Hot Air Sterilizer Air Handling System with Dual Plenums
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high velocity hot air sterilizers, like the Cox device, are limited in capacity and design, making them unsuitable for larger instruments and increased throughput in healthcare settings, with inherent limitations preventing a double-door configuration and expansion of sterilization chamber dimensions, leading to inconsistent microbial kill efficacies and temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
A high velocity hot air sterilization device with a double-door configuration and horizontal airflow system, featuring a sealed air handling system with dual plenums and a temperature sensing monitor to ensure uniform heat distribution and microbial inactivation, allowing direct pass-through of sterilized items into a sterile area while maintaining thermal uniformity and microbial kill efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sterilization chamber size is increased to accommodate larger instruments and higher throughput, then the capacity and productivity are improved, but the temperature uniformity deteriorates and microbial kill efficacy becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply system is divided into multiple independent air supply outlets distributed across different locations in the sterilization chamber. This segmentation allows each outlet to serve a specific zone, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the entire chamber volume even when accommodating larger instruments and higher loads, thereby maintaining consistent microbial kill efficacy throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point air supply approach to a multi-dimensional air distribution system with outlets positioned at various locations and orientations within the chamber. This spatial distribution across multiple dimensions ensures comprehensive air circulation and uniform heating, preventing temperature gradients that would compromise sterilization reliability in larger chambers.
2Ease of operation
If a double-door configuration is added to allow pass-through of sterilized items, then the ease of operation and productivity are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air handling system is segmented into separate air supply and air exhaust pathways, with independent control for each door. This allows the front door and rear door to operate independently without compromising the sterile environment, enabling pass-through functionality while maintaining system manageability through modular air handling.
Solution Approach 2:
A controlled air barrier system acts as an intermediary between the two doors, using pressure differentials and sealed air pathways to maintain the sterile environment. This intermediary mechanism allows both doors to be open simultaneously at different times without creating direct contamination pathways, simplifying the operational complexity of the double-door configuration.
3Ease of manufacture
If vertical air supply is used as in the Cox device, then the manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the adaptability to different instrument sizes and loads is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply system is segmented into multiple outlets positioned at different locations and orientations within the chamber. This segmentation allows the same basic vertical supply mechanism to effectively serve various instrument sizes and configurations by distributing air across multiple zones, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enhancing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different air supply outlets are positioned and oriented to address specific local requirements within the chamber. Some outlets may be optimized for vertical supply while others incorporate horizontal or angled components, allowing the system to adapt to different instrument geometries and load configurations without requiring a complete redesign.
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 device effectively sterilizes larger instruments with uniform temperature distribution and high microbial kill efficacy, accommodating increased capacity and throughput while preventing contamination, by ensuring only one door is open at a time and maintaining a sterile environment through sealed air handling.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element positioned downstream of the circulation fan to heat the air to a target temperature
Implementation Method 2
a circulation fan positioned upstream of the heating element to move the air through the system
Implementation Method 3
configured to maintain positive pressure within the air handling system during operation to prevent infiltration of external air
Implementation Method 4
an insulating cavity between an exterior surface of the outer housing and an exterior surface of the heating chamber wall
Data Source
AI summary
An air handling system for a hot air sterilizer apparatus includes a sterilization chamber having an air exhaust portal, an air handling pathway traversing above the sterilization chamber through an upper supply air plenum and traversing below the sterilization chamber through a lower supply air plenum, a circulation fan configured to direct supply air from the air exhaust portal over an upper heating element through the upper supply air plenum and over a lower heating element through the lower supply air plenum, a first temperature sensor in the upper supply air plenum and configured to measure temperature of air downstream from the upper heating element, a second temperature sensor in the lower supply air plenum and configured to measure temperature of air downstream from the lower heating element, and a third temperature sensor at the air exhaust portal and configured to monitor temperature of air exiting the sterilization chamber.