Safety cabinet

Abstract

The present application can maintain the laminar flow with high wind speed, and can greatly inhibit the pollution caused by the operation of the device and the operation of the device by the person. The safety cabinet has an opening part of the front surface of the work chamber and a front surface door plate, and clean air is supplied to the work chamber from the upper direction, wherein a partition plate is arranged on the left and right side surfaces and the back surface of the upper side of the work chamber, and a partition piece is also arranged on the upper side in front of the work chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to safety cabinets used in regenerative medicine, industrial applications, pharmaceutical development, pathogen research, and other fields. Background Technology

[0002] Safety cabinets are used in situations involving the handling of pathogens, such as in cell manipulation, observation, research on pathogens like viruses, and the development of pharmaceuticals like vaccines.

[0003] As an example of a safety cabinet, Patent Document 1 describes a design where an exhaust HEPA filter is installed at the top of the work chamber, and a front panel that can be opened and closed is provided at the front of the work chamber. A rear grille is located at the bottom rear, and a front grille is located at the bottom front. Furthermore, a safety cabinet is disclosed in which air is uniformly supplied to the work chamber from the exhaust HEPA filter, and air is drawn in from the front and rear grilles of the worktable forming the bottom of the work chamber. This allows the air to descend uniformly from top to bottom, thus keeping the work chamber clean.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-74237 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Using a safety cabinet can prevent contamination caused by cell handling, observation, or handling of pathogens in the work room, and can also prevent the leakage of pathogens from the work room to the operator.

[0009] In the biosafety cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operator sits in front of the cabinet and inserts their arm into the work chamber through the working opening below the front panel to perform the work. However, it does not consider the installation of cell manufacturing machinery such as bio-3D printers or conveying machinery inside the biosafety cabinet. That is, it does not consider the overall downward airflow velocity of the work chamber if such devices are installed inside.

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a biosafety cabinet that, when equipped with devices such as a bio-3D printer for cell manufacturing and conveying machinery, prevents cells and pathogens from being contaminated.

[0011] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a safety cabinet that can prevent cells, pathogens, etc. from leaking from the work room to the operator.

[0012] Technical solutions for solving the problem

[0013] An example of the "safety cabinet" of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a safety cabinet comprising: a working chamber formed on the inside of a front surface door panel capable of maintaining a negative pressure state; and a circulation path formed by a lower surface side of the working chamber, a side side of the working chamber, a rear side of the working chamber, and an outer portion of the safety cabinet, wherein the working chamber is loaded with a partition plate, the partition plate being such that the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the lower part of the working chamber is greater than the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the upper part of the working chamber.

[0014] In addition, another example of the "safety cabinet" of the present invention is given, wherein the safety cabinet has an opening on the front surface of the working chamber and a front surface door panel, and clean air is supplied to the working chamber from above, wherein an exhaust slit is provided on the working table on which the device is installed, along the outer periphery of the device on the surface of the working table, and the working table is used to install the device connected to the exhaust circulation path under the working table.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to the present invention, by providing partition plates on the left and right sides and the back of the upper side of the working chamber, it is possible to maintain a high wind speed, such as a downward airflow equivalent to 0.45 m / s, which can ensure laminar flow in the working chamber.

[0017] In addition, by installing a partition on the upper front side of the work chamber, a high wind speed, such as a downdraft equivalent to 0.45 m / s, can be maintained to ensure laminar flow in the work chamber.

[0018] Additionally, a safety cabinet can be provided that ensures cleanliness and prevents dust generated during the operation of the device from leaking to the outside, and can also prevent dust from leaking from the work chamber to the operator's side.

[0019] Furthermore, the two layers of clean air—the clean air on the inner surface of the front door panel of the work chamber and the clean air on the inner surface of the partition on the upper front of the work chamber—can form a strong air barrier, which can suppress pollution caused by the operation of the device and human work.

[0020] Other issues, structures, and effects not described above become clear through the following description of implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1A This is the front view of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 1.

[0022] Figure 1B This is a cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of the safety cabinet in Example 2.

[0024] Figure 2BThis is a cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet in Example 2.

[0025] Figure 3A This is the front view of the safety cabinet.

[0026] Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Before describing embodiments of the present invention, the airflow of the safety cabinet will be described.

[0028] Figure 3A This is a rough front view of the safety cabinet. Figure 3B Indicates viewing from the left. Figure 3A A schematic cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet with section A-A'.

[0029] Safety cabinets include various types used in regenerative medicine, industrial applications, etc. The following description will focus on safety cabinets used in pharmaceutical development, pathogen research, and other fields.

[0030] Inside the safety cabinet 100 is a work chamber 102 with a front surface panel 103 forming the front surface. The work chamber 102 is maintained under negative pressure on the inside of the front surface panel. A work opening 104 is formed below the front surface panel 103, through which the operator extends their arm into the work chamber 102 while performing work, observing the interior of the work chamber 102 through the front surface panel 103.

[0031] The lower surface of the work chamber 102 is formed by a worktable 101, and a front surface slit 104a is provided on the side of the front surface door panel 103 of the worktable 101. When the safety cabinet fan 106 is running, the pressure chamber 109 is pressurized. A blow-out HEPA filter 111 is connected to the pressure chamber 109. The blow-out HEPA filter 111 filters the dust in the pressure chamber 109, and the purified air is blown out. After being rectified by the blow-out rectifier 107, it is supplied to the work chamber 102 as the blow-out airflow 113.

[0032] An exhaust HEPA filter 110 is also connected above the pressure chamber 109. The air pressurized by the pressure chamber 109 is filtered by the exhaust HEPA filter 110 and discharged from the safety cabinet 100 as exhaust air 114 through the safety cabinet exhaust port 108.

[0033] An equal amount of air (inflow airflow 112) to the air discharged from the safety cabinet 100 (exhaust air 114) enters the safety cabinet 100 through the working opening 104 below the front surface door panel 103. This air is the inflow airflow 112 generated by the working opening 104 below the front surface door panel 103. The inflow airflow 112, together with a portion of the outflow airflow 113 of the working chamber 102, is drawn into the front surface slit 104a. This air passes under the worktable 101. The inflow airflow 112, together with a portion of the outflow airflow 113, is drawn into the rear slit 105a formed on the opposite side of the front surface door panel 103 of the working chamber 102, and is drawn into the safety cabinet fan 106 through the circulation path 105. The circulation path 105 is formed by the lower surface side of the working chamber 102, the side side of the working chamber, the rear side of the working chamber, and the outer portion of the safety cabinet. That is, the inflow airflow 112 drawn in from the work opening 104 circulates through the flow path formed by the lower part of the work platform 101 (the lower surface of the work chamber 102), the sides and back of the work chamber 102, and the main body of the safety cabinet 100. The inflow airflow 112 passing through the circulation flow path 105 is drawn into the safety cabinet fan 106 and discharged from the safety cabinet 100 as exhaust air 114.

[0034] Since dust and aerosols containing pathogens are handled in the work chamber 102, dust and aerosols containing pathogens are also present in the circulation path 105 and the pressure chamber 109. These dust and aerosols are blown out and removed by the HEPA filter 111 when air is supplied to the work chamber 102, and are removed by the exhaust HEPA filter 110 when air is exhausted from the safety cabinet 100.

[0035] The operator sits in front of the safety cabinet 100, inserts his arm into the work chamber 102 through the work opening 104, and performs the work while observing the inside of the work chamber 102 through the front surface door panel 103.

[0036] In such a safety cabinet, according to the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS K3800-2009, the blowout wind speed test used to confirm airflow balance is performed at a specified point after removing all removable parts inside the cabinet.

[0037] In open systems such as biosafety cabinets, even if the work chamber of the biosafety cabinet is equipped with cell manufacturing machinery such as bio-3D printers or conveying machinery, it is required that the downflow velocity in the work chamber be set to a certain value, for example, 0.45m / s±20% (0.36~0.54m / s).

[0038] The existing safety cabinet fan 106 is insufficient to meet this requirement. Therefore, the need for additional exhaust fans or high-capacity recirculation fans is the main reason for the increase in the size of the safety cabinet. Larger safety cabinets sometimes cannot be installed in existing installation spaces or need to be moved into existing spaces.

[0039] Furthermore, it would increase power consumption and noise, so it is not the preferred option. The increased power consumption also does not meet the requirements of the decarbonization era.

[0040] According to this embodiment, when the biosafety cabinet is equipped with cell manufacturing machinery such as a bio-3D printer and conveying machinery, it can maintain a high-velocity downward airflow that ensures laminar flow in the work chamber.

[0041] Furthermore, the safety cabinet according to this embodiment can ensure the cleanliness of the area surrounding the device installed in the work chamber 102.

[0042] In addition, the safety cabinet according to this embodiment can prevent leakage from the work chamber to the operator.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the drawings used to illustrate the embodiments, the same constituent elements are labeled with the same names and reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0044] (Example 1)

[0045] Figure 1A , Figure 1B This illustrates a structural example of a safety cabinet 100, equivalent to the Class II cabinet used for biological hazard countermeasures in Example 1. Figure 1A This is its main view. Figure 1B Viewed from the left Figure 1A The cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet 100 along section A-A' is shown.

[0046] The safety cabinet in this embodiment has an opening on the front surface of the work chamber and a front surface door panel, which supplies clean air to the work chamber from above. Partitions are provided on the left and right sides and the back of the upper side of the work chamber, and a partition is provided on the upper front side of the work chamber.

[0047] Figure 1A The safety cabinet 100, representing Embodiment 1 of the present invention, is shown. The work chamber 102 is kept at a suitable illumination level for operation by a lighting lamp. Additionally, a germicidal lamp is typically installed on the upper rear of the work chamber 102. This germicidal lamp is used in conjunction with disinfection of the work chamber 102 before and after operation, along with cleaning using wiping with 70% alcohol or similar substances.

[0048] As part of the performance of the safety cabinet 100, it is extremely important that the work is not infected by bacteria or viruses handled inside. This function is achieved by using the front panel 103 to isolate the work chamber 102 from the air outside the safety cabinet 100.

[0049] The safety cabinet 100 of Embodiment 1 has side partitions 130 and back partitions 131 on the left and right sides of the upper side of the work chamber.

[0050] The side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 are provided in the form of suppressing the opening of the blowout rectifier 107, thus limiting the blowout portion of the blowout airflow 113. As a result, without significant structural changes to the existing safety cabinet fan 106, the wind speed of the blowout airflow 113 is increased, and the wind speed can be maintained at 0.45 m / s ± 20% (0.36 to 0.54 m / s) to achieve laminar flow.

[0051] The side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 are inclined outward from about 150 mm below the blowout rectifier 107. This inclination is at an angle of 120 degrees, abutting against the side of the work chamber of the safety cabinet 100, the side partition 130, and the rear partition 131, and is between 30 and 45 degrees. By inclining the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131, the swirling of the blowout airflow 113 is minimized, and stagnation of the blowout airflow 113 is suppressed. Near the workbench 101, a structure without either the side partition 130 or the rear partition 131 is constructed to ensure sufficient space for device installation and operation.

[0052] The device installed on the workbench 101 can take various shapes into consideration, so the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 can be of the up-and-down sliding type, which can adjust the upper space of the work chamber 102 and form a shape that matches the installed device.

[0053] In this configuration, the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 are configured to slide vertically by 100mm to 200mm. The sliding stroke depends on the mechanical settings provided in the work chamber 102; to accommodate more machinery, a vertical stroke of 50mm to 300mm is preferable. By sliding the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 vertically, a downward airflow velocity can be maintained to ensure laminar flow in the areas of the device requiring cleanliness, thus guaranteeing cleanliness.

[0054] The structure that allows the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 to tilt and slide up and down has been described, but a mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 may also be provided. In addition, the side partition 130 and the rear partition 131 have been described as basically straight partitions, but they may also be constructed as curves protruding into the work chamber 102.

[0055] That is, if we consider the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the work chamber 102, it is smallest near the upper part (blowing rectifier plate 107) of the work chamber 102 through the side partition plate 130 and the rear partition plate 131, and gradually widens to the part where the side partition plate 130 and the rear partition plate 131 abut against the side of the work chamber 102.

[0056] In addition, by setting the airflow partition 132 on the upper front of the work chamber, high-velocity clean air can be ensured in the device installation area where laminar flow and high cleanliness are required.

[0057] In the safety cabinet 100 of Embodiment 1, an airflow divider 132 is positioned at a predetermined distance, for example, 30mm to 100mm, from the front surface door panel 103 in the depth direction towards the work chamber 102. The airflow divider 132 is a partition 300mm in length, abutting against the blowout rectifier plate 107 and facing downwards from the blowout rectifier plate 107, dividing the airflow from the blowout rectifier plate 107 into an outflow airflow 113 and an airflow 133 on the back of the front surface door panel. The front surface door panel 103 is installed with its lower end positioned 200mm above the worktable 101. The lower end of the airflow divider 132 is positioned 250mm above the lower end of the front surface door panel 103. In the safety cabinet of this embodiment, the distances from the workbench 101 to the lower end of the front panel 103 (distance A), from the lower end of the front panel 103 to the lower end of the airflow divider 132 (distance B), and the longitudinal length of the airflow divider (distance C) are 200mm, 250mm, and 300mm, respectively. If distances A, B, and C are configured in a ratio of 4:5:6, the airflow barrier effect behind the airflow divider 132, which increases the wind speed, can be enhanced, thus suppressing contamination caused by the operation of the conveyor section of the device and manual operation by humans. The ratio of distances A, B, and C can be adjusted within a range of ±10% to 20% depending on the size of the machinery installed in the work chamber 102.

[0058] Furthermore, by using the airflow divider 132, the airflow 133 on the back of the front panel 103 (the side of the work chamber 102) is not increased, maintaining a wind speed (0.30–0.40 m / s) comparable to that of existing safety cabinets. This maintains an air barrier created by a stable inflow airflow 112, ensuring airflow balance with a stable airflow sealing performance equivalent to that of a safety cabinet. If the wind speed of the airflow 133 on the back of the front panel is too strong, the strong downward airflow will directly contact the operator's arm, failing to suppress contamination. By setting the airflow divider 132, the wind speed of the airflow 133 on the back of the front panel can be kept at 0.30–0.40 m / s, effectively suppressing contamination.

[0059] Furthermore, the descending airflow with a wind speed of 0.45 m / s in the working chamber 102, generated by the high-speed inflow airflow 112 (around 0.60 m / s), the side partition plate 130, and the rear partition plate 131, suppresses the airflow 133 behind the front surface door panel to a wind speed of 0.30 to 0.40 m / s, which is lower than the surrounding wind speed. As a result, the inflow airflow 112 and the outflow airflow 113 collide with the working chamber 102 side of the airflow partition plate 132, thereby enhancing the air barrier effect of the airflow behind the airflow partition plate 132, which has a higher wind speed due to the concave effect, and suppressing pollution caused by the operation of the device's conveyor section and manual operation by humans.

[0060] (Example 2)

[0061] Figure 2A , Figure 2B This refers to the safety cabinet in Example 2. Figure 2A This is a perspective view of the safety cabinet in Example 2. Figure 2B Viewed from above Figure 2A The cross-sectional view of the safety cabinet 100 along section A-A' is shown.

[0062] On the workbench 101 of the safety cabinet in Embodiment 2, a plurality of through exhaust circulation paths 134 are provided, consistent with the outer periphery of the installed device (see reference). Figure 1B The exhaust slit of the workbench is 135.

[0063] Multiple exhaust slits 135 are provided on the left and right sides and back of the upper side of the work chamber of the safety cabinet 100, near the work opening 104, that is, around the device provided on the workbench 101 (the periphery of the workbench 101).

[0064] Dust generated by the operation of the conveyor section or manual operation of the device, through the exhaust slit 135 on the workbench, does not stagnate in the work chamber 102 but is discharged into the exhaust circulation path 134 and filtered by the exhaust HEPA filter 110 (see reference). Figure 3B ) or blow out using a HEPA filter 111 (see reference) Figure 3B Purification.

[0065] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0066] 100 safety cabinets

[0067] 101 Workbench

[0068] Work Room 102

[0069] 103 Front door panel

[0070] 104 Working opening

[0071] 105 Circulating Flow Path

[0072] 106 Safety Cabinet Fan

[0073] 107 Blowout rectifier plate

[0074] 108 Exhaust Port

[0075] 109 Pressure Chamber

[0076] 110 HEPA filter for exhaust

[0077] 111 Blowout using HEPA filter

[0078] 112 Inflow airflow

[0079] 113 Blow out airflow

[0080] 114 Expel air

[0081] 130 Side partition

[0082] 131 Rear partition

[0083] 132 Airflow divider

[0084] 133 Front panel back airflow

[0085] 134 Exhaust recirculation flow path

[0086] 135. Exhaust slit on the workbench.

Claims

1. A safety cabinet, comprising: The work compartment is formed on the inside of the front panel; and The circulating flow path is formed by the lower surface of the work chamber, the side surface of the work chamber, the rear surface of the work chamber, and the outer portion of the safety cabinet. The safety cabinet is mounted in the work chamber, characterized in that it has: A blower baffle for providing rectified airflow to the work chamber; and A partition is provided that makes the lower horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the work chamber larger than the upper horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the work chamber. The partition plate includes: A side partition plate, which slopes toward the side of the work chamber from a predetermined distance below the blow-out rectifier plate; and The rear partition plate slopes towards the rear of the work chamber from a predetermined distance below the blow-out rectifier plate.

2. The safety cabinet as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It has an airflow divider that extends from the blow-out rectifier plate downwards from the front surface door panel at a predetermined distance from the front surface door panel.

3. The safety cabinet as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The side partition and the rear partition are configured to slide up and down within the work chamber.

4. The safety cabinet as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The side partition is inclined at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees to abut against the side of the work chamber, and the rear partition is inclined at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees to abut against the side of the work chamber.

5. The safety cabinet as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the airflow partition is positioned above the lower end of the front surface door panel.

6. The safety cabinet as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The airflow divider ensures that the airflow velocity on the back of the front door panel between the airflow divider and the front door panel is less than the airflow velocity in the device installation area of ​​the workroom.

7. The safety cabinet as described in claim 1, characterized in that: On the workbench that forms the lower surface of the work chamber and on which the device can be installed, there are exhaust slits around the device.

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