Bag Indicator for Containment Housing Safety
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current contamination housing assemblies do not effectively prevent exposure to hazardous microorganisms like prions during filter replacement, as existing decontamination methods are not sufficient, and the lack of a reliable bag installation mechanism increases the risk to human health and safety, especially in facilities with untrained personnel.
Innovation Solution
A contamination housing assembly with a bagging ring and a visible or mechanical bag indicator that ensures a bag is properly installed before allowing access, preventing the door from closing unless the bag is securely in place, and optionally using RF readable tags for additional safety measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bag is installed to protect personnel from contaminants, then personnel safety is improved, but the complexity of the system increases due to additional installation steps and verification requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color-coded indicators (red flag for no bag, green flag for bag installed) to provide immediate visual verification of bag installation status. This eliminates complex verification procedures while maintaining high reliability, as personnel can instantly confirm safety status through the color indicator without needing to perform detailed inspection routines.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-verification through the indicator mechanism that automatically displays whether a bag is installed or not. The indicator flag positions itself based on the presence/absence of the bag, eliminating the need for external verification systems or complex monitoring equipment, thus reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If decontamination procedures are performed before filter replacement, then contamination risk is reduced, but the time required for maintenance increases due to additional decontamination steps
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is installed as a preliminary protective barrier before any decontamination or filter replacement activities begin. This pre-installation of the bag eliminates the need for extensive decontamination procedures, as the bag itself serves as the primary protection mechanism. Personnel work outside the containment housing throughout the entire maintenance process, eliminating time-consuming decontamination cycles while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the protective function from the decontamination process and places it in the bag system. Instead of relying on decontamination to protect personnel, the bag is installed to create a physical barrier that isolates personnel from contaminants throughout maintenance. This separation allows maintenance activities to proceed without repeated decontamination cycles, significantly reducing maintenance time while maintaining protection.
3Reliability
If the access door is sealed to maintain containment, then containment integrity is improved, but the ability to service filters is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the containment housing into two independent zones: the contaminated interior where the filter resides, and the clean exterior where personnel work. The bag creates this segmentation, allowing the access door to remain closed and sealed for containment integrity while personnel service filters from the exterior. This eliminates the need to open the access door during filter replacement, maintaining both containment integrity and servicing capability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag acts as an intermediary element between the contaminated interior and the clean exterior. It allows filter servicing to occur through the closed access door by enabling personnel to manipulate filters from the outside while the bag maintains the contamination barrier. This intermediary function preserves containment integrity (door remains sealed) while enabling easy filter servicing without direct exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention generally include a contamination housing assembly and bag for use therein. In one embodiment, a contamination housing assembly includes a housing having an inlet, outlet, and access port. A bagging ring is coupled to the housing and circumscribes the port. A door is provided for covering the port. A bag indicator is coupled to at least one of the containment housing or door and is visible, when in a first position, from an exterior of the containment housing when the door substantially covers the bagging ring. In yet another embodiment, a bag for use with a containment housing is provided. The bag has an open end configured to engage with a bagging ring. The bag includes at least one of a strap or a RF readable tag.