Barrier Glove Testing With Differential Pressure Compensation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing glove tightness testing methods are prone to interference from changes in interior pressure and do not provide a reliable, independent assessment of impermeability.

Innovation Solution

A barrier system with an additional sensor in the housing to detect interior pressure and a differential pressure sensor coupled to an evaluation device, allowing for direct or computational compensation to accurately measure pressure differences across the glove material, considering cleanroom and external pressures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a single pressure sensor is used in the test chamber to detect pressure differences, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision is compromised due to interference from interior pressure changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure difference detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure detection system is segmented into multiple independent sensors: a first pressure sensor in the test chamber and a second pressure sensor in the housing interior. This segmentation allows each sensor to detect local pressure conditions independently, enabling accurate pressure difference measurement across the glove while compensating for interior pressure changes through differential measurement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The evaluation device acts as an intermediary that receives signals from both pressure sensors and computationally determines the pressure difference across the glove. This intermediary processing layer compensates for interfering interior pressure changes by using the differential measurement between the two sensor locations, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring a single complex sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the glove tightness test is performed while production is ongoing, then productivity is maintained, but the reliability of the test is reduced due to interfering pressure changes in the interior

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous production capabilityVSAvoidleak test accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors pressure conditions in both the test chamber and housing interior through the dual pressure sensor arrangement. The evaluation device uses this feedback to dynamically compensate for interior pressure changes when calculating the pressure difference across the glove, enabling reliable leak testing to continue during ongoing production without interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical or single-point pressure measurement systems with an electronic differential measurement system that uses computational methods to determine pressure differences. This substitution allows the system to maintain test reliability during continuous production by electronically compensating for environmental pressure variations rather than requiring physical isolation from production activities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables a reliable, independent leak test of gloves during production without interrupting the process, ensuring high-resolution detection of impermeability by accounting for environmental pressures.

Implementation Method 1

a pressure sensor is arranged in the test chamber for detecting an intermediate space pressure in a space between the outwardly facing inner surface of the glove and an inner boundary of the test chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure detection:

Implementation Method 2

the testing device is coupled to a vacuum device by means of which the intermediate space can be subjected to negative pressure for testing the tightness of the glove

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 3

the pressure sensor and the additional sensor are formed by a differential pressure sensor, which enables a particularly accurate, direct and high-resolution detection of a pressure difference across the material of the glove

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDifferential pressure measurement:

Data Source

PatentEP4600625A1Barrier system and method for operating a barrier system
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 SYNTEGON TECHNOLOGY GMBH
  • EP4600625A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4600625A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4600625A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a barrier system (10) comprising a housing (16) with an aseptic interior space (20), a glove (32) and a testing device (40) for testing the tightness of the glove, wherein the testing device is coupled to a negative pressure device (50), wherein an environment of the housing and the testing device is formed by a clean room (12), with an additional sensor (54) arranged in the interior space of the housing for detecting an interior pressure in the interior space (20) and with an evaluation device (58) which is at least indirectly coupled to the pressure sensor (52) and to the additional sensor (54).