APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING STERILE GAS

• US 3,672,129 A
• Filed: 03/20/1970
• Issued: 06/27/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Divers Company
• Original Assignee: Gordon N. Strople, Justin W. Mills Jr
• Inventors: Strople, Gordon N., Mills, Justin W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miles, Tim R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gifford, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US05/021,242
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 55/270,274,279,323,350,356-358,410,417-418,501,503,518,519 128/185 23/281 21/DIG.4 99/49,79 261/DIG.7
• US Class Current: 96/223
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/17 Compressed air water removal

Abstract

A portable unit for sterilizing gas to cleanse it of foreign bodies, especially living microorganisms, comprising a portable frame supporting a sub-micron filter through which the gas is passed when connected between a gas source and gas utilization apparatus, for example between an oxygen source and an oxygen mask for a patient. A pressure gauge monitors the pressure developed across the sub-micron filter and is preferably calibrated in terms of filtration efficiency to provide an indication of when the filter has reached a condition for which it should be replaced. The sub-micron filter is preceded by a pressure regulator which receives gas under high pressure from a contaminated source, reduces it to a working pressure, and supplies it to the sub-micron filter at a fixed predetermined pressure value. Preferably also employed are an inlet pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the gas supplied from the source to the pressure regulator and a flow meter and flow control through which the gas passes before it is delivered to the outlet connection to the gas utilization apparatus. In this way gas from a bulk source or an unsterilized container is rendered sterile by connection thereto of the portable gas sterilizer. The visual monitoring of the condition of the filter insures proper maintenance by replacement of the filter when needed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for sterilizing a flow of gas from a source of gas to a gas utilization means comprising:

gas inlet means detachably connectable to said gas source to receive gas from said source when connected thereto;

adjustable pressure regulator means supplied with said gas from said source, said pressure regulator means having an outlet, said pressure regulating means being operable for producing a substantially fixed pressure of said gas at the outlet of said regulator means;

pressure measuring means connected to said inlet means for indicating the pressure of said gas at said inlet means;

sub-micron filter means supplied with said gas from said regulator means for filtering from said gas foreign-body particles of sub-micron size, said filter means having a pore size operable to remove all living microorganisms from said gas to thereby sterilize said gas, said sub-micron filter means being readily removable and replaceable;

flow control means supplied with said gas from said sub-micron filter means for enabling adjustment of the volume rate of flow of said gas therethrough;

flow metering means for measuring the volume rate of flow of said gas through said flow control means;

gas oUtlet means detachably connectable to gas utilization means, for supplying said gas from said flow metering means to said utilization means when connected thereto;

filter monitoring means operatively associated with said submicron filter means for providing indications of the operating condition of said sub-micron filter means; and

portable frame means mounting and supporting said gas inlet means, said pressure regulator means, said pressure measuring means, said sub-micron filter means, said filter monitoring means, said flow control means, said flow metering means, and said gas outlet means as an integral portable unit, whereby said inlet means and said outlet means may be readily connected to different gas sources and different gas utilization means respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filter monitoring means associated with said filter means provides visual indications of the operating condition of said filter means, and means mounting said filter means for ready removal and replacement whereby said filter means may be replaced when said filter monitoring means indicates that said filter means is no longer operating adequately.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which said filter monitoring means comprises means for continuously sensing the gas pressure drop across said filter means and means visually indicating the magnitude of said pressure drop.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, in which said mounting means comprises a pair of opposed multiply-apertured plates, one on each side of said filter means, and releasable clamping means for clamping said plates together with said filter means between them.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said pressure measuring means provides a visual indication of the magnitude of the gas pressure at said inlet means.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said flow metering means provides visual indications of the rate of flow of gas from said outlet means.