Modular, self-contained, mobile clean room

• US 9,765,980 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• 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, Philip B., Shanahan, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tompkins, Alissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DECKER, PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US14/858,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• 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 manufacturing system comprising:

a building shell;

at least one elongate corridor extending within the building shell;

a supply of two or more utilities from the building shell, wherein at least two of the two or more utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) chilled water, (c) electricity, and (d) nitrogen;

a rectangular first movable manufacturing bay disposed within the building shell and positioned with a short end up against the corridor and removably coupled for receiving the utilities;

a first clean room defined by the first movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a first facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;

a first mechanical room within an end of the first movable manufacturing bay distal the corridor, the first mechanical room supplying one or more first utilities to the first clean room;

a rectangular second movable manufacturing bay disposed within the building shell and positioned with a short end up against the corridor and removably coupled for receiving the utilities;

a second clean room defined by the second movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a second facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;

a second mechanical room within an end of the second movable manufacturing bay distal the corridor, the second mechanical room supplying one or more second utilities to the second clean room;

a first entry point disposed between the first clean room and the corridor when the first movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the corridor, the first entry point for controlling access to and from the first clean room;

a second entry point disposed between the second clean room and the corridor when the second movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the corridor, the second entry point for controlling access to and from the second clean room;

wherein the first and second entry points are connected by the corridor such that personnel can pass between the first and second clean connect areas via the corridor;

wherein each of the first and second entry points comprises a gowning room and a de-gowning room separated from each other by a partition, wherein operating personnel can gown and de-gown within the gowning and de-gowning rooms, respectively;

wherein the first and second mechanical rooms each have an entrance for personnel from outside the first and second manufacturing bays that is separate from the first and second entry point and configured to be serviced without entering the first or second clean rooms or the corridor; and

wherein an exhaust connection from the first movable manufacturing bay is coupled to a central HVAC system of the building shell.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) chilled water, (c) electricity, and (d) nitrogen.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a duplicate utility supply system disposed in the first mechanical room or the second utility room, the duplicate utility supply system for providing utilities to the first and second clean rooms in case of a failure.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second entry points are within the first and second movable manufacturing bays, respectively.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the rectangular second movable manufacturing bay is disposed parallel to the first movable manufacturing bay.

6. A manufacturing system comprising:

a building shell;

at least one elongate corridor extending within the building shell;

a supply of two or more utilities from the building shell, wherein at least two of the two or more utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) chilled water, (c) electricity, and (d) nitrogen;

a rectangular first movable manufacturing bay disposed within the building shell and positioned with a short end up against the corridor and removably coupled for receiving the utilities;

a first clean room defined by the first movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a first facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;

a first mechanical room within an end of the first movable manufacturing bay distal the corridor, the first mechanical room supplying one or more first utilities to the first clean room;

a rectangular second movable manufacturing bay disposed within the building shell and positioned with a short end up against the corridor and removably coupled for receiving the utilities;

a second clean room defined by the second movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a second facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;

a second mechanical room within an end of the second movable manufacturing bay distal the corridor, the second mechanical room supplying one or more second utilities to the second clean room;

a first entry point disposed between the first clean room and the corridor when the first movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the corridor, the first entry point for controlling access to and from the first clean room;

a second entry point disposed between the second clean room and the corridor when the second movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the corridor, the second entry point for controlling access to and from the second clean room;

wherein the first and second entry points are connected by the corridor such that personnel can pass between the first and second clean connect areas via the corridor;

wherein each of the first and second entry points comprises a gowning room and a de-gowning room separated from each other by a partition, wherein operating personnel can gown and de-gown within the gowning and de-gowning rooms, respectively;

wherein the first and second mechanical rooms each have an entrance for personnel from outside the first and second manufacturing bays that is separate from the first and second entry point and configured to be serviced without entering the first or second clean rooms or the corridor; and

wherein each of the first and second manufacturing bays includes a welded aluminum frame structure and air-bearings.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first manufacturing bay resides on flat, smooth floors within the shell building, wherein the air bearings permit movement of the first and second manufacturing bays.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) chilled water, (c) electricity, and (d) nitrogen.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a duplicate utility supply system disposed in the first mechanical room or the second utility room, the duplicate utility supply system for providing utilities to the first and second clean rooms in case of a failure.

10. A cleanroom system comprising:

a building shell;

an elongate service hallway;

a rectangular first modular unit within the building shell and connected at a short end with the service hallway, the first modular unit comprising;

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;

a first HVAC system within a first mechanical room of the first modular unit, the first HVAC system connected with the first clean room via a supply air duct and a return air duct, wherein the first modular unit is connected to the building shell for electricity and water, wherein the first mechanical room has an entrance at a distal end of the first modular unit to the service hallway; and

a pressure sensor within the first clean room, the pressure sensor connected to a building automation system (BAS) within the first modular unit, wherein the BAS is configured to transmit an alarm through a wired or wireless data interface to a computer outside the first modular unit and within the building shell; and

a rectangular second modular unit within the building shell and connected at a short end with the service hallway, the second modular unit comprising;

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 service hallway; and

a second HVAC system within a second mechanical room of the second modular unit, the second HVAC system connected with the second clean room via a supply air duct and a return air duct, wherein the second modular unit is connected to the building shell for electricity and water, wherein the second mechanical room has an entrance at a distal end of the second modular unit to the service hallway.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each of the first and second modular units comprise a welded aluminum frame structure and air-bearings.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the first modular unit further comprises:

a welded aluminum frame forming a structure of the first modular unit; and

air-bearings under the structure.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first modular unit resides on flat, smooth floors within the shell building, wherein the air bearings permit movement of the first modular unit.

14. The system of claim 13 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.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

universal flexible connectors for connecting the first modular unit to electrical, water, drain water, wastewater, gas, chilled water, and hot water inputs or outputs of the building shell.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the rectangular second modular unit is disposed parallel to the first modular unit.

17. A set of rectangular, self-contained, biosafety unitary modular units comprising:

at least one controlled air, sealable, sterilizable clean room within each modular unit, the clean room having an entry point at a short end of the modular unit for personnel;

a mechanical system room within each modular unit and at a distal end of the modular unit from the clean room entry point, the mechanical system room having an entrance that is separate from the clean room entry point, wherein the mechanical system room is configured to be serviced without entering the clean room;

an HVAC system within each modular unit, the HVAC system connected with the modular unit'"'"'s clean room via a supply air duct and a return air duct, the HVAC system configured to draw air from an ambient environment outside of the modular unit;

a pressure sensor within each clean room, the pressure sensor connected to a building automation system (BAS) within the respective modular unit, wherein the BAS is configured to automatically transmit an alarm through a wired or wireless data interface to outside the modular unit; and

an electrical panel within each mechanical system room, the electrical panel accessing a power wiring that is connected via sealed conduits to outlets within the respective clean room;

an elongate service hallway, each rectangular modular unit connected at the short end with the service hallway, each mechanical system room entrance distal to the service hallway; and

a building shell enclosing the modular units and service hallway.

18. The set of modular units of claim 17, further comprising:

a welded aluminum frame forming a structure of each modular unit, thereby being lighter weight than steel; and

air-bearings under each structure.

19. The set of modular units of claim 17 further comprising:

an exhaust connection from each modular unit with a central HVAC system of the building shell.

20. The set of modular units of claim 17, wherein the modular units are disposed parallel to each other.