Air-cleaning device and method for arranging air cleaning in sensitive environments

• US 20030150328A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toul Meditech AB (SurgiCube International BV)
• Original Assignee: Toul Meditech AB (SurgiCube International BV)
• Inventors: Hansson, Tomas, Hörnqvist, Ulf
• Granted Patent: US 6,811,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/273
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/108 Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area treatment rooms A61G10/00; instruments or implements for sterile operation A61B90/00; sterilisation of air A61L9/00; purification of air in air-conditioning systems F24F3/16, F24F8/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/163 Clean air work stations, i.e. selected areas within a space which filtered air is passed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/29 Air curtains

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air-cleaning device for air cleaning in sensitive environments such as operating rooms, drug manufacture, micro-chip production (processing industry) and similar areas. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air-cleaning device (2) comprising a clean air assembly (4) with an inlet, through which air is sucked in from the ventilated room by means of a fan arranged in the clean-air assembly, the clean-air assembly further comprising an adjustably arranged air duct (6), said air duct transporting the air from the clean-air assembly to an, at the clean-air assembly arranged, exhaust-air distributing unit (8) to which is arranged a screen (10) for clean-air distribution, the screen comprising at least one pressure-fall increasing means (12) providing for leveling out the velocity of the exhaust air and distributing a low-turbulent or laminar airflow, in the air-cleaning device is further arranged at least one filter for air cleaning, the air-cleaning device (2) being a unit (14, 18) arranged to be mobile in the room, whereby the exhaust-air distributing unit can be moved and directed in such way that a laminar/low-turbulent airflow is distributed where desired in the room and not be hindered by personnel or other equipment in the airflow path to a specific area of the room. The present invention is also related to a use of an air-cleaning device and a method of producing an air-cleaning device.

Claims

1. An air-cleaning device for air cleaning in sensitive environments comprising a clean-air assembly with an inlet, through which air is sucked in from a ventilated room by means of a fan arranged in the clean-air assembly, said clean-air assembly further comprising an adjustably arranged air duct, the adjustably arranged air duct transporting air from said clean-air assembly to, an at the clean-air assembly arranged exhaust-air distributing unit whereby in the air-cleaning device at least one filter is further arranged for air cleaning and a screen is arranged in said exhaust-air distributing unit for clean-air distribution positioned substantially vertically to provide a substantially horizontal laminar/low-turbulent airflow, said air-cleaning device being a unit arranged to be mobile in a room, whereby said exhaust-air distributing unit can be moved and directed in such way that a laminar/low-turbulent airflow is distributed where desired in the room.

2. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a distribution plate is arranged in the screen to provide exhaust air with higher velocity in a center of the screen compared to velocities at the edges of the screen.

3. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a distribution plate is arranged in the screen, the exhaust air at the edges of the screen having a direction different from said laminar airflow distributed from an area around a central area of the screen.

4. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said air-cleaning device is arranged at an instrument table or an operating table used for surgical operations.

5. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a disinfecting, bacteria-eliminating chamber is arranged within said clean-air assembly.

6. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said adjustably arranged air duct is arranged at an articulated system of arms, movable in x-, y- and z-direction.

7. The air-cleaning device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one filter is arranged in said exhaust-air distributing unit and comprising pressure-fall increasing means.

8. The air-cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a detachable front is arranged adjacent to the screen, the front covering a substantial portion of an air-emitting surface of the screen.

10. Use of the air-cleaning device according to any one of claims 1-8 for an operating table or an instrument table in an operation room.

11. Use of the air-cleaning device according to any one of claims 1-8 for simple surgical operations, where there is no operating room available.

9. A method of arranging air cleaning in sensitive environments, comprising arranging a clean-air assembly in an air-cleaning device and arranging an exhaust-air distributing unit at the clean-air assembly, comprising the steps of:

arranging a screen at the exhaust-air distributing unit;

positioning said screen substantially vertically to provide a substantially horizontal laminar/low-turbulent airflow;

arranging the air-cleaning device as a unit mobile in a room, whereby said exhaust-air distributing unit can be moved and directed in such way that said laminar/low-turbulent airflow is distributed where it is desired in the room.