Modular, self-contained, mobile clean room

• US 9,518,748 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G-Con Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: G-Con Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Holtz, R. Barry, Arledge, Troy, Maples, Phillip B., Shanahan, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tompkins, Alissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Phillip E
• Application Number:
  US12/856,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 454/187, 454/228, 454/252, 454/341, 454/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 1/04 Dust-free rooms or enclosures
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/00 Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/16 by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/167 Clean rooms, i.e. enclosed spaces in which a uniform flow of filtered air is distributed air distribution by perforated walls F24F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/00 Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Biosafety units, methods of making, and sealing the same are disclosed herein. The units comprise at least one controlled air, sealable, sterilizable cleanroom; and a mechanical system room adjacent to the cleanroom comprising: at least two air handling units in a support room adjacent the cleanroom that provide redundant air to the cleanroom with at least Class 100,000 air purity, the air handling units connected to a one or more supply ducts to the cleanroom, and an exhaust duct in communication with the cleanroom and the air handling unit exhaust, wherein a pressure gradient is formed between the cleanroom and the exterior of the structure; and at least two power supplies that provide redundant power to electrical outlets in the cleanroom, wherein the at least two power supplies are connectable to one or more external power sources and the structure is pre-validatable or validated for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Claims

1. A cleanroom system comprising:

a building shell;

an elongate modular service hallway comprising a unitary structure and air bearings configured to lift the unitary structure for pushing the modular service hallway unitary structure into position on a flat, smooth floor;

an elongate first modular unit within the building shell and connected with the modular service hallway, the first modular unit comprising;

a first gowning room within an end of the first modular unit proximate the modular service hallway;

a first controlled air, sealable, sterilizable clean room within the first modular unit, the first clean room having an entry point for personnel from the service hallway through the gowning room;

a first mechanical system room within an end of the first modular unit distal the service hallway, the first mechanical system room having a point of entry for personnel from outside the first modular unit that is separate from the first clean room entry point, wherein the first mechanical system room is configured to be serviced without entering the first clean room or the service hallway;

a first HVAC system within the first mechanical system room, the first HVAC system connected with the first clean room via a supply air duct and a return air duct, the first HVAC system connected to the building shell for air handling;

air bearings configured to lift the first modular unit for pushing the first modular unit into position on the flat, smooth floor; and

an elongate second modular unit within the building shell and connected with the modular service hallway, the second modular unit comprising;

a second gowning room within an end of the second modular unit proximate the modular service hallway;

a second controlled air, sealable, sterilizable clean room within the second modular unit, the second clean room having an entry point for personnel from the modular service hallway;

a second mechanical system room within an end of the second modular unit distal the service hallway, the second mechanical system room having a point of entry for personnel from outside the second modular unit that is separate from the second clean room entry point, wherein the second mechanical system room is configured to be serviced without entering the second clean room or the service hallway;

a second HVAC system within the second mechanical system room, the second HVAC system connected with the second clean room via a supply air duct and a return air duct, the second HVAC system connected to the building shell for air handling; and

air bearings configured to lift the second modular unit for pushing the second modular unit into position on the flat, smooth floor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first modular unit further comprises:

a flexible connector for connecting to the unit a boiler or clean steam generator from the shell building, the flexible connector allowing the first modular unit to be moved without disconnecting from the boiler or clean steam generator.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

universal flexible connectors for connecting the first modular unit to electrical, water, drain water, waste-water, gas, chilled water, and hot water supplies of the building shell.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an intake and exhaust connection between the first modular unit and a central HVAC system of the building shell.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a bioreactor in the first modular unit, the bioreactor including at least one liquid handling device, refrigerator, tissue culture hood, and microbiology testing equipment; and

a protein isolation unit in the second modular unit, the protein isolation unit including at least one centrifuge, liquid chromatography column, spectrophotometer, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) unit.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a water purification unit in the first modular unit; and

a line connecting the water purification unit in the first modular unit to the second modular unit.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a water filtration unit located in the mechanical system room, thereby configured to be serviced without having to enter the clean room of the first modular unit.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second modular units are parallel to one another and project in a same direction from the service hallway into a floor area of the building shell.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first and second modular units are an equal length to one another, distal ends of the first and second modular units being aligned in the floor area of the building shell.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the point of entries of the first and second mechanical rooms are disposed opposite one another across a space between the first and second modular units.