that the condition of the cage for raising experimental animals can be monitored even from a remote location and the cage for raising experimental animals can be controlled from a remote location.

When using the sterilization and purification device of the present invention described above, it is possible to efficiently sterilize and remove contaminants inside the breeding cage, and when carried out in conjunction with the air conditioning control method customized for environmental information inside the breeding cage described above. It is possible to provide more comfortable and purified air, and has the advantage of being able to monitor the condition of cages for raising experimental animals even from a remote location and controlling the cages for raising experimental animals from a remote location.

So far, the present invention has been examined focusing on its preferred embodiments. A person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may 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 restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims (1)

An intake pipe through which external air is supplied into 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 receive and sterilize the internal air exhausted from the exhaust pipe. and a sterilization and purification device including a filter, an intake unit (with a first motor and a first blower) connected to the intake pipe, and an exhaust unit (with a second motor and a second blower) connected to the sterilization and purification device. , a flow sensor installed inside the intake pipe, a sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe to measure information on exhaust air, and a control unit that controls the duty ratios of the first and second motors. This relates to a method of remotely managing and controlling cages for raising laboratory animals.
The internal air of the breeding cage supplied from the exhaust pipe to the sterilization and purification device is sterilized through at least one AOP lamp and at least one UV lamp and then supplied to the exhaust unit through the filter,
For customized air conditioning control of environmental information inside the breeding cage
(a) transmitting the setting ACH (Air Change per Hour: number of ventilations per hour) to be set for internal ventilation of the breeding cage to the control unit;
(b) calculating, by the control unit, a flow rate of air supplied to the intake pipe in response to the set ACH;
(c) calculating a first air flow rate corresponding to the air flow rate in the control unit;
(d) calculating the RPM of the first blower corresponding to the first air flow rate in the control unit;
(e) the control unit calculating a duty ratio of the first motor that controls 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 that is 10% different from that of the first motor;
(h) measuring the second air flow rate supplied to the intake pipe through a flow rate sensor installed inside the intake pipe and transmitting it to the control unit;
(i) calculating a second air flow rate corresponding to the second air flow rate in the control unit;
(j) deriving a measured ACH, which is a measurement value calculated according to the second air flow rate, in the control unit, and comparing the difference with the set ACH;
(k) Repeat steps (f) to (j) until the difference between the set ACH and the measured ACH converges to zero, and the duty ratio for operating the first motor in step (f) is It consists of increasing or decreasing a predetermined value and then repeating it,
To operate the second motor to have a duty ratio that is 10% different from the first motor in step (g),
When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage at negative pressure, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% lower than the duty ratio of the second motor,
When it is desired to maintain the inside of the breeding cage in a positive pressure state, the duty ratio of the first motor is set to be 10% higher than the duty ratio of the second motor,
The sensor for measuring environmental information installed inside the exhaust pipe measures at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia of the air, which is environmental information exhausted through the exhaust pipe, and is measured by the sensor for measuring environmental information. If the pollution level of the environmental information deviates from the standard value set 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 transmits the environmental information to the server using wired or wireless communication,
The server stores the environmental information in an environmental information database,
You can receive the environmental information by accessing the environmental information database of the server through a mobile terminal or computer,
Remote management and control of cages for raising laboratory animals, characterized in that 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. method.