Decontamination method and system implementing it

• US 8,815,173 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribault, Sebastien, Noehringer, Christel, Kieffer, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US13/101,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 422/291, 422/292, 422297-300, 422/305, 422/307, 422/308
• US Class Current: 422/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/02 using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence

Abstract

The method of microbiological decontamination of a machine comprising an enclosure (5, 100) for treating a support (6) and a conveyor comprising a shuttle (30), comprises the steps of obtaining a container (6) adapted to be received on said shuttle (30) and to diffuse biocidal agent in said enclosure (5, 100), of placing said container (6) on said shuttle (30), of moving said shuttle (30) within said enclosure, and of evacuating said agent. The microbiological analysis system comprises a container (6), a microbiological analysis machine comprising at least two stations (2, 3, 4) for treatment of said support (6), a conveyor comprising a shuttle (30) adapted to receive and to move said support (6), said container (6) being adapted to be received on said shuttle (30), as well as means (150, 156, 159) for evacuating said biocidal agent.

Claims

1. System for microbiological analysis of a support comprising:

a container comprising a support and containing a biocidal agent;

a machine for microbiological analysis comprising a treatment enclosure in which said support is received, at least two stations for treating said support, a conveyor comprising a shuttle which receives and moves said support, between said stations while said biocidal agent diffuses in said enclosure, as well as a pneumatic circuit comprising a turbine and a valve for evacuating said biocidal agent.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a precursor agent of said biocidal agent in said container to activate to diffuse said biocidal agent, said machine also comprising means for activating said precursor agent.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said activating means comprise a station for heating said container.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the heating station comprises a microwave cavity and a magnetron.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor comprises a conveyor duct, and wherein said pneumatic circuit is in fluid communication with said duct.