Mobile Wet Decontamination Unit With Retractable Shower Extensions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current decontamination methods for persons exposed to hazardous materials are limited by the need for fixed facilities, which may not be conveniently located during emergencies, and are labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially for thorough wet decontamination.
Innovation Solution
A mobile decontamination unit (MDU) designed as a rectangular parallelepiped with adjacent technical and shower modules, featuring retractable extensions for undressing and re-dressing, and equipped with automatic shower operation controlled by light indicators to streamline the decontamination process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed decontamination facilities are used, then thorough wet decontamination can be performed, but the facilities cannot be conveniently located during emergencies
Solution Approach 1:
The decontamination facility is divided into separate functional modules (shower module, technical module, undressing extension, re-dressing extension) that can be independently configured and assembled. This segmentation allows the system to be mobile while maintaining comprehensive decontamination capabilities, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The facility incorporates retractable extensions that can be deployed or retracted as needed. The undressing and re-dressing extensions can extend the shower module's capacity dynamically, allowing the system to adapt to varying emergency needs while maintaining a compact mobile form when not in use.
2Productivity
If manual decontamination procedures are used, then thorough cleaning can be achieved, but the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic shower operation controlled by light indicators that guide persons through the decontamination process autonomously. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for manual intervention and operational complexity, thereby increasing decontamination throughput without sacrificing thoroughness.
Solution Approach 2:
Light indicators provide visual feedback to guide persons through each stage of the decontamination process, ensuring proper procedure completion while reducing the need for manual supervision. This feedback system streamlines operations and increases throughput by enabling autonomous operation.
3Productivity
If multiple persons are decontaminated simultaneously, then throughput is improved, but disruption to other rescue operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The facility processes multiple persons simultaneously through parallel decontamination lines within the same mobile unit, utilizing the spatial dimension efficiently. This allows high throughput while containing the process within a single localized footprint, minimizing disruption to other rescue operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple decontamination functions (showering, undressing, re-dressing) are merged into a single integrated mobile unit that can handle multiple persons concurrently. This consolidation improves throughput while reducing the overall space and resources needed compared to multiple separate facilities.
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
The mobile decontamination unit enables efficient and thorough wet decontamination of persons at the site of contamination, improving throughput and minimizing disruption to other rescue operations by providing a flexible and portable decontamination solution.
Implementation Method 1
washing by showering with water containing a liquid soap surfactant, such as liquid surgical soap (about 0.5%)
Implementation Method 2
washing by showering with water containing a liquid soap surfactant... for a specific period of time, about 2 minutes
Implementation Method 3
rinsing by showering with clear water for a set period of time, about 2 minutes as for washing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a mobile decontamination unit for thorough wet decontamination of persons, having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis. The unit comprises a technical module and at least one shower module, which are adjacent to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The unit also comprises a first retractable extension of the shower module in the direction of the transverse axis, on one side of said shower module, and/or a second retractable extension of the shower module in said direction of the transverse axis, on the other side of said shower module. The shower module and the one or more extensions comprise a decontamination line for persons for the circulation, in the direction of the transverse axis, of persons to be decontaminated by showering in the shower module.